I am researching a story, which takes place in the 17th century. Any solid data on what the diets and farming techniques were will be greatly appreciated. The area in question is on the edge of the main fighting during the 30 Years War in central Germany, Thuringia to be specific.

J

I am researching a story, which takes place in the 17th century. Any solid data on what the diets and farming techniques were will be greatly appreciated. The area in question is on the edge of the main fighting during the 30 Years War in central Germany, Thuringia to be specific.

J

germany in 30 years war, they were eating dirt--starvation and plague :(

It's true more Germans died in the 30 years war than in either world war, but the effects were spread out over more than a generation, and over a million square kilometers. There were always parts that were largely uneffected, if only because the fighting moved elsewhere.

Regardless, I am looking for what the traditional food crops and farming methods of the time were.

J

Mostly grain. Potatoes were known but not cultivated (Frederic the Great intrduced this fruit first as a main crop in Europe over 100 years later). For the technology I don´t know. Agricultural history is not my subject.

Adler

If you haven't already, you probably need to look up how the war hit Thuringia proper, since it had this haphazard quality. The war tended to migrate to those parts where armies could be supported. They turned up, devestated a province, and departed when they could no longer be fed localy. Bavaria wasn't hit by fighting until very late inte war for instance.

I assume what you need to know is also things about crop rotation, patterns of land ownership etc.?

Yes, patterns of land ownership would be very key. Included in this would obligations to the powers that be (church, state, the Empire) assuming that these could be collected during a time of war.

Technologically, the big changes in agriculture more or less began in early 18th century England. Given a degree of uniformity in western European agriculture at the time, you might consider looking up some the relavent works of the Annales school of history. While often emphasizing French history, I'm guessing that in terms farming and husbandry, you would not be too far off the mark.

If you haven't already, you probably need to look up how the war hit Thuringia proper, since it had this haphazard quality. The war tended to migrate to those parts where armies could be supported. They turned up, devestated a province, and departed when they could no longer be fed localy. Bavaria wasn't hit by fighting until very late inte war for instance.

I assume what you need to know is also things about crop rotation, patterns of land ownership etc.?
I am interested in the Bavarian part of the war, which actually is from about year 10 to the Peace at Westphalia. Gustov II Adolph and Christian of Denmark are politically relevant, as is Richelieu and the House of Hapsburg, both Bavarian and Spanish. Saint Vincent de Paul is alive. The Dutch Masters are near their heyday (Rembrant is in his late 20's), and Galileo has been arrested, but not tried. The power of the Society of Jesu is in its early ascendancy. Of major political figures, one that may come directly into the story would be Guilio Mazarini, aka Mazarin.

I have a general idea of the effect of the war on Thuringia. It was far enough to the south to leave it relatively untouched by the main fighting. Mostly the passage of armies through the area and the general hazards of lack of law enforcement, ie bandits and disserters roaming almost freely.

I was aware that the bulk of the diet was boiled grain, sometimes flavored with meat, and pot herbs. What I would like to know is the types of grains readily available and some idea of how they were raised. I think a three year rotation, with two crops and a fallow year. In particular I would like to know if Kraut was the staple it would become later, and in general what was used for pot herb.

J

Technologically, the big changes in agriculture more or less began in early 18th century England. Given a degree of uniformity in western European agriculture at the time, you might consider looking up some the relavent works of the Annales school of history. While often emphasizing French history, I'm guessing that in terms farming and husbandry, you would not be too far off the mark.
Maybe this is where to start. The steel plow and the seed drill are integral to modern agriculture, but there should be mention of the methods that they replaced.

J