Podcasts about Holy Roman Empire

How a Young Prince Frederick celebrated his wedding to Princess Charlotte, and started a great Bavarian tradition.Based on the work of Mumfreds. Listen to the podcast at steamy stories.In 1808 people of Württemberg lived in the convergence of three cultures. The masculine lead industry and agriculture of the Germans, the Swiss provided enlightenment of the sciences, and the French liberality and arts added a healthy dose of libertine free thinking and even a tolerance for kinkiness.But Württemberg was moving forward with the final demise of the Holy Roman Empire just a few years earlier. Napoleon had just defeated the Austrian military and established a new Confederation of the Rhine.  The ethnic German people were split apart  and some were under the Austrian protectorate, while the Rhine was under French protectorate on both sides of the Rhine river, including the German homeland.Prince Frederick had watched as his older sister was given to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte as a wife for Napoleon's brother, in exchange for his family's continued role of the Württemberg Kingdom, under the occupation of Napoleon's empire. Now Prince Frederick was being pressured by his parents and the court advisors, to strategically marry a well-bred heiress from the kingdom of Bavaria, princess Charlotte.Princess Charlotte was just 18 in the spring of 1810. A debutante, already being aggressively sought by Napoleon, she was terrified. When faced with the two unwanted options, she and her mother agreed that Frederick William was the better option and more respecting of their shared German heritage. Charlotte wept for weeks. She was still a girl of just 18 years. Her parents apologized repeatedly. It was especially difficult because Charlotte had always been a free-spirit and defiant of the stupid rules of etiquette that she violated almost daily.As an enthusiast of all things equestrian, Charlotte refused to ride ‘side-saddle'. She also found the practice to be a convenient excuse when the Royal Physician of Württemberg Court conducted a prenuptial gynecological exam a requirement in the nuptial contract between the kingdoms. As for Prince Frederick William, the marriage was even less anticipated. Charlotte was not the ideal sex object of his fantasies. Where he liked slender, tall older women, Charlotte was busty with a big round ass.Frederick liked the arts and sciences. He enjoyed the opera and studied astronomy.Charlotte loved animals and preferred German folk songs. Charlotte found little appeal in Frederick's lanky physique. She preferred the bulky, athletic, and masculine virility of farm-hands and tradesmen. A fall wedding Festival Back in 1810 Crown Prince Frederick William, sought the hand of the lovely princess Charlotte of Munich. She was the most desired woman in all of the ethnic German kingdoms. He courted her for many months, seeking to prevail over the efforts of Emperor Napoleon of France.Frederick's family negotiated aggressively with her father King Maximilian; whereby Frederick eventually asked Charlotte to marry him.Both kingdoms shared a strong disgust for all things French culture.It was the one topic where the two actually enjoyed conversation and felt compatibility. they were political allies and even business partners; but not at all romantically drawn to desire. She felt the same way he did, and accepted his offer. They were scheduled to marry on October 12th. As the date came close, she was starting to feel some trepidation. He was concerned and asked what was the problem. She shyly told him that she was expected to be with him; only with him, for the rest of her life. He said of course she would be only with him, and he would be only with her, as was customary.She thought carefully, and said; “Forever is a long time.”He did not want her to be so sad and thought for a while. He proposed an idea as a secret plan that they should not tell anyone about.At the wedding there would be a huge and joyous festival; a very German cultural Festival. At the festival she could go among the crowd and choose three men with which to make love.Upon hearing the idea, she was overjoyed at the thought and thanked him for his generosity and gladly accepted.The wedding was indeed a huge and joyous festival where everyone in Munich turned out. The first night of the festival was the night of their wedding. The celebration was scheduled to go on for 5 days.On the second day of the festival the prince approached the princess and told her today would be the day she made her three selections. She would go out and pick three men with which to ‘sow her oats.' She went to her dressing chamber to pick out her sexiest outfit. She chose the shortest dirndl she had. It stopped just below her ass.  The front of the dirndl plunged to show her beautiful Buxom cleavage. On her smooth legs she wore white by high stockings that ended below her dirndl. On her feet she wore elevated wedges. She was a vision. Her body was very visible and very sexy.The prince and princess began to make the rounds, where villagers were celebrating and congregating. As they walked, the men noticed princess Charlotte and paid her a great deal of attention. Offerings were made of pretzels, beer, and all sorts of treats, as she walked through the fair.She was pleasant of all and smiled as she always did. These were her people and she hoped they would come to accept her foreign Prince.Helmut the blacksmithAs they walked through the grounds they came upon a blacksmith, who had a stall set up to shoe horses. Charlotte stopped, and seemed to take a special interest. As one would expect, the blacksmith was quite strong, and also handsome. When she got close, a smile fell across his face and he gave greetings.“ I am Helmut, my princess;” he said in the most cultured enunciation he could contrive. She secretly knew Helmut from her frequent trips to the Stables. But that is their secret. The prince asked the princess if this might be one of the men. She smiled and said; “Indeed this would be one of the men if he so desired.” As the princess continued strolling, the prince stayed back briefly and invited Helmut to a special dinner with the princess that evening at 7:00. He graciously accepted. While he didn't understand what was fully ahead for him, he was happy to be able to spend an evening with the busty and charming princess. Robert the actorThey continued to walk through the fairgrounds with the prince often letting the princess drift ahead so he could see the reactions of the commoners as they look at her beauty. He watch her interact with the men of the Kingdom. As they continued, they came across a play that was just finishing up on the stage. The lead actor was quite athletically fit and very handsome. He flashed a smile at princess Charlotte and catching her off guard, she shyly looked away. The production poster listed the lead actor as ‘Robert.' What Prince Frederick didn't suspect was that Robert was also a part of the local Polo team. The two had secretly met in the Stables. The secret remains to this day. She composed herself and began to smile. He congratulated her and the prince on their wedding. She whispered to the prince that it might be fun to invite him to dinner. Shortly thereafter the prince did just that.Steffan the folk dancerAfter not much longer, the princess stopped in front of the stage where there was folk dancing.One of the dancers was agile, strong, and very skilled. As he lifted his twirling partner into the air, then safely caught her in his arms. She caught the vicarious thrill of experiencing being airborne and caught in his gentle arms. Steffan stepped back for his female dance partner to perform her feature solo. As he caught his breath, he looked out to the applauding crowds. He spotted the royal couple and was pleased. He had caught the princess's eye. She stood and watched him perform. in his lederhosen, not taking her eyes off of him. This was not missed by the dancer, and when the dance was over he came over and introduced himself to the princess. “I am Steffan”, he humbly bowed.This was but a rouse, as the dancer was part of a Mayday festival at the Munich Palace. Charlotte had graciously helped him find the dressing rooms when he'd gotten lost in the palace back halls. Charlotte felt a wetness as she recalled his tryst in her private Chambers just months ago; As Steffan talked with the prince, his eyes glanced up and down Charlotte's body. Memories led to arousal, and after several minutes, Steffan quickly dismissed himself to ‘prepare for the next number.His tight shorts left little to the imagination and it was clear that he was very well built down there. It also became obvious when he was talking to the princess, that she pleased him greatly and that is why he had to make a quick exit.Princess Charlotte smiled at The Prince and he understood that the dancer would be the third. The prince then extended an invite to him.The special guests come to dinner The dinner was scheduled for that evening at 7:00. A fire was made in the large fireplace and the finest Linens, China, and glassware were laid out.The cooks were busy making Gourmet Foods and the prince picked the wines himself. The princess was bathing and getting dressed for the evening. She had taken her time to clean and shave meticulously. She had chosen a metallic gold dress that plunged in the front bodice, and a skirt that stopped right at her bottom, in the back. She also wore matching metallic gold strappy shoes with towering heels. She also wore her gold earrings, necklace, and bracelets. On her right ankle was a gold anklet that the prince had bought her that day for the dinner. She looked irresistible. As the princess dressed upstairs, the men arrived early for the dinner. They too, had bathed and put on their finest clothes. The prince greeted them personally, and the young studs introduced themselves to each other.  The prince poured them each a drink and they toasted to each other and their good fortune. Prince Frederick explained to their astonishment and delight; the agreement the prince and princess had made ,and that they were the lucky men chosen.When the princess arrived downstairs, the prince met her before she walked into the dining room. To her surprise, the prince said that he would not be joining them. He wanted the men to have her to themselves and for her to have the men to herself. After thinking about it a bit, she realized that this might be more fun.The prince told her however, that he couldn't possibly resist watching her sexual conquests and would be watching from special consealments that were created near the dining room.They then walked into the dining room as the men stood up and were formally introduced by name to the princess.As she walked in looking lovely as can be. There were Smiles all around. The prince said his good-byes,and said he would stop in the evening, The princess and her suitors were seated for dinner and were poured wine from the servants. As the conversation began, the men paid great attention to the princess. The men stared deep into the eyes of the princess while she spoke and attended to her every need.Dancing In The ParlorAfter dessert was served Steffan asked the princess if she'd like to dance. She loved to dance and quickly accepted the offer from the handsome man. Charlotte led the man into the Parlor and went over to a cabinet on casters she opened the lid of the music box and cranked up the Armature. The Parlor was filled with the rich sounds of an Austrian Waltz. They began a formal Waltz, with the dancer expertly taking the lead and the princess easily keeping up. They glided around the room while Helmut and Robert looked on, seated on nicely-upholstered wing-back chairs.Not wanting to be left out, Robert cut in and continued the dance;  His intense blue eyes staring into the princesses. Helmut, not wanting to miss his turn, cut in. This allowed the princess to put her hands on his muscular arms as he easily spun her around the Dance Floor. During dinner, Prince Frederick had been sitting in a hall outside the dining room. He took great pleasure in watching the princess charm and be Charmed by the men. He found himself increasingly excited as the dancing started. His new wife was a youthful and sexy dancer, and watching her interact with the men turned him on immensely. When the quartet moved to the parlor, Prince Frederick went upstairs to a balcony overlooking the Parlor. A member of his Württemberg Entourage, Claudine was making her regular checks on his welfare. She was his tutor since he was 10 years old and she was 21.The woman taught Frederick on many subjects, and over time had become an adviser on many matters. She was tall, slender, and elegant. Her lessons often continued in his bed Chambers whenever they could safely conceal the ongoing sex education lessons. Now, 17 years later, Claudine now carries herself as a charming  and confident 39 year old vixen.From the balcony, the prince and his ‘tutor' (and secret lover) sat on the floor, behind the velvet drapes, and silently peered between the balusters, Charlotte's deportment with the young men.The quartet move to a slower song and the blacksmith pulled the princess close for a slow dance. The princess's head had been spinning from her wonderful evening and her third Goblet of wine, and now she was very close to and touching this muscular man. He too could feel her busty body with his strong hands around her firm waist he pulled her in closer to him she didn't pull away as she felt him stiffen.She began to feel a tingle inside herself. Before she knew it Robert the actor had stepped up and taken Helmut's place. As Robert stared into her eyes he leaned forward and gently put his lips to hers and she readily received them as she first did in that pile of straw in the horse stables.He pulled her close to him and continued to kiss her. She then felt a second set of hands on her hips from behind it was Steffan. Her dress was so short that his hands were right above the bottom of the dress. She briefly stopped kissing Robert as Steffen pulled her hips into him and began kissing her neck. Pressing into her rear end was that very large and now very hard cock that had attracted her earlier that day. He raised Goosebumps on her as he kissed her neck.From the balcony, Prince Frederick and Claudine had seen everything. He didn't miss a second of the meal or the dance.  