February 2
Birthdays
Death Anniversaries
Seasonal Events and Holidays
On Groundhog Day (Murmeltiertag) the groundhog Phil in Punxsutawney, PA predicts if there will be six more weeks of winter (if he sees his shadow) or an early spring (if he doesn’t). While it is a celebration in the U.S., the origins lie in Germany. Find out more here.
Mariä Lichtmess (Candlemas)
Historical and Cultural Events
1303: King Albrecht I (Habsburg) bestowed town privileges and market rights (Stadt- und Marktrechte) to the city of Hanau. Well-known people born in Hanau are the brothers Grimm, painter Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, actor Dominic Raacke, and soccer player Rudi Völler.
1974: At the Nurmenberg Toy Convention (Nürnberger Spielwarenmesse), the company geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG introduced the first Playmobil figures: knight, native American, and construction worker.
1952: FRG’s President Theodor Heuss inaugurated the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund which was rebuilt after being destroyed in WWII. It was the largest sports arena in Europe with 13.500 seats. Conference venues and conventions centers have been added to the premises which welcomes around 1.7 million visitors each year.
Action Days and Invented Holidays
Tag des Igels (Hedgehog Day): Hedgehogs are nocturnal solitary animals that eats insects. A grown hedgehog has around 5000 hollow quills that it uses for protection. The Braunbrustigel, native to Germany, is protected and not be held as a pet. In 2024, it was voted Wildtier des Jahres (wild animal of the year).
National River Day
