The "Tulip Mania" was the first well-documented speculative bubble in European history. The day when the collapse of...
History
Penance Walk to Canossa
In 1073 the monk Hildebrand was appointed as pope Gregory VII, not by the cardinals, but by acclamation of the Roman...
All good things come in threes
In Christian symbolism the number three plays an important role, I am thinking for example of the Three Kings or the...
The Vltava
"The Vltava" is one of the works known to everyone. At least everyone who has heard the piece once has its powerfully...
Before the storm
Christmas 1812: Half of Europe is occupied by French troops whose emperor is currently pull back from Russia. Prussia...
The battle near Saalfeld
In 1806, Napoleon had succeeded by a clever move in turning the Prussian government against him and luring it into the...
Duke of Enghien
"That was worse than a crime, that was a mistake." The one who said this was not just anyone, but one of...
Chicken Marengo
Only hesitantly could the old powers agree on a common action against revolutionary France. After the "first...
The Cinnamon Star
If you mention the cinnamon star, especially if you do so around Christmas, everyone's eyes are sure to light up. On...
Cécile Chaminade, a French composer
In 1857, Cécile Chaminade was born in Paris at the foot of Montmartre. Her mother, a pianist, initially taught the...
Olivier Messiaen – a blackbird for the flutist
I probably don't think of any other composer as often as I think of Messiaen in my daily life - at least not with this...
Roman Slavery and Christian Charity in Late Antiquity
Since the first advanced civilisations, slavery had been an important factor in the social and societal fabric of the...
Johann Strauss Radetzky March
It is probably the best known and most played march in the world: the Army March II dedicated to Field Marshal Josef...
Ravel’s Bolero – a classic earworm
Maurice Ravel composed his Bolero in 1928 for the dancer Ida Rubinstein. Throughout his life, he was to have a very...
European food culture around 0 and 1500
Despite all the contrasts in our modern world and despite all the differences between the cultures and regions of this...