Amalia Catherine of Waldeck-Eistenburg

Countess Amalia Katharina of Waldeck, née Countess of Erbach-Erbach, was a German noblewoman, poet and composer.

Layering wool for winter warmth

During winter, Dutch people of all classes wore extra layers of wool under their indoor clothes to keep warm while skating.

Individual clothing costs in 1626

In 1626, a woman named Maria van Nesse recorded paying 15 stuivers for a bodice and 10 stuivers for a pair of sleeves, demonstrating how individual clothing components were purchased and assembled.

Church music and folk dance customs

Organists played for up to an hour after Sunday and Wednesday church services, sometimes using the organ to help the congregation practice the melody and tone for the psalms. During festive seasons, commoners participated in the traditional egg dance, which required dancers to maneuver around eggs on the ground without breaking them.

Music in daily Dutch life

The Dutch enjoyed music at home in small amateur groups called Collegia Musica or during family gatherings, while common folk played instruments like fiddles, bagpipes, and hurdy-gurdies at taverns, weddings, and seasonal festivals. Songs were integral to daily life, with maids singing during housework and lullabies used to put children to sleep.

The reliable horse-drawn towboat system

The trekschuit, a horse-drawn passenger boat, was a reliable and popular way to travel between towns on a vast network of tow-canals. Passengers could choose between sitting in the hold or the more comfortable cabin for a higher fee.

Strict schedules and timekeeping measures

To ensure punctuality, sandglasses were used in boats and at docks to time the trips, and skippers were fined if they caused delays. In some cases, passengers could even pay 18 stuivers to force a boat to depart.

Drinking Beer Instead of Water

Because water could be contaminated, children and adults alike drank weak beer with meals, as the brewing process killed dangerous bacteria through extreme heat.

Split Doors Kept Children Safe

Families often used split doors, which allowed the top half to be opened for fresh air while keeping the bottom half closed to keep animals out and small children safely inside.

Beer as a safer everyday drink

Because water was frequently contaminated, ordinary families drank beer with every meal, including breakfast. This beer was typically a low-alcohol variety, often called small beer, which was safer to consume than water.

Bread as the staple food

The daily diet was centered on bread, often supplemented with porridges or stews like hutspot, which were cooked in a single pot over an open fire. Poor families relied on dark, nutritious rye or coarse-grain bread, sometimes consuming up to five pounds daily for a family of four.

Wages and purchasing power

An outdoor laborer earned about 6.5 guilders per week, while 100 guilders could purchase roughly 2,535 pounds of rye bread or 570 pounds of meat.

Bread as a primary expense

Bread was the cornerstone of the diet for the poor, who often spent 50 percent or more of their income on it.

Apprentice bonuses and daily wages

Employers sometimes provided bonuses such as a new pair of shoes or a hat at the end of an apprenticeship. A standard daily wage for a skilled worker around 1650 was approximately 20 stuivers.

Common roles and seasonal labor

Common jobs included printers, bookbinders, carpenters, bricklayers, and textile workers, with many families running small businesses together. Seasonal labor was also vital, with workers migrating to dig peat, harvest grain, or work on dikes and canals.

Newspapers as shared social objects

Newspapers were widely shared and read aloud among neighbors and families, regardless of social class, serving as a vital source of news and a center for social interaction. People often doubted the truthfulness of newspaper reports, sometimes verifying them by purchasing official letters or checking with trusted friends.

The uncertainty of seventeenth-century letter delivery

Letters were sent by ferrymen or messengers who moved at the speed of the horse or boat, and senders often marked them with 'Loont' (payment due) or 'in eygen handen' (in own hands) to ensure delivery. Delivery times were unpredictable; a letter from Amsterdam to Brussels could arrive in three days, while others took much longer depending on the route and the diligence of the carrier.