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Prince Erik of Bourbon-Parma

b. 1953

Born
28 Aug 1953, Copenhagen
Country of birth
Denmark

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

facts
5
sources
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images and files
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Facts and their sources

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A life in time

  1. Born · Copenhagen

    Birth, Copenhagen

What was it like?

The world around Copenhagen, 1953: 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 around the same time as Hugo Chávez, Robin Williams, and Jackie Chan.

Born around the same time

  • Hugo Chávez

    1954 · president of Venezuela (1999–2013); revolutionary and military officer

  • Robin Williams

    1951 · American actor and comedian (1951–2014)

  • Jackie Chan

    1954 · Hong Kong actor and martial artist (born 1954)

  • Martina Navratilova

    1956 · Czech-American tennis player

  • Vladimir Putin

    1952 · President of the Russian Federation

  • Angela Merkel

    1954 · chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021 (born 1954)

Fashion

Homemade Fastelavn costumes

For the feast day of Fastelavn, children in the 1950s often created homemade costumes from inexpensive crepe paper, frequently dressing as cowboys or fairies.

Footless stockings worn by fishwives

Fishwives in Skovshoved wore footless stockings to avoid wearing out expensive footwear, carrying their shoes separately.

Music

Youth culture and rock music emergence

In the 1950s, young people embraced American rock music, the jitterbug dance, and new fashions like blue jeans and leather jackets, causing tension with older generations. Concerts, such as one in 1956 featuring Ib Jensen, were sometimes stopped by police due to fears of youth unrest.

The Fanø dance tradition in Denmark

On the island of Fanø, a distinct tradition known as Fanø music and dance, including dances like sønderhoning and fannikedans, was performed throughout the 20th century using a set repertoire of about 120 melodies.

Getting around

Bicycles and Horse-Drawn Travel in the 1950s

In the 1950s, many people still traveled locally by bicycle and horse-drawn vehicles like wagons. Private cars were rare, with most being pre-war models.

Around 1950–1950

The Railway as Primary Transport in 1950

In 1950, the railway was the most important means of transport for Danes, and the ferry route across the Great Belt was very busy.

Daily life

Improving living standards in Danish homes

In the early 1950s, many families lived in small homes without a private lavatory, warm running water, or a bathroom. By 1970, housing standards had improved significantly, with 88% of homes having their own lavatory and 71% having a bathroom.

Modernization of cooking and kitchen appliances

Cooking transitioned from old coal or coke-fired stoves to modern appliances like electric stoves, which became standard symbols of prosperity. By the late 1950s, new houses were no longer built with traditional stoves, and items like refrigerators became increasingly common.

Food

Daily milk trips for fresh cream

Because most homes lacked refrigerators, families bought fresh milk daily and often purchased whipped cream ready-made in small enamel pails from the local dairy.

Frugal porridge for hungry times

In the 1950s, housewives often prepared frugal 'formad' dishes like water porridge or corn porridge to satisfy hunger when money was scarce.

Prices and wages
Around 1956–1956

Daily Earnings and Expenses in 1956

A student in 1956 typically spent about 10 kr. per day to live. In August of that year, a foreman earned 113.57 kr. per day, while the student earned 46.67 kr. per day for his work in Greenland.

Rising Food Prices 1950–1970

In 1950, a loaf of rye bread cost 1.17 kr. and a loaf of white bread cost 1.23 kr. By 1970, prices had risen to 2.50 kr. for rye bread and 1.04 kr. for a loaf of white bread, while butter increased from 6.70 kr. per pound in 1950 to 11.51 kr. in 1970.

Work

Wage differences and strike fines

In 1955, the hourly wage for unskilled men was 4.49 kroner, while for women it was 3.18 kroner. Workers at a slaughterhouse in 1953 faced fines of 100 kroner for men and 65 kroner for women for participating in an illegal strike.

Demanding workdays and shorter hours

A typical working day was demanding, and many women managed both outside employment and heavy housework, often leading to a total weekly workload of 70 to 80 hours. By the early 1970s, union efforts successfully secured a 40-hour workweek and four weeks of annual holiday.

News and letters

Coffee with the mail carrier

It was common for rural residents to offer their local mail carrier coffee at the kitchen table during his daily rounds.

Frequent daily mail delivery services

Until 1968, mail was delivered up to three times daily in Denmark, and two daily deliveries continued until 1979.

During their lifetime

  1. 1953

    First supermarket opens in 1953

    In 1953, the first supermarket in Denmark opened in the Copenhagen suburb of Islev, changing how people shopped by allowing them to select pre-packaged items with a basket.

  2. 1955

    First motorway opens in 1955

    Denmark's first motorway, Hørsholmvejen, opened in 1955, marking a significant change in national infrastructure.

  3. 1959

    Coca-Cola and Elvis arrive in 1959

    Coca-Cola and Elvis Presley albums became available to the general Danish public for the first time in 1959.

  4. 1962

    First pedestrian street opens in 1962

    In 1962, Denmark's first pedestrian street, Strøget, was established in Copenhagen.

  5. 1968

    Pondus piggy bank launch in 1968

    Landmandsbanken launched the iconic Pondus penguin piggy bank in 1968, which quickly became a huge success with 300,000 children within six months.

  6. 1973

    Car-free Sundays during oil crisis 1973

    Denmark introduced car-free Sundays from November 1973 to February 1974 due to the global oil crisis.

Family

Parents

Spouses

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.