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Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel

1820–1884

Born
26 Nov 1820, Copenhagen
Country of birth
Denmark
Died
14 Oct 1884, Frankfurt
facts
7
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · Copenhagen

    Birth, Copenhagen

  2. Child born: Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel

    Birth

  3. Child born: Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

    Birth, Copenhagen

  4. Child born: Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Kassel

    Birth, Copenhagen

  5. Child born: Alexander Frederick, Landgrave of Hesse

    Birth, Copenhagen

  6. Child born: Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse

    Birth, Panker

  7. Child born: Princess Marie Polyxene of Hessen-Kassel

    Birth

  8. Child born: Princess Sibylle Margaretha of Hesse-Kassel

    Birth, Holstein

  9. Died · Frankfurt

    Death, Frankfurt

What was it like?

The world around Copenhagen, 1820: 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.

Prince was born the same year as Jenny Lind, Afanasy Fet, and Henri Vieuxtemps.

Born the same year

  • Jenny Lind

    Swedish opera singer (1820–1887)

  • Afanasy Fet

    Russian poet (1820-1892)

  • Henri Vieuxtemps

    Belgian violinist and composer (1820-1881)

  • Friedrich Engels

    German philosopher, sociologist and economist (1820–1895)

  • Florence Nightingale

    English social reformer, statistician, and founder of modern nursing (1820–1910)

  • Herbert Spencer

    English philosopher and political theorist (1820–1903)

Fashion

Amager women needed eleven aprons

An Amager woman was expected to own at least 11 different aprons to have a suitable outfit for every occasion.

Cost of shawls in rigsdaler

Danish women from wealthier families occasionally bought imitation shawls for 30 to 40 rigsdaler instead of authentic French versions costing 300 to 400 rigsdaler.

Music

Christmas Parties and Social Gatherings

During Christmas, families gathered for parties known as julestuer, featuring parlor games like blind man's bluff which were often accompanied by singing. These events sometimes included a costly feast where guests were seated according to their social standing and relationship to the hosts.

Official Town Musicians Played at Festivities

Town musicians, known as stadsmusikanter, held official privileges and played at family gatherings, local festivities, and in church throughout this period. They often received guests outside the home with wind music, such as the violin or brass instruments.

Getting around

Sea travel often faced long, unpredictable delays

Sea travel was unpredictable; while steamships like the Caledonia appeared in 1819, many passengers relied on sailing vessels where a lack of wind could leave travelers stranded at sea for days with dwindling supplies. In 1805, a group traveling to Kiel took eight days instead of the expected quick crossing due to calm winds.

Around 1800–1815

Road travel was physically demanding and slow

Traveling by road was slow and arduous, requiring passengers to occasionally exit the carriage to push it up steep hills like Valby Bakke near Copenhagen. A journey from Copenhagen to Korsør typically took until the following day even if departing at dawn.

Daily life

Drinking Beer Instead of Water

It was unsafe to drink water from the well because it was often located right next to the manure heap. To avoid illness, people—including children—regularly drank weak beer instead.

Strict Schoolroom Gender Separation

In school, boys and girls were strictly separated, sitting at different tables to ensure they did not sit next to each other. The curriculum focused on religion, reading, writing, and arithmetic, with boys occasionally receiving instruction in gymnastics to prepare them for future military service.

Food

Breakfast of Beer and Rye Bread Porridge

Ordinary families often started their day with beer porridge (øllebrød), made by heating leftover rye bread with beer in a pot that was frequently reused.

Strict Rules Regarding Bread Consumption

Families strictly forbade wasting bread; if a piece fell, children had to pick it up, kiss it, and ask God for forgiveness.

Work

Baking and Brewing Cycles

Daily life involved tasks like baking and brewing beer only once every month or two, as it was impossible to pop into a shop. Water from wells was often unsafe to drink, so adults and children alike drank weak beer instead.

Common Occupations in Early 1800s Denmark

The most common jobs included day laborers, who performed varied unskilled tasks like digging and harvesting, and various types of farm servants and manual workers. Masters and apprentices were also central to the trade system, often living in the master's household.

News and letters

Local letter costs in Copenhagen

In Copenhagen, sending a small letter locally via the foot post cost 2 skilling, while a letter to the suburbs cost 4 skilling.

Optical telegraph system introduced

A specialized optical telegraph using masts and flaps was introduced in 1800-1801 to relay messages across Denmark, although it was often hindered by the country's frequent poor weather and strong winds.

During their lifetime

  1. 1834

    Zollverein customs union founded in 1834

    The Zollverein was founded to eliminate customs duties between German states, fostering economic integration under Prussian leadership.

  2. 1842

    Freedom of movement laws in 1842

    Prussia introduced new laws enabling greater freedom of movement and settlement for individuals not dependent on public relief.

  3. 1844

    Weaver uprising in 1844

    Handloom weavers in Upper Silesia led a famous protest against their publishers due to harsh competition from mechanized factories.

  4. 1846

    Hunger crisis of 1846-1847

    A severe potato blight caused a major hunger crisis across Europe, leading to unrest in Prussian markets and bakeries.

  5. 1847

    First Railway Line Opens

    Denmark's first railway line opened on June 26, 1847, connecting Copenhagen and Roskilde.

  6. 1849

    1849 Constitution ends absolute monarchy

    The 1849 Constitution abolished absolute monarchy, fundamentally changing the legal and political status of all Danish inhabitants.

Family

Parents

Spouses

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.