On February 5, 1972 the first Bobby Car was introduced at the toy convention in Nuremburg. It‘s a hard plastic car with a steering wheel and horn. Kids use their feet to propel themselves forward on this Rutschauto (scoot car). Pediatricians actually recommend it for youngsters who have problems with their hips. Soon after Ernst […]
Author: Anika Rieper
Germerican (Schleswig-Holstein, Pennsylvania)
Master's in German Literature and Social Psychology
Avid Reader and Bookseller
German Teacher
August Horch was born on October 12, 1868, was a mechanical engineer and founder of the companies Horch and Audi. When working for Karl Benz in Mannheim, he invented the reverse gear for cars.After he left Benz, he founded his own company and build his own cars. In order to survive, Horch turned his company […]
February 3 is the feast day of Saint Blaise. Saint Blaise (Heiliger Blasius) died a martyr in 316, is one of the 14 Nothelfer (Holy Helpers), and the Patron Saint of doctors, weavers, tailors. wool merchants, chandlers, tanners, and wind musicians. He is called upon for any throat diseases. Saint Blaise is also a patron […]
The Elephant Catastrophe (Elefantenkatastrophe) happened on July 31, 1888 in Munich. During a parade for the 100th birthday of Ludwig I, eight Indian elephants got spooked and created a mass panic.
There are seven snakes species living in Germany, all of which are protected, two of them are venomous. And then there is the “Blindschleiche”, a lizard often mistaken for a snake.
“Der Schneider von Ulm” (Tailor of Ulm) was a German tailor, inventor, and aviation pioneer. Unfortunately, his public flight in 1811 across the Danube ended with him plummeting into the river. However, it was not due to his inferior “flying machine”.
Henny Porten was one of Germany’s first movie stars during the rise of the silent film industry. She also worked as a producer and made a successful transition to talking movies.
Konrad Adenauer: lawyer, mayor of Cologne, and the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. These are the facts that most people know about him. Here are some things you might not know about him.
The Fröbelstern is a star folded from paper and one of many German Christmas decorations. In English, it’s called Nordic Star, German Star, or Froebel Star.
Germany’s first steam powered train was the “Ludwigsbahn” or “Ludwigseisenbahn” (Bavarian Ludwig Train), named after Bavarian King Ludwig I. It went from Nuremberg to Fürth for the first time on December 7, 1835.
