July 26, 1815 Birth of Robert Remak in Posen, Prussia (now Poland). Remak was an embryologist who identified and named the three layers of the early embryo. He also discovered the nerve cells of the heart. He was the first Jew to teach at the University of Berlin. July 26, 1842 Birth of Berthold Delbrück in Putbus, Germany. He was a … [Read more...]

July 25, 975 Birth of Dietmar in Hildesheim, Germany. The Saxon Dietmar was an important chronicler of his age and his works are important documentation to the period. July 25, 1564 Death of Ferdinand I in Vienna, Austria. The Spanish-born Habsburg, Ferdinand became the Holy Roman Emperor, and the king of Bohemia and Hungary. In the … [Read more...]

July 24, 1683 The first German settlers leave for the USA on board the Concord. Originally from Krefeld in the Rhine Valley, they spent 73 days on the ship, crossing the ocean. Those 33 immigrants came at William Penn's invitation and founded Germantown, then a city, now a neighborhood of Philadelphia. Their first mayor was a young lawyer … [Read more...]

July 23, 1562 Götz von Berlichingen (also known as Götz of the Iron Hand) dies at Hornberg Castle. He was a German (Franconian) Imperial Knight (Reichsritter) and mercenary. He was born around 1480 into the noble family of Berlichingen in Württemberg. Götz bought Hornberg castle (Neckarzimmern) in 1517, and lived there until his death in 1562. … [Read more...]

July 22, 1784 Birth of Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (1784-1846) in Minden, Germany. An astronomer, Bessel measured the position of 50,000 stars and developed the first system of measuring the distance of stars. The asteroid 1552 Bessel was named in his honor. July 22, 1809 Death of the poet, Detlev Liliencron in Alt-Rahlstedt (near … [Read more...]

July 21, 1816 Birth of Paul Freiherr von Reuter in Kassel. He was the founder of a news agency, Reuters, which is still in a leading position globally. Born of Jewish heritage, Israel Beer Josaphat, he changed his name in 1845 when he became a Christian. On February 25, 1999, the Reuters News Agency commemorated the 100th anniversary of the … [Read more...]

July 20, 1839 Birth of the pathologist, Julius Cohnheim, in Demmin, Prussia. He worked with the effects of tuberculosis on tissue. July 20, 1847 Birth of the artist, Max Liebermann, in Berlin, Germany. He was a leader in the German impressionist period. July 20, 1850 Birth of Georg Müller in Grimma, Germany. Müller was a … [Read more...]

July 19, 1698 Birth of Johann Bodmer in Greifensee, Switzerland. Bodmer was a historian and literary critic who made substantial contribution to the development of an original German literature in Switzerland. July 19, 1870 France declares war on Prussia opening the Franco-Prussian War which would end in 1871. July 19, … [Read more...]

July 18, 1066 Death of St. Answer. St. Answer (ca. 1035 – 1066) was born in the far north of Germany in the area which is now the state of Schleswig-Holstein. He was a Benedictine monk who undertook missionary work among the pagans to the East of his homeland. He was martyred by stoning in 1066 along with 28 of his fellow missionaries. He was … [Read more...]

July 17, 1048 The third German pope, Damasus II, is enthroned in Rome. Originally named Poppo, he was born in Bavaria. He was the Bishop of Brixen in Tyrol when Heinrich III nominated him as pope. He was enthroned as pope on July 17, 1048 but soon after arival in Rome contracted malaria and died after 23 days as pope. July 17, … [Read more...]