On This Day!

[Joy]

December 5th, 1791 -- Death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Vienna, age 35.

Some thoughts on Life expectancies at that time;

"Average life expectancy was less than fifty years and in the month of December 1791 when Mozart died, there was no one above the age of fifty six who died in St. Stephen's parish that same month. The very existence, names, causes, symptoms or cures for many diseases were completely unknown and the diagnosis of illnesses was highly inaccurate. Advances in medicine from the Middle Ages up to the eighteenth century were limited and many primitive beliefs and superstitions prevailed."

[SR]

Joy,

Where did you get the information regarding no deaths over 50 in that month ?

Steve

[Peter]

The most astonishing thing to me about this anniversary is that it is 15 years since the bicentenary celebrations and the concerts I attended back in 1991 - it seems like yesterday, the years have flown so fast!

[Cetto von Cronstorff]

[QUOTE=Joy;35064]December 5th, 1791 -- Death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Vienna, age 35.

Some thoughts on Life expectancies at that time;

"Average life expectancy was less than fifty years and in the month of December 1791 when Mozart died, there was no one above the age of fifty six who died in St. Stephen's parish that same month.QUOTE]


This information is incorrect. I wonder who creates such fabrications.

[Sorrano]

[QUOTE=Cetto von Cronstorff;35077]

December 5th, 1791 -- Death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Vienna, age 35.

Some thoughts on Life expectancies at that time;

"Average life expectancy was less than fifty years and in the month of December 1791 when Mozart died, there was no one above the age of fifty six who died in St. Stephen's parish that same month.QUOTE]


This information is incorrect. I wonder who creates such fabrications.

You state that with authority? What WAS the life expectancy at that time? I might add, too, that taking into account infant mortality, that seems fairly reasonable to me.

Check the wikipedia under Life Expectancy. There is a table that shows the average lifespan in years is 37 at the end of the 19th Century in Europe.

[Johan]

Today on the national day of Finland you can listen to for example Sibelius' Finlandia (it is not our national anthem, but tells a lot of our history when listening carefully).

[Cetto von Cronstorff]

[QUOTE=Sorrano;35078]

You state that with authority? What WAS the life expectancy at that time? I might add, too, that taking into account infant mortality, that seems fairly reasonable to me.

Did you read my post? I was not referring to the life expectancy, but to the false claim about the age of the dead in St. Stephen's parish. What is the source for this?

[Sorrano]

[QUOTE=Cetto von Cronstorff;35117]

Did you read my post? I was not referring to the life expectancy, but to the false claim about the age of the dead in St. Stephen's parish. What is the source for this?

Yes, I did read your post--and the post you were quoting, which was emphasizing life expectancy, not to the claim of dead in the St. Stephen's parish. How do you know that it is fabrication?

[Chris]

Today on the national day of Finland you can listen to for example Sibelius' Finlandia (it is not our national anthem, but tells a lot of our history when listening carefully).

When I was a student at the University of Maryland, I attend a concert by the orchestra that included this piece. I do like the piece, and it was a very good performance.

[Cetto von Cronstorff]

[QUOTE=Sorrano;35127]

Yes, I did read your post--and the post you were quoting, which was emphasizing life expectancy, not to the claim of dead in the St. Stephen's parish. How do you know that it is fabrication?

Because the death records of St. Stephen's contradict this information. What's the source for this claim?

[HaydnFan]

I would tend to doubt that life expectancy (removing the effect of infant mortality) was as low as 50 years...that does not seem reasonable to me.

While I do not doubt life expectancy was lower, it was not THAT much lower. I wonder if someone could find a different figure?

[Peter]

I would tend to doubt that life expectancy (removing the effect of infant mortality) was as low as 50 years...that does not seem reasonable to me.

While I do not doubt life expectancy was lower, it was not THAT much lower. I wonder if someone could find a different figure?

I would be very surprised indeed if the average age of death (even removing infants) was higher than fifty! Don't forget this was an age when you were better off NOT seeing the doctor who would probably prescribe leeches, blood letting or such lovely medicines as arsenic, mercury, strichnine etc..!! Then take into account the general level of poverty and poor diet.

Even today there are plenty of countries (Africa) where life expectancy doesn't go much beyond 30. In Brazil, male life expectancy is around 55 and in Russia 56.

[Sorrano]

I would tend to doubt that life expectancy (removing the effect of infant mortality) was as low as 50 years...that does not seem reasonable to me.

While I do not doubt life expectancy was lower, it was not THAT much lower. I wonder if someone could find a different figure?

Look up life expectancy on the wikipedia. At the turn of the 19th Century it is as low as 37.

[Sorrano]

[QUOTE=Cetto von Cronstorff;35133]

Because the death records of St. Stephen's contradict this information. What's the source for this claim?

That's one you'll have to ask of the original poster. Where are the St. Stephen's records available?

[Cetto von Cronstorff]

[QUOTE=Sorrano;35155]

That's one you'll have to ask of the original poster. Where are the St. Stephen's records available?

At St. Stephen's