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Johann Georg II, Count of Solms-Baruth

1591–1632

Born
19 Nov 1591, Laubach
Country of birth
Germany
Died
4 Feb 1632, Prague
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 · Laubach

    Birth, Laubach

  2. Child born: Johann August zu Solms-Rödelheim und Assenheim

    Birth, Schloss Baruth/Mark

  3. Child born: Johann Friedrich zu Solms-Laubach

    Birth, Sonnewalde

  4. Died · Prague

    Death, Prague

What was it like?

The world around Laubach, 1591: 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.

Ordinary people took great care of their clothing, which was considered an investment; garments were frequently passed down, gifted, or sold second-hand rather than discarded. In a 1577 charitable donation in Nuremberg, 100 poor men each received a standardized, durable outfit consisting of a black wool coat, a black wool waistcoat, black wool trousers, a black hat, a white linen shirt, and a pair of shoes.

Fashion

Clothing as an Investment and Charity Gift

Ordinary people took great care of their clothing, which was considered an investment; garments were frequently passed down, gifted, or sold second-hand rather than discarded. In a 1577 charitable donation in Nuremberg, 100 poor men each received a standardized, durable outfit consisting of a black wool coat, a black wool waistcoat, black wool trousers, a black hat, a white linen shirt, and a pair of shoes.

Sumptuary Laws Restricting Social Dress

Strict sumptuary laws restricted what citizens could wear based on their social status; for instance, common citizens and artisans were forbidden from using expensive materials like gold, silver, pearls, velvet, or silk. Wives of common citizens were allowed to wear a gold ring valued at no more than five or six guilders and a veil with a golden border no more than two fingers wide.

Music

Moralizing Italian dance songs for students

Teachers and pastors replaced erotic texts of popular Italian dance-songs with moral or devotional words to create acceptable music for schoolboys to sing.

Town pipers performed music from towers

Civic musicians known as Stadtpfeifer regularly performed music from church towers and town hall balconies, often using loud brass and wind instruments like the cornett, sackbut, and shawm.

Getting around

Alternative methods of faster travel

While most people walked, specialized travel options included boats for river travel and the emerging mounted postal service. River travel was faster downstream, sometimes reaching up to 150 kilometers in 24 hours under optimal conditions, while mounted postal couriers could cover significantly more ground than a pedestrian.

Most travel was done on foot

Ordinary people primarily traveled between towns on foot, usually covering about 20 kilometers per day. For longer distances, they relied on walking, although they occasionally hitched rides on wagons belonging to farmers or carters.

Daily life

Schooling costs and winter fuel requirements

In the late 16th century, poor families were sometimes expected to contribute a log of wood per child to heat the schoolhouse during winter. School fees were occasionally paid by the community or amounted to between 12 and 18 pfennigs or 12 batzen per quarter.

Kitchen stoves and built-in water cisterns

Many modest kitchens lacked open hearths, instead using a large, soot-covered stove in a separate room that served for both cooking and heating. Some of these stoves featured built-in water cisterns that provided hot water and a place to boil food like dumplings.

Food

Daily beer consumption in northern regions

In northern regions like Münster, beer was the standard everyday beverage, with people consuming between 2 and 3 litres daily. Wine was reserved only for the four most important religious feast days.

Grains and vegetables as staples

For ordinary families, grains served as the foundation of the diet in the form of porridges or coarse breads. Vegetables such as turnips, cabbage, and onions were essential daily staples, often cooked with lard or bacon.

Work

Common Jobs and Guild Organization

Common occupations included craftsmen like masons, carpenters, and bakers, alongside agricultural roles such as farm-hands, maids, and day laborers. In cities, workers were highly organized into guilds that strictly regulated labor, wages, and training.

Daily Wages and Bathing Habits

In South Germany, a journeyman mason or carpenter typically earned 16 to 20 denarii per day plus room and board, while bakers sometimes received additional weekly bathing money. Workers were frequently paid daily, and some trades included specific provisions for regular bathing holidays.

News and letters

Efficient Relay System and Delivery Times

To speed up delivery, the postal system used a relay method where couriers handed off letters at fixed intervals of 15 to 35 km, allowing riders to travel day and night. On the main route between Brussels and Innsbruck, which spanned about 920 kilometers, a letter could be delivered in approximately five to six days.

Messengers and Information Exchange at Inns

While a growing imperial postal network served major centers, many travelers and ordinary people relied on independent messengers who walked or rode between towns. These messengers often met at roadside inns to share information about road conditions, directions, and safety.

During their lifetime

  1. 1591

    Severe food shortage in 1591

    In 1591, extreme shortages caused wheat and rye prices to reach one kopa and 15 Czech groschen per strych. Three chicken eggs cost one Czech groschen.

  2. 1599

    Plzeň became temporary imperial capital

    Emperor Rudolf II fled the plague and moved his court to Plzeň, making it the temporary capital of the empire from 1599 to 1600.

  3. 1618

    The Second Defenestration of Prague 1618

    Three Habsburg officials were thrown from a Prague Castle window, triggering a revolt that escalated into the Thirty Years' War.

  4. 1618

    Destruction of the Thirty Years' War

    The Thirty Years' War, lasting from 1618 to 1648, caused a demographic catastrophe where roughly one-third of urban residents and two-fifths of the rural population perished. Soldiers and camp followers frequently destroyed crops and seized food, leading to widespread famine and forcing villagers to abandon their land.

  5. 1618

    The Kipper and Wipper Economic Crisis

    Between 1618 and 1623, Germany suffered the Kipper and Wipper economic crisis, where rulers debased coins by reducing silver content, causing rapid inflation. This made it impossible for people with fixed incomes, such as teachers and pensioners, to afford basic living expenses.

  6. 1620

    Battle of White Mountain 1620

    The defeat of Bohemian estates at White Mountain ended the revolt, triggering re-Catholicization and massive forced exiles.

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.