Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria

1724–1799

Born: 11 Dec 1724, Drogenbos
Country of birth: Belgium
Died: 16 Feb 1799, Nymphenburg Palace

facts: 14
sources: 1
images and files: 0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

Birth11 Dec 1724, DrogenbosProbable1 source
Titlemargrave, 1728–1795Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
Titleduke, 1733–1799Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
TitleElector Palatine, 1742–1777Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
Titleduke, 1742–1794Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
Titleduke, 1742–1799Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
TitlePrince-Elector, 1742–1777Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
TitlePrince-Elector, 1777–1799Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
Death16 Feb 1799, Nymphenburg PalaceProbable1 source
ParentMaria Henriette de La Tour d'AuvergneConfirmed1 source
ParentJohn Christian, Count Palatine of SulzbachConfirmed1 source

A life in time

11 Dec 1724
Born · Drogenbos
Birth, Drogenbos
1728–1795
Event · margrave
Event
1733–1799
Event · duke
Event
1742–1777
Event · Elector Palatine
Event
1742–1777
Event · Prince-Elector
Event
1742–1794
Event · duke
Event
1742–1799
Event · duke
Event
1762
Child born: Karoline Franziska Dorothea von Parkstein
Birth
11 Jan 1768
Child born: Karoline von Bretzenheim
Birth
24 Dec 1768
Child born: Karl August Friedrich Joseph von Bretzenheim
Birth
9 Dec 1771
Child born: Friederike von Bretzenheim
Birth
9 Dec 1771
Child born: Eleonore von Bretzenheim
Birth
1777–1799
Event · Prince-Elector
Event
16 Feb 1799
Died · Nymphenburg Palace
Death, Nymphenburg Palace

What was it like?

The world around Drogenbos, 1724: 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.

Charles was margrave from 1728 to 1795.

Known for

Titles held

margrave1728–1795
duke1733–1799
Prince-Elector1742–1777
duke1742–1799
duke1742–1794
Elector Palatine1742–1777

Fashion

Clothing costs in 1724 Waremme

In 1724, the cost of a leather pair of breeches was 16 florins, while the labor cost to tailor a coat for a young man was 8 florins and 13 patars.

Music

Italian-style church music revival in Antwerp

Church music underwent a modern Italian-style revival in Antwerp after 1718, where new masses were performed only during extraordinary ceremonies to maintain their exclusivity.

Around 1720–1720

Early use of clarinet in Antwerp Cathedral

In 1720, the clarinet made an exceptional early appearance in the Antwerp Cathedral, featured in a monumental mass by composer Johannes Adamus Josephus Faber.

Getting around

Antwerp to Brussels travel details

A trip from Antwerp to Brussels was a major state affair, involving a departure at 8:00 AM, a stop in Mechelen until 2:00 PM for lunch, and an arrival in the capital in the evening. It cost 2 gulden and 10 stuivers.

Comfort and benefits of tow barges

Tow barges were popular for inter-town travel because they offered a comfortable, reliable, and scheduled service, often separated into different classes such as a cabin or hold, and sometimes allowed passengers to eat a meal on board. Unlike carriages, they were not shaken by road travel and allowed horses to rest when it was windy.

Daily life

Concentrating light with water carafes

To maximize visibility on dark days, lace workers placed a candle behind a spherical water-filled glass carafe to concentrate the light.

Single-room village schooling and discipline

Village schools, such as the one in Ename, often held boys and girls of all ages in a single common room. Misbehaving children were punished with a blow to the hand from a ferule.

Food

Rare colonial groceries in rural homes

While common people in the countryside still relied largely on self-provisioning, colonial groceries like tea and coffee were initially rare novelties mostly found in the homes of innkeepers before the 1760s. Before this widespread adoption, these caffeinated drinks were consumed only by a handful of farmers and specific crafting households.

Rural taverns and new drinking habits

In the early 18th century, visiting the local tavern was a favorite Sunday pastime for rural people, where they could observe new consumer trends such as tea and coffee drinking. By 1704, at least one innkeeper in the rural district of Lier already owned tea-serving utensils.

Prices and wages

Cost of shoes in 1724

In the Waremme region in 1724, a young girl's pair of shoes cost between 2 and 2.75 florins.

Everyday prices in 1724

A cotton apron cost 1.7 florins, while a pound of tobacco cost 1.75 florins in Waremme in 1724.

Work

Life as a farm servant

Farm servants, such as plowmen and maids, lived and worked on the farm, receiving board, lodging, and wages often paid in currency and goods like clothes or shoes.

Payment in wheat sheaves

Harvest workers, known as August workers, were paid partly in kind through the gagnage, a system where they received a portion of the wheat sheaves they harvested.

News and letters

Travel time between Vienna and Brussels

Under the best conditions, a messenger needed slightly less than a week to travel the 1100 kilometres between Vienna and Brussels. Bad weather or political unrest could delay reports by two weeks or more.

Winter and weather delays for mail

Letters from Spain could arrive one or two days later than scheduled during the winter months. Delivery from England to Bruges depended on sea passage, which was influenced by the wind.

During their lifetime

1731
Guild autonomy abolished by law
The Imperial Diet passed a law that ended the autonomy of craft guilds, making it easier for people to enter trades.
1746
Military tax levy in Brussels
During the French occupation in 1746, the city of Brussels was forced to pay 200,000 florins in additional levies to support the military presence.
1756
Seven Years' War casualties and destruction
During the Seven Years' War, some 160,000 Prussian soldiers died in battle or from disease, devastating the population.
1766
State monopolies on consumer goods introduced
A new tax and excise ordinance in 1766 created state monopolies on items including tobacco, coffee, and porcelain.
1770
Migration during the 1770-71 famine
During the great famines of 1770–71, peasants from other parts of Germany migrated to Prussia where food supplies were more accessible.
1794
Unified Prussian civil law code enacted
A unified civil law code for Prussia was developed, ultimately taking effect in 1794 to ensure more honest and efficient justice.

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.