Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor

Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor Francis I, and the brother of Marie Antoinette, Leopold II, Maria Carolina of Austria, and Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma.

Feast day versus daily wear

For feast days, people wore finer clothing, such as a blouse made of fine linen, whereas daily work clothes were made of coarse linen.

Personal cleanliness through body linen

In 18th-century Vienna, ordinary men typically owned between six and ten shirts, while women owned between seven and eleven shifts, which were essential for maintaining hygiene and a respectable appearance.

Masquerade balls were a social highlight

During the carnival season, masquerade balls were highly popular, with noble guests often wearing costumes of lower social orders, such as cooks, servants, or exotic figures.

Trumpets and timpani dominated Viennese ceremonies

During the 1740s, trumpets and timpani were the most frequently documented instruments in Vienna, performing at royal festivals, university ceremonies, and significant church events.

Massive imperial travel party of 1738

The imperial journey of Maria Theresa and Franz Stephan from Vienna to Florence in 1738–1739 took over a month, involving 453 people and up to 300 horses at individual stations.

Slow boat transport on the Inn River

In 1745, a boat trip on the Inn River between Kufstein and Hall took eight days, requiring 50 to 60 horses for towing.

Separate kitchens and private livestock in households

Wealthy merchant households like the Spänglers in Salzburg maintained separate "common" and "good" kitchens to distinguish between daily cooking and the storage of expensive, prestigious tableware. They even kept chickens in their own courtyard to supplement food supplies bought at the city markets.

Crowded homes and shared urban infrastructure

Most residents lived in rented rooms or shared apartments where cooking, sewing, child care, and sleeping often occurred in the same few rooms. Homes relied on tiled stoves for heat and fuel, and daily movement was shaped by access to neighborhood wells and fountains.

Beverages of the ordinary people

While the wealthy enjoyed wine, poorer women in Vienna often drank water mixed with vinegar to cool themselves during hot summers. By the 1730s, beer consumption was rising, and Viennese residents drank about three times as much wine as beer, though beer was increasingly becoming a staple drink.

Meager diet of the common people

The vast majority of the population ate very meagerly, relying on dishes made from legumes like peas, beans, and lentils, as well as porridges made from millet, oats, or barley. Meat was only rarely served to the common person.

Food prices in Vienna

In 1740, a kilogram of bread cost 2.61 Kreuzer, while a kilogram of beef cost 9.36 Kreuzer.

Vienna wages and meat prices 1749

By 1749, the daily wage for a worker in Vienna remained 15 Kreuzer, but the price of beef had risen to 8.93 Kreuzer per kilogram.

Common Jobs Combined Multiple Trades

Many ordinary people relied on multiple income sources, combining small-scale farming with trades like weaving, masonry, or day labor to survive. Seasonal labor, such as weaving in winter and construction work in summer, was common.

Long Working Days Following Sunlight

The working day followed the sun and church bells, often lasting from dawn until dark, though authorities attempted to enforce longer shifts and reduce the number of holidays. In extreme cases during this era, some workers were required to toil for up to sixteen hours a day.