Podcasts about northern german

This Day in Legal History: Slobodan Milošević Charged with GenocideOn August 30, 2001, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) announced that former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević would face charges of genocide, marking a pivotal moment in international law. This decision added to the existing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to his role in the brutal conflicts that ravaged the Balkans in the 1990s. Milošević, who sought to prevent the breakup of the Yugoslav Federation through violent ethnic campaigns, was accused of orchestrating mass atrocities, particularly against Bosnian Muslims during the Bosnian War.The genocide charges centered on his alleged responsibility for the Srebrenica massacre, where over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were systematically executed by Bosnian Serb forces. The ICTY's indictment of Milošević was historic, as it was the first time a sitting head of state was charged with genocide by an international tribunal. The trial, which began in 2002, was a complex and lengthy process, reflecting the gravity of the accusations and the challenges of prosecuting such high-level war crimes. Although Milošević died in 2006 before a verdict could be reached, the charges against him underscored the international community's commitment to holding leaders accountable for genocide and other severe human rights violations.Walt Disney and DirecTV are urgently negotiating to renew their distribution agreement before it expires on Sunday. Failure to reach a deal could result in DirecTV's 11 million subscribers losing access to Disney channels like ABC and ESPN just before the NFL season begins and during the U.S. Open tennis tournament. DirecTV is pushing for the option to offer smaller, lower-priced packages that exclude ESPN, catering to consumers' preferences in the streaming era. Disney, however, wants to preserve the value of its sports content, proposing a sports-centric package including ESPN and ABC. The negotiations are influenced by ongoing changes in the pay TV industry, where subscriber numbers have declined sharply due to the rise of streaming services. The companies are also dealing with the impact of sports streaming rights, which have been central to maintaining pay TV subscribers. A new sports-streaming service called Venu Sports, backed by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, has been delayed by a legal dispute with FuboTV over antitrust claims related to content bundling practices. The dispute underscores the challenges facing traditional pay TV providers as they navigate the growing demand for streaming options. The outcome of these negotiations will have significant implications for the future of sports broadcasting and the pay TV industry.Disney and DirecTV aim to renew deal ahead of NFL season | ReutersThe DC Court of Appeals has revived a lawsuit against Coca-Cola, brought by Earth Island Institute, alleging the company made misleading claims about its sustainability efforts. The lawsuit challenges statements made by Coca-Cola, such as a tweet asserting that "business and sustainability are not separate stories" for the company. Initially, the Superior Court ruled in 2022 that these statements were merely aspirational and did not violate consumer protection laws. However, the appeals court disagreed, stating that Earth Island plausibly argued that Coca-Cola's statements could mislead consumers into believing the company is environmentally responsible, when it might not be. This case is part of a broader trend of "greenwashing" lawsuits, where companies are accused of overstating their environmental commitments. The Federal Trade Commission is also expected to provide more guidelines on environmental marketing claims through its updated "Green Guides."Coca-Cola Must Face Suit Over Sustainability Claims After AppealX (formerly Twitter) is bracing for a potential shutdown in Brazil following escalating tensions between Elon Musk and Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes. The conflict intensified when the court froze the bank accounts of Musk's Starlink satellite firm after X failed to appoint a legal representative in Brazil by a court-imposed deadline. The dispute stems from Moraes' orders to block certain accounts on X accused of spreading misinformation, which Musk condemned as censorship. Musk responded by criticizing Moraes publicly and offering free internet access to Brazilians via Starlink. The legal battle could result in X losing access to one of its major markets, as the company has already threatened to shut down operations in Brazil due to what it describes as censorship. The situation reflects broader concerns over freedom of speech versus compliance with local laws in digital platforms.Elon Musk's X braces for shutdown in Brazil as spat with judge intensifies | ReutersAmazon lost its bid to overturn a unionization vote at its Staten Island JFK8 warehouse, solidifying it as the company's first unionized facility in the U.S. