December 20, 1552 Death of Katharina von Bora (1499-1552), wife of Martin Luther, in Torgau. "Die Lutherin", as she was referred to, was sent at the age of 5 to the Benedictine cloister in Brehna in 1504 for education. At the age of 9 she moved to the Cistercian monastery Marienthron (Mary's Throne) in Nimbschen. After several years of religious … [Read more...]

December 19, 1894 Birth of Paul Dessau (1894-1979) in Hamburg, Germany. Dessau was a composer and conductor. He gained his greatest fame through his collaborations with the writer Bertolt Brecht. He wrote the music for Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder (1946), and Die Verurteilung des Lukullus (1949). December 19, 1963 Birth of … [Read more...]

December 18, 1844 Birth of Ludwig Josef Brentano in Aschaffenburg, Germany. His book Die Arbeitergilden der Gegenwart became an authoritative source on trade unions. He served as professor of political theory at the Universities of Berlin, Breslau, Strassburg, Vienna, Leipzig and Munich. December 18, 1863 Birth of Franz Ferdinand, … [Read more...]

December 17, 1770 Birth of Ludwig von Beethoven in Bonn, Germany. Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. At only 31, however, he began to lose his hearing. His … [Read more...]

December 16, 1742 Birth of General Gebhard Blücher (1742-1819) in Rostock, Germany. Wellington was not alone at Waterloo at the defeat of Napoleon. General Blücher commanded the allied Prussian army. Blücher had served with distinction in the Prussian army since 1760. Blücher had retired, but in 1813 he was called back from his estates at … [Read more...]

December 15, 1878 Birth of Hans Carossa (1878-1956) in Tölz, Germany. Carossa was a physician who wrote successful novels and poetry. He was a great admirer of Goethe. Among his works are Dr. Bürgers Ende (1913), Der Arzt Gion (1931) and Führung und Geleit (1933). He was awarded the Swiss Gottfried Keller Prize in 1931, and the Goethe Prize … [Read more...]

December 14, 1788 Death of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach in Hamburg. He was the son of Johann Sebastian and Maria Bach. His first position was that of harpsichordist to Friedrich II of Prussia. In 1767 he became music director in Hamburg. In addition to the great music he composed, he is noted for his book, Versuch über die wahre Art das Klavier … [Read more...]

December 13, 1769 Death of the Enlightenment writer, Christian Furchtegott Gellert, in Leipzig. December 13, 1769 Immanuel Kant is offered a position at the University of Erlangen. Immanuel Kant was serving as a Privatdozent (teaching for student fees) at the University of Konigsberg when the professorship at Erlangen was offered. He … [Read more...]

December 12, 1776 Death of Johann Christoph Gottsched in Judithenkirch, Germany (now in Russia). Gottsched was a writer and literary critic. He was a professor of poetry at the University of Leipzig from 1730 and a professor of logic and metaphysics from 1734. Among his theoretical works on literature his Versuch einer kritischen Dichtkunst … [Read more...]

December 11, 1748 Death of Ewald von Kleist. On 11 October 1745 he independently invented the Kleistian jar which could store electricity in large quantities. He communicated this discovery to a group of Berlin scientists in late 1745, and the news was transferred in a confused form to Leyden University where it was further investigated. … [Read more...]