German Culture

All about Germany

  • Home
  • Learn German
  • Articles
    • Famous Germans
    • German Holidays
    • German Cuisine
    • How To In Germany
    • Daily Life
    • German Facts
    • German Traditions
  • Facts About Germany
  • German History
    • Early History of Germany
    • Middle Ages in German History
    • German Reformation Period
    • 19th Century and German Unification
  • German Recipes
    • German Baking Recipes
    • German Bread Recipes
    • German Christmas Recipes
    • Desserts
    • German Easter Recipes
    • Halloween Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • German Salad Recipes
    • German Salads
    • Sauerkraut Recipes
  • Travel to Germany
  • Contact

November 17 in German History

November 17, 1231

Elisabeth-von-ThüringenDeath of St. Elisabeth von Thüringen (1207 – 1231). St. Elisabeth was born in 1207 in Hungary. At the age of 4 Elisabeth was engaged to the 11 year old son of the duke of Thuringia. She was sent to Thuringia to be educated as a German in preparation for the wedding to follow one day. But Hermann, her intended husband, died in 1216. Elisabeth was to sent back to Hungary, but the new duke of Thuringia, Ludwig, fell in love with her and they were married in 1221. Elisabeth devoted her energies to caring for the sick, most notably lepers. In the year of famine, 1226, she emptied the granaries to feed the populace. Legends tell of a number of miracles which followed upon her good works. Ludwig participated in the 5th Crusade as a member of the Teutonic Knights (Deutscher Orden) where he grew ill and died. After his death Elisabeth left her home at the Wartburg. She then went to live with her uncle, the bishop of Würzburg. She later left, however, to live life in poverty as a caretaker of the ill in a hospital. She died on November 17, 1231. She was canonized by Gregory IX in 1235. In 1236 the building of the Church of St. Elisabeth started in Marburg. Elisabeth’s remains were then moved to the church. The church soon became one of the most popular pilgrimage sites of the times. She remains a very popular saint in Germany.

November 17, 1776

Birth of Friedrich Schlosser in Jever, Germany. Schlosser was a very prolific and popular historian, writing in the judgmental and moralistic style in fashion before the application of objective scientific standards to history. He was a professor at the Universities of Frankfurt and Heidelberg.

November 17, 1790

Mobius_stripBirth of August Ferdinand Möbius in Schulpforta, Germany. Möbius was an astronomer and mathematician. He is best known for his discovery of the Möbius strip, a non-orientable two-dimensional surface with only one side when embedded in three-dimensional Euclidean space. The Möbius configuration, formed by two mutually inscribed tetrahedra, is also named after him. Möbius was the first to introduce homogeneous coordinates into projective geometry.

Many mathematical concepts are named after him, including the Möbius transformations, important in projective geometry, and the Möbius transform of number theory. His interest in number theory led to the important Möbius function μ(n) and the Möbius inversion formula. In Euclidean geometry, he systematically developed the use of signed angles and line segments as a way of simplifying and unifying results.

November 17, 1893

Birth of Max Barthel in Dresden, Germany. He was a writer. A factory worker, Barthel was a member of the socialist youth movement; he was a World War I frontline soldier from 1914 to 1918. He was co-founder of the Youth International in the Soviet Union in 1920, and was acquainted there with Vladimir Lenin.

November 17, 1913

Mathilde-Marchesi-de-CastroneDeath of Mathilde Marchesi de Castrone (born Graumann) in London (born in Frankfurt am Main). She was a teacher of operatic singing whose reputation was built on her teaching of the bel canto style. She taught at the music conservatories in Vienna and Cologne.

You might also like:

  • How German Names Work: Surnames, Meanings & Traditions
    How German Names Work: Surnames, Meanings & Traditions
  • German Wedding Traditions: Old Customs That Still Exist Today
    German Wedding Traditions: Old Customs That Still Exist…
  • Oskar Sala, the Electronic Music Pioneer
    Oskar Sala, the Electronic Music Pioneer
  • From Kidnapped Brides to Wedding Newspapers: German Wedding Customs
    From Kidnapped Brides to Wedding Newspapers: German Wedding…
  • Wedding Traditions in Germany: From Sawing Logs to Polterabend
    Wedding Traditions in Germany: From Sawing Logs to…
  • Civil vs. Church Weddings in Germany: What You Need to Know
    Civil vs. Church Weddings in Germany: What You Need to Know
  • How Germans Celebrate Easter: Regional Traditions & Customs
    How Germans Celebrate Easter: Regional Traditions &…
  • Beyond Bavaria: Regional Costumes You've Never Heard Of
    Beyond Bavaria: Regional Costumes You've Never Heard Of

Recent Posts

Blumenau: A German Town in Brazil – Culture, History, and Identity

Blumenau: A German Town in Brazil – Culture, History, and Identity

Founding of Blumenau: German Roots in Brazil

Founding of Blumenau: German Roots in Brazil

Blumenau Oktoberfest: Brazil’s Biggest Bavarian Bash

Blumenau Oktoberfest: Brazil’s Biggest Bavarian Bash

German Fachwerk in Brazil: Architecture of Blumenau

German Fachwerk in Brazil: Architecture of Blumenau

Daily German Life in Blumenau: Food, Language, Customs

Daily German Life in Blumenau: Food, Language, Customs

Copyright © 2025 · German Culture

Go to mobile version