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) dismissed Amazon's objections to the 2022 election, where workers voted 2,654-2,131 in favor of joining the Amazon Labor Union (ALU). This ruling certifies the election results, allowing the ALU to represent the facility's roughly 8,000 workers. However, Amazon plans to appeal the decision, arguing that both the ALU and the NLRB interfered with the election. Despite the ruling, Amazon may refuse to bargain with the union, potentially leading to further legal battles. The NLRB has already accused Amazon of stalling contract negotiations and retaliating against union supporters. The decision faced dissent from the NLRB's Republican member, who argued that the union's actions, including those by its founder Christian Smalls, illegally coerced workers into voting for the union.Amazon Staten Island Center Is Retailer's First to Unionize (1)AT&T has been fined $950,000 by the FCC for a 911 service outage in August 2023, which affected parts of Illinois, Kansas, Texas, and Wisconsin. This is the latest in a series of similar outages, including two earlier incidents in 2024 that disrupted 911 services across multiple states. The most recent outage was caused by an independent contractor who unintentionally disabled part of the network during unscheduled testing. Despite AT&T's vast revenues and close ties with the U.S. government, which includes significant tax breaks and deregulation, the company has struggled to maintain reliable 911 service. These issues come amid broader concerns about AT&T's network security, as recent hacks have compromised the data of over 73 million customers. Critics argue that the government's lenient oversight and generous financial support of AT&T have contributed to its ongoing performance problems, including these critical service failures.AT&T Has To Settle Over Another 911 Outage, This Time For $950k | TechdirtThis week's closing theme is by Georg Böhm.This week's closing theme brings us into the contemplative world of Georg Böhm, a prominent figure in the German Baroque era. Born on September 2, 1661, Böhm was a distinguished organist and composer whose works deeply influenced the musical landscape of his time. Perhaps best known for his contributions to organ music, Böhm held the prestigious position of organist at St. John's Church in Lüneburg, where he became a key figure in the development of the Northern German organ school. His music is marked by its expressive depth and innovative use of the chorale.Tonight, we turn our attention to his beautiful setting of the Lutheran chorale Vater Unser im Himmelreich, a piece that perfectly captures the devotional spirit of the Baroque period. This work is a chorale prelude for organ, where Böhm takes the familiar melody of the Lord's Prayer and weaves it into an intricate and reflective tapestry of sound. Through his masterful use of counterpoint and ornamentation, Böhm brings out the theological and emotional depth of the text, creating a piece that is both meditative and majestic. As we listen, we can appreciate Böhm's ability to transform a simple hymn tune into a profound musical meditation, making it a fitting choice for our closing theme. Enjoy the rich harmonies and spiritual resonance of Georg Böhm's Vater Unser im Himmelreich. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

In Geneva, Illinois, Art History Brewing (https://arthistorybrewing.com) doesn't want to be everything to everyone, but they're committed to brewing traditional styles well, while also making them relevant to today's drinkers. That message has resonated in the broader Chicago beer world, winning them fans among some of the most influential bars and retailers in the city. For head brewer Greg Browne, it's the logical outcome of a career spent brewing these beers in smaller ways at other breweries. And for co-owner Tom Rau, it's a way to focus on beers about which they're personally passionate, meanwhile offering something different and beer-focused to the broad community of Chicago drinkers. In this episode, they discuss: innovation through focusing on traditional styles achieving the flavor results of decoction through other brewing means building color in Czech-style pale lager using the Hochkurz (https://beerandbrewing.com/short-and-high-the-hochkurz-mash/) mash and an oversized lauter tun ingredient selection for Northern German-style pils and Czech-style dark lager designing and brewing smoked lagers choosing yeasts for specific, regionally-inspired English-style ales And more. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across the country along the way. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com (http://www.Gdchillers.com) or call to discuss your next project. BSG Craft Brewing (https://Bsgcraftbrewing.com/): BSG and their partners HVG bring you the very best in German hops, including Amira. With its classic hoppy, slightly herbal, and zesty lemon aromas it's the ideal hop for those looking to capture the traditional flavor of a classic German lager. Visit BSGCraftbrewing.com to learn more. Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Old Orchard's new brewing customers often mention discovering Old Orchard through the word-of-mouth recommendation of another brewer. To join the core of Old Orchard's brewing community, learn more at oldorchard.com/brewer (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer) ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) The ProFill series of rotary can fillers from ProBrew are accelerating plant production everywhere. For more information, visit www.probrew.com or email contactus@probrew.com. Omega Yeast (https://omegayeast.com): Thiolized yeast are a new tool for brewers to bring intense guava and passionfruit aromas out of your malt and hops. And wait, there's more! Omega Yeast makes yeast-to-order with a consistent one week lead time ensuring peak freshness and reliability. ZBiotics (https://zbiotics.com/pages/beerandbrewing) We all have busy lives these days and can't afford to waste a day stuck on the couch because of a few drinks the night before. ZBiotics is the answer we've all been looking for. ZBiotics is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Give ZBiotics a try for yourself. Go to zbiotics.com/BEERANDBREWING (https://zbiotics.com/pages/beerandbrewing) to get 15% off your first order when you use BEERANDBREWING at checkout. ZBiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee so if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked. The Perfect Purée (https://perfectpuree.com/beer): The Perfect Purée is offering a free sample box of their frozen fruit purees, concentrates and blends to professional brewers. Choose from 40 plus flavors and build a free sample box at perfectpuree.com/beer. Complimentary to professionals only. Yakima Chief Hops (https://www.yakimachief.com/pink-boots-blend): The 7th Annual Pink Boots Blend is now available for pre-order! $3 of every pound of the Pink Boots Blend purchased will be donated to the Pink Boots Society, a nonprofit organization that support women and non-binary individuals in the fermented and alcoholic industry through education. Learn more at www.yakimachief.com/pink-boots-blend

Kiel is the Capital and most populous city in the Northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein Is highly recommended to visit

Eight notes over and over again. Beautiful and familiar that you often hear in movies and in real life at weddings, when the bridesmaids are walking down the aisle. Floating-on-clouds music! Let's give this a try as a new song to learn before the ball drops on New Year's Eve in Time Square in NYC 2022. Who is Pachelbel? Johann Pachelbel, (baptized September 1, 1653, Nürnberg [Germany]—died March 3, 1706, Nürnberg), German comser known for his works for organ and one of the great organ masters of the generation before Johann Sebastian Bach. Johann Pachelbel is unfairly viewed as a one-work composer, that work being the popular, Canon in D major, for three violins and continuo. He was an important figure from the Baroque period who is now seen as central in the development of both keyboard music and Protestant church music. Some have summarized his primary contribution as the uniting of Catholic Gregorian chant elements with the Northern German organ style, a style that reflected the influence of the Protestant chorale. A Lutheran, he spent several years in Vienna, where he was exposed to music by Froberger and Frescobaldi, which influenced his work with the chorale-prelude. His music in this genre would, in turn, influence the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach, among others. It should be noted that many of Pachelbel's works are difficult to date, thus rendering judgments about his stylistic evolution questionable in many cases. Pachelbel was also a gifted organist and harpsichordist. Artist Biography by Robert Cummings.

Tim Ole Jöhnk fühlt sich in Norddeutschland wie in San Francisco wohl. Der 30-jährige ist Direktor des Northern German Innovation Office (NGIO) im Silicon Valley, dem Hightech-Tal in unmittelbarer Nähe zur amerikanischen Hafenstadt. Seine Aufgabe ist es, Trends und neue Technologien zu erkennen sowie Kontakte zwischen Unternehmen beider Länder zu knüpfen. Das NGIO ist als eine gemeinsame Initiative der Bundesländer Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein und Hamburg einzigartig - und dient dem Technologietransfer. Wie Bremer Unternehmen vom NGIO profitieren, erklärt uns Jöhnk im Podcast.

