Modern Society and Every Day Life in Transylvania at the End of the 19th Century
Modern Society and Every Day Life in Transylvania at the End of the 19th Century

Summary/Abstract: The birth of modern society was accompanied by the increasing importance of the time dedicated to oneself, to individual, independent endeavours and more and more governed by and used for material benefits. Beyond the immediate consequences, namely a more pleasant way to spend time, leisure has also induced rationalisation, acting as a catalyst of modernisation and social change. Daily life itself is a more complex subject than first meets the eye. The term covers, of course, the simple facts of existence: what people wore, ate, how they worked, played, rested, took sick and recovered, and how they prayed, mourned, and celebrated. But the history of daily life does not mean only a long list of activities in a given time of place but also its impact on mentalities and social environment. The paper analyses the manner in which the Romanians living in Transylvania experienced modernity from the perspective of daily life.

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