Skip to content
VitrineRoyal Houses of Europe
Sign in

Maria Theresa of Portugal

1881–1945

Born
26 Jan 1881, Sopron
Country of birth
Hungary
Died
17 Jan 1945, Stainach
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 · Sopron

    Birth, Sopron

  2. Died · Stainach

    Death, Stainach

What was it like?

The world around Sopron, 1881: 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.

Maria was born around the same time as Guillaume Apollinaire, Grigory Zinoviev, and Douglas Fairbanks.

Born around the same time

  • Guillaume Apollinaire

    1880 · French poet (1880–1918)

  • Grigory Zinoviev

    1883 · Russian revolutionary (1883-1936)

  • Douglas Fairbanks

    1883 · American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer (1883–1939)

  • Edvard Beneš

    1884 · Czechoslovak politician (1884-1948)

  • Franz Kafka

    1883 · Bohemian writer from Prague (1883–1924)

  • Benito Mussolini

    1883 · dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1945

Fashion

Elaborate Pearl Hat Decorations for Men

In Kalotaszeg, young men decorated their hats with a large pearl bouquet so oversized it noticeably tilted the hat to the side.

Festive Daróc Jackets in Transylvania

Young men in Transylvania wore red woolen daróc jackets on festive occasions, while older men typically wore black.

Music
Around 1883–1883

Choir performance in church

In 1883, a choir of 20 boys and men performed at the Matthias Church to celebrate Queen Elisabeth's birthday.

Dance and Roma music at festivals

In restaurants and social gatherings, people enjoyed listening and dancing to Roma musicians, who played popular songs and the csárdás.

Getting around

Steam rail significantly reduced travel time

Before the railway transformation, journeys between major towns could take 3 to 4 days, but the arrival of steam trains reduced these travel times to just 12 to 16 hours.

Trains reached high speeds by century's end

By the end of the 19th century, trains in Hungary frequently reached speeds of 100 km/h, representing a major advancement over earlier carriage travel.

Daily life

Compulsory schooling for children

Children aged 6 to 12 were required by law to attend school, with the academic year in upper elementary schools running from early October to early August. Rural students often had their schedules adjusted to accommodate the harvest season, whereas city schools operated year-round with morning and afternoon sessions.

Lighting methods in peasant homes

Peasant homes were typically lit using small dishes of vegetable oil with a wick, or homemade candles crafted from tallow and sheep or cow fat. Open fireplaces also provided a primary source of light for evening chores like spinning.

Food

Children foraging for food

Peasant children were frequently sent to bed without supper and sometimes foraged for fruits or vegetables to compensate for missed meals.

Sulphur water hospitality

When visiting a peasant home, it was considered a violation of hospitality to decline the offered mineral water, which had a strong taste of sulphur and iron.

Prices and wages
Around 1850–1874

Payment for pick and shovel work

Pick and shovel workers (kubikos) were paid by the amount of earth they moved, rather than receiving a fixed salary. Their work often involved their children, whose labor contributed to the father's earnings but did not receive separate pay.

Work

Children assisting in construction work

Pick and shovel men sometimes hitched their young sons, aged 10 to 14, to their hand barrows to help push earth up steep hills. Although the children received no special pay, their labor was essential to the work and helped them learn the trade.

Long hours for seasonal field workers

Seasonal agricultural workers frequently slept on straw or straw mattresses in barns, sheds, or barracks. During peak summer months, their working days often exceeded 16 hours, lasting from sunrise to sunset.

News and letters
Around 1877–1877

Registered letters and delivery confirmation fees

In 1877, ordinary people could send registered letters by paying an additional 10 kr fee, and they could also purchase a return receipt for an extra 10 kr to confirm delivery.

Widespread use of correspondence by 1900

During the late 19th century, correspondence transitioned from an elite practice to a widespread habit, even among household servants, supported by a modernizing state postal network.

During their lifetime

  1. 1884

    Electric street lighting installed in 1884

    In 1884, the first permanent electric street lighting system in the empire was installed in Temesvár.

  2. 1887

    First electric tramway in 1887

    Budapest introduced its first electric tramway on the Grand Boulevard in 1887, significantly modernizing public transportation in the city.

  3. 1892

    Gold crown currency introduced in 1892

    In 1892, the gold crown currency was introduced, replacing the old florin system.

  4. 1896

    First underground railway in 1896

    In 1896, marking the millennium of the Hungarian state, Budapest opened continental Europe's first underground railway.

  5. 1914

    Wartime inflation begins, 1914

    Just after war broke out in 1914, the government began using the printing press to fund military costs, causing the money supply to expand by 977 percent by 1918.

  6. 1915

    Ersatz bread introduced, 1915

    In early 1915, the government forced citizens to eat bread made with ersatz ingredients like sawdust because food supplies were severely depleted.

Family

Parents

Spouses

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.