Hello amigos This week , we have a producer / DJ from Berlin (Germany) *** Dennis Beutler *** You Can follow the show: Sunday at 21.00 on Radio Vibration Bruxelles 107.2 FM - Mons 91.0 FM http://www.vibration.fm/player/brussels.htm Monday at 08.00 on HouseOfHouse Radio * http://houseofhouse.be/ * Tuesday at 21.00 on XBeat * http://www.xbeat.org * Wednesday at 22.00 on HouseOfHouse Radio * http://houseofhouse.be/ * BIOGRAPHY ------------------ Some things are just bound to happen! Infected with the Berlin techno virus, Dennis got down to techno for years before deciding to get busy behind the booth himself. By 2012 the time had come. Dennis proved himself in a newcomer contest with his groovy, perfectly matched tech house sound. Since then he’s been filling renowned Berlin clubs like Ritter Butzke, Kosmonaut, House of Weekend and Suicide Circus with his beats. He’s furthermore become a close family member and resident DJ of Berlin’s Magdalena, where he’s built a large fan base. The young DJ and producer endows his sound even beyond the techno scene. As a result, he’s been booked for large events and festivals not only throughout Germany and Europe but in Asia, as well, where he’s performed several times. Dennis possesses a touch for what the crowd wants and for the sound that makes him so unique, while still remaining true to himself. In 2013, it was time for the next step. Following his dream to make music, Dennis began producing his own tracks. In his studio in the center of Berlin he’s able to let his creativity run wild. In January 2014, he celebrated the release of his debut EP, “Moving Your Feet”, which was released digitally and on vinyl by the Northern German label, Deich Records! Subsequent releases came out with DOC Music, Natural Rhythm and other renowned labels. In 2016, he founded his own label called Solved Music, which represents groovy and energetic tech house. New releases and performances coming soon – stay tuned! TRACKLIST ---------------- 1 Leftwing : Kody , Michael Bibi - Shady Love (Solid Grooves Records) 2 Dead Space, G.Felix - Pride (Repopulate Mars) 3 Mendo - I Need It (Elrow Music) 4 CamelPhat - Drop It (Mason Maynard Extended Mix) (Solä) 5 Pax - Everynight (Abode Records) 6 Max Chapman - I Make You Go (Solä) 7 Mason Maynard - Rydim (Solä) 8 Kevin Coral - Bounce This (Solä) 9 Rui-Z - Satisfaction (Elrow Music) 10 Pax - No Pressure (Elrow Music) 11 Mihalis Safras - Simplicity (Relief) 12 Pax - Catfish (Armada Subjekt) 13 Mihalis Safras - Ity (Relief) 14 Gorgon City, JP Cooper - One Last Song (Eli Brown Remix) (Virgin EMI) 15 Leftwing&Kody, Jen Miras - The Drums (Toolroom Records) 16 Klangkünstler - Pop Dem Bottles (Detlef Remix) (Elrow Music) 17 Max Chapman - Body Jack (Franky Rizardo Remix) (Elrow Music) LINKS --------- Booking/Promos: booking.dennisbeutler@gmail.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dennis.beutler11/ Beatport : https://www.beatport.com/artist/dennis-beutler/396709 Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dennisbeutler LAST TRACKS --------------------- https://www.beatport.com/track/time-gruuve-original-mix/11091067 https://www.beatport.com/track/spunky-original-mix/11103726 https://www.beatport.com/track/clubs-and-partys-original-mix/10446478 https://www.beatport.com/track/in-my-mind-dennis-beutler-sven-anderson-remix/10423498

The Brew is Out There! We're back to the world of historic German beer and this time, Andreas is busting out the research from his book (see link below) to talk through the differences between Bavarian beer and the brown beers of Northern Germany and just what happened to them! Links Andreas' Blog - http://dafteejit.com/ Historic German and Austrian Beers for the Home Brewer (Amazon affliate link) - http://amzn.to/2FVKIWZ This episode is brought to you by: Brewers Publications Atlantic Brew Supply (Discount Code: BrewFiles) Don't forget to subscribe via your favorite podcasting service (iTunes, etc). Like our podcast, review it - talk it up! If you have comments, feedbacks, harassments, etc, feel free to drop us a line at podcast@experimentalbrew.com. Follow us on Facebook (ExperimentalBrew), Twitter (@ExpBrewing) or Instagram (ExperimentalBrewing). Don't forget you can support the podcast on Patreon by going to http://patreon.com/experimentalbrewing This episode can be downloaded directly at https://www.experimentalbrew.com/sites/d... Podcast RSS Url: http://www.experimentalbrew.com/podcast.rss

