Hermann of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich

Prince Herman Adolf of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich was a German nobleman from the House of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich and a politician.

The pride of layered petticoats

In the early nineteenth century, women's pride was displayed through the sheer volume of their petticoats, with some older peasant women wearing as many as ten at once to create a wide, wheel-like silhouette.

Wealthy farmers' coin-studded belts

Wealthy farmers often wore leather belts embroidered with peacock quills and silk, which were uniquely studded with coins on the inside.

Herdsmen's horns played during church services

In church, liturgical works known as Pastorellas featured parts for a rustic herdsman's horn to evoke scenes of the shepherds at the birth of Christ.

Paying musicians by the song at festivals

At feast dances, musicians were paid six kreutzers per song, and they would only play what a patron requested and paid for.

Horse-drawn railway cut travel time significantly

The 129-kilometer horse-drawn railway between České Budějovice and Linz reduced travel time to 14 hours, replacing a three-day journey. It featured Europe's first railway restaurant at the Kerschbaum station, where trains stopped for lunch.

Walking and stagecoaches were standard travel methods

For common people like peasants, students, or soldiers, walking was the most frequent way to travel, covering 20 to 30 kilometers daily. Wealthier travelers used coaches, but a trip from Prague to Vienna still took four to five days under good conditions.

School attendance reality and seasonal patterns

Although school was legally compulsory for children aged 6 to 12, many village children only attended during the winter months when there was no farm work. By 1830, approximately 90 percent of eligible children were officially enrolled in school.

Sleeping arrangements in the family home

Large families often slept together in the kitchen on benches or on top of the large oven used for heating and baking. Benches were cleverly designed with backs that tipped forward to prevent children from falling while they slept.

Meat was a rare luxury food

Meat was a rarity for ordinary families, with annual per capita consumption around 14 kilograms, and meals often consisted of flour-based dishes, potatoes, or pulses.

Poor families ate dark potato dumplings

Poor families made dense dumplings from raw grated potatoes and rye or oat flour, known as blue dumplings or bosáky, which had a dark, slimy appearance.

Journeyman Weaver Wages

In the mid-19th century, a journeyman weaver typically earned about 1 silver groschen or 20 kreuzer per day for manual work. For piece-work, they might earn around 8 groschen per piece plus meals, totaling roughly 1 thaler per week.

Weaver's earnings and daily routine

Between 1820 and 1840, a journeyman weaver earned 8 silver groschen per piece plus meals, working from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. In total, he earned about 1 thaler per week, whereas a typical daily diet consisted of bread for breakfast, soup for lunch, and cabbage or apples for dinner.

Oil mill worker wages and queues

Around 1848, a worker operating a press in an oil mill earned a daily wage of 50 kreuzer. During peak times, customers had to take numbered tickets and wait in line to have their materials processed.