Alessandro, 1st Duke of Castel Duino

Prince Alessandro della Torre e Tasso, 1st Duke of Castel Duino, full German name: Alexander Karl Egon Theobald Lamoral Johann Baptist Maria, Prinz von Thurn und Taxis was a member of the Bohemian branch of the princely House of Thurn and Taxis. He was created Prince della Torre e Tasso and first Duke of Castel Duino by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy after relocating to the Kingdom of Italy in 1923.

Weekday skirts for women

Working-class women often wore blue-dyed linen or cotton skirts on weekdays, frequently embellished with white printed patterns known as moäraeck.

Intricate apron embroidery

Peasant women created aprons with elaborate embroidered blossom borders that could take an experienced worker more than a full week to complete.

Harpist hired for tavern dances

A blind harpist from the village of Syrovín continued to be hired by local youths to play at tavern dances until around 1890. It was common for folk musicians to perform for intimate occasions, sometimes playing alone while singing and stomping to keep the rhythm.

Paying six kreutzers for a song

At local village feasts, musicians were paid six kreutzers per song. Some attendees would dance all day without paying, leading to frequent fights with the young people who hosted the events.

Faster travel between Vienna and Graz

Taking the train from Vienna to Graz took nine hours, which was a significant improvement over the twenty-nine hours required by post coach.

Horse-drawn railway journey and restaurant stop

The horse-drawn railway from České Budějovice to Linz took 14 hours, with a midday break at the Kerschbaum station, which hosted the first railway restaurant in Europe.

Scarce hot water and shared baths

Hot water was so scarce that in 1875, a single bucket of hot water brought from a brewery cost 4 krejcary. Families often bathed in the same water in a portable tub in the kitchen.

Homemade lighting and fire safety precautions

In the 19th century, the cheapest source of light was a simple wooden piece known as a torchlight, which burned for about ten minutes and had to be constantly replaced. To prevent fire in wooden homes, children kept the light over a vessel filled with water so the burning end would drop safely into it.

Coffee substitutes for families

When coffee was too expensive, families brewed substitutes from ingredients like chicory, malt, or rye.

Meat consumption habits

Working-class families typically ate meat only twice a week, usually on Saturdays and Sundays.

Food and footwear prices

At the turn of the century, 1 kilogram of bread cost 0.20 to 0.30 crowns, and 1 kilogram of pork cost 1.20 to 1.50 crowns. A pair of shoes was priced at 5 to 10 crowns, which was a significant expense for a modest family.

Worker earnings and housing costs

In 1900, an average worker earned between 60 and 120 crowns per month, while mid-19th-century workers typically brought home about 20 gold coins monthly. Rent often consumed nearly half of these earnings.

Common Skilled Trades

The most common skilled trades included shoemakers, bakers, tailors, carpenters, locksmiths, plumbers, butchers, barbers, and glaziers.

Difficult Living and Working Conditions

In a Prague glove workshop, inspectors found 20 apprentices for only 26 workers, while some bakers locked their apprentices in cellar dormitories at night to prevent theft. Workers in Vienna often spent up to one-third of their earnings just on rent for cellar or attic dwellings.