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Countess Palatine Helena of Simmern

1532–1579

Born
23 Jun 1532
Country of birth
Germany
Died
15 Feb 1579, Burg Schwarzenfels
facts
6
sources
2
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

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  • Birth23 Jun 1532Probable1 source
  • Death15 Feb 1579, Burg SchwarzenfelsProbable1 source

A life in time

  1. Born

    Birth

  2. Child born: Philip Louis I, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg

    Birth, Hanau

  3. Died · Burg Schwarzenfels

    Death, Burg Schwarzenfels

What was it like?

The world around 1532: 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.

Ordinary people took great care of their clothing, which was considered an investment; garments were frequently passed down, gifted, or sold second-hand rather than discarded. In a 1577 charitable donation in Nuremberg, 100 poor men each received a standardized, durable outfit consisting of a black wool coat, a black wool waistcoat, black wool trousers, a black hat, a white linen shirt, and a pair of shoes.

Known for

Countess Palatine Helena of Simmern was the daughter of Count Palatine and Duke John II of Simmern and his wife, Margravine Beatrice of Baden. She was Countess of Hanau-Münzenberg by marriage.

During their lifetime

  1. 1534

    Public access to the postal system

    The postal system opened to the general public in the Holy Roman Empire, allowing anyone to send mail for a fee and transforming communication routines.

  2. 1555

    Peace of Augsburg enacted (1555)

    The 1555 Peace of Augsburg established the legal principle that local princes could determine the religion of their subjects as either Lutheran or Catholic. If subjects disagreed with their ruler's choice, they were granted the right to emigrate with their property and families.

  3. 1572

    Banking house collapse ruins economy (1572)

    The collapse of the major merchant and banking house Loitz in Stettin in 1572 caused widespread economic turmoil throughout the region of Pomerania.

  4. 1575

    Smallpox and measles epidemic (1575)

    A widespread outbreak of smallpox and measles occurred in Holstein in 1575, severely impacting the lives of local families.

Family

Spouses

Children

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.