Devizes Pie
Devizes is a market town in Wiltshire, England, and the place of my birth. Its unusual name comes from the description of the castle that was built there by Osmund, … Continue reading
Hic:Est:Wadard
I am perhaps absurdly pleased by the fact that there is a link between the Bayeux Tapestry and my home town of Swindon in Wiltshire, England. The knight Wadard appears … Continue reading
The ætheling Æthelstan’s deathbed will of 1014
On the Friday after the feast of midsummer in 1014 Ælfgar, the son of Æffa, brought the reply of King Æthelred Unræd to his son, the ætheling Æthelstan. The ailing prince … Continue reading
Skuldelev 3: Viking merchant shipping in the 11th Century
At some point between 1070 and 1090 AD, five ships were loaded with stones and scuttled to form a defensive barrier in the Peberrenden channel of Roskilde Fjord. These medieval … Continue reading
Danish flint daggers: Technology and society in late Neolithic and early Bronze Age Denmark
Finds of flint daggers from Late Neolithic and early Bronze Age Denmark represent what many archaeologists regard as the pinnacle of flint knapping technology in the Stone Age, surpassing the … Continue reading
Feuersturm: Hamburg under the bombs, 1943
On the night of July 27, 1943, the Royal Air Force carried out the second of three major raids against the city of Hamburg. In the space of fifty minutes … Continue reading
Hanse
The ‘Steel-yard’ at London, now the site of Cannon Street Station, was once the western terminal of the Hanseatic trading system that linked England with Germany, Scandinavia, and Russia, and … Continue reading
Sild: Herring fisheries in the medieval Baltic
Let all the fish that swim in the sea, Salmon and turbot and cod and ling, Bow down the head and bend the knee, To herring their king – to … Continue reading
Wendenkreuzzug: The Wendish Crusade of 1147
Between 1140 and 1143 some dozen noble Saxon families from the county of Holstein began a process of subjugation of the neighbouring Wends as they pushed into Wagria, establishing themselves … Continue reading
Bismarckheringe
‘A plague o’ these pickled herrings’ (Sir Toby Belch, Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 5) The Bismarck Herring owes its name to the business sense of Johann Wiechmann, owner of … Continue reading
Mietskasernes: Working Class Berlin, 1871-1922
Following German unification in 1871 Berlin was transformed from a provincial city, capital of the Kings of Prussia, to an international, bustling, industrial metropolis in a few short decades. Its … Continue reading
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) arrived in Wittenberg in 1505 as an already accomplished artist having been appointed court painter to the Elector of Saxony Friedrich III, der Wiese. It … Continue reading
Aaron Cripps’ Fab Five: A Childhood Favorite, a Specter, a Pope & More
Originally posted on Yesterday Unhinged:
Hello, like our host my name is Aaron and I’d like to thank him for inviting us to contribute to his Fab Five series. I…
Sauerbraten
Sauerbraten is a German pot roast that can be prepared with a variety of meats. This recipe uses silverside of beef but it works equally well with pork, lamb, mutton, … Continue reading
Gesellenstechen
While reading around the subject of The Reformation in Germany during the early 16th Century I came across this painting by Jost Amman (1539-1591) in Martin Kitchen’s, The Cambridge Illustrated History … Continue reading
The Bombing of Dresden: Morality and Air Power in World War Two
The primary object of your operations should now be focused on the morale of the enemy civil population, and in particular on the industrial workers. Air Staff Directive No. 22, … Continue reading
Králík na paprice
Looking back through my culinary related posts I note that many of the recipes I’ve included to reflect the cuisines of Germany, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are variations … Continue reading
Galileo
At the moment when your satnav sends you up a cart track, into a river, or the wrong way up a one way street everyone can blame the USA, and … Continue reading
Revolution: A short history of Prague
“I shall now set forth our plan for all to admire. Ultimate goal: overthrow Austria. First step: take Prague. Modus operandi: seize the citadel and lookout point on the promontory … Continue reading
Vepřové pečeně
