Birthdays
1607: Paul Gerhardt
Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) was a German theologian, pastor, and hymnwriter. One of his most known songs is “Geh’ aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud”. Read more here.
1824: Gustav Robert Kirchhoff
Gustav Robert Kirchhoff (1824-1887) was German physicist who developed spectroscope with Robert Bunsen in 1859. They discovered the elements caesium and rubidium in 1861. Kirchhoff contributed largely to the field of electricity and is still known for the “kirchhoffische Regeln” (Kirchhoff’s laws) which are the basics of electrical science.
1928: Paul Kuhn
Paul Kuhn (1928-2013) was a German-Swiss pianist, singer, and composer. He was popular in the 1950s and 60s with Schlagermusik, as a composer and a singer. His 1963 hit was “Es gibt kein Bier auf Hawaii” (There is no beer in Hawaii). Kuhn also led the SFB Big Band (Sender Freies Berlin), founded his own orchestra in the 1980s, and went on tour with his jazz band Paul Kuhn Trio. He recorded his last album in L.A. in 2011 which was published in 2013 and was received well. Listen to some of his work here.
Death Anniversaries
1916: Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830-1916) was an Austrian writer and noblewoman. She had a privileged upbringing, receiving a good education, and learning German, Czech, and French. In 1879, she apprenticed as a clock maker in Vienna, and slowly gained a reputation as writer. Her breakthrough came in 1883 with “Dorf- und Schlossgeschichten” (Village and Palace Stories) which contained her most known novella “Krambambuli”, a story that, quite frankly, broke my heart.
1922: Ludwig Stollwerck
Ludwig Philipp Albert Stollwerck (1857-1922) was a German entrepreneur and the son of chocolate producer Franz Stollwerck of Cologne. Early in his career, he traveled a lot and was in charge of marketing before he became director of the company when his oldest brother died in 1883. Under his leadership, the Schokoladenfabrik Gebr. Stollwerck expanded to other countries. In the late 1880s, he developed a chocolate vending machine; in 1890, the company sold 18 million bars of chocolate that way. In the late 20th century, the Stollwerck company took over brands like Sprengel, Sarotti, and Chocolaterie Jacques to name a few.
1942: Robert Bosch
Robert Bosch (1861-1942) was a German industrialist, engineer, and inventor. He founded his own company in 1886 in Stuttgart and had economic success with the improvement of the magneto and its adaptation for cars. Bosch wasn’t only an entrepreneur and innovator but also a philanthropist, establishing a variety of charities. He paid his workers fairly and introduced the 8 hour workday in 1906. Today, the Bosch company is involved in home appliances, power and garden tools, energy and communications technology, software development, and large machinery.
Seasonal Events and Holidays
Historical and Cultural Events
1950: Germany’s Secretary of Commerce, Ludwig Erhard, opened the first Deutsche Spielwaren-Fachmessse (German Toy Trade Fair) in Nuremberg. There were 381 exhibitors and lasted until March 18. Today the fair goes by Nürnberger Spielwarenmesse (Nuremberg International Toy Fair), takes place at the end of January/beginning of February every year, and has over 2000 exhibitors from 60 countries. www.spielwarenmesse.de
1992: The movie “Schtonk” was released. The comedy with Götz George as reporter Hermann Willié and Uwe Ochsenknecht as counterfeiter Prof. Dr. Fritz Knobel was directed by Helmut Dietl. The movie satirizes the scandal about the fake Hitler diaries that were published by the German news magazine Stern in 1983. The movie won the German Movie Award and was nominated for an Oscar for best international movie.
Action Days and Invented Holidays
Alfred Hitchcock Day: Hitchcock (1899-1980) was a British director, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for movie like “The Birds” and “Psycho”. Find out what his movies are called in German here.