The Brew is Out There! We're back to the world of historic German beer and this time, Andreas is busting out the research from his book (see link below) to talk through the differences between Bavarian beer and the brown beers of Northern Germany and just what happened to them! Links Andreas' Blog - http://dafteejit.com/ Historic German and Austrian Beers for the Home Brewer (Amazon affliate link) - http://amzn.to/2FVKIWZ This episode is brought to you by: Brewers Publications Atlantic Brew Supply (Discount Code: BrewFiles) Don't forget to subscribe via your favorite podcasting service (iTunes, etc). Like our podcast, review it - talk it up! If you have comments, feedbacks, harassments, etc, feel free to drop us a line at podcast@experimentalbrew.com. Follow us on Facebook (ExperimentalBrew), Twitter (@ExpBrewing) or Instagram (ExperimentalBrewing). Don't forget you can support the podcast on Patreon by going to http://patreon.com/experimentalbrewing This episode can be downloaded directly at http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/www.experimentalbrew.com/sites/d... Podcast RSS Url: http://www.experimentalbrew.com/podcast.rss

Lawyers on Fire have spoken with MAX BLOCK, CEO and Founder of Advocado (advocado.de). Advocado lowers the threshold for clients to interact with lawyers and at the same time makes the work for the lawyer more efficient. Max talked to us as part of our German Legal Tech Talk Series (in Northern German) and this is an English summary of our discussion.

In this episode, Stubby is back from his two week trip to Belgium and Germany full of beer adventures and attending the largest beverage related conference in the world, Drinktec. He went with Fritz and Wil Rahr and they spent the bulk of their trip hitting up well established breweries and cities that were the sources of some of the world’s favorite styles. So, he tells us about what they were up to and how the Drinktec conference was and then we dive into a discussion of some of those styles based on the beers he brought back from Europe for sampling (thanks Stubby!). But we especially wanted to discuss the Dusseldorf Altbier style as he visited the city with sampling the real thing in mind while he was there. It doesn’t sit in a category of its own anymore--which is unfortunate--but it does still stand apart from its Northern German counterpart that could also qualify as an amber ale.

When you imagine happy, I doubt you're imagining a stone-faced Northern German or Scandinavian and yet these countries always rate at the top of happiness and life satisfaction indexes.

Mention “Christianity versus witchcraft” and negative images of “the burning times,” the Salem witch trials and outbreaks of religious hysteria among superstitious people come to many people's minds. http://abortionmatrix.com It is here where we need to dispel the Hollywood image of the old crone of fairy tales such as Snow White or the Wizard of Oz. There is no doubt that many of those executed for witchcraft in the Middle Ages were innocent victims of gross superstition. Such terrible measures are to be condemned as being in complete opposition to the Spirit of Christ and the clear teaching of scripture. With that said, however, it is wrong to dismiss the genuine instances of demonically inspired activity history records. 20th Century Wicca Dr. Gerald Gardner, an anthropologist, spent the early part of the 19th century studying groups that practiced magic around the world. At the time he believed that witchcraft as it had been practiced by pagan Europeans had been extinct for centuries. But in the 1930's Gardner discovered a group in Great Britain that was still practicing the “craft.” Fascinated, Gardner was initiated into the coven, studied its rituals, and eventually became one of the foremost experts and advocates for the ancient religion. At the time of Gardner's discovery, witchcraft was, in fact, on the edge of extinction. There were no known covens in the United States and some countries such as England had laws on the books outlawing witchcraft. On the publication of his book, Witchcraft Today, Gardner began to hear from other covens throughout Europe which had also survived. He spent the rest of his life writing on Wicca and promoting witchcraft throughout the world. Today, Gardner is regarded as the grandfather of modern Wicca and the primarily force behind its revival in the latter part of the 20th century. One of Gardner's followers, Raymond Buckler, was initiated into the craft one year before Gardner's death in 1964. He introduced Wicca into the United States during the cultural sea change that was the 1960s. Buckler, like Gardner before him, believed that in modern-day Wicca, the rituals of the ancient earth religion had survived. What exactly then, is modern Wicca? Wiccans today draw their religious ideology from the Mother