Much like the viral men in the parlor, he too was very hard. To watch the woman he married be so pleased. To be able to watch her talk and flirt and touch and be touched was truly a pleasure. To see the way the young suiters desire her.Claudine began rubbing his crotch while sliding her other hand up under her own skirt.As Steffan continued to kiss the princess on her neck and ears, he slowly ground his cock against her white ass. With his hands around her waist the skimpy dress began fully raising from the grinding as it lifted. The actor in front of her looked down and realized she wasn't wearing any panties. He could see her perfect beautiful shaved cunt. He went wild, grabbing her head and kissing her deeply with his tongue. Steffan also noticing the dress had climbed up her body, began using his large hands to rub her large crack.The princess felt so good she was barely standing at this point, mostly being held up in the sandwich of the men. The blacksmith was standing on the sidelines with his cock out, stroking while looking at the scene he had in front of him.The actor was now kissing down the body of The Princess and Steffan turned the princess's head and began kissing her deeply as he reached in front and grabbed her heating tits and fondling her tall erect nipples. Robert had made his way down to her belly and was closing in on her cunt. The princess shook as Robert's lips came in contact with her cunt lips. He licked her cunt as she held his head against her. After the princess Broke Free from Steffan's kiss, she gave a look towards the waiting blacksmith. The look let Helmut know it was time for him to join the fun. Helmut, unable to contain himself, walked towards the melee. He ignored Steffan and the actor and picked up the princess and carried her to a large couch on the side of the room. He laid her down on the couch and began for lack of a better word, to ravage her body.He grabbed and sucked her nipples and then quickly moved down to her cunt, licking her clit. The other two men were quickly at the couch. The actor began sucking her nipples making the princess squirm. She wrapped her legs around Helmut's head. As Robert & Steffan worked their magic, she began to quiver.This stirred both of the men and their tongues sped up lapping her nipples and clit. Her back arched as the orgasm flowed through her body. As she recovered from her orgasm, the men stood her up and removed her mini dress so that only her gold platform heals and jewelry remained. At this point; Helmut was so turned on, he couldn't wait. He laid the princess back down, and guided his rigid cock inside her. As much as she enjoyed his mouth it felt really good to have his hard warm cock in her.The princess looked next to see that Robert had removed his clothes and had his hard shaft in front of her. The princess reached out and grabbed his cock. Robert's heart was pounding. The hand of this beautiful woman felt so good on him.Steffan stripped off his clothes and joined the group.The princess had her eyes closed as Helmut picked up his pace. She put her right hand on his muscular chest and rubbed down his chiseled abdomen, wrapping her hand around his thick cock as it slid in and out of her. She returned her hand to his chest and continued to jerk off the wood of Robert on her left.One of the thrust of Helmut's threw the princess's head back and as she look to the right she saw the naked body of Stefan.His cock was large and beautiful. It was exactly what she hoped for when she picked him for the evening. She slowed her hand down on the actor as she eagerly grabbed the thick rod of the handsome dancer. She slowly explored the entire length of his cock with her soft hand. He leaned over and touched and kissed her slowly, exploring her mouth; reaching over to gently caress her nipple. She firmly but gently grabbed the base of his cock, and pulled him close to her.  It was perfect, and she began licking and sucking it. She continued to suck as much of the cock as she could fit in her mouth,  to the rhythm of Helmut sliding in and out of her wet cunt. Helmut would not last much longer, and began to pick up speed. The princess began to tremble and slow down the actor and Dancer.As Helmut's hands wrapped around her tiny waist, she put her hands on his waist, to push him in further,He began grunted and began powerfully jack-hammering her. Her entire body was moving as Helmut slammed into her. He began to cum.  She felt his first shot squirt into her body, which pushed her into a full orgasm as her body clinched around him.  He kept pounding, shooting a large load  as she moaned. Charlotte was trembling from the orgasm Helmut had just given her. He held her in his strong arms, as she took a moment to recover. After some time, he withdrew his cock from her.Steffan grabbed the Princess's face with both hands, and kissed her passionately on the lips.He backed up and stared into her eyes. He could wait no longer. As he backed up, the Princess could see his turgid cock, standing at attention. He was extremely hard. With both hands on her waist, he pulled her towards him. He grabbed the base of his rod, and began to run it up and down the length of her cunt lips. He would have to move slowly, to get his large shaft into her tight cunt. Robert and Helmut saw that she might have some troubles, so they went up to the princess. They each took one of her shapely legs. She still had her golden heels on. They each held an ankle in one hand, and with the other they reached up to her inner thigh.They spread her legs wide apart, to give Steffan better access. As his cock pressed into the small opening between her cunt lips, she was both nervous and excited.Cum In The BalconyStill viewing from the Position to see his new wife, as naked and as hard as the other men; he had his cock in his hand. It was ecstasy to see his wife enjoying herself so much to allow her to have a variety he could not provide himself .He also liked being able to just watch the way she flirted, desired, and moved.He could just focus on watching her be sexual. It was such a turn on for him. Claudine sucked his cock while he lay on the balcony floor; her cunt spread wide above his adoring eyes. His cock deep in his concert's throat while the passionate sounds of a foursome filled the Parlor below their lofty perch. As Claudine's juices ran down the tongue of the prince, her inner thighs pressing tight against his ears while she shakes from the oral menstruation he has perfected.Frederick took it all in and paused his urges to thrust while Claudine indulged in the joy of her orgasm. She sucked his tip and flicked his head gently while her Bliss lingered. As Claudine's body came back to the moment, she fixed her desire to the cock in her mouth. Soon her head pressed down on his crotch and his cock rapidly entered and exited her throat. Her tongue synchronized in a swallowing sequence. In less than a minute later, his hips rocketed upward as his balls constricted into the base of his cock. His prostate began a series of jets sending cream deep into Claudine's receptive throat. She knew his body and his signs of eminent release. She's taking a deep breath before plunging down on his explosion with her expert tongue.She used a swallowing sequence to take every last drop into her throat. Claudine had become so proficient that it had been a couple years since she could remember the taste of Frederick's spunk. Downstairs The princess took a deep breath as Stefan's cock slowly entered her cunt.  She felt it spreading her and filling her up. She was very wet but Stephen still took his time. She was so tight he needed to move slowly. He paused after he was completely inside her, to give her a moment to once again get used to his massive cock.With her eyes closed she let out a breath feeling so full in her cunt. Slowly he moved back out and then gently pushed back into her. He increased the speed as she grew used to his size. He slid in and out of her, hitting spots on her that had never been felt before. Helmut and Robert released her legs. Starting at her shoulders, they each kiss down her body, gently touching and tasting her as they worked.From her legs up, they kissed around her breasts, settling on her erect and sensitive nipples. Kissing them, licking and sucking them.In appreciation, she reached out and grabbed each of their firm cocks. With a cock inside her, with two handsome men sucking her nipples and a cock in each hand, her head was spinning. his face and her breathing she began to lose control with that fat cock filling her up and both nipples getting sucked. She began to moan louder and louder and she moaned the man began sucking her nipples faster and faster.Finally she couldn't hold out any longer and began to come.She let out what was almost a scream and seemed to have cum for a full minute. She felt so good after she came completely inside her while he waited and she recovered he couldn't wait any longer and slowly started pumping her she moved her body in time with his and it felt good.Recovering the princess started to feel a tingle as Stefan again picked up the pace. It was at this time the princess saw something to her left. It was the prince. He was so turned on by the event that he had to get closer. He was naked and jacking off his hard cock at the sight of his beautiful bride. She felt so good with the comfort of knowing her husband gave his approval and was so turned on,She looked up and Stefan was staring straight into her eyes. She could feel the pre-cum dribbling inside her, from his massive cock and knew it wouldn't be much longer. It was now just him and her, as he wrapped his large hands around her tiny waist and began to Bear down on her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and started to moan. They locked eyes as he drove into her faster and faster. She could feel his balls slamming into her with each stroke she began to scream  as the orgasm took over and his cock began to twitch.She began wave after wave of orgasm as his cock began to come inside her. She could feel the hot spurts of his semen. He kept pumping till his big cock was drained. She laid back sweaty and completely spent as his cock went limp inside her. Charlotte's good nightWith her eyes closed she felt lips softly touch hers. It was Prince Frederick. He looked deeply into her eyes and thanked her for what she had done. It was such a pleasure to watch her. Stefan prepared warm water and began gently cleaning her up with washcloths. They then helped the princess nymph, to dress into a beautiful tight golden gown. The night had gone on for hours ,with all of the meeting, drinking, and dancing; Charlotte saw each man out separately, and some private words were spoken but not overheard. Frederick told Charlotte he'd be up a bit and she should get her rest. The two never shared a bedroom again.A tradition of need Frederick William and his wife Charlotte remained in two royal families from two Allied kingdoms of the German peoples. It would be years before their fathers' Reigns would be passed on, so the two developed humanitarian causes and charities, to benefit the people of the two kingdoms. Württemberg & Bavaria. This often meant a lot of travel in the two adjoining kingdoms. Together they kept up appearances and showed no public affection to each other.It's not that they lacked a libido; they just had no physical or emotional attraction to anything about each other. In the weeks after Frederick and Charlotte disclosed to each other that they both had romantic interests in other lovers. they both provided discreet accommodations to each other and still kept a mutual respect.Second Year, and the Dirndl Craze Princess Charlotte is widely recognized as the inspiration for Oktoberfest. Her Bountiful bosom is synonymous with the joy of a Bountiful Harvest. The beer garden waitresses all wore the 'Charlotte dirndls' at the Munich Oktoberfest of 1811, 2nd Annual Festival. Charlotte and Frederick traveled the second night to Württemberg to inaugurate a sister Festival there. Some of the Württemberg church ladies initially objected to this Bavarian hussie princess whom their Crown Prince had married. Prince Frederick caught word of the grumbling prudes and decided to tell the organizers that he would personally appear with Princess Charlotte to make the official pronunciation of the beginning of the festival, At the noon hour, all the crowds gathered in the festival Square. Troubadours and dancers, Artisans and Partiers, all stood with a hush as the prince and princess climbed the steps to the platform. "Men and women, People of Württemberg, and guests. It is good to Delight in the Bountiful provisions of the Almighty, and we are truly thankful. We Delight ourselves in the fruit of both our hard work and Providence." Prince Frederick paused then added; "You are all part of that bounty. Delight in each other. I have taken a wife and we celebrate our anniversary with you today."Charlotte was standing just behind, and to the side of Frederick. He stepped back and took her hand to have her step up next to him. She was wearing a new dirndl in the colors of Frederick's Kingdom coat of arms. It was low cut, daring, and revealed a lot of leg. Frederick watched as a few older ladies whispered and expressed some displeasure. Frederick resumed his words; "In our holy scriptures we are commanded to Delight in God's provision. All of it. I conferred with the bishop and I'm confident of the clear meaning of this holy command. In the Book of Proverbs, the fifth chapter and the 18th verse. It commands us, 'Let thy Fountain be blessed and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe. Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times, and be thou ravished always with her love.' " At that word, the men of the festival let out a roar of delight, Frederick and Charlotte turned to each other and smiled. Prince Frederick yelled over the excited crowd, "Bishop Johan, have I spoken accurately? Red-faced, the cleric simply gave a slow affirmative nod. The roar continued again, and the women now also joined in the applause. Prince Frederick stepped away and signaled for his Buxom princess Charlotte to acknowledge the acceptance from his kingdom. Ever the impish and useful girl, Charlotte made the impulsive decision not to curtsy, but bow instead, as a man would.The entire Festival cheered even louder, as the buxom princess gave a 'birds-eye' peek as her busty assets. The crowd began to chant; "We Love Char! We Love Char!" Prince Frederick motioned for a few frauline barmaids to roll a keg to Center Stage. They were all wearing similarly low-cut matching dirndls. The crowds now cheered at fever pitch. These girls were wearing exact replicas of the skimpy dress Charlotte had worn last year, for the special night of the original Munich Festival. The beirmeister tapped the keg and poured the local ale into a Stein. The beirmeister handed the Stein to Prince Frederick. Prince Frederick swiftly drank the entire contents without a pause. Holding up the empty stein, Prince Frederick shouted "O' zapft is! The Keg is tapped! Let Oktoberfest begin!" That's what sealed the legacy of the German ethnic future. Charlotte became the mascot without ever intending to. For her, Oktoberfest was always a way to conveniently compensate for a marriage which completely lacked romance and sexuality. This was all for show. Frederick continued his lust for older MILF trysts and taking interest in tall slender women. Claudine was a frequent counselor and lived in the palace. Charlotte was able to surround herself with virile men who loved her busty figure. As a proud answer to the French Mardi Gras hedonism, the people of Bavaria and Württemberg kingdoms heartily took to the annual fall Harvest Festival we still know as Oktoberfest. It still includes house parties to end the days, and people entertain house guests til wee hours of the morning.It's set for celebrating the conclusion of the harvest, which means The agrarian communities have both time and money for celebrating with energy and enthusiasm. Each year after, new festivals popped up in other cities and the royal couple collaborated in both kingdoms to stagger the dates and coordinate promotions and resources.Württemberg's new king and queen Charlotte became Queen Caroline when Prince Frederick William became King William the first; but the marriage was sexless. After a few years Frederick learned of the death of his cousins Royal husband, in Russia. Princess Catherine Pavlovna met King William while both were visiting Vienna. Frederick was love-struck by the tall Russian granddaughter of Catherine the Great.They were both in their Prime of life and burning with lust for each other. Soon Frederick asked Charlotte for an annulment agreement. For Charlotte, it was liberation. She immediately became the most sought woman in Europe's royal society.Very quickly, Emperor Francis the first of Austria secured her commitment to marriage and become Empress consort of his Austrian Empire with another 46 titles of nobility. Francis was 24 years older than Charlotte and the two did not have children together. But with Charlotte's help, Francis eventually defeated the Napoleon Empire. That meant Württemberg's King Frederick, her first husband, was now subject to her, through her new husband, Francis. Thus begun the great Austrian Empire of Europe for about 100 years to come. by  Mumfreds for Literotica 

