Some interesting things I came across during a walk through the 'Filder', an area south of Stuttgart - a short thread.
These are 'Neidköpfe' - carved heads placed on the eaves of buildings to keep evil spirits away in the 17th century. I found them on a house in the village of Bonladen.
Under the eaves of the Martinskirche in Plieningen I found these Romanesque carvings - around 800 years old. They depict biblical stories and lives of saints.
Traditionally, these stones in Plattenhardt are supposed to commemorate where a group of medieval brothers died in a duel - however it's probably a meeting spot for local courts and a burial place for 'outcast dead'. 15th century.
Finally, the 'Steinernes Kreuz' outside of Pleiningen is supposed to commemorate a skirmish during the Thirty Years War that took place on the spot.
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Today I learned about Norbert Masur, a German Jew and member of the World Jewish Congress, who must have experienced one of the most surreal days in 20th century history...
As the US, French, British and Russian forces liberated Germany, and Berlin was about to fall, Norbert Masur, as the Swedish representative of the World Jewish Congress, was tapped to meet one of the Third Reich's most notorious individuals...
Seeing the writing on the wall, and hoping to save his skin, Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, used connections in the Red Cross and the intelligence services - and his personal masseur - to tee up a meeting with the World Jewish Congress...
The Nazis actively avoided vaccinating prisoners and slave workers from the infectious diseases that were rife in the camps, and considered those diseases a valid tool of extermination, but you go wild, you historically-illiterate buffoon.
Yesterday, I found myself with a little time to kill in Mainz.
Wandering about, I came across the Römerpassage shopping centre and the Isis Heiligtum - that is to say, the Roman Passage, and the Temple of Isis.
Did I check it out? What do you think?
Back in 2000, while they were building the underground carpark for the Römerpassage shopping centre, the remains of a 1st - 3rd century temple complex were found.
Soon enough, it was determined that it was a temple to two goddesses - Isis & Mater Magna.
'But Mike', I hear you say, 'Isis was an Egyptian goddess, and Mater Magna is kinda like Cybele - she's Greek!'
Very observant. Romans, especially soldiers, were world class god-appropriaters.
Mogontiacum (Mainz) being the home of legions, had temples to many deities.
I've been thinking about how ADD impacts me in romantic relationships lately.
It's not difficult to make a connection with people. I tend to be able to fall into them fairly easily. /1
Where things go off the rails is when things progress - when it comes time to open up, show more of the 'real me'.
There's an element of shame involved - what is there of the real me to love & be proud of?
When you've been struggling, it's hard to focus on good points. /2
There's also the idea that when you've been spending the last few decades of your life trying to 'fit in', it goes against everything you place your faith in to go beyond the 'people pleasing' elements and dig through looking for the things that make you stand out. /3
The perception of Nazi Germany as a place where one had to present papers arbitrarily is largely a result of the 1935 Nuremberg Race Laws that categorised Germans according to their 'racial makeup'.
Identification cards were subsequently reissued clearly marking Jews as such...
At the same time, the Nazi regime weakened vaccine laws against smallpox and other diseases so much as to make them non-binding.
Indeed, even before the Nazis came to power, some of their supporters opined that disease would do good to remove the 'weak' from society.
Hitler, in his 'Table Talks', had this to say about compulsory vaccination - he absolutely forbid them to begin to those not sufficiently 'German' - especially in the colonies.
Cynical marketing campaign or genius act of solidarity. With the hashtag #zusammengegencorona, major German brands are joining the vaccination drive. Here's some favourites...
First, Swabian chocolate manufacturer @ritter_sport go with the slogans 'First a prick, then crunchy' and 'Square. Practical. Vaccinated.'
Next, @eBay_KA where everyone buys and sells goods, goes with 'Vaccination: Free. Cheap. Local'