Earth cults of the Celtic and Nordic peoples of pre-Christian Europe. The word “Wiccan” first appears in an early manuscript of an Anglo-Saxon scribe in the alliterative phrase: wyccan and waelcyrian, “witches and valkyries.” The word in Old English denotes both men and women using magic arts. Modern Wiccans claim that their name means “wise one” and was the name of a matriarchal leader of a tribe skilled in healing, herbal lore and magic arts. Although Wiccans deny using animal and human sacrifices in their rituals they do admit that they “pour out libations … Some female Witches use their own menstrual blood in spells; other witches may prick themselves … and offer a drop or two of their own blood. But the only blood a Witch has the right to offer is her/his own.” Do modern Wiccans view abortion as child sacrifice? To be fair, we must say that in our research we've received literally hundreds of letters and electronic communications from Wiccans around the world. The vast majority of Wiccans and Pagans deny that they have anything to do with human or animal sacrifice. They also deny that Wicca has anything to do with the abortion industry, nor do they view abortion as the sacrifice of the unborn in their rituals. But all modern day Wiccans freely admit that the modern religion is traced to ancient Celtic and Northern German people, the very people who practiced human sacrifice. Although the vast majority deny that they have anything to do with the practice of child sacrifice, Wiccans are hard pressed to explain a growing number of witches who argue that abortion is a witch's prerogative.

This episode is titled “Cracks.”One of the great concerns of the Roman Church at the outset of the Reformation was just how far it would go, not so much in terms of variance in Doctrines, although that also was a concern. What Rome worried over was just how many different groups the Faith would split into. After all, division wasn't new. There'd already been a major break between East and West a half century before. In the East, the Church was already fragmented into dozens of groups across Central Asia.But up till the Reformation, the Western Church had managed to keep new and reform movements from splitting off. Most had eventually been subsumed back into the larger reach of the Church structure.The Reformation brought an end to that as now there were groups that defined themselves, not by the Roman Church, but by more local and national churches and movements. It didn't take long till even some of the early Reformers began to worry about how far the break from Rome would go. The cracks that formed in the Church kept spreading, like a nick on a car windshield sends out just a tiny crack at first, but keeps spreading.The Reformation ended up spinning out dozens of groups; some big, many small.There were Lutherans, Presbyterians, Huguenots, Swiss Brethren, dozens of Anabaptist groups, Mennonites, Hutterites, etc. etc. etc..In Episode 90, we touched briefly on the tragedy that struck at Munster when the Anabaptist movement strayed from its moorings in God's Word and replaced it with the lunacy of a couple of its leaders who went way off the rails in an apocalyptic frenzy that ended up destroying the town.Munster became a cautionary tale for other Anabaptists and Reformers. The explanation given for the tragedy was Munster's abandonment of the pacifism preached and practiced by other Anabaptists. Anabaptists regarded the Sermon on the Mount as their guiding ethic and said it could only be followed by a Faith that was committed to the practice of a love that resigned consequences to God's hands.A leading figure among the Anabaptists was Menno Simons, a Dutch Catholic priest.Simons was moved to reconsider the rightness of infant baptism when he witnessed the martyrdom of an Anabaptist in 1531. Five years later, the same year the leaders of Munster were executed, Simons left his position as a parish priest and embraced Anabaptism. He joined a Dutch fellowship, where his followers came to be known as Mennonites.Although persecution was fierce, Menno survived and spent his time traveling through Northern German and Holland, preaching and encouraging his followers. He also wrote a large number of essays of which Foundations of the Christian Doctrine in 1539, became the most important.Menno was convinced pacifism was an essential part of true Christianity, and refused to have anything to do with Anabaptists of a revolutionary flavor. He also held that Christians ought not offer any oaths, and shouldn't take occupations requiring them. But he maintained Christians should obey civil authorities, as long as they