How a Young Prince Frederick celebrated his wedding to Princess Charlotte, and started a great Bavarian tradition.Based on the work of Mumfreds. Listen to the podcast at steamy stories.In 1808 people of Württemberg lived in the convergence of three cultures. The masculine lead industry and agriculture of the Germans, the Swiss provided enlightenment of the sciences, and the French liberality and arts added a healthy dose of libertine free thinking and even a tolerance for kinkiness.But Württemberg was moving forward with the final demise of the Holy Roman Empire just a few years earlier. Napoleon had just defeated the Austrian military and established a new Confederation of the Rhine.  The ethnic German people were split apart  and some were under the Austrian protectorate, while the Rhine was under French protectorate on both sides of the Rhine river, including the German homeland.Prince Frederick had watched as his older sister was given to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte as a wife for Napoleon's brother, in exchange for his family's continued role of the Württemberg Kingdom, under the occupation of Napoleon's empire. Now Prince Frederick was being pressured by his parents and the court advisors, to strategically marry a well-bred heiress from the kingdom of Bavaria, princess Charlotte.Princess Charlotte was just 18 in the spring of 1810. A debutante, already being aggressively sought by Napoleon, she was terrified. When faced with the two unwanted options, she and her mother agreed that Frederick William was the better option and more respecting of their shared German heritage. Charlotte wept for weeks. She was still a girl of just 18 years. Her parents apologized repeatedly. It was especially difficult because Charlotte had always been a free-spirit and defiant of the stupid rules of etiquette that she violated almost daily.As an enthusiast of all things equestrian, Charlotte refused to ride ‘side-saddle'. She also found the practice to be a convenient excuse when the Royal Physician of Württemberg Court conducted a prenuptial gynecological exam a requirement in the nuptial contract between the kingdoms. As for Prince Frederick William, the marriage was even less anticipated. Charlotte was not the ideal sex object of his fantasies. Where he liked slender, tall older women, Charlotte was busty with a big round ass.Frederick liked the arts and sciences. He enjoyed the opera and studied astronomy.Charlotte loved animals and preferred German folk songs. Charlotte found little appeal in Frederick's lanky physique. She preferred the bulky, athletic, and masculine virility of farm-hands and tradesmen. A fall wedding Festival Back in 1810 Crown Prince Frederick William, sought the hand of the lovely princess Charlotte of Munich. She was the most desired woman in all of the ethnic German kingdoms. He courted her for many months, seeking to prevail over the efforts of Emperor Napoleon of France.Frederick's family negotiated aggressively with her father King Maximilian; whereby Frederick eventually asked Charlotte to marry him.Both kingdoms shared a strong disgust for all things French culture.It was the one topic where the two actually enjoyed conversation and felt compatibility. they were political allies and even business partners; but not at all romantically drawn to desire. She felt the same way he did, and accepted his offer. They were scheduled to marry on October 12th. As the date came close, she was starting to feel some trepidation. He was concerned and asked what was the problem. She shyly told him that she was expected to be with him; only with him, for the rest of her life. He said of course she would be only with him, and he would be only with her, as was customary.She thought carefully, and said; “Forever is a long time.”He did not want her to be so sad and thought for a while. He proposed an idea as a secret plan that they should not tell anyone about.At the wedding there would be a huge and joyous festival; a very German cultural Festival. At the festival she could go among the crowd and choose three men with which to make love.Upon hearing the idea, she was overjoyed at the thought and thanked him for his generosity and gladly accepted.The wedding was indeed a huge and joyous festival where everyone in Munich turned out. The first night of the festival was the night of their wedding. The celebration was scheduled to go on for 5 days.On the second day of the festival the prince approached the princess and told her today would be the day she made her three selections. She would go out and pick three men with which to ‘sow her oats.' She went to her dressing chamber to pick out her sexiest outfit. She chose the shortest dirndl she had. It stopped just below her ass.  The front of the dirndl plunged to show her beautiful Buxom cleavage. On her smooth legs she wore white by high stockings that ended below her dirndl. On her feet she wore elevated wedges. She was a vision. Her body was very visible and very sexy.The prince and princess began to make the rounds, where villagers were celebrating and congregating. As they walked, the men noticed princess Charlotte and paid her a great deal of attention. Offerings were made of pretzels, beer, and all sorts of treats, as she walked through the fair.She was pleasant of all and smiled as she always did. These were her people and she hoped they would come to accept her foreign Prince.Helmut the blacksmithAs they walked through the grounds they came upon a blacksmith, who had a stall set up to shoe horses. Charlotte stopped, and seemed to take a special interest. As one would expect, the blacksmith was quite strong, and also handsome. When she got close, a smile fell across his face and he gave greetings.“ I am Helmut, my princess;” he said in the most cultured enunciation he could contrive. She secretly knew Helmut from her frequent trips to the Stables. But that is their secret. The prince asked the princess if this might be one of the men. She smiled and said; “Indeed this would be one of the men if he so desired.” As the princess continued strolling, the prince stayed back briefly and invited Helmut to a special dinner with the princess that evening at 7:00. He graciously accepted. While he didn't understand what was fully ahead for him, he was happy to be able to spend an evening with the busty and charming princess. Robert the actorThey continued to walk through the fairgrounds with the prince often letting the princess drift ahead so he could see the reactions of the commoners as they look at her beauty. He watch her interact with the men of the Kingdom. As they continued, they came across a play that was just finishing up on the stage. The lead actor was quite athletically fit and very handsome. He flashed a smile at princess Charlotte and catching her off guard, she shyly looked away. The production poster listed the lead actor as ‘Robert.' What Prince Frederick didn't suspect was that Robert was also a part of the local Polo team. The two had secretly met in the Stables. The secret remains to this day. She composed herself and began to smile. He congratulated her and the prince on their wedding. She whispered to the prince that it might be fun to invite him to dinner. Shortly thereafter the prince did just that.Steffan the folk dancerAfter not much longer, the princess stopped in front of the stage where there was folk dancing.One of the dancers was agile, strong, and very skilled. As he lifted his twirling partner into the air, then safely caught her in his arms. She caught the vicarious thrill of experiencing being airborne and caught in his gentle arms. Steffan stepped back for his female dance partner to perform her feature solo. As he caught his breath, he looked out to the applauding crowds. He spotted the royal couple and was pleased. He had caught the princess's eye. She stood and watched him perform. in his lederhosen, not taking her eyes off of him. This was not missed by the dancer, and when the dance was over he came over and introduced himself to the princess. “I am Steffan”, he humbly bowed.This was but a rouse, as the dancer was part of a Mayday festival at the Munich Palace. Charlotte had graciously helped him find the dressing rooms when he'd gotten lost in the palace back halls. Charlotte felt a wetness as she recalled his tryst in her private Chambers just months ago; As Steffan talked with the prince, his eyes glanced up and down Charlotte's body. Memories led to arousal, and after several minutes, Steffan quickly dismissed himself to ‘prepare for the next number.His tight shorts left little to the imagination and it was clear that he was very well built down there. It also became obvious when he was talking to the princess, that she pleased him greatly and that is why he had to make a quick exit.Princess Charlotte smiled at The Prince and he understood that the dancer would be the third. The prince then extended an invite to him.The special guests come to dinner The dinner was scheduled for that evening at 7:00. A fire was made in the large fireplace and the finest Linens, China, and glassware were laid out.The cooks were busy making Gourmet Foods and the prince picked the wines himself. The princess was bathing and getting dressed for the evening. She had taken her time to clean and shave meticulously. She had chosen a metallic gold dress that plunged in the front bodice, and a skirt that stopped right at her bottom, in the back. She also wore matching metallic gold strappy shoes with towering heels. She also wore her gold earrings, necklace, and bracelets. On her right ankle was a gold anklet that the prince had bought her that day for the dinner. She looked irresistible. As the princess dressed upstairs, the men arrived early for the dinner. They too, had bathed and put on their finest clothes. The prince greeted them personally, and the young studs introduced themselves to each other.  The prince poured them each a drink and they toasted to each other and their good fortune. Prince Frederick explained to their astonishment and delight; the agreement the prince and princess had made ,and that they were the lucky men chosen.When the princess arrived downstairs, the prince met her before she walked into the dining room. To her surprise, the prince said that he would not be joining them. He wanted the men to have her to themselves and for her to have the men to herself. After thinking about it a bit, she realized that this might be more fun.The prince told her however, that he couldn't possibly resist watching her sexual conquests and would be watching from special consealments that were created near the dining room.They then walked into the dining room as the men stood up and were formally introduced by name to the princess.As she walked in looking lovely as can be. There were Smiles all around. The prince said his good-byes,and said he would stop in the evening, The princess and her suitors were seated for dinner and were poured wine from the servants. As the conversation began, the men paid great attention to the princess. The men stared deep into the eyes of the princess while she spoke and attended to her every need.Dancing In The ParlorAfter dessert was served Steffan asked the princess if she'd like to dance. She loved to dance and quickly accepted the offer from the handsome man. Charlotte led the man into the Parlor and went over to a cabinet on casters she opened the lid of the music box and cranked up the Armature. The Parlor was filled with the rich sounds of an Austrian Waltz. They began a formal Waltz, with the dancer expertly taking the lead and the princess easily keeping up. They glided around the room while Helmut and Robert looked on, seated on nicely-upholstered wing-back chairs.Not wanting to be left out, Robert cut in and continued the dance;  His intense blue eyes staring into the princesses. Helmut, not wanting to miss his turn, cut in. This allowed the princess to put her hands on his muscular arms as he easily spun her around the Dance Floor. During dinner, Prince Frederick had been sitting in a hall outside the dining room. He took great pleasure in watching the princess charm and be Charmed by the men. He found himself increasingly excited as the dancing started. His new wife was a youthful and sexy dancer, and watching her interact with the men turned him on immensely. When the quartet moved to the parlor, Prince Frederick went upstairs to a balcony overlooking the Parlor. A member of his Württemberg Entourage, Claudine was making her regular checks on his welfare. She was his tutor since he was 10 years old and she was 21.The woman taught Frederick on many subjects, and over time had become an adviser on many matters. She was tall, slender, and elegant. Her lessons often continued in his bed Chambers whenever they could safely conceal the ongoing sex education lessons. Now, 17 years later, Claudine now carries herself as a charming  and confident 39 year old vixen.From the balcony, the prince and his ‘tutor' (and secret lover) sat on the floor, behind the velvet drapes, and silently peered between the balusters, Charlotte's deportment with the young men.The quartet move to a slower song and the blacksmith pulled the princess close for a slow dance. The princess's head had been spinning from her wonderful evening and her third Goblet of wine, and now she was very close to and touching this muscular man. He too could feel her busty body with his strong hands around her firm waist he pulled her in closer to him she didn't pull away as she felt him stiffen.She began to feel a tingle inside herself. Before she knew it Robert the actor had stepped up and taken Helmut's place. As Robert stared into her eyes he leaned forward and gently put his lips to hers and she readily received them as she first did in that pile of straw in the horse stables.He pulled her close to him and continued to kiss her. She then felt a second set of hands on her hips from behind it was Steffan. Her dress was so short that his hands were right above the bottom of the dress. She briefly stopped kissing Robert as Steffen pulled her hips into him and began kissing her neck. Pressing into her rear end was that very large and now very hard cock that had attracted her earlier that day. He raised Goosebumps on her as he kissed her neck.From the balcony, Prince Frederick and Claudine had seen everything. He didn't miss a second of the meal or the dance.  