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Princess Marina, Princess of Naples

b. 1935

Born
12 Feb 1935, Geneva
Country of birth
Switzerland

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

facts
5
sources
1
images and files
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Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · Geneva

    Birth, Geneva

What was it like?

The world around Geneva, 1935: 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.

Princess was born the same year as Alain Delon, Elvis Presley, and Woody Allen.

Born the same year

  • Alain Delon

    French actor (1935–2024)

  • Elvis Presley

    American singer and actor (1935–1977)

  • Woody Allen

    American filmmaker, actor and comedian (born 1935)

  • Julie Andrews

    British actress, singer and author (born 1935)

  • Brian Clough

    English football player and manager (1935–2004)

  • Tenzin Gyatso

    14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibetans

Fashion

Embroidery time for costumes

Hand-embroidering the small design on the white collar of an Appenzell women's costume takes seven hours of meticulous manual work.

Around 1940–1949

Women wearing trousers in the 1940s

In the 1940s, a woman in Wädenswil was nicknamed the Manewiib for being the only person seen in public wearing gray trousers instead of a skirt.

Music

Popularity of the Schwyzerörgeli accordion

The Schwyzerörgeli, a type of accordion, was a dominant instrument for Ländler music, which became popular in cities as a form of social dance music.

Around 1939–1939

Record-breaking song sales in 1939

In 1939, a specific yodel-fox song called Landidörfli was released and sold a remarkable 55,000 copies.

Getting around

Expansion of affordable rail and bus travel

During the interwar period, Swiss railways and postbuses expanded their ticket offers, including reduced prices for families and ski trips, to attract more travelers.

Daily life

Kitchens served as bathrooms for families

Families heated water for bathing in the kitchen using stoves or kettles, and weekly baths were often taken in a large galvanized tub placed on the kitchen floor.

Around 1930–1930

Early electric appliance costs and usage

By 1930, some households used electric appliances for cooking and washing, paying 40 Rp. per kWh for electricity during high-tariff morning and evening hours.

Food
Around 1939–1945

No rationing for vegetables and fruit

Switzerland was the only country in Western Europe during the war that did not have to ration potatoes, vegetables, or apples.

Around 1939–1948

Food rationing required coupons and cash

During World War II, families required both money and ration coupons to purchase staple foods like bread, and some had to visit different bakeries to find one that would accept their available coupons.

Prices and wages
Around 1942–1944

Restrictions on bread consumption

During the war, bakers were required to store bread for 24 to 48 hours after baking to discourage consumption, leading to the saying that old bread is not hard, but no bread is.

Work

Strict life of domestic servants

Domestic servants were expected to be available at any hour of the day or night and typically only had a few hours of free time every other Sunday.

Around 1930–1930

Weekly farm wages in 1930

In 1930, an ordinary male farm laborer earned about 19.55 Swiss francs per week in cash, while a female farm servant earned 13.70 francs per week.

News and letters
Around 1940–1940

Restricted communication during wartime

During 1940, it became impossible to send regular mail, and the only way to communicate was via Red Cross messages limited to 25 words per month. These messages experienced significant delays and uncertainty, often taking several weeks to reach their destination.

Around 1939–1945

Military and prisoner mail services

During the world wars, postage-free field post for military personnel became vital, accounting for up to 25 percent of all domestic letters after mobilizations in 1914 and 1939. Additionally, Swiss Post acted as an intermediary to process millions of postage-free consignments for prisoners of war and internees.

During their lifetime

  1. 1939

    1939 Wahlen Plan increases food self-sufficiency

    To prepare for the Second World War, the government introduced the Wahlen Plan in 1939 to increase food self-sufficiency by doubling arable land for crops like potatoes. Rationing of staple foods was implemented and remained in place until 1948.

  2. 1953

    Television begins test operations

    In 1953, television began test operations in Switzerland, marking the start of a new era in home entertainment.

  3. 1959

    Magic formula government established

    In 1959, the four largest political parties adopted the magic formula to permanently divide the seven government seats among themselves.

  4. 1971

    Women gain voting rights

    Women were granted the right to vote in federal elections for the first time in 1971.

  5. 1980

    Zurich youth riots erupt

    In May 1980, youth riots erupted in Zurich against city funding for the opera house, triggering a wave of similar protests across Swiss cities.

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.