A Dawn Execution in Mexico On June 19, 1867, before sunrise, Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria prepared to meet his […]
An Emperor’s Prophetic Doubts In the third act of Franz Grillparzer’s epic drama Ein Bruderzwist in Habsburg , the aging […]
A Realm of Contrasts and Contradictions The period from 1660 to 1790 in Central Europe presents a fascinating study in […]
A Dynasty Divided Yet United When Emperor Charles V abdicated his vast territories in 1556, he initiated a complex succession […]
A Masterpiece of Political Propaganda In September 1548, the Venetian painter Titian completed what would become one of the most […]
The Emperor Who Never Died On December 13, 1250, Frederick II—King of Sicily, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Jerusalem, Protector […]
The Age of Stone and Fear When we imagine medieval Europe between the 13th and 14th centuries, our minds conjure […]
The Gathering Storm at Brugg In late June 1386, the small northern Swiss town of Brugg sweltered under the summer […]