J. S. Bach lived from 1685 - 1750
G. F. Handel from 1685 - 1759
Frederick the Great reigned in Prussia from 1712 to 1786
Catherine the Great ruled Russia from 1729 to 1796
Austria was ruled by the Habsburg Emperors Leopold I: 1658 - 1705, Joseph I from 1705 - 1711, Charles VI from 1711-1740 and Maria Theresa from 1740 - 1780
The architect Fischer von Erlach 1656 - 1723 built baroque palaces, churches and monasteries mainly in Austria, Balthasar Neumann 1687 - 1753 in southern Germany.
Sir Isaac Newton discovered the laws of gravity in England. He lived from 1642 - 1727
Vermeer van Delft created his paintings in Holland. He lived from 1632 - 1675
The philosopher Voltaire lived from 1685 - 1759
... So it was a very interesting time. However, hygiene was not very good. Water was thought to be harmful to the human body, as people had bad experiences of contracting syphilis after bathing together. The water was blamed! So people didn't wash themselves. The odours were masked with perfume. As the hair became matted and unsightly over time, it was hidden under a wig.
It was not a peaceful time, quite the opposite. In addition to the Thirty Years' War, there was a never-ending list of battles. See: Wikipedia
