Count Ludvig Douglas, 12th Count of Skenninge and Stjernorp

1849–1916

Born: 26 Nov 1849, Zurich
Country of birth: Switzerland
Died: 20 Jul 1916, Lysekil Parish

facts: 13
sources: 1
images and files: 0

Facts and their sources

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Birth26 Nov 1849, ZurichProbable1 source
Titlechamberlain, 1881–1888Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
Titlemember of the First Chamber, 1891–1901Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
Titlegovernor of Uppsala County, 1893–1895Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
TitleMinister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, 1895–1899Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
Titlegovernor of Östergötland County, 1901–1912Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
Titlemember of the First Chamber, 1907–1911Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
TitleMarshal of the Realm, 1911–1916Confirmed6 competing claims1 source
Death20 Jul 1916, Lysekil ParishProbable1 source
ParentLouise Katharina von Langenstein und GondelsheimConfirmed1 source

A life in time

26 Nov 1849
Born · Zurich
Birth, Zurich
24 Apr 1880
Child born: Count Robert Douglas, 13th Count of Skenninge and Stjernorp
Birth, Allmannsdorf
1881–1888
Event · chamberlain
Event
1891–1901
Event · member of the First Chamber
Event
1893–1895
Event · governor of Uppsala County
Event
1895–1899
Event · Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden
Event
1901–1912
Event · governor of Östergötland County
Event
1907–1911
Event · member of the First Chamber
Event
1911–1916
Event · Marshal of the Realm
Event
20 Jul 1916
Died · Lysekil Parish
Death, Lysekil Parish

What was it like?

The world around Zurich, 1849: 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.

Count was born around the same time as Robert Louis Stevenson, Mihai Eminescu, and Otto Lilienthal.

Known for

Titles held

chamberlain1881–1888
member of the First Chamber1891–1901
governor of Uppsala County1893–1895
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden1895–1899
governor of Östergötland County1901–1912
member of the First Chamber1907–1911

Born around the same time

Robert Louis Stevenson
1850 · Scottish novelist and poet (1850–1894)
Mihai Eminescu
1850 · Romanian poet, novelist and journalist (1850-1889)
Otto Lilienthal
1848 · German aviation pioneer (1848-1896)
W. G. Grace
1848 · English amateur cricketer (1848-1915)
Octave Mirbeau
1848 · French writer, art critic and journalist (1848–1917)
Guy de Maupassant
1850 · French writer (1850-1893)

Fashion

Cotton accessories as social indicators

Women used printed cotton accessories like scarves and aprons as social markers, often wearing their finest examples on feast days.

Practical trousers for mountain farm work

In the Val d'Illiez region, women wore long men's trousers for practical farm work on steep mountain slopes.

Music

The rise of the accordion

The accordion, invented in 1829 and appearing in Switzerland by 1836, became popular due to its affordability and ease of use, eventually becoming a staple for social dances.

Emergence of national singing festivals

The Swiss Federal Singers' Association was founded in 1842, following the first major singing festival in 1825 which helped transition singing from a local community activity to a national movement.

Getting around

Railway vs. Stagecoach travel times

The railway journey between Zurich and Baden took 45 minutes in 1847, whereas a stagecoach previously required 5 hours for the same trip.

Around 1850–1850

Traveling from Milan to Basel in 1850

In 1850, traveling from Milan to Basel took approximately 50 hours by combining train, stagecoach, and boat connections.

Daily life

Crowded living in shared rooms

Many rural families lived in cramped conditions where multiple people, sometimes including extended family, shared a single heated room to sleep and work. Due to the high cost and scarcity of materials, children often slept in the same bed to stay warm, essentially acting as living hot water bottles for one another.

Limited and basic schooling

Formal schooling was often irregular or non-existent, and many children never attended school, remaining illiterate. When schools did exist, they were frequently held in the schoolmaster's own cramped living quarters, and instruction focused heavily on memorizing religious texts without explanation.

Food

Beverage habits of ordinary workers

Liquor consumption was common among the working population to quench thirst and hunger, though milk was also a standard part of the daily diet.

Hard rye bread and garlic diet

Poor mountain families sometimes relied on hard rye bread that had to be bruised between stones and was seasoned only with garlic.

Prices and wages

Around 1850–1850

Worker monthly earnings in 1850

In 1850, a worker typically earned between 30 and 60 francs per month.

Daily wages for Zurich laborers

In Zurich, an unskilled laborer earned an average daily salary of 3.10 francs, while skilled metal workers could earn significantly more, such as 52 rappen per hour.

Work

Child labor regulated by sun clocks

In some spinning mills, children worked as young as seven years old, with their workday regulated by a factory clock synchronized to the sun. Parents sometimes hid children or lied about their ages to authorities to avoid school attendance laws and keep children earning wages.

Long factory days and farm work

Industrial work in textiles typically spanned 12 to 14 or even 15 hours per day. Workers often combined this with small-scale farming to supplement their low wages.

During their lifetime

1850
Introduction of the Swiss franc in 1850
In 1850, Switzerland adopted the Swiss franc as a single national currency, replacing various local cantonal currencies.
1852
1852 Railway Act promotes industrial growth
The 1852 Railway Act empowered private companies to build Switzerland's rail network, which became a vital driver of industrial modernization.
1852
National telegraph network started in 1852
In 1852, the federal government began constructing a national telegraph network, establishing it as a public monopoly for communication.
1856
First Swedish railway opens (1856)
The first railway line in Sweden opened in 1856, traveling twelve miles from Örebro to Ervalla.
1860
Passport requirement for travel abolished (1860)
The requirement for passports for travel between Sweden and Norway was abolished in 1860, facilitating labor migration.
1868
Crop failure and famine (1868)
In 1868, Sweden suffered a general crop failure and famine, which led to an increase in emigration.

Family

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.