European History

Three centuries in the history of Europe, many societies were plagued with alleged witches that are living within their communities. Witch hunts particularly in the Protestant countries of Central Europe, were pervasive resulting to the torture and persecution of tens and thousand of victims mostly women. It was that time in history where women have been the target of inquisitions where they were labeled as witches and heretics , burned at the stakes or tortured to death.

Witch hunts of early Europe claimed to be a search of witches or evidences of witchcraft, wherein the possible target are held under a witch trial. After trial, the alleged witch is sent through what they call an "ordeal" wherein they were tortured. The torture methods include the most horrific treatments like hot pincer and thumbscrews. Those who were not lucky are then passed on for execution. The most common forms of which are burning, hanging and drowning.

The origin of teh witch hunts up until today is blurry. Historians proposed several theories which may have been the possible reasons for the witch hunt. Some of them believe that it was due to some neurotic illnesses that infected the "witches" justifying their execution. While others believe that the witches were part of some Satanic cult. While still others believe that it was due to the pressure of the Reformation where Protestants and Christians used witchcraft to attack each other.

One of the darkest periods in the history of Europe and the world, the Holocaust is the systematic killing and genocide of the Jews under the government of the Nazi Germany. While the Jews may have been the prime target of this state-led persecution, other minority groups in Europe and Africa also became the poor victims of this inhuman and senseless carnage. Estimated number of victims is six million both Jews and non-Jews

Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the Nazis came to power in Germany in January of 1933. With the believe that the Germans are the superior race and that the Jews are the inferior race, the state organized programs to exterminate every possible Jew. In addition, the Nazi regime also sponsored the Euthanasia Program where some hundred thousand people with physical and mental disabilities were murdered.

At the heart of the holocaust are the concentration camps under the Camp System and the extermination camps. Concentration camps where the people were confined places people under harsh conditions without regard to humane considerations. On the other hand, the extermination camps serve as the Nazi's slaughter house where millions have been mass murdered usually through poisoning by gas as well as by shooting.

On April 26, 1986 at 1:21 AM a catastrophe happened that shock the whole world. The Chernobyl nuclear power station in Pripyat near the city of Chernobyl, Ukraine, former USSR, exploded due to the flawed design of one of the four reactor units in the facility. A nuclear reaction resulted from a poor experiment. The Chernobyl Disaster, as we all know today, had created an event that is best forgotten in infamy. The disaster is considered as the worst nuclear accident in the history of mankind, killing 32 people and displacing thousands of families.

The explosion released a very massive radiation amount into the atmosphere . Most of the victims died of radiation. Some of the radioactive debris even drifted to far off areas such as in Eastern and Western Europe, Scandinavia, Great Britain and even as far as North America due to the lack of a containment facility in the plant. Ukraine and the other surrounding countries suffered serious contamination. Twenty years have passed but people in Chernobyl are still paying the price inflicted by the tragedy. Thousands of people developed cancer and babies were born with birth defects caused by the radiation. Now, those are terrible things that can happen and I just hope that no other similar incident occur.

Matahari is one word I have been hearing for some time now, and I have just recently decided to research on it. Matahari, which means 'eye of the rising sun' in Hindu, is the stage name of the famous belly dancer and prostitute. Because of her incarceration as a spy she was tried and found guilty by the French. This lead to her death by firing squad on October 15, 1917. Matahari's name has since been associated with espionage.

Born on August 7, 1876 in Leeuwarden in the Netherlands (although she claims she is from India) her real name is Gertrud Margarete Zelle. She was born from an affluent family. She was married to John Rudolf Mac Leod. She then became an exotic dancer in a Parisian club by the early 1900's. Eventually she became a prostitute and a plaything for military officials of France and Germany during the First World War. For this reason, she became a spy for both the German and French camp. When the French found out about it, she was arrested and tried. She was killed in front of a firing squad. Although it seems pretty vague why the French military accused her as a spy, some people believed that Matahari was innocent and that she was merely a scapegoat.

Archaeologists are still excavating for so many years now a series of temples that are said to be older than Egypt's Pyramids. In different locations in Germany and Austria, big monuments were unearthed and identified. With such evidences found, historians were able to describe the civilization, and also the customs and traditions of the people who lived there during those times.

Many historians and archaeologists believed that in locating the Stone Age temples, the history of Europe in prehistoric time has been altered. Along with the said unearthed temples, other historic mysteries were discovered. Complex monuments were said to be used only for a few generations, and the sacred central area was observed to be exactly compatible in size. Also, the complex was noticeably built with ditched and palisades. Historians believed that such do not seem to be built for the purpose of defense. Rather the ditched and the palisades were created to keep the peasant citizen from viewing the rituals that took place in the sacred central area.

Furthermore, archaeologists from the said project said that the excavations in Dresden have showed a degree of enourmous sophistication and vision practiced by the early communities of Europe.

Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII became Queen of England in 1558 giving birth to 45-year reign. During the Elizabethan period, England hes gained ,much of its power and influence in the Western world not only in terms of politics but also whit cultural achievements with the proliferation of Shakespearean literature and English renaissance art.

Her reign as Queen of a powerful state was very much appreciated by many who considered her fit to rule as monarch. She was not only educated but he was very adroit with political affairs that no one wants to intercede with her strategies. She has moved the country to stability and made other countries fear its strength. And she did all this without a King by her side as she never got married.

