Princess Margaretha of Sweden

Princess Margaretha of Sweden was a member of the Swedish Royal Family by birth and the Danish Royal Family by marriage. A granddaughter of King Oscar II and Queen Sophia of Sweden–Norway, she was the daughter of Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland, and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. In 1919, she married Prince Axel of Denmark, the second son of Prince Valdemar of Denmark and Princess Marie of Orléans.

Aprons and Skirt Layering as Status Symbols

Until the mid-19th century, it was considered immoral for a woman to appear outside the farm without an apron, which served both as a decorative festive garment and as protection during daily labor. Women sometimes wore multiple skirts layered over each other to signal status or to provide warmth during winter.

Going Barefoot to Preserve Leather Footwear

Due to a shortage of leather, it was common for both men and women to go barefoot to save their shoes, often carrying them in their hands until just before reaching church. Some farmers even applied layers of tar to the soles of their feet in the summer to walk across rough terrain like pine needles and stones.

Music and Dance at Skansen Museum

At the Skansen open-air museum, founded in 1891, visitors could hear the nyckelharpa and fiddle playing ancient melodies, while herdsmen's horns echoed. Young people gathered to perform old folk dances and ring games with great energy.

Herding Calls in Mountain Pastures

Women working in mountain pastures used a distinct vocal technique called kula or other dialectal names to communicate with cattle over distances up to 5 kilometers. This powerful, high-pitched call was used for hours during their 3-4 month stays in the pastures.

Horse-drawn travel costs and stations

By the end of 1895, Sweden had 1,518 roadside stations for horse-drawn travel, with an average distance of 25 kilometers between them. A conveyance with one horse typically cost about 16 öre per kilometer.

Train and steamer journey durations

A train journey from Gothenburg to Helsingborg took between 6 1/4 and 11 1/4 hours, while the steamer trip could take 14 to 20 hours. Steamboat passengers were often offered simple refreshments like coffee and biscuits, and stewards expected a tip of 1/2 to 1 crown for a 24-hour voyage.

Mandatory schooling for children

A school law mandated that children attend school between the ages of seven and fourteen, moving society toward a norm where children were expected to study rather than work at home. Education emphasized reading, writing, arithmetic, and increasingly, practical skills like domestic economy and gymnastics.

School kitchens provided meals for pupils

In some towns, school kitchens provided meals for children who would not otherwise get a proper meal at home, with poorer children sometimes contributing about a penny toward the cost. These kitchens helped educate school girls in domestic economy while ensuring pupils were fed.

Hard rye bread stored on ceiling poles

Families often stored hard rye bread on poles hung from the kitchen ceiling, sometimes baking it only four times a year. In Jonsered, children dipped their dry bread into tall cups of coffee to soften it before eating.

Shared meals and market sausage prices

Peasant families ate soured milk called fillebunke from a large shared trough using individual wooden spoons. On the market, factory workers could buy three sausages for 25 öre to share as a meal.

Earnings of a laborer in 1907

In 1907, a common laborer in Stockholm earned 3.20 kronor per day, which would result in an annual income of 948 kronor if he avoided chronic unemployment.

Shoes as a luxury for workers

In Stockholm, a pair of shoes was a significant expense for a worker, as a household budget might show that after covering basic food and rent, only 94 öre per week remained for clothing and footwear.

Agriculture dominated the working population

In 1870, the vast majority of Swedes worked in agriculture, with farming and forestry being the most common livelihoods for ordinary people.

Gender wage gap in farming

Male farmhands earned an average yearly wage of 317 kronor, while maids earned significantly less, with an average of 187 kronor.