#lohr

I was planning on doing Tangled next, but someone requested Snow White in my Beauty and the Beast post, so I’m nothing if not accommodating. The general consensus is that this movie is set in about the 1550′s in Germany, but let’s pick the film apart and see what happens.

To begin with, we need to know where the story comes from, and no, I’m not talking about the Brothers Grimm in 1812. No, the Brothers Grimm didn’t write any of their own stories. They wrote down the German versions of folk tales that they heard. Some, like Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood came from foreign countries with their own German variations, but Snow White is an unusual exception, because she’s not only completely German, she’s very likely a real person.

Maria Sophia von Erthal

Maria was born June 15, 1729, in Lohr am Main, Bavaria to Prince Philipp Christoph von Erthal and the Baroness von Bettendorff. Her mother passed away in 1741 and her father remarried two years later on May 15, 1743 to Claudia Elisabeth Maria von Venningen, Countess of Reichenstein. The magic mirror also appears, as a gift from Philipp to Claudia after they were married. A talking mirror created in 1720 still hangs in the very castle where Maria lived, now a museum. Claudia reportedly had little love for her stepchildren, and Maria was no exception. She preferred her children from her previous marriage. Maria had a bit of a reputation in the town of Lohr, as she was so kind and generous that many of the townsfolk claimed she was a fairy to be so kind. The Spessart forest grew nearby, and on the other side is the town of Bieber, where much of the mining jobs were done by children, since their small bodies were able to get through the mines much easier. Maria eventually died of unclear circumstances, but it’s theorized that she was poisoned with deadly nightshade, Atropa Belladonna. Fans of Film Theory may recognize that name as the very poison Matpat theorized is what Queen Grimhilde used on Snow White in the movie, so it seems we’ve come full circle.

Clothing

That stiff upright collar being worn by Snow White in the film came into vogue during the reign of Queen Marie de Medici of France (1600-1642). The fan collar is extremely closely tied historically to this queen, and the style is even named for her. So, based on the fact that Marie de Medici must have at least been Queen Consort beginning in 1600, we must assume that the film takes place in the 17th century. So, we’re one step in and already the standard mid 1500s setting is being debated.

Those aren’t just red splotches on Snow White’s sleeve, what we’re seeing is a paned sleeve, when panels of fabric would be worn over another layer of fabric, usually of different colors, creating stripes of color. This style was popular during the 16th and 17th centuries.

The dwarves are dressed rather plainly, with simple tunics or shirts, tights, soft hide shoes, and simple caps. The only outlier is their fine metal buckles, but belt buckles have been found dating back to the Celts of the 5th century, so I won’t get up in arms about what specific era these specific belt buckles should be from. 

Both Snow White and Queen Grimhilde are rocking some killer heels, but high heels as we know them today emerged as a trend of the 1700s, or the 18th century. While there were high heels earlier, with there even being an ordinance in 1430 that heels could not exceed 3 inches, the modern high-heel, which they both seem to be wearing, emerged later.

Technology

Correct me if I’m wrong, but, that looks like a bunsen burner to me. At the very least, it’s gas technology. Gas technology we did not have until 1852.

The dwarves seem to own a pump organ, first invented by Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein in 1780.

The kinds of eyeglasses supported by the ears are seen as early as 1600 in this portrait of Cardinal Fernando Niño de Guevara.

During “High Ho” we see Doc using a loupe to examine diamonds. These handsfree magnifying glasses have been around since 1250, used primarily by Jewelers and Watchmakers.

The first dustpan was invented sometime around the 1850s before a more well-designed dustpan was invented in 1897.

What we see here is a variation of a cuckoo clock, replacing the hooting bird with mechanical figures on a track. While I couldn’t find if this is a specific type of Cuckoo clock, I did find that the Cuckoo clock was invented in roughly the mid 18th century near the Black Forest in Germany.

Conclusion

And I thought Mulan was going to have problems, this movie has no idea when it’s supposed to be set. The clothing is from the 1600s and 1700s, but there’s technology that’s almost modern. I will give the movie a pass because it’s the first animated movie ever, but in terms of figuring out a time period, it’s a bit of a headache. I’m just going to have to go with the general vibe of the setting and say we’re looking at about the middle of the 1600s with advanced technology courtesy of the metalworking dwarves because the technology is the primary outlier that throws off the era of the film. Considering most of the advanced technology in in possession of the dwarves, I’m willing to hand-wave it as dwarven magic.

Setting: Lohr Am Main, Bavaria

Kingdom: Holy Roman Empire (962-1806)

Year/Era: Renaissance, mid 17th Century

“1925 baute die Gemeinde Bebenhaus ein Rathaus. Bis dahin war die Amtsstube des Bürgermeisters in dessen Privathaus, der Gemeinderat tagte in einem Gasthaus.” schreibt Sabine Lohr für die Südwestpresse in einem Artikel zur Geburtstagsfeier. Dort wird auch betont, die Stelle gegenüber dem Klostertor sei “der idealste Rathausbauplatz” gewesen. Mehr hier mit SWP+

Sabine Lohr hat in der Südwestpresse ein Portrait der Ortsvorsteherin Dorothee Schad geschrieben, mit einem Foto vor der Tür des alten Schulhauses. Seit vergangenem Sommer ist Dorothee Schad Ortsvorsteherin von Bebenhausen. Seither beschäftigen sie das Thema Parken und die Versorgung mit Lebensmitteln im Ort. Continue reading Portrait der Ortsvorsteherin Schad