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Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg

1628–1685

Born
24 Mar 1628, Herzberg am Harz
Country of birth
Germany
Died
20 Feb 1685, Copenhagen
facts
8
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · Herzberg am Harz

    Birth, Herzberg am Harz

  2. Child born: Christian V of Denmark

    Birth, Flensburg

  3. Child born: Princess Anna Sophie of Denmark

    Birth, Flensburg

  4. Event · Queen consort of Denmark

    Event

  5. Child born: Princess Frederica Amalia of Denmark

    Birth, Copenhagen

  6. Child born: Princess Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark

    Birth, Copenhagen

  7. Child born: Frederik Oldenburg

    Birth

  8. Child born: Prince George, Duke of Cumberland

    Birth, Copenhagen Castle

  9. Child born: Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark

    Birth, Copenhagen

  10. Child born: Dorothea Oldenburg

    Birth

  11. Died · Copenhagen

    Death, Copenhagen

What was it like?

The world around Herzberg am Harz, 1628: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Sophie was Queen consort of Denmark from 1648 to 1670.

Known for

Titles held

  • Queen consort of Denmark1648–1670
Fashion
Around 1626–1626

Bavarian laws restricted everyday clothing materials

In 1626, Bavarian law strictly forbade common people, laborers, and farmers from wearing expensive fabrics like crimson-dyed cloth, gold or silver trimmings, or silk ribbons. Farmers were instead directed to use domestic wool, sheepskin, or calfskin and were permitted only simple linen collars without lace or fringe.

Men's fashion favored comfort and leather boots

During the Thirty Years' War, men's fashion shifted toward comfort, featuring high-waisted doublets and wide, knee-length breeches that fell in loose folds. Soldiers and educated men alike popularized large leather boots that reached above the knee, which were often worn turned down or slouching.

Music

Regulated Wedding Celebrations

Weddings were the most significant lifetime celebrations, with music, guest lists, and food heavily regulated according to the social status of the families involved.

Versatile Town Instruments

Town musicians often played versatile instruments like the cornett, a wooden instrument with a sweet, singing tone, which was used for indoor and outdoor performances.

Getting around

River Travel Was Often the Fastest Option

Traveling by boat downstream on rivers like the Danube was the fastest method, sometimes covering up to 150 kilometers in 24 hours.

Travel Speeds Were Generally Very Slow

Typical travelers, often delayed by weather, poor roads, or cargo, were generally happy to cover 100 kilometers in a week.

Daily life

Dark and smoky rural homes

Rural homes, known as Hallenhäuser, lacked chimneys; the open fire caused dark, smoky, and stuffy living conditions. Families often lived under the same roof as their livestock, sharing the space with generations and servants.

Difficult access to clean water

Accessing safe drinking water was difficult; people often relied on ditches or rivers, which were contaminated by sewage and waste. Some used specialized cisterns to collect rainwater for drinking, keeping it separate from non-potable water.

Food

Beer and Wine Instead of Water

Alcoholic beverages like beer and wine were consumed regularly instead of water, as local well water was often contaminated. Adults and children commonly drank beer, with residents of some regions consuming 2 to 3 litres daily.

Eating Porridge with Hands

Grain porridge was the most important hot meal, often made of oats or millet and reheated until thick. Families typically ate it by taking pieces directly from a central bowl with their hands.

Prices and wages
Around 1622–1622

Food and clothing costs in 1622

In 1622 Pomerania, a pound of bacon cost 5 to 6 Schillinge, while a pair of simple shoes cost 20 Schillinge, nearly four times the price of the bacon.

Around 1620–1622

Cost of food and shoes

In 1620–1622, a pair of men's shoes cost 17 to 20 Schillinge, while a pound of beef or pork cost between 0.8 and 1.5 Mariengroschen.

Work

Child labor in rural households

Children as young as five to nine often worked as servants, performing tasks like herding geese or goats, fetching water, and cleaning, which were essential to the family economy.

Around 1638–1645

Wages for daily laborers and mowers

Daily laborers were paid in specific coin and beer, such as 16 ß and 2 quarts of beer for mowing a morgen of wheat, sometimes receiving additional money for food.

News and letters
Around 1625–1627

Delivering news via hand-copied sheets

In 1627, a courier requested 3 gulden for a year's service of delivering hand-copied news sheets from Gotha to a regional landowner.

Preparing letters for travel

Letters were written on double sheets, sealed with wax, and the ink was dried with fine sand before being sent without an envelope.

During their lifetime

  1. 1631

    The Sack of Magdeburg

    In May 1631, the strategic city of Magdeburg was plundered and burned by Catholic armies, with most of its 30,000 inhabitants dying or fleeing. This event became a major media moment spread through over 250 newsletters, fueling intense sectarian anger and propaganda.

  2. 1638

    Sound toll increased for state revenue

    King Christian IV increased the Sound toll on foreign ships starting in 1638 to fund state debts and military construction.

  3. 1644

    Swedish forces invade Jutland

    A Swedish invasion of Jutland in 1644 caused widespread disruption to the rural economy and population.

  4. 1654

    Demonstration of vacuum power

    Otto von Guericke demonstrated the power of a vacuum in Regensburg using sixteen horses to pull apart two sealed hemispheres.

  5. 1654

    Legally binding serfdom in Mecklenburg

    The Servants Law of 1654 legally anchored serfdom in Mecklenburg, divesting serfs of personal freedoms and allowing them to be sold with property.

  6. 1659

    Plague epidemic strikes Denmark in 1659

    A plague epidemic broke out in 1659, causing the death of 25% to 30% of the population.

Family

Parents

Spouses

Children

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.