Jodenbuurt in Amsterdam

1 October 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions Reading Time:  6 minutes

© flickr.com - Paul Arps/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – Paul Arps/cc-by-2.0

The Jodenbuurt (Dutch: Jewish neighbourhood) is a neighbourhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands. For centuries before World War II, it was the center of the Dutch Jews of Amsterdam — hence, its name (literally: Jewish quarter). It is best known as the birthplace of Baruch Spinoza, the home of Rembrandt, and the Jewish ghetto of Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.   read more…

Dirndl

28 September 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

© Adam Jones, Ph.D/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Adam Jones, Ph.D/cc-by-sa-3.0

A dirndl is a feminine dress which originated in German-speaking areas of the Alps. It is traditionally worn by women and girls in Austria, Bavaria (south-eastern Germany), Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Alpine regions of Italy (South Tyrol). A dirndl consists of a close-fitting bodice with a low neckline, a blouse worn under the bodice, a wide high-waisted skirt and an apron.   read more…

Portrait: Saint Valentine

25 September 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Portrait Reading Time:  6 minutes

A relic of Saint Valentine in the church Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome © Dnalor 01/cc-by-sa-3.0-a

A relic of Saint Valentine in the church Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome © Dnalor 01/cc-by-sa-3.0-a

Saint Valentine (Italian: San Valentino; Latin: Valentinus) was a 3rd-century Roman saint, commemorated in Western Christianity on February 14 and in Eastern Orthodoxy on July 6. From the High Middle Ages, his feast day has been associated with a tradition of courtly love. He is also a patron saint of Terni, epilepsy and beekeepers. Saint Valentine was a clergyman – either a priest or a bishop – in the Roman Empire who ministered to persecuted Christians. He was martyred and his body buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14, which has been observed as the Feast of Saint Valentine (Saint Valentine’s Day) since at least the eighth century.   read more…

Hyde Park in Chicago

11 September 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Universities, Colleges, Academies Reading Time:  6 minutes

East 53rd Street and Blackstone Avenue © HydeParkand57th/cc-by-sa-4.0

East 53rd Street and Blackstone Avenue © HydeParkand57th/cc-by-sa-4.0

Hyde Park is a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, located on and near the shore of Lake Michigan 7 miles (11 km) south of the Loop. It is one of the city’s 77 municipally recognized community areas.   read more…

Grindel in Hamburg

10 September 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Hamburg, Universities, Colleges, Academies Reading Time:  10 minutes

Hamburg Kammerspiele (theatre) © Martin Petersen/cc-by-a-3.0

Hamburg Kammerspiele (theatre) © Martin Petersen/cc-by-a-3.0

The Grindel is a quarter in the Hamburg-Rotherbaum district with its centre at Allende-Platz (formerly: Bornplatz) and the area of ​​Grindelberg to the north, which today belongs to the Harvestehude district. Documentary mentions of the former forest and wetland west of the (later built) Dammtor can be found from the 14th century onwards. The main building of the University of Hamburg is located near the Dammtor train station, not far from the main campus (Von-Melle-Park) with the Hamburg State and University Library Carl von Ossietzky, the Audimax and several other teaching buildings. On the other side of Grindelallee, other teaching buildings are grouped around Martin-Luther-King-Platz. The Geomatikum near the Schlump underground station forms the end in the west.   read more…

Garrison Church in Potsdam

27 August 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

© Raimond Spekking & Elke Wetzig/cc-by-sa-4.0

© Raimond Spekking & Elke Wetzig/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Garrison Church (German: Garnisonkirche) was a Protestant church in the historic centre of Potsdam. Built by order of King Frederick William I of Prussia according to plans by Philipp Gerlach from 1730 to 1735, it was considered as a major work of Prussian Baroque architecture. With a height of almost 90 metres (295 feet), it was Potsdam’s tallest building and shaped its cityscape. In addition, the Garrison Church was part of the city’s famous “Three Churches View” together with the St. Nicholas Church and the Holy Spirit Church.   read more…

Ebstorf Abbey

26 August 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

© Hajotthu/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Hajotthu/cc-by-sa-3.0

Ebstorf Abbey (German: Abtei Ebstorf or Kloster Ebstorf) is a Lutheran convent of nuns that is located near the Lower Saxon town of Uelzen, in Germany.   read more…

St Andrews in Scotland, the home of golf

10 August 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

View from St. Salvator's Tower © Jamesmcmahon0

View from St. Salvator’s Tower © Jamesmcmahon0

St Andrews (Latin: S. Andrea(s); Scots: Saunt Aundraes; Scottish Gaelic: Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, 10 miles (16 kilometres) southeast of Dundee and 30 miles (50 kilometres) northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 as of 2011, making it Fife’s fourth-largest settlement and 45th most populous settlement in Scotland.   read more…

Beit Shemesh in Israel

30 July 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  8 minutes

from the southwest © Davidbena/cc-by-sa-4.0

from the southwest © Davidbena/cc-by-sa-4.0

Beit Shemesh is a city located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Jerusalem in Israel‘s Jerusalem District, with a population of 154,694 in 2022. The city is named after and located near the remains of ancient Beth Shemesh, a biblical city in the territory of Judah. Its ruins can be found today at the archaeological site of Tel Beit Shemesh.   read more…

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