Wilhelmine, Gräfin von Lichtenau

Wilhelmine, Gräfin von Lichtenau, born as Wilhelmine Enke, also spelled Encke, was the official mistress of King Frederick William II of Prussia from 1769 until 1797 and was elevated by him into the nobility. She is regarded as politically active and influential in the policy of Prussia during his reign.

Noble Men Preferred Wigs Over Beards

In the 18th century, noble men famously wore wigs and makeup, while facial hair was strictly shunned for most men, marking a major departure from later masculine standards.

Practical Work Clothes for Women

Working women wore practical, loose-fitting clothing like an apron, headscarf, and cap, with shorter skirts and wide sleeves to allow free arm movement while handling water, fire, or animals.

Extensive hymn book for Prussian churches

A comprehensive hymn book published in 1748 contained 1,062 selected spiritual songs used in evangelical churches across the Kingdom of Prussia.

Everyday singing in homes and workrooms

Singing was a common activity in daily life, often performed without sheet music while working, such as during textile work in spinning rooms, or at church services and social gatherings.

Dangers and Hardships of 18th-Century Travel

Travel was often physically demanding and dangerous, with carriages that were frequently uncomfortably sprung or unsprung, causing travelers to suffer from motion sickness or injury. Due to the poor state of roads and the threat of highwaymen, travelers often carried weapons or avoided unnecessary trips, with some prominent figures never leaving their home region.

Stagecoach Travel at Walking Speed

In the mid-18th century, the stagecoach was the primary mode of travel for those who could afford it, moving at a walking pace of about 4 to 5 kilometers per hour. A trip from Nuremberg to Leipzig typically took around 70 hours, while the journey from Nuremberg to Regensburg required 20 hours.

Homes with Sanded Floors and Lead Windows

In homes with stone or brick floors, families often scattered sand across the floor and stairs. Windows featured small round glass panes set within lead frames.

Open Hearth Cooking and Pump Well Water

Cooking took place in the living room over an open fireplace or a masonry hearth with a recessed grate, using wood or brown coal for fuel. Drinking water was typically sourced from communal pump wells located in the village center.

Beer and coffee substitutes as staples

Ordinary people drank low-alcohol thin beer daily, which was considered nutritious and sometimes served as a soup to children. Coffee was expensive, leading many to drink substitutes like chicory or roasted cereals, a mixture often referred to as Bauernkaffee or Muckefuck.

Kitchen tools for open fire cooking

To save time while cooking soups, housewives used hooks with a sawtooth design to quickly adjust the height of pots over the fire. They also used a specialized iron tool called a Cold Hand to remove hot pots because oven mitts were not yet in use.

Annual servant wages in 1752

Annual wages for a head farmhand were set at 12 Taler, while a maid earned 6 Taler under the 1752 servant regulations.

Grain prices in Berlin

In 1740, a bushel of rye in Berlin cost 1 thaler and 21 groschen due to a bad harvest, though prices typically stabilized between 19 and 20 groschen until the Seven Years' War. At the time, one thaler was equal to 24 groschen.

Common jobs and multiple occupations

Most people worked as farmers, laborers, or in cottage industries like spinning and weaving, often combining multiple trades to survive. Families commonly engaged in seasonal outwork, such as weaving in winter and bricklaying in summer, to supplement meager agricultural income.

Long working days and quotas

Daily routines for farm laborers started before daybreak with breaking flax or chopping fodder and continued until late at night, often including mandatory spinning quotas. A 13-year-old stable boy, for instance, received an annual salary of 4 Reich thalers and clothing.