Maria Christina of Austria

1858–1929

Born: 21 Jul 1858, Židlochovice Castle
Country of birth: Czechia
Died: 6 Feb 1929, Madrid

facts: 10
sources: 1
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Facts and their sources

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Birth21 Jul 1858, Židlochovice CastleProbable1 source
TitleAbbess of the Institution of Noble Ladies of the Prague Castle, 1875–1879Confirmed2 competing claims1 source
TitleConsort of Spain, 1879–1885Confirmed2 competing claims1 source
TitleRegent of Spain, 1885–1902Confirmed2 competing claims1 source
Death6 Feb 1929, MadridProbable1 source
ParentArchduke Karl Ferdinand of AustriaConfirmed1 source
ParentArchduchess Elisabeth Franziska of AustriaConfirmed1 source

A life in time

21 Jul 1858
Born · Židlochovice Castle
Birth, Židlochovice Castle
1875–1879
Event · Abbess of the Institution of Noble Ladies of the Prague Castle
Event
1879–1885
Event · Consort of Spain
Event
11 Sep 1880
Child born: María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias
Birth, Royal Palace of Madrid
12 Nov 1882
Child born: Infanta Maria Teresa Isabel of Spain
Birth, Madrid
1885–1902
Event · Regent of Spain
Event
17 May 1886
Child born: Alfonso XIII
Birth, Royal Palace of Madrid
6 Feb 1929
Died · Madrid
Death, Madrid

What was it like?

The world around Židlochovice Castle, 1858: 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 the same year as Giacomo Puccini, Eleonora Duse, and Ethel Smyth.

Known for

Titles held

Abbess of the Institution of Noble Ladies of the Prague Castle1875–1879
Consort of Spain1879–1885
Regent of Spain1885–1902

Born the same year

Giacomo Puccini
Italian opera composer (1858–1924)
Eleonora Duse
Italian stage actress (1858-1924)
Ethel Smyth
English composer and suffragette (1858–1944)
Gustaf V of Sweden
King of Sweden from 1907 to 1950
Theodore Roosevelt
26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909 (1858–1919)
Max Planck
German theoretical physicist (1858–1947)

Fashion

Flax drying costs

To dry flax, farmers paid a fee of 20 kreuzers to a local flax worker for scaffold space and provided him with daily food.

Hay-stuffed skirt enhancers

Women prioritized the number of their skirts, which were kept voluminous by a hay-stuffed pouch attached under their bodices.

Music

Intimate musical performances

Beyond formal feasts, people enjoyed music in intimate settings, sometimes accompanied by just a single musician such as a hurdy-gurdy player or a blind harpist. Musicians were often paid not only in cash but also in food, drink, or grain.

Paying for music at feasts

In the mid-19th century, musicians often played for money, with one song costing six kreutzers. If dancers avoided paying, fights frequently broke out at feast parties.

Getting around

Easier travel across borders

Administrative barriers to travel were significantly reduced when a decree in 1857 abolished the requirement for passports for travel within the Austrian monarchy. By 1865, passport controls were also removed at the external borders of the monarchy.

Railway revolutionized travel times

Before the railway, a carriage journey from Prague to Vienna took up to 36 hours, but the train reduced this time to 8 hours.

Daily life

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.

Around 1825–1849

School attendance reality and seasonal patterns

Although school was legally compulsory for children aged 6 to 12, many village children only attended during the winter months when there was no farm work. By 1830, approximately 90 percent of eligible children were officially enrolled in school.

Food

Street food for the poor

Street kitchens in Prague served the poorest people, providing meals like soups, sausages, or dumplings for prices as low as 2 to 3 kreutzers. Diners often stood to eat, and it was common for them to borrow a spoon or even have food served directly into their hands by vendors.

Around 1865–1872

Affordable meals at workers' cooperatives

Workers’ food cooperatives were established in Prague between 1865 and 1872 to provide affordable meals, such as a full lunch featuring soup, a side dish, and meat for 16 kreutzers. These establishments offered a cleaner alternative to street kitchens, providing diners with tables and cutlery like knives and forks.

Prices and wages

Worker Income and Food Prices

By the mid-19th century, an average worker's family earned about 20 gold (gulden) per month, with nearly half of their income spent on rent. In 1860, one kilogram of bread cost 11 kreuzer, while one kilogram of meat cost about 40 kreuzer.

Survival and extreme dietary measures

Due to extreme poverty, some workers supplemented their scarce diet by hunting sparrows, crows, or even consuming cats and cockchafers. Street kitchens also served the poorest, often reusing tools without cleaning them between customers.

Work

Long hours for domestic servants

Domestic servants in burgher households during the 19th century faced a grueling existence, with a typical working day lasting between 16 and 18 hours.

Around 1848–1848

Oil mill worker wages and queues

Around 1848, a worker operating a press in an oil mill earned a daily wage of 50 kreuzer. During peak times, customers had to take numbered tickets and wait in line to have their materials processed.

During their lifetime

1858
Introduction of new silver florin currency
The silver florin Austrian currency was introduced into circulation in 1858, replacing the previous Convention currency.
1860
Railway transport arrives in Pilsen
Ceremonial railway transport operations officially opened in Pilsen in 1860.
1873
The financial crash of 1873
The financial crash of 1873 led to a severe economic depression and was followed by 152 registered suicides.
1883
First telephone network in Pilsen
The first telephone network in Pilsen was established in 1883, serving 11 initial participants.
1884
Social reform laws enacted
Major social reform laws were enacted in 1884, limiting workdays to eleven hours and requiring Sunday rest.
1898
1898: Spain loses overseas colonies
In 1898, the Spanish-American War resulted in the loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, deeply affecting the national psyche.

Family

Parents

Spouses

Alfonso XII of Spain1857–1885Confirmed

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.