Eugen Megerle von Mühlfeld

1810–1868

Born: 3 May 1810, Vienna
Country of birth: Austrian Empire, today Austria
Died: 24 May 1868, Hietzing

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sources: 1
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Facts and their sources

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Birth3 May 1810, ViennaProbable1 source
Death24 May 1868, HietzingProbable1 source
ParentNapoleonConfirmed1 source
ParentEmilie Kraus von WolfsbergConfirmed1 source
TitleMember of the Landtag of Lower AustriaConfirmed2 competing claims1 source
TitleMember of AbgeordnetenhausConfirmed2 competing claims1 source
TitleMember of the Frankfurt ParliamentConfirmed2 competing claims1 source

A life in time

3 May 1810
Born · Vienna
Birth, Vienna
24 May 1868
Died · Hietzing
Death, Hietzing

What was it like?

The world around Vienna, 1810: 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.

Eugen was born the same year as Fanny Elssler, Frédéric Chopin, and Robert Schumann.

Known for

Titles held

Member of the Landtag of Lower Austria
Member of Abgeordnetenhaus
Member of the Frankfurt Parliament

Born the same year

Fanny Elssler
Austrian ballerina (1810-1884)
Frédéric Chopin
Polish composer and pianist (1810–1849)
Robert Schumann
German composer, pianist and critic (1810–1856)
Francesco Maria Piave
Italian librettist (1810–1876)
Leo XIII
Pope of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903 (1810–1903)
Alfred de Musset
French writer (1810–1857)

Fashion

Custom sunshade headscarves

To protect against the sun, women sometimes inserted a strip of paper or cardboard into their headscarves to make the front edge extend further forward.

Handkerchiefs as multipurpose purses

Handkerchiefs served multiple roles: they were used for wiping sweat or the nose, and also functioned as purses to carry essentials like money or tobacco.

Music

Popular folk instruments of the era

Common village instruments included the fiddle and the hammered dulcimer, while the shepherd's pipe and jew's harp were popular for casual entertainment.

The eight-minute court waltz mandate

By imperial order, a waltz played at a court ball was required to last exactly eight minutes.

Getting around

Walking and river travel habits

In the early 19th century, people frequently traveled on foot, with messengers and workers walking between 25 and 40 kilometers daily. On the Danube, cargo boats called ordinari took at least a week to travel the 450 kilometers from Regensburg to Vienna.

Slow post coach travel between towns

Travel by post coach was slow, with a journey from Linz to Steyr taking ten hours in 1829 for a distance of about 90 kilometers. Passengers paid one gulden and twelve kreuzers for the trip.

Daily life

Lack of light and running water

In rural homes, light was provided only by tallow lamps or pine splinters because there were no candles or petroleum lamps. Households lacked running water, requiring residents to wash themselves at a cold well located outside the house.

Mandatory schooling and seasonal attendance

Compulsory schooling for children aged 6 to 12 focused on religious instruction, often with schools in rural areas only operating for half the year because children were needed for pastoral labor. Classrooms were frequently overcrowded, leading some schools to split students into morning and afternoon groups to manage attendance.

Food

Cheap Barley Coffee Substitute

Poor city dwellers bought a cheap, coffee-like breakfast drink made from roasted barley and syrup for 1 Kreuzer at wooden stalls.

Meat Consumption Among Workers

Ordinary workers typically ate meat only twice a week, usually on Saturdays and Sundays.

Prices and wages

Extreme food price volatility

Food prices in the Austrian Empire were highly volatile during this period, particularly around 1811 when a bushel of wheat cost 60 florins, compared to just 4 florins in 1812 and 1824. Such sharp fluctuations made it difficult for ordinary people to maintain a stable supply of basic grains like wheat and corn.

Shrinking portions for ordinary people

In the early 19th century, basic staples like bread and meat became significantly more expensive, and a visual representation of the era showed food portions shrinking drastically over time. In 100 years, the amount of bread one could buy for a fixed price halved, while the amount of beef fell to less than a quarter.

Work

Artisans Working on Site (Stör)

Tailors practiced a system called Stör, where they traveled to farmhouses to craft clothing for the entire family over several days or weeks, receiving board as part of their compensation. This practice allowed small-scale artisans to work locally while avoiding the need for their own large workshop facilities.

Long Daily Working Hours

For the working population, a typical day began early and lasted until sunset or later, often spanning 13 to 14 hours or more. The work was continuous, as domestic chores like child-rearing and food production were added to field or workshop labor.

During their lifetime

1831
Cholera epidemic of 1831
A cholera epidemic struck the area around Vienna in 1831, causing significant mortality and leading to systematic expansions of the sewage system.
1837
First steam railway in 1837
The first steam railway line in the empire opened in 1837, connecting Vienna to Deutsch-Wagram and marking a new era for travel.
1848
Abolition of serfdom in 1848
The law for the final abolition of serfdom was passed on September 7, 1848, ending a feudal system that had existed for over 1,000 years.
1848
Revolution of 1848 in Vienna
On March 13, 1848, revolution broke out in Vienna, resulting in the overthrow of Metternich and the granting of press freedom and a constitution.
1854
First mountain railway opens in 1854
In 1854, the first mountain railway in the world was opened, connecting Vienna to the Semmering pass.
1858
New silver florin introduced in 1858
In 1858, a new silver florin became the official currency in Austria, replacing the previous Convention currency.

Family

Parents

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.