Much like the viral men in the parlor, he too was very hard. To watch the woman he married be so pleased. To be able to watch her talk and flirt and touch and be touched was truly a pleasure. To see the way the young suiters desire her.Claudine began rubbing his crotch while sliding her other hand up under her own skirt.As Steffan continued to kiss the princess on her neck and ears, he slowly ground his cock against her white ass. With his hands around her waist the skimpy dress began fully raising from the grinding as it lifted. The actor in front of her looked down and realized she wasn't wearing any panties. He could see her perfect beautiful shaved cunt. He went wild, grabbing her head and kissing her deeply with his tongue. Steffan also noticing the dress had climbed up her body, began using his large hands to rub her large crack.The princess felt so good she was barely standing at this point, mostly being held up in the sandwich of the men. The blacksmith was standing on the sidelines with his cock out, stroking while looking at the scene he had in front of him.The actor was now kissing down the body of The Princess and Steffan turned the princess's head and began kissing her deeply as he reached in front and grabbed her heating tits and fondling her tall erect nipples. Robert had made his way down to her belly and was closing in on her cunt. The princess shook as Robert's lips came in contact with her cunt lips. He licked her cunt as she held his head against her. After the princess Broke Free from Steffan's kiss, she gave a look towards the waiting blacksmith. The look let Helmut know it was time for him to join the fun. Helmut, unable to contain himself, walked towards the melee. He ignored Steffan and the actor and picked up the princess and carried her to a large couch on the side of the room. He laid her down on the couch and began for lack of a better word, to ravage her body.He grabbed and sucked her nipples and then quickly moved down to her cunt, licking her clit. The other two men were quickly at the couch. The actor began sucking her nipples making the princess squirm. She wrapped her legs around Helmut's head. As Robert & Steffan worked their magic, she began to quiver.This stirred both of the men and their tongues sped up lapping her nipples and clit. Her back arched as the orgasm flowed through her body. As she recovered from her orgasm, the men stood her up and removed her mini dress so that only her gold platform heals and jewelry remained. At this point; Helmut was so turned on, he couldn't wait. He laid the princess back down, and guided his rigid cock inside her. As much as she enjoyed his mouth it felt really good to have his hard warm cock in her.The princess looked next to see that Robert had removed his clothes and had his hard shaft in front of her. The princess reached out and grabbed his cock. Robert's heart was pounding. The hand of this beautiful woman felt so good on him.Steffan stripped off his clothes and joined the group.The princess had her eyes closed as Helmut picked up his pace. She put her right hand on his muscular chest and rubbed down his chiseled abdomen, wrapping her hand around his thick cock as it slid in and out of her. She returned her hand to his chest and continued to jerk off the wood of Robert on her left.One of the thrust of Helmut's threw the princess's head back and as she look to the right she saw the naked body of Stefan.His cock was large and beautiful. It was exactly what she hoped for when she picked him for the evening. She slowed her hand down on the actor as she eagerly grabbed the thick rod of the handsome dancer. She slowly explored the entire length of his cock with her soft hand. He leaned over and touched and kissed her slowly, exploring her mouth; reaching over to gently caress her nipple. She firmly but gently grabbed the base of his cock, and pulled him close to her.  It was perfect, and she began licking and sucking it. She continued to suck as much of the cock as she could fit in her mouth,  to the rhythm of Helmut sliding in and out of her wet cunt. Helmut would not last much longer, and began to pick up speed. The princess began to tremble and slow down the actor and Dancer.As Helmut's hands wrapped around her tiny waist, she put her hands on his waist, to push him in further,He began grunted and began powerfully jack-hammering her. Her entire body was moving as Helmut slammed into her. He began to cum.  She felt his first shot squirt into her body, which pushed her into a full orgasm as her body clinched around him.  He kept pounding, shooting a large load  as she moaned. Charlotte was trembling from the orgasm Helmut had just given her. He held her in his strong arms, as she took a moment to recover. After some time, he withdrew his cock from her.Steffan grabbed the Princess's face with both hands, and kissed her passionately on the lips.He backed up and stared into her eyes. He could wait no longer. As he backed up, the Princess could see his turgid cock, standing at attention. He was extremely hard. With both hands on her waist, he pulled her towards him. He grabbed the base of his rod, and began to run it up and down the length of her cunt lips. He would have to move slowly, to get his large shaft into her tight cunt. Robert and Helmut saw that she might have some troubles, so they went up to the princess. They each took one of her shapely legs. She still had her golden heels on. They each held an ankle in one hand, and with the other they reached up to her inner thigh.They spread her legs wide apart, to give Steffan better access. As his cock pressed into the small opening between her cunt lips, she was both nervous and excited.Cum In The BalconyStill viewing from the Position to see his new wife, as naked and as hard as the other men; he had his cock in his hand. It was ecstasy to see his wife enjoying herself so much to allow her to have a variety he could not provide himself .He also liked being able to just watch the way she flirted, desired, and moved.He could just focus on watching her be sexual. It was such a turn on for him. Claudine sucked his cock while he lay on the balcony floor; her cunt spread wide above his adoring eyes. His cock deep in his concert's throat while the passionate sounds of a foursome filled the Parlor below their lofty perch. As Claudine's juices ran down the tongue of the prince, her inner thighs pressing tight against his ears while she shakes from the oral menstruation he has perfected.Frederick took it all in and paused his urges to thrust while Claudine indulged in the joy of her orgasm. She sucked his tip and flicked his head gently while her Bliss lingered. As Claudine's body came back to the moment, she fixed her desire to the cock in her mouth. Soon her head pressed down on his crotch and his cock rapidly entered and exited her throat. Her tongue synchronized in a swallowing sequence. In less than a minute later, his hips rocketed upward as his balls constricted into the base of his cock. His prostate began a series of jets sending cream deep into Claudine's receptive throat. She knew his body and his signs of eminent release. She's taking a deep breath before plunging down on his explosion with her expert tongue.She used a swallowing sequence to take every last drop into her throat. Claudine had become so proficient that it had been a couple years since she could remember the taste of Frederick's spunk. Downstairs The princess took a deep breath as Stefan's cock slowly entered her cunt.  She felt it spreading her and filling her up. She was very wet but Stephen still took his time. She was so tight he needed to move slowly. He paused after he was completely inside her, to give her a moment to once again get used to his massive cock.With her eyes closed she let out a breath feeling so full in her cunt. Slowly he moved back out and then gently pushed back into her. He increased the speed as she grew used to his size. He slid in and out of her, hitting spots on her that had never been felt before. Helmut and Robert released her legs. Starting at her shoulders, they each kiss down her body, gently touching and tasting her as they worked.From her legs up, they kissed around her breasts, settling on her erect and sensitive nipples. Kissing them, licking and sucking them.In appreciation, she reached out and grabbed each of their firm cocks. With a cock inside her, with two handsome men sucking her nipples and a cock in each hand, her head was spinning. his face and her breathing she began to lose control with that fat cock filling her up and both nipples getting sucked. She began to moan louder and louder and she moaned the man began sucking her nipples faster and faster.Finally she couldn't hold out any longer and began to come.She let out what was almost a scream and seemed to have cum for a full minute. She felt so good after she came completely inside her while he waited and she recovered he couldn't wait any longer and slowly started pumping her she moved her body in time with his and it felt good.Recovering the princess started to feel a tingle as Stefan again picked up the pace. It was at this time the princess saw something to her left. It was the prince. He was so turned on by the event that he had to get closer. He was naked and jacking off his hard cock at the sight of his beautiful bride. She felt so good with the comfort of knowing her husband gave his approval and was so turned on,She looked up and Stefan was staring straight into her eyes. She could feel the pre-cum dribbling inside her, from his massive cock and knew it wouldn't be much longer. It was now just him and her, as he wrapped his large hands around her tiny waist and began to Bear down on her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and started to moan. They locked eyes as he drove into her faster and faster. She could feel his balls slamming into her with each stroke she began to scream  as the orgasm took over and his cock began to twitch.She began wave after wave of orgasm as his cock began to come inside her. She could feel the hot spurts of his semen. He kept pumping till his big cock was drained. She laid back sweaty and completely spent as his cock went limp inside her. Charlotte's good nightWith her eyes closed she felt lips softly touch hers. It was Prince Frederick. He looked deeply into her eyes and thanked her for what she had done. It was such a pleasure to watch her. Stefan prepared warm water and began gently cleaning her up with washcloths. They then helped the princess nymph, to dress into a beautiful tight golden gown. The night had gone on for hours ,with all of the meeting, drinking, and dancing; Charlotte saw each man out separately, and some private words were spoken but not overheard. Frederick told Charlotte he'd be up a bit and she should get her rest. The two never shared a bedroom again.A tradition of need Frederick William and his wife Charlotte remained in two royal families from two Allied kingdoms of the German peoples. It would be years before their fathers' Reigns would be passed on, so the two developed humanitarian causes and charities, to benefit the people of the two kingdoms. Württemberg & Bavaria. This often meant a lot of travel in the two adjoining kingdoms. Together they kept up appearances and showed no public affection to each other.It's not that they lacked a libido; they just had no physical or emotional attraction to anything about each other. In the weeks after Frederick and Charlotte disclosed to each other that they both had romantic interests in other lovers. they both provided discreet accommodations to each other and still kept a mutual respect.Second Year, and the Dirndl Craze Princess Charlotte is widely recognized as the inspiration for Oktoberfest. Her Bountiful bosom is synonymous with the joy of a Bountiful Harvest. The beer garden waitresses all wore the 'Charlotte dirndls' at the Munich Oktoberfest of 1811, 2nd Annual Festival. Charlotte and Frederick traveled the second night to Württemberg to inaugurate a sister Festival there. Some of the Württemberg church ladies initially objected to this Bavarian hussie princess whom their Crown Prince had married. Prince Frederick caught word of the grumbling prudes and decided to tell the organizers that he would personally appear with Princess Charlotte to make the official pronunciation of the beginning of the festival, At the noon hour, all the crowds gathered in the festival Square. Troubadours and dancers, Artisans and Partiers, all stood with a hush as the prince and princess climbed the steps to the platform. "Men and women, People of Württemberg, and guests. It is good to Delight in the Bountiful provisions of the Almighty, and we are truly thankful. We Delight ourselves in the fruit of both our hard work and Providence." Prince Frederick paused then added; "You are all part of that bounty. Delight in each other. I have taken a wife and we celebrate our anniversary with you today."Charlotte was standing just behind, and to the side of Frederick. He stepped back and took her hand to have her step up next to him. She was wearing a new dirndl in the colors of Frederick's Kingdom coat of arms. It was low cut, daring, and revealed a lot of leg. Frederick watched as a few older ladies whispered and expressed some displeasure. Frederick resumed his words; "In our holy scriptures we are commanded to Delight in God's provision. All of it. I conferred with the bishop and I'm confident of the clear meaning of this holy command. In the Book of Proverbs, the fifth chapter and the 18th verse. It commands us, 'Let thy Fountain be blessed and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe. Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times, and be thou ravished always with her love.' " At that word, the men of the festival let out a roar of delight, Frederick and Charlotte turned to each other and smiled. Prince Frederick yelled over the excited crowd, "Bishop Johan, have I spoken accurately? Red-faced, the cleric simply gave a slow affirmative nod. The roar continued again, and the women now also joined in the applause. Prince Frederick stepped away and signaled for his Buxom princess Charlotte to acknowledge the acceptance from his kingdom. Ever the impish and useful girl, Charlotte made the impulsive decision not to curtsy, but bow instead, as a man would.The entire Festival cheered even louder, as the buxom princess gave a 'birds-eye' peek as her busty assets. The crowd began to chant; "We Love Char! We Love Char!" Prince Frederick motioned for a few frauline barmaids to roll a keg to Center Stage. They were all wearing similarly low-cut matching dirndls. The crowds now cheered at fever pitch. These girls were wearing exact replicas of the skimpy dress Charlotte had worn last year, for the special night of the original Munich Festival. The beirmeister tapped the keg and poured the local ale into a Stein. The beirmeister handed the Stein to Prince Frederick. Prince Frederick swiftly drank the entire contents without a pause. Holding up the empty stein, Prince Frederick shouted "O' zapft is! The Keg is tapped! Let Oktoberfest begin!" That's what sealed the legacy of the German ethnic future. Charlotte became the mascot without ever intending to. For her, Oktoberfest was always a way to conveniently compensate for a marriage which completely lacked romance and sexuality. This was all for show. Frederick continued his lust for older MILF trysts and taking interest in tall slender women. Claudine was a frequent counselor and lived in the palace. Charlotte was able to surround herself with virile men who loved her busty figure. As a proud answer to the French Mardi Gras hedonism, the people of Bavaria and Württemberg kingdoms heartily took to the annual fall Harvest Festival we still know as Oktoberfest. It still includes house parties to end the days, and people entertain house guests til wee hours of the morning.It's set for celebrating the conclusion of the harvest, which means The agrarian communities have both time and money for celebrating with energy and enthusiasm. Each year after, new festivals popped up in other cities and the royal couple collaborated in both kingdoms to stagger the dates and coordinate promotions and resources.Württemberg's new king and queen Charlotte became Queen Caroline when Prince Frederick William became King William the first; but the marriage was sexless. After a few years Frederick learned of the death of his cousins Royal husband, in Russia. Princess Catherine Pavlovna met King William while both were visiting Vienna. Frederick was love-struck by the tall Russian granddaughter of Catherine the Great.They were both in their Prime of life and burning with lust for each other. Soon Frederick asked Charlotte for an annulment agreement. For Charlotte, it was liberation. She immediately became the most sought woman in Europe's royal society.Very quickly, Emperor Francis the first of Austria secured her commitment to marriage and become Empress consort of his Austrian Empire with another 46 titles of nobility. Francis was 24 years older than Charlotte and the two did not have children together. But with Charlotte's help, Francis eventually defeated the Napoleon Empire. That meant Württemberg's King Frederick, her first husband, was now subject to her, through her new husband, Francis. Thus begun the great Austrian Empire of Europe for about 100 years to come. by  Mumfreds for Literotica 