The last few years of her reign, Elizabeth I did not have an easy time as rebellions and internal conflicts managed to get in the way. But because she was very able as a Queen she got out of the trap and took firm control of the country's affairs. Her rule ended with her death in 1603. next in throne was her cousin King James I.

Vatican City has such an amazing history as exemplified by the city's basilicas, museums, and palaces that anyone who visits the place is dexterously transported back to the time when papacy had begun. To Catholics around the world, Vatican City does not only mean the papal residence, but more importantly, it is the seat of Roman Catholicism.

It was Emperor Constantine who built Vatican's famous Basilica of St. Peter's in the 5th Century. Later, a papal palace was built near the St. Peter's under the papacy of Pope Symmachus. That was how it all started. But did you know that it was only after 1377 the the Popes started to reside in the city? Until the 14th Century, the papal residence is located in Avignon, France at the Lateran Palace.

The Vatican is not only popular for its grandiose churches and basilicas. The Vatican is also home to the world's most important museums such as Museo Pio-Clementino, Chiaramonti Museum and the Braccio Nuovo. All these three museums contain only the greatest and most expensive art collections. Toady, the Vatican plays a very important part in Catholicism. This is where important decisions are made that gravely affect not only religion, but also in the sphere of politics; science and medicine; and humanity as a whole.

This genius named Leonardo da Vinci may well be considered one because he was not only an artist; he was also an engineer, philosopher, architect, and mathematician. He also contributed a great deal to the study of astronomy and anatomy. Although he was born in the great Renaissance period, this man is well beyond his time.

Leonardo was born in Anciano, Italy in April of 1452. His father was a notary and her mother was the daughter of a penniless farmer but his parents did not marry only for the reason that her mother did not come from a wealthy family. Although the little Leonardo was never considered a legitimate son, he was integrated into the family of his father and his first wife since they did not have any children. Leonardo'’s family transferred to Vinci when he was still young. There, he went to school to study. At an early age, Leonardo displayed interest in the sciences. He moved to Florence when he was 14 and worked as an apprentice for a famous artist named Verrocchio. It was here where he nourished his creative mind in painting. It was shortly after his apprenticeship that he began assisting his mentor to do commissioned artworks. And the rest, as they say, is history

Da Vinci is famous for his paintings, such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. He also was the first to have thought of the ideas like the helicopter, tank, calculator, etc. But because he was hindered by the backwardness of the technology in his time, most of his brilliant ideas were not feasible. Leonardo's life was a life worth lived. He not only shed light into the darkness but also inspired many with his art. He died in 1519 at Clos Luce, Italy.

Perhaps one of the most important eras in European history is the Renaissance. This period saw the fruition of intellectual, philosophical and artistic radiance all over Europe. This era represented Europe's rise from the Dark Ages. The beginning of the Renaissance could not be fully determined since it did not just come out of the blue. The citizens of Europe didn't wake up one day and enjoyed this era of brilliance. It happened at different regions of the continent little by little but Central Italy, particularly Florence, is said to be the starting point of the Renaissance in the latter part of the 13th century.

What started as the Italian Renaissance in Florence gradually spread to Rome and to the Northern regions of Europe where it was developed differently. The artworks in Italian Renaissance did not just focus on religious figures but also the popular figures in those days and the rules of perspective were learned by various talented artists as well. Meanwhile, England became the hometown of some of history's most famous literary figures such as William Shakespeare and John Milton. England also hosted Thomas Tallis and William Byrd; both were famous composers in their days.

Art isn't the only aspect that flourished during the Renaissance. New attitudes in politics, education, and philosophy were also established during this age. A new method to power was introduced which historians call the "new monarchies." Perhaps the biggest negative development during this era was the lowered regard for women in the society.

The Icelanders are purportedly the happiest people alive. If you're wondering why, then it should amaze you more that Iceland is not exactly a paradise. It's a place that survives both the temperamental weather changes and the almost-inhabitable topography. It's a cold country rocked by volcanic eruptions. The reason why they are the happiest people is because they have undergone a rich history of conquest and slavery, religious inquisition, national revivals, and economic boom. Today, Iceland is one of the most industrialized countries in Europe.

Historical records have shown that Iceland may be the Ultima Thule of the ancients. Thule is a name given by the ancients to the most northerly land of Europe. It was an island discovered and described (c.310 BC) by the Greek navigator Pytheas and was identified with Iceland, Norway, and the Shetland Islands. Ultima Thule denotes the most distant goal of human endeavor or a land remote beyond all reckoning.

The Irish monks visited it before the 9th century, but abandoned it on the arrival (c.850-875) of Norse settlers, many of whom had fled from the domination of Harold I. The Norse settlements also contained many Irish and Scottish slaves who are mainly women. In 930 a general assembly, the Althing, was established near Reykjavík at Thingvellir, and Christianity was introduced circa 1000 by the Norwegian Olaf I, although paganism seems to have survived for a time. These events are preserved in the literature of 13th-century Iceland, where Old Norse literature reached its cultural bloom.

The city of Paris is designed in an almost circular path with the opera house at the center, but modern Paris is dominated by the Eiffel tower, the most favorite destination of tourists from around the world. Paris is also very well-known for its marvelous museums, one of which is the world-famous Louvre museum where the famous Mona Lisa is exhibited. Paris has outdoor cafes, along with the most expensive and almost iconic designer fashion boutiques, like Dior, Hermes, Chanel, and many more. Despite its modernity, it still retained its renaissance architecture, tres fabulous!