weren't required to disobey the Lord.Menno preferred to baptize by pouring water over the head of adults who confessed their faith publicly. He said neither baptism nor communion confer grace, but rather are outward signs of what takes place inwardly between God and the believer. Mennonites also practiced foot-washing as a reminder of their call to humility and a life of service.Even though the Mennonites were so manifestly harmless, they were classed as subversive by many governments simply because they wouldn't take oaths and as pacifists refused to join the military. Persecution scattered them throughout Eastern Europe and Western Russia.Many Mennonites eventually left for the New World where they were offered religious tolerance. In both Russia and North America they ran into trouble when the authorities expected them to serve in the military and they declined yet again. Though the US and several other countries eventually granted Mennonites an exemption from military service, before that exemption came, many Mennonites moved to South America where there were still places they could live in isolation. By the 20th C, Mennonites were the main branch of the old Anabaptist movement of the 16th C, and now they are highly-regarded for their determined pacifist stance and on-going acts of social service for the public good.As the Reformation carved up Europe into a seemingly hopeless hodge-podge of political and religious factions, different attempts were made to resolve the tensions, either by war, by treaty, or alliance.I have to say, the history of 16th C Europe is a tangled mess. If we dive into the details, what you'll hear are a lot of names and dates that's the very kind of history reporting we want to avoid here. A part of me feels like we're leaving out important information. Another part gives an anticipatory yawn at all the historical minutiae we'd have to cover. Things like The Peace of Nuremberg, The League and War of Schmalkalden, Philip of Hesse, Duke George of Saxony, Henry of Brunswick, Emperor Charles V staunchest ally in northern Germany.Hey, I can already hear the yawns out there.But there's some interesting tidbits and moments scattered all through this that move me to say maybe we should dive into it.Like the fact that Philip of Hesse, leader of the League of Schmalkalden, got permission from Martin Luther, his protégé Philip Melanchthon, and Martin Bucer, the Reformer of Strasbourg to commit polygamy! Yes, you heard me right.Philip of Hesse's marriage was a mess. He and his wife had not been together for years, but were still married. Philip wanted companionship and asked these three Reformation giants if he could quietly take another wife. They agreed, saying the Bible didn't forbid polygamy, and that Philip could take a second wife without setting the first aside. But, they said, he needed to do it in secret, because while polygamy wasn't a sin in the eyes of God, it was a crime in the eyes of man. So Philip married another woman, but was unable to keep it secret. When it became public, the scandal toppled Philip from his place at the head of the League of Schmalkalden and put the three Reformers in hot water.And that's just one little vignette from this time. è Fun stuff.While the Lutherans and Catholics wrestled over the territories of Germany, further North in neighboring Scandinavia, Lutheranism was making inroads. In Germany, it was the nobility that embraced Protestantism as a lever to use against the predominantly Catholic monarch. In Scandinavia it was the opposite. There, monarchs took up the Reformation cause. Its triumph was theirs.At that time, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden were technically a united kingdom. I say technically, because the king ruled only where he resided, in Denmark. His power in Norway was limited, and Sweden was virtually independent due to the powerful house of Sture who acted as regents. But even in Denmark, royal authority was limited by the fact the king was appointed by electors who managed to gain ever more power by cutting deals with the next would-be monarch.When the Reformation began in Germany, the Scandinavian throne was held by Christian II, who was married to Isabella, Emperor Charles V's sister. The Swedes refused King Christian's control of their land, so he appealed to his brother-in-law and to other European princes for support. Time for a royal smack-down of those uppity Swedish Stures!With a sizeable foreign force, Christian II moved into Sweden and had himself crowned at Stockholm. Although he'd vowed to spare the lives of his Swedish opponents, a few days after his coronation he ordered what's known