June 9, 1640 Birth of Leopold I in Vienna. As Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire he brought Austria to a position of influence. June 9, 1775 Birth of Georg Friedrich Grotefend in Münden, Germany. Grotefend made the first major breakthrough in the deciphering of ancient Persian cuneiform script. June 9, 1810 Birth of Otto Nicolai … [Read more...]

June 8, 1650 Death of Maximilian von Trauttmansdorff in Vienna, Austria. Von trauttmansdorff was an Austrian diplomat who had played a key role in Habsburg imperial politics for many years when he was called upon to negotiate an end to the Thirty Years' War. After negotiations lasting for five years the War ended with the Peace of Westphalia in … [Read more...]

June 7, 1826 Death of Joseph von Fraunhofer in Munich, Germany. The physicist, Fraunhofer was the first to observe the dark lines in the spectrum of the sun, which became known as Fraunhofer lines. In his further work he discovered and charted similar spectral lines in the elements. His work led to the development of the technique of … [Read more...]

June 6, 1134 Death of St. Norbert von Xanten (ca. 1080 - 1134) St. Norbert was born in about 1080 in Xanten, Germany. He was ordained a priest when he was 35. He gave away all his many properties and dedicated his life to God. In 1119 at the direction of Pope Calixtus II, Norbert founded a religious order at Prémontré (modern France). After … [Read more...]

June 5, 755 St. Boniface is martyred. St. Boniface (Wynfrith) was an English monk who was appointed by the Pope as Bishop in 722 and sent to christianize Germany. In 745 his diocese was established in Mainz. He was killed by a pagan mob on June 5, 754. June 5, 755 St. Adalar is martyred. St. Adalar was an associate of St. Boniface. He was … [Read more...]

June 4, 1697 Birth of Jocob Israel Emden in Altona, Germany. A Talmudic scholar whose disagreements with Rabbi Jonathan Eybesch split European Jewry. June 4, 1875 Death of Eduard Mörike in Stuttgart, Germany. Mörike was one of the greatest German lyric poets. He also wrote novels and novellas. His best known novella is Mozart auf der Reise … [Read more...]

June 3, 1817 Pauline Mallinckrodt (1817-1881) was born in Minden, Germany, on June 3, 1817. She directed the institution for the blind in Paderborn, Germany. She founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Charity on August 21, 1849. That order took charge of the school for the blind and established 20 additional houses in Germany. … [Read more...]

June 2, 1863 Birth of Felix Weingartner in Zara, Austrian Empire (now in Croatia). Weingartner was a composer and conductor. He studied with Franz Liszt at Weimar and at the conservatory in Graz, Austria. He conducted the Berlin Royal Opera in 1891. In 1907 he was appointed as Gustav Mahler's successor as conductor of the Court Opera in Vienna. … [Read more...]

June 1, 1035 Death of St. Simeon. Simeon was born in Greece. He was educated in Constantinople. As a youth he lived and worked in the Holy Land. He lived for a number of years in monasteries in Bethlehem and in the Sinai preparing himself for the life of a hermit. He then moved to Trier (modern Germany, at that time the Holy Roman Empire a.k.a. … [Read more...]

May 31, 1740 Death of Frederich Wilhelm I in Potsdam, Germany. Friedrich Wilhelm was the second king of Prussia. His policies developed Prussia into an efficient and powerful state. He married the daughter of Georg of Hannover (later to become George I, king of England). May 31, 1773 Birth of the romantic writer Ludwig Tieck in Berlin. … [Read more...]