Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria

Ferdinand Maria was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 1651 to 1679. The Elector modernized the army and introduced Bavaria's first government code. Besides encouraging agriculture and industry, he also improved building and restoration works on churches and monasteries since the damage caused during the Thirty Years' War.

Men's fashion favored comfort and leather boots

During the Thirty Years' War, men's fashion shifted toward comfort, featuring high-waisted doublets and wide, knee-length breeches that fell in loose folds. Soldiers and educated men alike popularized large leather boots that reached above the knee, which were often worn turned down or slouching.

Bavarian laws restricted everyday clothing materials

In 1626, Bavarian law strictly forbade common people, laborers, and farmers from wearing expensive fabrics like crimson-dyed cloth, gold or silver trimmings, or silk ribbons. Farmers were instead directed to use domestic wool, sheepskin, or calfskin and were permitted only simple linen collars without lace or fringe.

Regulated Wedding Celebrations

Weddings were the most significant lifetime celebrations, with music, guest lists, and food heavily regulated according to the social status of the families involved.

Versatile Town Instruments

Town musicians often played versatile instruments like the cornett, a wooden instrument with a sweet, singing tone, which was used for indoor and outdoor performances.

River Travel Was Often the Fastest Option

Traveling by boat downstream on rivers like the Danube was the fastest method, sometimes covering up to 150 kilometers in 24 hours.

Travel Speeds Were Generally Very Slow

Typical travelers, often delayed by weather, poor roads, or cargo, were generally happy to cover 100 kilometers in a week.

Dark and smoky rural homes

Rural homes, known as Hallenhäuser, lacked chimneys; the open fire caused dark, smoky, and stuffy living conditions. Families often lived under the same roof as their livestock, sharing the space with generations and servants.

Difficult access to clean water

Accessing safe drinking water was difficult; people often relied on ditches or rivers, which were contaminated by sewage and waste. Some used specialized cisterns to collect rainwater for drinking, keeping it separate from non-potable water.

Beer and Wine Instead of Water

Alcoholic beverages like beer and wine were consumed regularly instead of water, as local well water was often contaminated. Adults and children commonly drank beer, with residents of some regions consuming 2 to 3 litres daily.

Eating Porridge with Hands

Grain porridge was the most important hot meal, often made of oats or millet and reheated until thick. Families typically ate it by taking pieces directly from a central bowl with their hands.

Earnings of a farm hand in 1638

In 1638, a farm hand (Ackerknecht) in Werl earned 6 Reichsthalers in the summer and 5 in the winter, plus a pair of shoes each season.

Wages paid in goods

By the mid-17th century, laborer contracts often included payment in kind, such as pairs of shoes, grain, or clothing, in addition to a daily or annual wage.

Child labor in rural households

Children as young as five to nine often worked as servants, performing tasks like herding geese or goats, fetching water, and cleaning, which were essential to the family economy.

Wages for daily laborers and mowers

Daily laborers were paid in specific coin and beer, such as 16 ß and 2 quarts of beer for mowing a morgen of wheat, sometimes receiving additional money for food.

Preparing letters for travel

Letters were written on double sheets, sealed with wax, and the ink was dried with fine sand before being sent without an envelope.

Postal delivery times during the 1648 peace talks

During the 1648 peace negotiations, letters between Münster and The Hague took only 2 days, while those to Madrid took between 23 and 30 days.