August 18, 330 Death of St. Helena. St. Helena was the mother of the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great. She was born in the eastern part of the Roman Empire, but moved to Trier (modern day Germany) when her son became emperor of the West and ruled from Trier. She became a Christian early on and doubtless had influence on Constantine's … [Read more...]

August 17, 1875 Death of Wilhelm Bleek in Berlin, Germany. The philologist, Bleek moved to Africa after his studies and spent his life working on the study of South African languages. He has been referred to as "the father of Bantu Philology." August 17, 1876 Richard Wagner's opera Götterdämmerung is produced for the first time in … [Read more...]

August 16, 1419 Death of Wenceslas in Prague (now in the Czech Republic) (born in Nürnberg, Germany). Wenceslas gained the titles, German King, King of Bohemia and King of the Romans. He was a very weak ruler in unsettled times. He was deposed, spent some time in prison and lost his position as King of Bohemia. He retained the title of King of … [Read more...]

August 15, 1666 Death of Adam Schall von Bell in Peking, China (born in Cologne, Germany). Bell was a Jesuit missionary who traveled to China and became an advisor to the Chinese emperor. August 15, 1688 Birth of Friedrich Wilhelm I (1688-1740), the King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg, in Berlin, Germany. His policies developed … [Read more...]

August 14, 1248 Construction on the Gothic cathedral in Cologne is begun. The cathedral would not be finished until the 19th century on August 14, 1880. Construction of Cologne Cathedral commenced in 1248 and was halted in 1473, leaving it unfinished. Work restarted in the 19th century and was completed, to the original plan, in 1880. It is … [Read more...]

August 13, 1655 Birth of Johann Christoph Denner in Leipzig, Germany. Denner was a musical instrument maker who invented the clarinet. Denner was born in Leipzig to a family of horn-tuners. With his father, Heinrich Denner, a maker of game whistles and hunting horns, he moved to Nuremberg in 1666. J. C. Denner went into business as an … [Read more...]

August 12, 1644 Birth of Heinrich Biber in Wartenberg, Bohemia (Austrian Empire, now Czech Republic). Biber was a composer and violinist who worked as court musician for the Archbishop of Salzburg. August 12, 1805 Birth of Johann Jakob Herzog in Basel, Switzerland. A Protestant theologian at the Universities of Halle and Erlangen, he … [Read more...]

August 11, 1086 Birth of Heinrich V, King of the Germans and Holy Roman Emperor. He was the son of Heinrich IV and like his father led the investiture battle with the popes. He came to power by arresting his father and forcing him to abdicate. He won in the investiture battle too by arresting the Pope and demanding the right of investiture of … [Read more...]

August 10, 1794 Birth of Leopold Zunz in Detmold, Germany. Zunz was a historian of Jewish literature and succeeded in bringing scientific rigor to the field. In his work Zur Geschichte und Literatur he integrated Jewish literature with European literature and politics. August 10, 1827 Birth of Adalbert Falk in Metschkau, Prussia. He … [Read more...]

August 9, 378 In one of the most decisive battles in history, a large Roman army under Valens, the Roman emperor of the East, is defeated by the Visigoths at the Battle of Adrianople in present-day Turkey. Two-thirds of the Roman army, including Emperor Valens himself, were overrun and slaughtered by the mounted barbarians. The decisive … [Read more...]