There is a lot of symbolism on the Bavarian Coat of Arms...have you ever wondered what it all means? It is a combination of medieval symbols held by the two lions that have been used since the 14th century. On the top left is a Golden Lion representing the Upper Palatinate. That golden lion was… Continue reading The Bavarian Coat of Arms is a combination of medieval symbols
From the early 1930’s until 1945, the German movie industry rivaled Hollywood in terms of quality, distribution and popularity. It was the golden era of Europe's film industry…with the high point in 1942 when 1.067 billion people were in paid attendance throughout Europe. The movie poster shown here features Zarah Leander and Viktor Staal in… Continue reading Once upon a time the German movie industry rivaled Hollywood
This image of King George III …in coronation robes… was painted by Allan Ramsay in 1762. The reason that I am writing about him is that people forget that he was the third German King of England. In fact, he was concurrently also the Duke of Hanover in Germany and a Prince-Elector of the Holy… Continue reading King George III…people forget that he was the third German King of England
Königsberg Castle with the Kaiser Wilhelm Statue is pictured here in sharp detail, along with the routine comings and goings around the castle in 1895. This stone castle was constructed in 1257 as the fortress residence of the Grandmasters of the Teutonic Order and later became a residence for Prussian rulers. The people captured in… Continue reading Königsberg Castle with the Kaiser Wilhelm Statue is pictured here in sharp detail, along with the routine comings and goings around the castle in 1895.
Max und Moritz, the iconic terrible duo who were involved in many bad pranks, are known to all in German speaking lands. This image shows the boys playing a practical joke...pouring gun powder into a smoker’s pipe so that they could later laugh about the results of their prank. These two comic-book-like characters… two young… Continue reading Bad boys Max and Moritz were created by Wilhelm Busch over 150 years ago
In Germany the year 1888 is remembered as the year of 3 Kaisers. Friedrich Wilhelm succeeded his father as Emperor in 1888, but ruled for only 98 days, before succumbing to throat cancer. Although still young at age 57, he was Emperor of Germany for only 3 months. Upon Friedrich's death, his son Wilhelm II… Continue reading If Friedrich had lived longer, he might have been able to change European alliances, preventing the outbreak of WWI and thus WWII
Being mostly landlocked, Germany was never really known as a sea power, but in some of its northern cities it was different. In particular, the cities of Lübeck and Hamburg were famous for their flourishing maritime trade…already since the Middle Ages…and for using their merchant ships as armed warships during times of conflict. As an… Continue reading Hamburg’s Bunte Kuh warship was built to protect merchant ships from the scourge of pirates
...with walls 27 ft high and 7 feet thick...and with outermost castle walls that enclose 52 acres. For perspective, that is four times the enclosed area of Windsor Castle. Amazingly, this huge German medieval structure still exists... it has survived the ages and is now 743 years old, although it is no longer located within… Continue reading Marienburg Castle is the largest fortress ever built in Europe
Mothers Day will be celebrated in Germany this year on May 12th, just as it is here in the United Sates. A lot of German customs and practices…for example Kindergarten and the Christmas Tree…were adopted here in the US, but Mothers Day is the opposite. It started as an American holiday, officially first celebrated in… Continue reading A lot of German customs and practices…for example Kindergarten and the Christmas Tree…were adopted here in the US, but Mothers Day is the opposite.
The Image above is from a book, History of Clothing, from a page showing outfits from the first third of the 16th century. The three men at the right are Landsknechte, or servants of the land, demonstrating the very colorful and unique clothing that was worn by these mercenary soldiers. Maximillian I... who reigned the… Continue reading Landsknechte are probably best known for the variety and flamboyance of their unconventional uniforms
For People Proud of their German Heritage 