Patreon Series: Rise of PolandEpisode 176: The Many Wars of BoleslawToday, we charge headlong into the bloody campaigns and calculated power plays of Bolesław I of Poland—known to some as “the Brave,” and to others as “the guy who never saw a war he didn't like.” Whether it was the Holy Roman Empire, the Kievan Rus', or internal rivals, Bolesław saw them all as opportunities for expansion—or revenge. His reign set the stage for Polish statehood…but not without some scorched earth and shattered alliances along the way.No More Paywalls! How?If you believe in what's happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!Social Media:YouTube: Fortune's Wheel PodcastMeta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcastBuy Me A Coffee!Music:“Beyond Time” by Danijel ZamboMusic from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/beyond-timeLicense code: 8TGHY8YXD5D73OVH

What if Rome never truly folded into history, but instead, quietly reinvented itself behind the scenes? In this spine-tingling episode of Fringe Beyond Limits, we unveil the hidden continuities of Roman power, from the clandestine corridors of the Vatican to the global networks of modern finance, government, and secret societies. Join hosts Frank, Breanna, and Lynette as they trace a trail from the Holy Roman Empire to the European Union, explore ancient Roman law beneath international banking, and seek chilling reflections of Rome in today's superpowers. Could the Vatican still pulse with imperial essence? Are world leaders unknowingly dancing to ancient rhythms? Buckle up for a deep dive into history's ultimate game of imperial hide-and-seek. Because maybe Rome isn't gone—it's hiding in plain sight. Listen & follow Fringe Beyond Limits:

For over fifty years, military officers at America's nuclear missile sites have reported UFOs hovering over their weapons, triggering unauthorized launch sequences, shutting down entire missile flights, and demonstrating complete control over humanity's most powerful arsenal.Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateTake the WEIRD DARKNESS LISTENER SURVEY and help mold the future of the podcast: https://weirddarkness.com/surveyIN THIS EPISODE: When circus clowns beat up some firefighters in a Toronto brothel in 1855, they sparked a riot that would bring down an entire city's corrupt government. (Toronto Circus Riot) *** In 1614, multiple witnesses in Sussex reported encounters with a nine-foot serpent that could kill with poisonous breath from sixty feet away, leaving behind swollen corpses and a trail of terror that would haunt the forests for centuries. Is there truth behind the stories of dragons in Sussex forests? (Sussex Dragons) *** In 1184, sixty of the Holy Roman Empire's most powerful nobles gathered to settle a simple land dispute but instead plummeted through rotting floorboards into a deep cesspit where they drowned in human waste. (Erfurt Latrine Disaster) *** In 1848, railroad foreman Phineas Gage survived an iron rod blasting through his brain and out the top of his skull, but the real horror is how medical history transformed him from a man who rebuilt his life into a grotesque cautionary tale that gets more distorted with each telling. (The Strange Case of Phineas Gage) *** For over four decades, researcher Robert Hastings has collected testimonies from 167 military veterans who witnessed something that shouldn't exist — unidentified aerial phenomena systematically targeting America's nuclear arsenal. Their accounts reveal a pattern of interference that nearly triggered World War III. (When UFOs Came For Our Nukes)ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In00:02:09.148 = Show Open00:04:31.780 = When UFOs Came For Our Nukes00:18:27.073 = The Toronto Circus Riot00:27:28.041 = Sussex Dragons00:37:08.280 = The Strange Case of Phineas Gage00:51:17.890 = The Erfurt Latrine Disaster01:00:07.817 = Show CloseSOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…When UFOs Came For Our Nukes: https://weirddarkness.com/ufos-nuclear-weapons-military-witnesses/Toronto Circus Riot: https://weirddarkness.com/toronto-circus-riot/Sussex Dragons: https://weirddarkness.com/sussex-dragons-medieval/Strange Case of Phineas Gage: https://weirddarkness.com/phineas-gage/Erfurt Latrine Disaster: https://weirddarkness.com/erfurt-latrine-disaster/=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: August 26, 2025NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/NuclearWeaponsUFOs#UFOsAndNuclearWeapons #RobertHastings #MalmstromAirForceBase #CaptainRobertSalas #NuclearMissileUFO #MilitaryUFOSightings #PentagonUFO #LueElizondo #AATIP #UFOMissileShutdown #BobJacobs #VandenbergUFO #FEWarrenAirForceBase #SovietUFOIncident #MinotAirForceBase #UFONuclearFacilities #MilitaryUFOTestimony #AirForceUFO #MinutemanMissile #NuclearDefense #UFODisclosure #ExtraterrestrialMonitoring #UFOAbduction #MarioWoods #EllsworthAirForce #NuclearWarheadDisabled #UFONuclearConnection #MilitaryWitnesses #NuclearWeaponsInterference #UAP

In this episode, Logan Quigley (MMA team member) chats with scholar Aaron C. Pattee about the roles and realities of the medieval ministeriales—non-nobles who served in a variety of capacities within the royal palaces, the imperial estates, and the entourages of emperors, kings, and bishops during the High Middle Ages in the Holy Roman Empire.For more information, visit www.multiculturalmiddleages.com.

Western governments are rushing to recognize a Palestinian state — but what they are really recognizing is an illusion. Like Voltaire's famous quip about the Holy Roman Empire, “Palestine” is neither real nor a state. Parshat Re'eh warns against false prophets. Rabbi Dunner shows how rewarding terror with statehood is a false prophecy that imperils truth, justice, and stability.

Hello friends of the History of the Germans Podcast. As I mentioned last episode, I am on holiday now, which means I spend my time reading up about the Habsburg and getting into gear for the next season.In the meantime, I will showcase some podcasts I really enjoy and listen to regularly. And one of those is History Rage. The host, Paul Bavill interviews historians and history podcaster about the one thing they really hope people would stop believing. Interview is such a lame term for what he does, it is more of a therapy session for geeks to let out their rage. Professional historians come armed with evidence, fury, and a burning desire to set the record straight. From “Vikings wore horned helmets” to “Britain stood alone in 1940” and “medieval people never bathed,” this is history with attitude, myth-busting with academic rigor, and truth-telling that pulls no punches. In the last 284 episodes he allowed some of the greatest names in history let off steam, including Roger Moorhouse. In this episode you will hear right now, Roger goes after the focus on Stauffenberg in the remembrance of the resistance against the Nazis inside Germany. By doing so, he argues, we are overlooking equally if not more deserving figures like Henning von Tresckow and the other members of the Kreisauer Kreis. And by the way Paul even allowed yours truly to vent about the perennial pun that the Holy Roman Empire was neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire. That will come out on September 29. So in the meantime here is History Rage with: Stauffenberg: Hero or Hypocrite? The Complex Legacy of the July 20th Plot with Roger MoorhouseI hope you enjoy it.The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have:The OttoniansSalian Emperors and Investiture ControversyFredrick Barbarossa and Early...

Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by historian Roger Crowley to unravel the captivating history of Venice, the Queen of the Adriatic. How did this city, born from a lagoon, ride the changing tides of trade in the 15th century to evolve into a formidable maritime empire? From its unique social structures to its role in the Fourth Crusade, Eleanor and Roger take an in-depth look at Venice's unparalleled success and its challenges.Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. It was edited by Rob Weinberg, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.More:The Holy Roman Empire >The Silk Road: Where Cultures Collided >Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Rev. Dr. Lawrence Rast, Jr, President of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, joins Andy and Sarah for our History of Lutheranism in America series to talk about the different groups leaving the Holy Roman Empire German states for America, how things like Pietism and Rationalism affected their decision to leave, the variety of groups that immigrated to America, and Rev. Muhlenburg and the Pennsylvania Ministerium. Find all three episodes in this series at kfuo.org/tag/history-of-lutheranism-in-america. This episode originally aired on June 21, 2023. Note: Rev. Dr. Lawrence Rast, Jr. is now former president of Concordia Theological Seminary. As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let's be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

The siege of Vienna (1683) was an epic history-making event. Sultan Mohammed II and his Grand Vizier, Kara Mustafa, eyed the "Golden Apple" of Vienna with great hunger. If Vienna, the capital of the Holy Roman Empire fell, the spoils of Poland, Germany, France, and Italy lay ripe for the picking! At first two hundred thousand Muslim soldiers fought against twelve thousand Austrians at the Vienna city walls. Weeks later sixty-five thousand Poles and Germans arrived and fought the Muslims out on the battle field. In this last episode in my Crusades series I narrate the heart-stopping battle. What finally woke Western Europe from its long-standing languor, its sleep? What kind of ostentatious things did Kara Mustafa keep at his war camp? In the show's opening I raise two challenges each for Christianity and Muslim. No, my questions are not theological. They are more simple: what will each religion do in order to safeguard the future of humanity's existence? Come and think deeply with me about our lives in Christ. 

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett do a deep dive into the thousand-year Holy Roman Empire, exploring how this decentralized German confederation shaped European civilization, from Charlemagne's coronation through medieval peak to Napoleonic dissolution, revealing patterns that illuminate modern geopolitics. --

So, why did Holland really leave the empire? Was it because the valiant and tragic countess Jacqueline was “hunted down from one land to the other, all of them mine”. Was it a story of misogyny, betrayal, incompetence and ruthless power politics. Yes, it was. But it was a also a story of economic and climate change and one that links into the herring trade of the Hanseatic League, the decline of Teutonic Knights and even into the Hussite Revolt, topics that seem distant, but mattered. This week we focus on this, the latter part of the storyThe music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have:The OttoniansSalian Emperors and Investiture ControversyFredrick Barbarossa and Early HohenstaufenFrederick II Stupor MundiSaxony and Eastward ExpansionThe Hanseatic LeagueThe Teutonic KnightsThe Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356The Reformation before the Reformation

In this episode, we hear about one of Europe's most devastating conflicts - the Thirty Years' War. From 1618 to 1648, the continent was torn apart by religious strife, shifting alliances, and ruthless ambition. What began as a Bohemian rebellion exploded into a brutal struggle that reshaped borders, broke empires, and left millions dead.We're joined by Peter Wilson, a professor of history at the University of Oxford and author of ‘The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy'. He takes us from the war's early years to its bitter end, and explains how the conflict changed Europe forever.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

