After the end of the Seven Year War in 1763, Prussia was a great power whose importance could no longer be challenged. Frederick the Great’s personal reputation was enormously enhanced. A number of nations sent officers to Prussia to learn the secrets of Prussia’s military power. Prussia became one of the most imitated powers in Europe.… Continue reading Frederick the Great Quotes
Lübeck is a World Heritage Site, mainly because of its extensive medieval Brick architecture and its restored city center. But you should also know that this medieval city has experienced 872 years of fascinating history since its founding in 1143 as a German settlement on the river island Bucu. The old town center is famous… Continue reading Lübeck is one of the five “Glories of the Empire”… a title shared with Venice, Rome, Pisa and Florence… Kaiser Karl IV, 1537
Imagine a long stream of people walking day after day from Saltzburg to Berlin, creating a sensation as they trekked through innumerable northern German towns and cities wearing their unfamiliar Austrian style clothing. In 1982 a German postage stamp celebrated this event on the 250th anniversary of the arrival of Salzburg Emigrants in Prussia in… Continue reading They trekked through innumerable northern German towns and cities wearing their unfamiliar Austrian style clothing
Lucas Cranach the Elder ...1472 to 1553... was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is known for his portraits, both of German princes and those of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. He embraced the Protestant… Continue reading Cranach’s Portrait of a Beardless Man in 1500 was widely used on German currency in 1960s
Alsace-Lorraine was territory west of the Rhine River that was part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.. For over 700 years It was known as Elsass-Lothringen... from the 10th to the 17th century... populated with people who for the most part spoke Alemannic German dialects. However, France long desired their eastern border… Continue reading The German area of Alsace Lorraine was once again given to France
This pictorial map of East and West Prussia was produced in 1937. All of the major towns are pictorially represented on the map, notably with images of signature buildings, while the coat of arms of the towns line the edges of the printwork. The body of water on top of map is named Ostsee which… Continue reading Pictorial map of East and West Prussia
Martin Luther influenced our German Christmas traditions, in both northern and southern Germany. In general, the Christkindl …or Christ-child… always seemed to be the tradition in Catholic southern Germany and the Weihnachtsmann seemed to be the Lutheran tradition in northern Germany. But it was not always so…early in the 16th century there was no Christkindl… Continue reading The Christkindl gift bringer tradition was first introduced by Martin Luther
These Trachten, or folk costumes, represent 10 areas of old Germany... these images were used on a series of postage stamps issued early in the 20th century. East Prussia...or Ostpreussen...was the easternmost part of northern Germany, founded by Teutonic Knights in the 13th century. It was removed from Germany after WWII and is now part… Continue reading Images from the past…10 traditional women’s folk costumes of old Germany
The double-headed eagle symbol of the Holy Roman Empire started in 1440, while the name change “of the German Nation” was added in 1512. The double headed eagle was introduced in 1440 to emphasize the religious and secular nature of the empire, and it replaced the single headed eagle that was used by the Empire… Continue reading German Eagles…single head 640 years, double-headed 366 years, then single head ever since 1871.
Herbst in Wiesbaden (Autumn in Wiesbaden) Travel Poster, vintage Germany 1930's. The image portrays a fashionable lady of the era, holding a bunch of flowers with seagulls flying overhead, painted in watercolor by the master of advertising art, Ludwig Hohlwein. Wiesbaden is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. Its name translates to "meadow… Continue reading Wiesbaden is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe
