Monday, November 9, 2009 is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
As life-changing that event has been for this country and for the world, as much as life for millions has changed in the two decades since the old order fell, 20 years is but an afternoon in Europe.
This year is the 2,000th anniversary of the Varus Battle – or the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest - in which a band of Germanic warriors defeated three Roman legions in 9 AD at Kalkriese, in northwestern Germany near Osnabrück.
That long-forgotten battle also changed the direction of history. It was a decisive clash which put an end to Roman expansion into Northern Europe.
Those three masks are reproductions of a magnificent Roman cavalry mask at the centre of a display of Roman artifacts unearthed at the battle site.
If you’re anywhere near Osnabrück, go to the museum site for a day and marvel. It’s really worth it. I’ve been back four times and find something new every time.
The banner photograph shows the town of Britannia Beach, BC, Canada, where I grew up. It's home. But I don't live there anymore.
As well as the two of us, Anita is also doing masks today
serendipitous, no?
http://anita64.wordpress.com/
First, a question – do you happen to know the missing word, the one that would be on the green block? I’m guessing it’s something like “omnia”. Just curious.
I couldn’t believe it when I read the Wiki you linked to. I’ve been to Hermann, Missouri, and enjoyed the wines there. I hadn’t a clue it was named after Arminius, AKA Hermann, let alone that Hermann was the hero of a 2,000 year old battle.
Hermann, MO was settled by Germans in the early 1800s (town est. 1836) and they picked it particularly because of the area’s similarities to their German homes in the Rhineland. They got right to work, and by 1900 Missouri was second among the states in wine production.
Oh, and there’s this: the bedrock of the floors in the Hermannhof cellars have been documented to have once been the northernmost point of the Gulf of Mexico. THAT is mind-blowing.
I believe I might go scouting for a bottle from the Hermannhof Winery and offer up a toast to old Arminius
Here’s a nice little link to Hermannhof: http://www.hermannhill.com/hermannhof-winery.htm
You pose great questions, but someone with a better knowledge of latin will have to help you out there, Linda.
There’s also a blogger out there who used to call himself Hermann the German, though he’s actually American (I’m guessing. He’s rather coy.) He now goes by Observing Hermann.
Did you go to the Varus battle reenactment? We went this summer – got lots of cool photos and video clips. Fascinating history.
My son later went with his school class to a further battle reanactment with his school, but it poured down rain, and several attendants were struck by lightning. The festival was called off.
Struck by lightning! Anyone hurt? That’s quite shocking. (err…no pun intended.)
Would like to see the photos sometime, Indie.
@shoreacres: The third mask says “populus”:
http://www.kalkriese-varusschlacht.de/plugins/galerie/galerien/fzf100/301%20302%20303.JPG
(more here: http://bit.ly/3qGscB)
(Warning: those images are completely void of the magic of Ian’s image)
Questions like that always spike my curiosity