September 8, 801 St. Ansgar was born on September 8, 801 in Corbie (in modern France). In 823 he became a teacher in the newly founded monastery in Corvey in Westphalia (modern Germany). In 829 he founded the first Christian church in Sweden. He returned to Germany in 831 and became the first bishop of Hamburg. He continued his work of … [Read more...]

September 7, 1714 The Treaty of Baden is signed by which the French control Alsace and Austria - the east bank of the Rhine. September 7, 1816 Birth of Ferdinand von Hebra in Brünn, Austria. He took up the practice of medicine in Vienna and there founded the New Vienna school of dermatology, which set the standard for modern … [Read more...]

September 6, 1854 Birth of Max Freiherr von Beck in Vienna, Austria. He became chancellor of Austria in 1906 and in that role established universal male suffrage in 1907. September 6, 1869 Birth of Felix Salten, the author of Bambi, in Budapest. The Austrian's original name was Siegmund Salzmann. He was a friend of Hugo von Hofmannsthal, … [Read more...]

September 5, ca. 973 Roswitha von Gandersheim was born in about 935 and died sometime after 973. Her day of commemoration is September 5. She is considered the first woman author in German literary history. Beginning in 962 she composed lives of the saints in poetic form. She composed 6 plays concerning the Christian Faith. She spent her life in … [Read more...]

September 4, 1824 Birth of Anton Bruckner in Ansfelden, Austria. Bruckner composed nine symphonies and three masses. Although controversial in his early years, Bruckner gained recognition during his lifetime and is held in high esteem today. September 4, 1853 Birth of Hermann von Wissmann in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany. He was … [Read more...]

September 3, 1757 Birth of Karl August, Archduke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. He made an intellectual center of Weimar through his invitation and patronage of Goethe, Herder, Schelling, Hegel and Schiller. September 3, 1846 Birth of Alfred Brandt in Hamburg, Germany. Brandt was a lead engineer in the building of the Simplon Tunnel. It is the … [Read more...]

September 2, 1790 Death of Johann Nikolaus von Hontheim (pseudonym: Justinus Febronius) in Montquentin, Duchy of Luxembourg (born in Trier, Germany). Hontheim, a Roman Catholic priest was an historian and theologian. He was a professor at the University of Trier and in 1748 became an auxiliary bishop of Trier. In 1763 under the pseudonym, … [Read more...]

September 1, 1692 Birth of Egid Quirin Asam in Tegernsee, Germany. He and his brother, Cosmas Damian, were leading masters of the baroque style of illusionist decoration in the late baroque period. September 1, 1751 Birth of Emanuel Schikaneder in Straubing, Germany. Schikaneder wrote the text to Mozart's opera, Die Zauberflöte. In his … [Read more...]

August 31 Feast Day of St. Paulinus von Trier (ca. 300 - 358) St. Paulinus, was ordained a priest by the Bishop of Trier, St. Maximin and ultimately succeeded him as bishop. He continued the strong stand against Arianism initiated by Maximin. The emperor Konstantinus, however, who tended toward Arianism, exiled Paulinus to Phrygia (Modern … [Read more...]

August 30, 1916 General Paul von Hindenburg becomes Chief of Staff of the Prussian Army. He largely controlled German policy in the second half of World War I and served as the elected President of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934. August 30, 1928 Death of Wilhelm Wien in Munich, Germany. Wien was a German physicist who, … [Read more...]