Anselm Francis, 2nd Prince of Thurn and Taxis

Anselm Franz, 2nd Prince of Thurn and Taxis, was the second Prince of Thurn and Taxis, Postmaster General of the Imperial Reichspost, and Head of the House of Thurn and Taxis from 21 February 1714 until his death on 8 November 1739.

Evolution of clothing materials and styles

During the late 17th century in the region, men's clothing primarily consisted of heavy, durable fabrics, whereas women's fashion began to change more rapidly with the emergence of the dress as a distinct garment.

The wide rhinegrave style for men

The rhinegrave was a popular men's garment from 1655 to 1675, consisting of extremely wide, pleated breeches that resembled a skirt and could require up to 1.77 meters of fabric per leg.

Popular songbooks in Brussels

People in Brussels enjoyed singing and listening to collections of popular songs, poems, and love laments published in pocketbooks like Den eerelycken pluck-voghel (1677).

Dance music at taverns

Common people enjoyed dancing to the music of fiddlers and bagpipe players at taverns and festivals, often using instruments held against the chest or shoulder.

Antwerp to Brussels travel schedule

A journey from Antwerp to Brussels took a full day, departing at 8 a.m. and arriving in the evening after stopping in Mechelen at noon for a meal.

Subsidized travel for the poor

While ordinary people traveled by boat, the poor could sometimes travel at a reduced fare thanks to city-funded armenkassen (poor funds), which also helped remove beggars from towns.

Lighting and candles in daily life

By 1700, an average household in Ghent possessed about six lighting-related objects, such as candles and candlesticks, which doubled by 1800. Candles provided brighter light than lamps but were more expensive, leading people to use oil lamps and small lanterns for daily tasks.

Portable cooking stoves and tools

Households used metal komforen, portable stoves filled with glowing coals, for heating and as a cooking device. These allowed the transition toward frying and roasting food, which required pots and pans with flat bottoms.

Beer as the daily beverage

Beer was the standard drink for all, with records from Zichem indicating an estimated annual consumption of 456 liters per person. It was considered safer and healthier than water, which was often contaminated.

Simple diet of the ordinary people

Ordinary people in the Spanish Netherlands relied on a simple diet primarily consisting of rye bread, porridge, and soups made from vegetables grown in their own gardens. Meat was eaten only occasionally.

Food prices in the 17th century

A pig cost 24 livres, while a bushel of red wheat was priced at 47 sous in the 17th century.

Long working days from dawn to dusk

Working days were long, typically starting at 5 am in summer or 6 am in winter and lasting until 8 pm, with only short breaks.

Unusual labor tasks for the lord

In earlier times, peasants sometimes had to perform labor services like stirring pond water to keep frogs silent so the lord could sleep, though such feudal obligations were increasingly rare by the late 17th century.

Postal travel times across Europe varied greatly

News traveling by post between major European hubs like Brussels and San Sebastian took about ten days, while long-distance dispatches to capitals like Vienna could take weeks.

Many undelivered letters remained stored for centuries

Thousands of letters from the Spanish Netherlands were never delivered because recipients could not be found or refused to pay the high postage costs.