now as The Massacre of Stockholm, in which Sweden's leading nobles and clerics were murdered.This engendered deep resentment in Sweden, Norway; even back home in Denmark. Lesser rulers feared that after destroying the Swedish nobility, Christian would turn on them. He claimed he only sought to free the people of Sweden from oppression by its aristocracy. But the treacherous means by which he'd done it and the now intense religious propaganda against him, quickly lost him any support he might have won.King Christian then tried to use the Reformation as a tool to advance his own political ends. The first Lutheran preachers had already made their way into Denmark, and people gave them a ready ear. People were savvy enough to recognize the King's embrace of Lutheranism as merely a political ploy and reacted strongly against him.Rebellion broke out, and Christian was forced to flee. He returned eight years later with the support of several Catholic rulers from other parts of Europe. He landed in Norway and declared himself the champion of Catholicism. But his uncle and successor, Frederick I, defeated and imprisoned him. He remained in prison for the rest of his 27 years.Frederick I was a Protestant and ruled over a people and nobility which had become largely Protestant. At the time of his election, Frederick promised he'd not attack Catholicism nor use his authority to favor Lutheranism. He knew it was better to be the de-facto king of a small kingdom than the wanna-be ruler of a large one. So he gave up all claim to the Swedish crown, and allowed Norway to elect its own king.The Norwegians promptly turned around and elected him. Frederick consolidated the power of the crown in the two kingdoms in a peaceful manner. He kept his promises regarding religious matters and refused to interfere in Church matters. Protestantism made rapid gains. In 1527, it was officially recognized and granted toleration, and by the time of Frederick's death in 1533 most of his subjects were Protestants.Then came a plot to impose a Catholic king by means of foreign intervention. The pretender was defeated, and the new ruler was Christian III, a committed Lutheran who'd been present at the Diet of Worms and greatly admired Luther both for his doctrines and courage. He took quick measures in support of Protestantism and in limiting the power of bishops. He requested teachers from Luther to help him in the work of reformation. Eventually, the entire Danish church subscribed to the Confession of Augsburg.Events in Sweden followed a similar course. When Christian II imposed his authority, among his prisoners was a young Swede by the name of Gustavus Erikson, better known as Vasa. He escaped and, from an overseas refuge, resisted Christian II's power grab. When he learned of the Massacre of Stockholm, in which several of his relatives were executed, he secretly returned. Working as a common laborer, living among the people, he recognized their hostility toward the Danish occupation and organized a resistance. Deeming the time had come to up the ante, he proclaimed a national rebellion, took up arms with a band of followers, and managed to secure one victory after another. In 1521, the rebels named him the new regent of the kingdom, and, two years later, crowned him king. A few months later, he entered Stockholm in triumph.But Vasa's title carried little authority since the nobility and clergy demanded their ancient rights be recognized. Vasa wisely embarked on a subtle policy of dividing his enemies. He began by placing limits on corrupt bishops no one had sympathy for. Then, he began to carve off the support of the common people for nobles who resisted him. This was easy to do since he'd adopted the life of a commoner for some time,. He was a man of the people and they knew it. Vasa drove an effective wedge between the nobility and the people. Then he called a National Assembly and shocked everyone by inviting not just the usual nobles and clergy, but some of the merchant-class and peasantry. When the clergy and nobility banded together to thwart Vasa's reforms, he resigned, declaring Sweden wasn't ready for a true king. Three days later, threatened by chaos, the Assembly agreed to recall him and give assent to his program.The higher clergy lost its political power and from then on, Lutheranism was on the rise. Gustavus Vasa was not himself a man of deep religious conviction. But by the time he died in 1560, Sweden was a thoroughly Protestant realm.One of the lessons this period of history in Europe makes clear is how influential even the  nominal faith of a ruler has on the political and religious environment of a nation.