Gert lush goloptious slices of roast pork served with dumplings, cabbage, and sour cream gravy. Could there be anything better? For the Vepřové pečeně Ingredients: 1 kilo pork tenderloin Salt … Continue reading
Villa Tugendhat
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) along with Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Richard Neustra, Philip Johnson, and J. J. P. Oud, was one of the leading lights of the International … Continue reading
Gregor Mendel
Johann Mendel (1822-1884) was born in Heinzendorf, Austrian Silesia (Hynčice, Czech Republic). After studying at the University of Olmütz (Olomouc, Czech Republic) Johann joined the Augustinian order at the Altbrünn … Continue reading
Fab Five Series (Me first): A Khan, Rousseau, Orwell, a Sex Machine and The Greatest
Originally posted on Yesterday Unhinged:
Sgt. Pepper’s album cover. A work of art in and of itself. More than five people, but a good example of what I’d like from…
Robbing the Rich: Juraj Jánošík
The outlaw hero is a ubiquitous character in human history. England has Robin Hood, Australia has Ned Kelly, China has Song Jiang, Wales has Twm Siôn Cati, and Java has … Continue reading
Danube
The Danube rises in the Black Forest in the Fürstenberg Park at Donaueschingen where a plaque reminds visitors that Hier entspringt die Donau. The river in its various guises as … Continue reading
Tafelspitz
Austria’s national boiled beef dish. Ingredients: Approx. 1.5 kg beef topside (or other quality boiling beef, such as centre cut rump, chuck beef or brisket) Beef bones, if desired 1 … Continue reading
Doppler
The University of Vienna, founded in 1365 by Duke Rudolf IV of Austria, is the oldest continually operating university in the German speaking world., though it was not until 1384 … Continue reading
Battle of Vienna
In 1529 the citizens of Pressburg (modern day Bratislava) opened fire on an Ottoman fleet that was sailing up the Danube. Three years earlier the town had withstood a siege … Continue reading
Linzer Torte
This delicious jam tart is alleged to be the oldest cake recipe in the world. Ingredients: 250 g butter 250 g flour 125 g icing sugar 150 g ground hazelnuts … Continue reading
Johannes Kepler
Between 1615 and 1621 Johannes Kepler published the seven volumes of Epitome astronomiae Copernicanae while living in Linz. In the Epitome he outlined his most famous discovery, the three laws of … Continue reading
Horse railway
In the 1830’s the Austro-Hungarian Empire boasted the world’s longest horse railway connecting Linz in Upper Austria to České Budějovice in Bohemia. Originally envisioned in 1807 by Professor Franz Joseph … Continue reading
South Bohemian Potato Soup
Ingredients: 340g potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 litre meat or vegetable stock Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste 1 tsp caraway seeds, lightly crushed 1 bayleaf 1 small onion, … Continue reading
The Good Soldier Švejk
Having drunk away a gift of 10 crowns instead of buying a railway ticket Private Josef Švejk, unscrupulous dog dealer, idiot savant, and thorn in the side of his superiors, … Continue reading
Husité, part 2
The Hussites quickly united on a programme that in effect were the conditions for their acceptance of Sigismund. They called for the lay chalice to be authorized, for simony (the … Continue reading
Husité, part 1
On July 6, 1415, Jan Hus was led to the stake having been found guilty of charges of heresy by the Council of Constance against the doctrines of the Catholic … Continue reading
Leaping Lena
In 1954 a racing pigeon named Lena lost her sense of direction during a flight from Munich to her home in Klautzenbach and landed in Plzeň. She was found by … Continue reading
Pivo
To lager drinkers Plzeň is, or should be, a spiritual home as the birthplace of the pilsner style of pale lager which dominates the modern beer market. Brewing in Plzeň … Continue reading
Zwiebelkuchen
Zwiebelkuchen, literally ‘onion cake’ in German, is a delicious dish of onions, bacon, cream, and caraway seeds on a base of leavened dough. Fantastic hot from the oven on a … Continue reading
Witch Trial
“Question I. Whether witches, hags, and sorcerers really exist? I answer, they do. Even if I know that many doubt it, even Catholics and scholars, whose names are not relevant … Continue reading
Schweinshaxe
A classic German pork knuckle recipe from Bavaria. Ingredients: 1 leek, diced 1 stalk of celery, diced 1 carrot, diced 2 pork knuckles (aka ham hocks or ham shanks) 1tsp … Continue reading
Europeenses 