The Unseen History of International Law (Oxford University Press, 2025) locates and describes almost one thousand surviving copies of the first nine editions of Hugo Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis (IBP) published between 1625 and 1650. Meticulously reconstructing the publishing history of these first nine editions and cataloguing copies across hundreds of collections, The Unseen History provides fundamental data for reconstructing the impact of IBP across time and space. The authors, Dr. Mark Somos, Dr. Matthew Cleary, Dr. Pablo Dufour, Dr. Edward Jones Corredera, and Dr. Emanuele Salerno, also examined annotations that thousands of owners and readers have left in IBP copies over four centuries, offering original insights into the development of international law.Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis has been commonly regarded as the foundation of modern international law since its first appearance in 1625. Most major international law scholars have engaged with IBP, often owning and richly annotating their own copies. At key moments - including the demise of the Holy Roman Empire, the fall of Napoleon, and the end of both world wars - IBP was reissued with new commentaries by multinational projects devoted to restarting the international order. Despite the enormous literature on IBP's reception and influence, we cannot fully understand its impact without uncovering the history of IBP as a physical object, with hundreds of thousands of unpublished annotations arguing or agreeing with the text, updating and adapting its contents.Approaching Grotius' seminal work as a physical vehicle of the author's, the publishers', owners', and readers' engagement, The Unseen History radically expands and revises our understanding not only of IBP, but also of the academic discipline and lived practice of modern international law over the last four centuries. In addition to delving into the first nine editions' printing history, descriptive bibliography, and both Grotius' and the publishers' marketing and donation strategies, the book explores Grotius' subsequent impact on pro-slavery and abolitionist litigation as a case study of how the census' original findings can be applied to specific areas of reception. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The Unseen History of International Law (Oxford University Press, 2025) locates and describes almost one thousand surviving copies of the first nine editions of Hugo Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis (IBP) published between 1625 and 1650. Meticulously reconstructing the publishing history of these first nine editions and cataloguing copies across hundreds of collections, The Unseen History provides fundamental data for reconstructing the impact of IBP across time and space. The authors, Dr. Mark Somos, Dr. Matthew Cleary, Dr. Pablo Dufour, Dr. Edward Jones Corredera, and Dr. Emanuele Salerno, also examined annotations that thousands of owners and readers have left in IBP copies over four centuries, offering original insights into the development of international law.Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis has been commonly regarded as the foundation of modern international law since its first appearance in 1625. Most major international law scholars have engaged with IBP, often owning and richly annotating their own copies. At key moments - including the demise of the Holy Roman Empire, the fall of Napoleon, and the end of both world wars - IBP was reissued with new commentaries by multinational projects devoted to restarting the international order. Despite the enormous literature on IBP's reception and influence, we cannot fully understand its impact without uncovering the history of IBP as a physical object, with hundreds of thousands of unpublished annotations arguing or agreeing with the text, updating and adapting its contents.Approaching Grotius' seminal work as a physical vehicle of the author's, the publishers', owners', and readers' engagement, The Unseen History radically expands and revises our understanding not only of IBP, but also of the academic discipline and lived practice of modern international law over the last four centuries. In addition to delving into the first nine editions' printing history, descriptive bibliography, and both Grotius' and the publishers' marketing and donation strategies, the book explores Grotius' subsequent impact on pro-slavery and abolitionist litigation as a case study of how the census' original findings can be applied to specific areas of reception. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

The Unseen History of International Law (Oxford University Press, 2025) locates and describes almost one thousand surviving copies of the first nine editions of Hugo Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis (IBP) published between 1625 and 1650. Meticulously reconstructing the publishing history of these first nine editions and cataloguing copies across hundreds of collections, The Unseen History provides fundamental data for reconstructing the impact of IBP across time and space. The authors, Dr. Mark Somos, Dr. Matthew Cleary, Dr. Pablo Dufour, Dr. Edward Jones Corredera, and Dr. Emanuele Salerno, also examined annotations that thousands of owners and readers have left in IBP copies over four centuries, offering original insights into the development of international law.Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis has been commonly regarded as the foundation of modern international law since its first appearance in 1625. Most major international law scholars have engaged with IBP, often owning and richly annotating their own copies. At key moments - including the demise of the Holy Roman Empire, the fall of Napoleon, and the end of both world wars - IBP was reissued with new commentaries by multinational projects devoted to restarting the international order. Despite the enormous literature on IBP's reception and influence, we cannot fully understand its impact without uncovering the history of IBP as a physical object, with hundreds of thousands of unpublished annotations arguing or agreeing with the text, updating and adapting its contents.Approaching Grotius' seminal work as a physical vehicle of the author's, the publishers', owners', and readers' engagement, The Unseen History radically expands and revises our understanding not only of IBP, but also of the academic discipline and lived practice of modern international law over the last four centuries. In addition to delving into the first nine editions' printing history, descriptive bibliography, and both Grotius' and the publishers' marketing and donation strategies, the book explores Grotius' subsequent impact on pro-slavery and abolitionist litigation as a case study of how the census' original findings can be applied to specific areas of reception. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

The Unseen History of International Law (Oxford University Press, 2025) locates and describes almost one thousand surviving copies of the first nine editions of Hugo Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis (IBP) published between 1625 and 1650. Meticulously reconstructing the publishing history of these first nine editions and cataloguing copies across hundreds of collections, The Unseen History provides fundamental data for reconstructing the impact of IBP across time and space. The authors, Dr. Mark Somos, Dr. Matthew Cleary, Dr. Pablo Dufour, Dr. Edward Jones Corredera, and Dr. Emanuele Salerno, also examined annotations that thousands of owners and readers have left in IBP copies over four centuries, offering original insights into the development of international law.Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis has been commonly regarded as the foundation of modern international law since its first appearance in 1625. Most major international law scholars have engaged with IBP, often owning and richly annotating their own copies. At key moments - including the demise of the Holy Roman Empire, the fall of Napoleon, and the end of both world wars - IBP was reissued with new commentaries by multinational projects devoted to restarting the international order. Despite the enormous literature on IBP's reception and influence, we cannot fully understand its impact without uncovering the history of IBP as a physical object, with hundreds of thousands of unpublished annotations arguing or agreeing with the text, updating and adapting its contents.Approaching Grotius' seminal work as a physical vehicle of the author's, the publishers', owners', and readers' engagement, The Unseen History radically expands and revises our understanding not only of IBP, but also of the academic discipline and lived practice of modern international law over the last four centuries. In addition to delving into the first nine editions' printing history, descriptive bibliography, and both Grotius' and the publishers' marketing and donation strategies, the book explores Grotius' subsequent impact on pro-slavery and abolitionist litigation as a case study of how the census' original findings can be applied to specific areas of reception. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Unseen History of International Law (Oxford University Press, 2025) locates and describes almost one thousand surviving copies of the first nine editions of Hugo Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis (IBP) published between 1625 and 1650. Meticulously reconstructing the publishing history of these first nine editions and cataloguing copies across hundreds of collections, The Unseen History provides fundamental data for reconstructing the impact of IBP across time and space. The authors, Dr. Mark Somos, Dr. Matthew Cleary, Dr. Pablo Dufour, Dr. Edward Jones Corredera, and Dr. Emanuele Salerno, also examined annotations that thousands of owners and readers have left in IBP copies over four centuries, offering original insights into the development of international law.Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis has been commonly regarded as the foundation of modern international law since its first appearance in 1625. Most major international law scholars have engaged with IBP, often owning and richly annotating their own copies. At key moments - including the demise of the Holy Roman Empire, the fall of Napoleon, and the end of both world wars - IBP was reissued with new commentaries by multinational projects devoted to restarting the international order. Despite the enormous literature on IBP's reception and influence, we cannot fully understand its impact without uncovering the history of IBP as a physical object, with hundreds of thousands of unpublished annotations arguing or agreeing with the text, updating and adapting its contents.Approaching Grotius' seminal work as a physical vehicle of the author's, the publishers', owners', and readers' engagement, The Unseen History radically expands and revises our understanding not only of IBP, but also of the academic discipline and lived practice of modern international law over the last four centuries. In addition to delving into the first nine editions' printing history, descriptive bibliography, and both Grotius' and the publishers' marketing and donation strategies, the book explores Grotius' subsequent impact on pro-slavery and abolitionist litigation as a case study of how the census' original findings can be applied to specific areas of reception. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

The Unseen History of International Law (Oxford University Press, 2025) locates and describes almost one thousand surviving copies of the first nine editions of Hugo Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis (IBP) published between 1625 and 1650. Meticulously reconstructing the publishing history of these first nine editions and cataloguing copies across hundreds of collections, The Unseen History provides fundamental data for reconstructing the impact of IBP across time and space. The authors, Dr. Mark Somos, Dr. Matthew Cleary, Dr. Pablo Dufour, Dr. Edward Jones Corredera, and Dr. Emanuele Salerno, also examined annotations that thousands of owners and readers have left in IBP copies over four centuries, offering original insights into the development of international law.Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis has been commonly regarded as the foundation of modern international law since its first appearance in 1625. Most major international law scholars have engaged with IBP, often owning and richly annotating their own copies. At key moments - including the demise of the Holy Roman Empire, the fall of Napoleon, and the end of both world wars - IBP was reissued with new commentaries by multinational projects devoted to restarting the international order. Despite the enormous literature on IBP's reception and influence, we cannot fully understand its impact without uncovering the history of IBP as a physical object, with hundreds of thousands of unpublished annotations arguing or agreeing with the text, updating and adapting its contents.Approaching Grotius' seminal work as a physical vehicle of the author's, the publishers', owners', and readers' engagement, The Unseen History radically expands and revises our understanding not only of IBP, but also of the academic discipline and lived practice of modern international law over the last four centuries. In addition to delving into the first nine editions' printing history, descriptive bibliography, and both Grotius' and the publishers' marketing and donation strategies, the book explores Grotius' subsequent impact on pro-slavery and abolitionist litigation as a case study of how the census' original findings can be applied to specific areas of reception. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law

The Unseen History of International Law (Oxford University Press, 2025) locates and describes almost one thousand surviving copies of the first nine editions of Hugo Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis (IBP) published between 1625 and 1650. Meticulously reconstructing the publishing history of these first nine editions and cataloguing copies across hundreds of collections, The Unseen History provides fundamental data for reconstructing the impact of IBP across time and space. The authors, Dr. Mark Somos, Dr. Matthew Cleary, Dr. Pablo Dufour, Dr. Edward Jones Corredera, and Dr. Emanuele Salerno, also examined annotations that thousands of owners and readers have left in IBP copies over four centuries, offering original insights into the development of international law.Grotius' De iure belli ac pacis has been commonly regarded as the foundation of modern international law since its first appearance in 1625. Most major international law scholars have engaged with IBP, often owning and richly annotating their own copies. At key moments - including the demise of the Holy Roman Empire, the fall of Napoleon, and the end of both world wars - IBP was reissued with new commentaries by multinational projects devoted to restarting the international order. Despite the enormous literature on IBP's reception and influence, we cannot fully understand its impact without uncovering the history of IBP as a physical object, with hundreds of thousands of unpublished annotations arguing or agreeing with the text, updating and adapting its contents.Approaching Grotius' seminal work as a physical vehicle of the author's, the publishers', owners', and readers' engagement, The Unseen History radically expands and revises our understanding not only of IBP, but also of the academic discipline and lived practice of modern international law over the last four centuries. In addition to delving into the first nine editions' printing history, descriptive bibliography, and both Grotius' and the publishers' marketing and donation strategies, the book explores Grotius' subsequent impact on pro-slavery and abolitionist litigation as a case study of how the census' original findings can be applied to specific areas of reception. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On November 14th and 15th 1475 one of the grandest events in the history of the Holy Roman Empire took place, the Landshuter Hochzeit, the nuptials of Georg, the Rich, son of Ludwig, the Rich and grandson of Heinrich, the Rich, all of them dukes of Bayern-Landshut, and Hedwig, the daughter of king Kasimir IV of Poland and Lithuania. The event attracted 10,000 guests, amongst them the Counts Palatine on the Rhine, the Dukes of Württemberg, the archduke Maximilian of Austria and the emperor Friedrich III himself. It lasted several days during which the eminent invitees as well as the citizens of Landshut ate, drank, danced and watched an endless row of tournaments, plays and musical performances.The fame of these festivities reverberated through the ages, so that in the 19th century the burghers of the town decided to stage the event again, initially annually and nowadays every 4 years. The reenactment involves over 2,000 participants, and culminates in a procession through the city, complete with bridal carriage, musicians and Landsknechte, all in splendid historical costumes.Which leaves us with more questions than answers. How come the most powerful ruler of central Europe, Kasimir King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania married one of his precious daughters to the son of the ruler of half a duchy, hundreds of miles from his capital; secondly, how such a duke became so rich he could afford to stage an event that counted amongst the grandest weddings of this already very ostentatious century; and lastly, why Landshut is today a gorgeous, but only medium sized country town, and by no means the beating heart of Bavarian commerce, culture and politics. That is what we are going to explore in this episode.The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have:The Ottonians Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy

A short 9 years after the fourth Crusade ended the Pope called for a fifth. And the aim still was? Taking back Jerusalem. But the Crusaders—again!—made bad strategic decisions. And then, of all weird things, in the middle of the Crusade the Sultan was visited by Francis of Assisi. I recount the exchange between those two men and reflect on the spirit of Crusading. When King Frederick of Germany, and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, eventually arrived he finally regained Jerusalem. All that, and Frederick wasn't even a Christian. In the show's opening cultural reflection I work through the recent conflagration concerning Harvard and higher education. What is going on there that provoked Trump's ire? Why am I a bit conflicted? Why am I enjoying no small amount of Schadenfreude? I also tell homefront tales about catching a big black spider and a conversation with a single-dad Robin I had last week. Come laugh and think with me!

