You might be surprised to discover that the beloved teddy bear owes its name to President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. During a hunting trip in Mississippi in 1902, the 26th President of the United States refused to shoot a bear that guides had clubbed and tied to a tree.
Rakotzbrücke is often called the Devil’s Bridge because of its somewhat sinister history. Local folklore says that the devil helped to build the bridge. He then offered to assist people across it on the condition that the first soul to cross belonged to him.
Located near the town of Bingen, the Mouse Tower (or “Mäuseturm” in German) is one of the Rhine River’s many toll stations. According to German folklore, however, it has a compelling and somewhat troubling history.
At first glance, German artist Werner Härtl’s paintings look like stunning, sepia-toned pieces of artwork. In reality, though, they’re made with a surprising medium: Cow manure.
One of the latest creations from Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota delivers something everyone could use a little more of right now: Hope.
Winter is always a vulnerable time for the roughly 860,000 Germans who are experiencing homelessness. Add in a global pandemic, though, and this difficult period becomes even harder.
During this uncertain time, stories of human survival—especially in times of sheer hopelessness—can provide an uplifting swell throughout long periods of tedium and fear. This one, in particular, redefines the term: perseverance.
One of the most compelling figures to emerge from World War II wasn’t a military hero or a world leader. It was a young Jewish girl with a front-row seat to the Holocaust, who kept a diary of her most candid thoughts and observations. Her story serves as a reminder of the horrors of antisemitism, racism, and discrimination, even today.
Christmas trees are a beloved tradition for people all over the world, symbolizing the end of the year and the joy of the holiday season. Long thought of as a religious symbol, it may come as a surprise that the earliest origin of the Christmas tree dates back to ancient, paganistic rituals.
German seamstress Agnes Emma Richter was 51 years old when she was admitted in 1895 to the Hubertusberg Psychiatric Institution near Dresden, Germany. Richter was initially transferred to a mental institution near her home after her neighbors lodged several complaints about her “erratic behavior.”
