Francis Daniel Pastorius- The Pennsylvania Pilgrim

The name Francis Daniel Pastorius probably didn’t come up in your American History classes, and he’s probably no more than a footnote in most German history classes… but Pastorius plays a major role in early American history, in German-American immigration history, and even has a role in the Abolitionist Movement. So who was he? A polymath, lawyer,  writer, teacher, a…

What was the Malleus Maleficarum or Hammer of Witches?

Witches have long been part of Germanic culture. You’ll find witches in Fairy tales, in legends, in songs and poetry. The Gingerbread house Witch in Hansel and Gretel, the flying witches on Walpurgisnacht, even the Kitchen Witch flying above your stove. Today we look at witches as a bedtime story or cute tale, like Die Kleine Hexe. But in the…

Reformationsbrötchen Recipe- Luther Rose Reformation Rolls

October 31st, bakeries in Leipzig, bake up a special treat….Reformationsbrötchen or Reformation Rolls. The rolls with five petals and a blob of red jam in the center represent the Luther Rose, the symbol Martin Luther used to sign all of his documents. So what are they exactly? Reformation Rolls are semi-sweet yeast rolls filled with raisins (or cranberries), chopped almonds,…

Seiffen Church- History and a Tour of the Bergkirche Seiffen

Seiffen is not known for its architecture. The town in a far corner of the Germany began as a mining town, and over time evolved into a sort of Christmas Village or Spielzeugdorf, filled with shops creating toys and decorations. Yet, if you go up the hill from the Buntes Haus… past the giant Christmas Pyramid, and around the bend…

Who are the Volga Germans? Holding their Tradition across 3 Countries

My introduction to the Volga Germans came through food. Specifically, Kuchen. One of my readers reached out to me looking for a recipe for Kuchen like her Volga German grandmother made. In my experience, Kuchen is cake… and there are LOTS of cake recipes. So now it was time to do some digging…starting with, who ARE the Volga Germans? (and…

A Tale of Two Schalmei – What is a Schalmei?

In our Saturday German School we sang the same verse over and over, overlapping in far from perfect harmony, while our teacher jumped back and forth across the front of the classroom pointing to groups when it was their time to join in the round. “Es tönen die Lieder…” Es tönen die Lieder Der Frühling kehrt wieder Es spielet der…

Burg Maus- The Perfect Setting for a Mystery! Guest Post by Rachel Selle

Thanks so much to Rachel Selle, author of “Mystery at Castle Mouse” for writing this guest post to share the fascinating history of Burg Maus on the Rhine! (I do love when someone does my job for me). Enjoy the post… and then check out Rachel’s book series “The European Adventures” available in English AND German. Rachel will be giving…

The Nebra Sky Disc & the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle

The Nebra Sky-disc captivated me the first time I saw a photo of it. While it looks like a simple blue disk with golden circles and crescents, the bronze disc reflects the heavens in a very specific way. This year, I took the opportunity to see it in person at the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle Germany. Fabulous. The…

Wartburg Castle Tour- Wartburg Castle in Eisenach Germany

The Venn Diagram of reader recommendations and travel plans overlapped neatly this year, meaning I could put the Wartburg Castle in Eisenach on the itinerary. And I’m so glad. The Wartburg Castle Tour takes you on a journey through history from the 11th century to the end of the 19th.  There are rough and ready rooms for knights, as well beautiful…

Spreewald Kahnfahrt and a Visit to the Open-Air Museum in Lehde

South and slightly east of Berlin you’ll find one of Germany’s more unusual UNESCO sites, the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve. This inland delta of the Spree River, crisscrossed by 200 water channels and streams through bog land, forest, and meadows was formed during the last Ice Age. The area is home to a group of traditional Sorbs or Wends, whose families…

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