How did Frederick Barbarossa reshape medieval Europe into the romantic legends that endure today?Dr. Eleanor Janega finds out with help from Professor Graham Loud. They explore Barbarossa's dramatic reign, his conflicts with the Lombard League and the Italian city-states, as well as his pivotal role in two Crusades.Hear about the extraordinary lengths Barbarossa went to secure safe passage for his army, his clash with the Byzantine Empire, and his fateful end during the Third Crusade.MOREHoly Roman Empirehttps://open.spotify.com/episode/4eqNlsXu44G54sFUS68C13Teutonic Knightshttps://open.spotify.com/episode/0gUpGPLW74wnhDm7MI5h6VGone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. It was edited by Amy Haddow, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

JESUS AND PETER A Different View of Christ and His Catholic Church by Barry Leonardini https://www.amazon.com/JESUS-Different-Christ-Catholic-Church/dp/1587905671 Can religious topics be entertaining ? Well Jesus said he was half man and half god. It's certainly an entertaining place to start. How much of Jesus as depicted in the Bible was accurate? How much was the apostle's Peter's creation ? How much were crafty editors who wrote about Jesus four hundred years after his passing with a purpose of establishing their own multilayered religious enterprise? My feelings on Jesus's success is tied to his credibility. He had to be approachable. Jesus is somewhat naive and vulnerable. His followers were drawn to that warmth of honesty. But Jesus is also fishing for followers. So there is a calculating methodology. He doesn't want to be "caught acting" as Spencer Tracy warned. Indeed, he had a high wire act that ended badly. Whether he was or wasn't the son of god, he did live. That fact has been keeping people entertained for thousand of years. "All roads lead to Rome" was how Christ's modest preaching of charity got legs to the world stage. Jesus never made it to Rome. But Jesus's once humble apostle, Peter, did make it to Rome. He became a quasi producer/promoter of Christ's message but with a political component. Peter went on to be Pope. He was the first and only Jew to be Pope of The Holy Roman Empire. He was followed in that position by powerful political members of Rome's ruling class families and subsequent Roman emperors. It started with the emperor Nero. The savvy Nero used Peter to manage the expectations of newly arriving religious followers of Jesus and other immigrants from the vast empire. Nero also had an eye on managing Rome's own restive poor who were a growing threat to his power. The message of Jesus had been expanded from personal charity to a state funded "Bread and Circus" political event akin to welfare. Once Nero became Peter's partner, Peter became redundant. Peter was then crucified. What is it about Jerusalem and the surrounding locale that produced both Jesus and Muhammad ? Maybe it was a coincidence. Or was it because Jesus and Muhammad replaced pagan gods? Pagan gods did not promote Jesus' charity which morphed with the Catholic Church into a welfare state. That's a compelling reason for common folks to follow the prophets and stop making out of pocket offerings to pagan god statues.

We continue our look at cartography, moving from the past to the present. How did the interpretation of Christology by the Holy Roman Empire become a worldwide religion that is defined by division and denomination?  In this episode, I'm taking the principles that emerged in the very genesis of the story and showing how they played out in the history of Israel and then became the foundation for Christological interpretation.  Further, the interpretation of Christology as a new religion has prevailed for 2 millennia as an assumption. However, there are now numerous questions about the state of Christianity that are troubling. Could it be that the interpretation of Christology is poised to evolve into an integral worldview, leading to a radical shift or even an evolutionary leap? This is what we propose.

After the Kingships of Rudolf and Albert, the Habsburg's fortunes on the Imperial Stage diminished, but the family was still one of the leading Houses in the Holy Roman Empire, and their story is far from over.Time Period Covered: 1290-1440Notable People: Albert II of Habsburg, Rudolf IV of Habsburg, Leopold III of Habsburg, Frederick of the Empty Pockets, Ernst the Iron, Albert V of Habsburg, Frederick IIINotable Events/Developments: Birth of the Old Swiss Confederacy, Battle of Mortgarten, Battle of Sempach, Habsburg Acquisition of Carinthia and Carniola, Habsburg Acquisition of Tyrol, Privilegium Maius

If you're awake and have a Bible, you will note that we are living in stunning times. Let me give you a few examples. Newly-minted pope Leo XIV on Sunday declared himself to be the leader of the Holy Roman Empire using the words “I am Roman!” to seal the deal. Here's another. Did you know that the Roman mass is called the Novus Ordo? Just add the word ‘Seclorum” and you find yourself under the all-seeing eye of Horus, floating over an Egyptian pyramid on the back of the US one dollar bill. Crazy, right? That's the memo.“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” Revelation 17:17 (KJB)On this episode of the Prophecy News Podcast, the world order is absolutely changing and things are greatly accelerating. On this special Memorial Day edition of the Podcast, we get you up to speed with all the end times insanity going on around the globe, as we continue to watch the strange work and strange act of the LORD unfolding. The prophet Daniel tells of 5 world kingdoms that would arise, with the first 4 already done. Right now, we are watching the 5th kingdom, the Revived Roman Empire, rising up.

fWotD Episode 2942: Rhine campaign of 1796 Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 25 May 2025, is Rhine campaign of 1796.In the Rhine campaign of 1796 (June 1796 to February 1797), two First Coalition armies under the overall command of Archduke Charles outmaneuvered and defeated two French Republican armies. This was the last campaign of the War of the First Coalition, part of the French Revolutionary Wars.The French military strategy against Austria called for a three-pronged invasion to surround Vienna, ideally capturing the city and forcing the Holy Roman Emperor to surrender and accept French Revolutionary territorial integrity. The French assembled the Army of Sambre and Meuse commanded by Jean-Baptiste Jourdan against the Austrian Army of the Lower Rhine in the north. The Army of the Rhine and Moselle, led by Jean Victor Marie Moreau, opposed the Austrian Army of the Upper Rhine in the south. A third army, the Army of Italy, commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte, approached Vienna through northern Italy.The early success of the Army of Italy initially forced the Coalition commander, Archduke Charles, to transfer 25,000 men commanded by Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser to northern Italy. This weakened the Coalition force along the 340-kilometre (211 mi) front stretching along the Rhine from Basel to the North Sea. Later, a feint by Jourdan's Army of Sambre and Meuse convinced Charles to shift troops to the north, allowing Moreau to cross the Rhine at the Battle of Kehl on 24 June and defeated the Archduke's Imperial contingents. Both French armies penetrated deep into eastern and southern Germany by late July, forcing the southern states of the Holy Roman Empire into punitive armistices. By August, the French armies had extended their fronts too thinly and rivalry among the French generals complicated cooperation between the two armies. Because the two French armies operated independently, Charles was able to leave Maximilian Anton Karl, Count Baillet de Latour with a weaker army in front of Moreau on the southernmost flank and move many reinforcements to the army of Wilhelm von Wartensleben in the north.At the Battle of Amberg on 24 August and the Battle of Würzburg on 3 September, Charles defeated Jourdan's northern army and compelled the French army to retreat, eventually to the west bank of the Rhine. With Jourdan neutralized and retreating into France, Charles left Franz von Werneck to watch the Army of Sambre and Meuse, making sure it did not try to recover a foothold on the east bank of the Rhine. After securing the Rhine crossings at Bruchsal and Kehl, Charles forced Moreau to retreat south. During the winter the Austrians reduced the French bridgeheads in the sieges of Kehl and the Hüningen, and forced Moreau's army back to France. Despite Charles' success in the Rhineland, Austria lost the war in Italy, which resulted in the Peace of Campo Formio.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:16 UTC on Sunday, 25 May 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Rhine campaign of 1796 on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kimberly.

America pulls out of the UN's globalist Sustainable Development Goals to protect its sovereignty. The EU resembles a modern Holy Roman Empire more than a union of free nations, and now Trump may be eyeing an Iran nuke deal—echoing Obama's dangerous legacy. After October 7th, some Palestinian clans are turning toward the Abraham Accords, seeking peace, even as Iran's true enemy remains America—with Israel merely in the way. All that and your calls—next on The Endtime Show. --------------- 📚: Check out Jerusalem Prophecy College Online for less than $60 per course: https://jerusalemprophecycollege.com 📱: It's never been easier to understand. Stream Only Source and access exclusive content: https://watch.osn.tv/browse   ⭐️: Birch Gold: Claim your free info kit on gold: https://www.birchgold.com/endtime ☕️: First Cup Coffee: use code ENDTIME to get 10% off: https://www.firstcup.com 💵: American Financing: Begin saving today: https://www.americanfinancing.net/endtime Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

******Support the channel******Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenterPayPal: paypal.me/thedissenterPayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuyPayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9lPayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpzPayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m ******Follow me on******Website: https://www.thedissenter.net/The Dissenter Goodreads list: https://shorturl.at/7BMoBFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/Twitter: https://x.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Laura Betzig is a Ph.D. in anthropology at Northwestern University; she's held research and teaching positions at Northwestern, the University of California, and the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History.  Her latest book is The Badge of Lost Innocence: A History of the West. In this episode, we focus on The Badge of Lost Innocence. We first discuss how to understand human history as natural history, hunter-gatherer societies, and celibates and sterile castes in Neolithic societies. We then delve into the Roman empire, and talk about the role of eunuchs, emperors and their concubines, and the lives of slaves. We also talk about Medieval Europe, the roles of unmarried and celibate people in the Holy Roman Empire, what happened to bastards, Women's rooms in royal estates, the role of the Church, and the crusades. We discuss Magna Carta and the parliament in England, and how unmarried women were treated in England. We then explore the decline in promiscuity, and people writing against celibacy, as well as colonization and migration. Finally, we discuss what all of this tells us about the history of inequality, and the social role of monogamy.--A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, PHIL KAVANAGH, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, GEORGE CHORIATIS, VALENTIN STEINMANN, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, BR, JONAS HERTNER, URSULA GOODENOUGH, DAVID PINSOF, SEAN NELSON, MIKE LAVIGNE, JOS KNECHT, LUCY, MANVIR SINGH, PETRA WEIMANN, CAROLA FEEST, MAURO JÚNIOR, 航 豊川, TONY BARRETT, NIKOLAI VISHNEVSKY, STEVEN GANGESTAD, TED FARRIS, AND ROBINROSWELL!A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, NICK GOLDEN, CHRISTINE GLASS, IGOR NIKIFOROVSKI, PER KRAULIS, AND BENJAMIN GELBART!AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, ROSEY, AND GREGORY HASTINGS!

When the Electors of the Holy Roman Empire chose Rudolf of Habsburg to be the new King of Germany, they were hoping that he'd be someone they could control. But Rudolf, despite being a minor Count from Swabia, would prove to be nobody's puppet, and over the course of his reign he transformed the fortunes of his family, and the Empire as a whole.Time Period Covered: 1250-1330Notable People: Rudolf I of Germany, Albert I of Germany, Ottokar II of Bohemia, Frederick the Fair, Ludwig the BavarianNotable Events/Developments: Great Interregnum of the Holy Roman Empire, Election of Rudolf I, The Battle on the Marchfeld, Establishment of Landvogts, Habsburg acquisition of Austria, Election of Adolf of Nassau, Election of Albert I, Double Election of Frederick the Fair and Ludwig the Bavarian

⁠⁠Support us on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠---UPDATE: The original upload had a serious mixing issue, which has now been fixed. We apologize for the inconvenience. In the winter of 1817, a caravan of half-starved Swabians crossed through miles of frozen forests to find their promised land: Ohio. In accordance with their egalitarian ethos and inspired by apocalyptic prophecy, these men and women rejected private ownership and held all things in common. This radical commune, which they called Zoar, would be the most successful intentional community in American history and one of the most enduring socialist experiments, lasting several years longer than even the Soviet Union.Gladio Free Europe's Ohio correspondent Jern (@realJernfer) returns for another stirring story of the Buckeye state. Founded by Pietist refugees from the German state of Wurttemberg, Zoar put into practice the same kinds of radical ideas discussed previously among the Anabaptists, Quakers, and Shakers. Unlike most other communes, including Robert Owen's enlightenment dream of New Harmony, Zoar was stable and prosperous. Succeeding where so many others failed, the commune held together across multiple generations and even developed an early industrial economy. It attracted the envy and admiration of many other communities, including the controversial free-love society of Oneida.Zoar saw itself as a refugee from the sinful and venal world outside, taking its name from the town that sheltered the Biblical Lot after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet the community's influence over Ohio trade and finance meant the outside world could not be kept away. Ultimately, Zoar would be a victim of its own success, as its wealthy residents decided to dissolve the commune and divvy up their belongings into private hands. Despite ultimately failing in its mission to secede from the world of material things, Zoar is an inspiring story of what it looks like to build the New Moral World. And although its founders were sectarian socialists from the Holy Roman Empire, who spoke little English and had even less interest in the broader national project, the undaunted ambition of Zoar makes this small commune a quintessential chapter of American history.

[00:30] Death of Pope Francis (56 minutes) Pope Francis, the liberal “people's pope,” died this morning. Catholics hope for a new pope who will prevent the world from descending into the abyss, but prophecy shows that an end-time leader of the Roman Catholic Church will help unify the last and most dangerous resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. The latest Trumpet magazine features a prescient article titled “A New Pope for a New Era,” prophesying that the dangerous prophetic age we are entering into will require a new and much stronger pope.

On this episode of the Prophecy News Podcast, like sharks smelling blood in the water, the race to replace Pope Francis is on, this is the ‘big show' in the Holy Roman Empire, and the stakes could not be higher. Out of the dozen or so candidates to replace Pope Francis, we will be focusing on Cardinal Robert Sarah and a ‘person of interest'. All of this is biblical, but only if you spend any time in Revelation 17 and 18 where you will find it all spelled out with precision prophetic accuracy.

Episode: 1348 Castel del Monte: in which Frederick II plays with geometry.  Today, we wonder why a castle was built.

The Holy Roman Empire wilts under the combined pressure of Sweden and France. Spain exits our stage. And Central Europe lurches toward peace.Western Civ 2.0

Today's True Weird Stuff - Mirror, Mirror   Margaretha von Waldeck was the real-life inspiration for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Born to a noble family during the Holy Roman Empire, Margaretha's mother passed away when she was 4 years old. Her father, Count Philip IV, would go on to remarry a woman named Katherina von Hatzfeld. Katherina despised her stepdaughter, and had Margaretha sent away. Though beautiful and poised to make a name for herself in the history books, Margaretha's short life would play out like a fairy tale...minus the happy ending.

[00:30] End of the Post-1945 World Order (55 minutes) Herbert W. Armstrong began prophesying after World War II that Europe would reunite one more time. We are now watching his signature prophecy suddenly come to pass. U.S. President Donald Trump is a convenient excuse for Europe to increase defense spending and pursue stronger military and political unification on an accelerated timeline. The United States and Britain in Prophecy and The Holy Roman Empire in Prophecy provide key context for these prophetic events and explain what will happen next.

[00:30] The Handwriting Is on the Wall (55 minutes) After the argument last week between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Europe is seeking rearmament and uniting in opposition to the United States. President Trump's foreign-policy decisions are acting as a catalyst for the formation of the last resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire and stimulating an international trade war—just as Bible prophecy predicts.

Germany has risen from the ashes of World War II to dominate Europe. But to resurrect the Holy Roman Empire and become a real global superpower, Germany needs a strong leader—a new Charlemagne. Prove that Germany is now seeking a new Charlemagne that will provoke world war.

Sigismund, king of the Romans, king of Hungary and recently crowned king of Bohemia is not doing too well. Despite his long list of glittering titles he is stuck in the town of Kutna Hora, the revolutionaries have taken Prague, built strongholds, created a completely new army for a completely new form of warfare and were taking over more and more of his ancestral kingdom.When one of his most strategic positions, the castle of Vyšehrad comes under siege, he had to take his forces into another battle with the Hussites, which will set off a string of events that will bring what every true supporter of the Holy Roman Empire must have been craving – taxes.The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have:The Ottonians Salian Emperors and Investiture ControversyFredrick Barbarossa and Early HohenstaufenFrederick II Stupor MundiSaxony and Eastward ExpansionThe Hanseatic LeagueThe Teutonic KnightsThe Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356

How did medieval cities manage and regulate sex work? Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Jamie Page to discuss the lives of sex workers, the operation of municipal brothels, and the legal and societal challenges these women faced. They uncover detailed case studies and the broader implications of sex work regulations across medieval Europe contrasting the experiences of sex workers in different regions and highlighting the unique practices in the Holy Roman Empire compared to England.Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Edited by Amy Haddow, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

The German Peasants’ War of 1524-1525 was the largest popular uprising in Western Europe before the French Revolution. Somewhere between seventy and a hundred thousand peasants—roughly 2% of the male population—were slain in a mere two months. While the peasant forces would ultimately prove no match for the lords, for a period of several months they managed to take control of vast areas of southern and middle Germany in pursuit of a more egalitarian order. The rebels pushed against the structures of lordship and embraced the radical and ecological potential of the Reformation in which Earth’s natural resources were gifts from God to all of humanity. Today’s guest is Lyndal Roper, author of “Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War.” We see that neither the Reformation nor the Peasants’ War can be fully understood in isolation from one another, and that the rebels’ fight for freedom was a direct response to the period of reform.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlemagne was a king, emperor, conqueror, reformer, and the father of a united Europe. On this episode we look at how he forged the Holy Roman Empire and built the foundations of western civilization as we know it. --- Sponsors: https://www.costofglory.com/cog-retreats/texas-retreat - Austin Retreat with the Cost of Glory January 23-26. Use code TAKEOVER for $200 off. https://www.vesto.com/ - All of your company's financial accounts in one view HTTOTW Premium - For all endnotes, takeaways, and bonus episode, subscribe to How to Take Over the World Premium --- Stay in touch: Twitter/X: @BenWilsonTweets Instagram: @HTTOTW Email me: Ben@takeoverpod.com Sources: Two Lives of Charlemagne by Einhard and Notker Charlemagne From the Hammer to the Cross by Richard Winston King and Emperor: A New Life of Charlemagne by Janet Nelson --- Writing, research, and production by Ben Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the intense political activity at the turn of the 18th Century, when many politicians in London went to great lengths to find a Protestant successor to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland and others went to equal lengths to oppose them. Queen Anne had no surviving children and, following the old rules, there were at least 50 Catholic candidates ahead of any Protestant ones and among those by far the most obvious candidate was James, the only son of James II. Yet with the passing of the Act of Settlement in 1701 ahead of Anne's own succession, focus turned to Europe and to Princess Sophia, an Electress of the Holy Roman Empire in Hanover who, as a granddaughter of James I, thus became next in line to be crowned at Westminster Abbey. It was not clear that Hanover would want this role, given its own ambitions and the risks, in Europe, of siding with Protestants, and soon George I was minded to break the rules of succession so that he would be the last Hanoverian monarch as well as the first.WithAndreas Gestrich Professor Emeritus at Trier University and Former Director of the German Historical Institute in LondonElaine Chalus Professor of British History at the University of LiverpoolAnd Mark Knights Professor of History at the University of WarwickProducer: Simon TillotsonReading list:J.M. Beattie, The English Court in the Reign of George I (Cambridge University Press, 1967)Jeremy Black, The Hanoverians: The History of a Dynasty (Hambledon Continuum, 2006)Justin Champion, Republican Learning: John Toland and the Crisis of Christian Culture 1696-1722 (Manchester University Press, 2003), especially his chapter ‘Anglia libera: Protestant liberties and the Hanoverian succession, 1700–14'Linda Colley, Britons: Forging the Nation 1707 – 1837 (Yale University Press, 2009)Andreas Gestrich and Michael Schaich (eds), The Hanoverian Succession: Dynastic Politics and Monarchical Culture (‎Ashgate, 2015)Ragnhild Hatton, George I: Elector and King (Thames & Hudson Ltd, 1979)Mark Knights, Representation and Misrepresentation in Later Stuart Britain: Partisanship and Political Culture (Oxford University Press, 2005) Mark Knights, Faction Displayed: Reconsidering the Impeachment of Dr Henry Sacheverell (Blackwell, 2012)Joanna Marschner, Queen Caroline: Cultural Politics at the Early Eighteenth-Century Court (Yale University Press, 2014)Ashley Marshall, ‘Radical Steele: Popular Politics and the Limits of Authority' (Journal of British Studies 58, 2019)Paul Monod, Jacobitism and the English People, 1688-1788 (Cambridge University Press, 1989)Hannah Smith, Georgian Monarchy: Politics and Culture 1714-1760 (Cambridge University Press, 2006)Daniel Szechi, 1715: The Great Jacobite Rebellion (Yale University Press, 2006)A.C. Thompson, George II : King and Elector (Yale University Press, 2011)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the intense political activity at the turn of the 18th Century, when many politicians in London went to great lengths to find a Protestant successor to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland and others went to equal lengths to oppose them. Queen Anne had no surviving children and, following the old rules, there were at least 50 Catholic candidates ahead of any Protestant ones and among those by far the most obvious candidate was James, the only son of James II. Yet with the passing of the Act of Settlement in 1701 ahead of Anne's own succession, focus turned to Europe and to Princess Sophia, an Electress of the Holy Roman Empire in Hanover who, as a granddaughter of James I, thus became next in line to be crowned at Westminster Abbey. It was not clear that Hanover would want this role, given its own ambitions and the risks, in Europe, of siding with Protestants, and soon George I was minded to break the rules of succession so that he would be the last Hanoverian monarch as well as the first.WithAndreas Gestrich Professor Emeritus at Trier University and Former Director of the German Historical Institute in LondonElaine Chalus Professor of British History at the University of LiverpoolAnd Mark Knights Professor of History at the University of WarwickProducer: Simon TillotsonReading list:J.M. Beattie, The English Court in the Reign of George I (Cambridge University Press, 1967)Jeremy Black, The Hanoverians: The History of a Dynasty (Hambledon Continuum, 2006)Justin Champion, Republican Learning: John Toland and the Crisis of Christian Culture 1696-1722 (Manchester University Press, 2003), especially his chapter ‘Anglia libera: Protestant liberties and the Hanoverian succession, 1700–14'Linda Colley, Britons: Forging the Nation 1707 – 1837 (Yale University Press, 2009)Andreas Gestrich and Michael Schaich (eds), The Hanoverian Succession: Dynastic Politics and Monarchical Culture (‎Ashgate, 2015)Ragnhild Hatton, George I: Elector and King (Thames & Hudson Ltd, 1979)Mark Knights, Representation and Misrepresentation in Later Stuart Britain: Partisanship and Political Culture (Oxford University Press, 2005) Mark Knights, Faction Displayed: Reconsidering the Impeachment of Dr Henry Sacheverell (Blackwell, 2012)Joanna Marschner, Queen Caroline: Cultural Politics at the Early Eighteenth-Century Court (Yale University Press, 2014)Ashley Marshall, ‘Radical Steele: Popular Politics and the Limits of Authority' (Journal of British Studies 58, 2019)Paul Monod, Jacobitism and the English People, 1688-1788 (Cambridge University Press, 1989)Hannah Smith, Georgian Monarchy: Politics and Culture 1714-1760 (Cambridge University Press, 2006)Daniel Szechi, 1715: The Great Jacobite Rebellion (Yale University Press, 2006)A.C. Thompson, George II : King and Elector (Yale University Press, 2011)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production

The Frankish king, Charlemagne the Great, is one of the titanic figures of European history, simultaneously renowned and shadowy. His rise to supreme power is a staggering story of warring religious empires, betrayal, battle, blindings and brutal conquest. How, then, did this one time Frankish interloper become the father of Europe, progenitor of a Holy Roman Empire whose descendants would rule right up until the time of Napoleon, and Emperor of the West? It begins in 741 AD when, following the death of the Frankish leader Charles Martel - ‘The Hammer' - his two sons, Carloman and the pious by ruthless Pepin were forced to look to the Pope in Rome, then a subsidiary to the Byzantine empire, to buttress their authority. The Pope too was increasingly embattled at that time, struggling against invasions by the ferocious Germanic Lombards from the north of Italy. Desperate, he called upon Pepin for aid. So it was that, after his brother's abdication, Pepin was officially anointed by the Pope as the sole King of the Franks, before crossing the Alps and smashing Lombardy. After his death, he would leave his kingdom the foremost power in Western Europe, and in the hands of to his own two sons: Carloman and Charles, later known as Charlemagne. A terrible power struggle would ensue… Join Tom and Dominic for this next instalment of their mighty series on the Franks and the rise of Charlemagne. How would Charles' and Carloman's battle for power play out? _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Editor: Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What a tale I have for you today! In 1518, a very peculiar form of madness fell over the people of the city of Strasbourg (modern day France) in the Holy Roman Empire. People started... dancing. A lot of people. As in hundreds. And out in public in full view of anyone who wanted to watch! And many of them only stopped when they died. They literally danced themselves to death. What happened and why??? For Merch and everything else Bad Magic related, head to: https://www.badmagicproductions.com

This week the boys travel way, way back - to the days before the advent of the Holy Roman Empire to examine the dark, bloody history behind a handful of "The OG Saints" and the often brutally gruesome tales that led to their consecrations. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive access to bonus content.