Frederick Christian I of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg

Frederick Christian I was Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg from 1754 to 1794.

Men's hat styles changed

Men switched from tall conical hats to low, broad-brimmed black felt hats during the 1700s.

Skirt colors indicated status

Women used skirt colors to signal status: red for unmarried girls, green for married women, and blue for festive occasions.

Common Instruments for Village Dancing

Village dances commonly featured the violin as the main instrument, alongside traditional drone instruments like the hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, and drums.

Minuet Popularity Among Ordinary People

In the 1740s, peasants danced the minuet at fine occasions, and authorities even caught guests dancing it at a suburban Copenhagen inn in 1736.

Long school days and restricted access

Formal schooling for boys in Danish towns involved long days, typically running from 6:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., except on Wednesdays when it ended at 8:00 a.m. Girls were generally barred from these schools, though some were taught by female teachers who were restricted to instructing girls regardless of age.

Naval school pay in rye

At the Nyboder naval housing, school was integrated into naval service, and part of the boys' pay was 4.5 kg of rye per month. Boys entered school at 6 years old and remained until confirmation, focusing on training for future work as sailors or specialists.

Clarifying coffee with fish skin

Coffee was boiled in copper kettles and sometimes clarified with a piece of dried flounder skin, as coffee filters did not exist.

Herring was the common daily meal

For ordinary people, salted herring eaten with water porridge was the most common daily meal, often consumed morning, noon, and evening.

Day laborer earnings in Odense

A common day laborer in Odense earned 16 skilling for a 12-hour workday during summer, and 12 skilling during winter.

Mail collection in Aabenraa

Residents of Aabenraa had to pick up their mail at the customs house in Toldsted until the first royal postmaster was appointed in the town in 1729.

Travel time by carriage and foot

In the early Danish postal system, the route between Copenhagen and Hamburg used carriages, while others were served by foot messengers with a travel time of 8 days.