Germany

The pre-classical age (3500-800 B.C.E.)

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     Germany is a country with a place that one can described as currently with a rich history, interesting people, beautiful sights and architecture, and many tourists attractions. You can depiher a bit of Germany’s history before the written language by looking at some of the ancient artifacts on display. I discover paintings, sculpters, artifacts, and various other items that could give us an idea of the culture of Germany before the written language became a common practice. 

     Some of the artifacts I found included religious pictures, paintings, and tools. This photo is of a tool of Germany from 1000 B.C. The name of the tool is Heegermühle. The purpose of this item was sign for the religion and cult of the Bronze Age. This gives off the impression that Germany was a highly religious country at this time and held the values of these various religions to a high standard. Though some of Germany still holds the importance of religion high, this allows you to take a glance at what it may have been like to be religious during the Pre-classical Age.Heegermühl

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     Just like any country, Germany has a well-rounded history in the world of the arts. This goes for paintings, pictures, media, and, of course, music. The photo above is a drum made of clay and leather. It is from the time period 4th million B.C. These drums were primarily used during the Walternienburg-Bernburg period. This shows that even during that time period, German people were experimenting with new ways to express themselves creatively. As music has evolved more and more as the centuries go on, it is interesting to see the roots of any musical instrument and find out how it came to be. 

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     Pre-classic Germany is filled with artifacts that gives you an idea of the lifestyles and different experimentations the people had back then before they had developed the written language. In the photo above is a rattle in the form of a lemon. This rattle is from the time period ranging from 11-8 century B.C. It isn't known what this may have been used for. It may be a way of experimenting with various forms of pottery. It could also have been used as a musical instrument for performing at various rituals. It might also have been used as a simple kids toy. Whatever its use may or may not be, it does display (as I stated earlier) the constant experimentation the German people had all the way back in the Pre-classic Age.

The classical age (800 B.C.E.-500 C.E.)


Antelope Head

 

       












       


       


     
         525-404 B.C.E.
         This is a sculpture of an antelope head. This artifact goes back all the way to 525-404 B.C.E. of German history. It represented the Late Period animal sculpture at its best. The sculpture was part of a ceremonial boat of head stone that rested in a temple. The right eye on this antelope head is made out of alabaster and agate in order to give it a lifelike quality. Boats with these various antelope heads perched on them were sacred to the god Sokar. There is one that can be found at the inner coffin of Khaisher.

      http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544070?sortBy=Relevance&where=Africa&ft=german&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=2

    Disk Brooch 

mid 600s

In the Frankish culture under the rule of the Merovingian rule, metalwork was the art of the people. In particular jewelry, which would survive from cementeries and tombs. The Franks would hold these artifacts to a high standard. They would usually end up wearing these disks as a way to show their power status. The one in the photo was found along the Rhine River and would be daily by their owners, even after they've long passed away. 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/17.193.83/

·         Plague with Scenes at Emmaus

ca 850-900 

Like many artifacts, this one was probably once a possible side panel of a small, but well-made box for a church. All the decorations on the sides, which would include animals and/or floral motifs, would be inlaid with gold. These decorations would usually show two scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. One of the scenes takes place after the resurrection and the other is about the reveal of the identity of Christ. These artifacts were largely celebrated and vauled in the Carolingian culture. 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1970.324.1/

·         Primary source 1

  In the year 768, Charlemagne inherited the Frankish crown. During his reign which lasted from 768 to 814, he took down Bavaria, took control of Lombardy and Saxony, and established his authority in central Italy. By the end of the eighth century, his kingdom included France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, Spain, Germany, Austria, and much of the northern half of Italy. Charlemagne, founder of an empire that was Roman, Christian, and Germanic, was crowned emperor in Rome by the pope in 800. He was established as a ruthless leader throughout his time. 


   "The Carolingian Empire was based on an alliance between the emperor, who was a temporal ruler supported by a military retinue, and the pope of the Roman Catholic Church, who granted spiritual sanction to the imperial mission" (German Culture, 1). Charlemagne and his son, whom he named Louis I, established their aggressive authority amongst the people. They appointed imperial counts as administrators, and developed a hierarchical feudal structure headed by the emperor. Reliant on personal and selfish leadership, Charlemagne’s empire lasted less than a century.

http://germanculture.com.ua/germany-history/the-carolingian-dynasty/

·         Primary source 2
        The Carolingian Empire (800–888) was a large empire in western and central Europe during the early Middle Ages during the years of 800 to 888. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty. It had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the Lombards of Italy from 774. In 800, the Frankish king Charlemagne was crowned emperor in Rome by Pope Leo III in an effort to revive the Roman Empire in the west during a vacancy in the throne of the eastern Roman Empire. After a civil war that lasted from 840 to 843. After the death of Emperor Louis the Pious, a civil war broke out that lasted from 840 to 843. This divided the empire into different kingdoms, in which one king was still recognized as an emperor, but with little authority outside his own kingdom. "The unity of the empire and the hereditary right of the Carolingians continued to be acknowledged" (Wikipedia, 1).

  "The size of the empire initially had a population of between 10 and 20 million people" (Wikipedia, 1). To the south, it bordered the Emirate of Córdoba. To the north, it bordered the kingdom of the Danes. To the west, it had a short land border with Brittany, which was later reduced to a tributary. Finally, to the east, it had a long border with the Slavs and the Avars. These people were defeated and their land was incorporated into the empire. In southern Italy, the Carolingians' claims to authority were disputed by the Byzantines (eastern Romans) and the vestiges of the Lombard kingdom in the Principality of Benevento.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_Empire

·         Secondary source 

In the year 751, the Carolingian was established. This occurred when Pépin "le Bref"of Childeric III, the last king of the Merovingian dynasty, got rid of his formal lord and declared himself king.  At that time, the Frankish empire covered Austrasia, Neustria, Alemannia, Burgundy, Provence, Thuringia, Metz, and Trier.  The territory of the empire was considerably extended upon during the fifty years after that.  In 768, King Pépin conquered Aquitaine. Then, in the years 773, 776. and 777,  King Charles I subjugated the Italian Lombard kingdom, Friulia, Saxony. In 778, they also performed the march of Spain.  In 787, Bavaria and Carinthia became part of the Frankish kingdom. They then took full control over Alemannia, Hessen and Thuringia by 797.  "The Frankish empire was formally established when Charles was crowned emperor by the Pope in Rome in 800" (Franks, 1).
    "The inherent weakness of the Carolingian Frankish empire was the continual process of territorial division designed to placate junior members of the dynasty" (Franks, 1). Although, in 768, a regional sub-rule was inevitable given the empire's geographic extent and ethnic diversity.  The tradition of dividing the territory between family members started after the death of King Pépin. It is also possible that descents in the male line exist from the illegitimate sons of the Carolingian emperors and kings.  For example, "Arnoul, illegitimate son of Emperor Louis I who installed him as Comte de Sens, may have married and had children about whom nothing is revealed in the sources" (Franks, 1).  The same goes for Arnoul and Drogo, illegitimate sons of Charles III, about whom only their names and parentage are known from the primary sources. 
http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CAROLINGIANS.htm

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The post-classical age (500 C.E.-1300 C.E.)

·       Reliquary Cross

ca. 1180

     In the post-classical era, double-sided crosses would enshirne relics from the Holy Land. These crosses contained gems, pieces of wood, and rock crystals. These relics would contain scenes including the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his tomb. Their classifications were metalwork-silver. The wood on these relics was believed to be the same wood that composed the cross that Jesus was crucifxed on. This made these relics very highly valued in the post-classical era. 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2002.18/

·       Keystone from a Vaulted Ceiling

ca. 1220-30

     In the 11-1200s, western European knights were trying to establish a Christian kingdom with Jerusalem in the Holy Land. This led to the establishment of Castle Montfort, which was rebuilt by the Teutonic Knights. During this time was when this keystone was probably carved. Eventually, Castle Montfort fell and was evacuated in 1272. Among the relics found there were this, a Roman marble wine jar, and some glass fragments with faces. These artifacts are now on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/28.99.1/

·       Medieval Crusader Ring

11-1300 A.D.

     Rings like this were worn throughout the Crusades of the Post-Classical Era. This ring dates back to the time of the Knights Templar and the Teutonic Knights and the Holy Crusaders. It is composed of rich bronze. It is also made up of a copper alloy. They have a cross on them since religion was something that was hugely important to the lives of Germans during this time period. These were worn by German knights during the Crusades, which were an essential part of the Post-Classic Era. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/210813355/medieval-crusader-religious-ring-from

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·       Primary source 1

Description (2-3 paragraphs) (3-4 in-text quotations)
    The Crusade of 1197, also known as the Crusade of Henry VI or the German Crusade was a crusade launched by Henry VI, who was the emperor of the Hohenstaufen, in response to the attempt on his father's life, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa during the Third Crusade in 1189–90. This led to the military campaign being also known as the "Emperor's Crusade".
    While Henry's forces were already on their way to the Holy Land, he ended up dying before his departure in Messina on 28 September 1197. "The emerging throne conflict between his brother Philip of Swabiaand the Welf rival Otto of Brunswick made many higher-ranking crusaders return to Germany in order to protect their interests in the next imperial election" (Wikipedia, 1). The nobles remaining on the campaign captured the Levant coast between Tyre and Tripoli before they ended up returning to Germany afterwards. In 1198, The Crusade would then end after the fall of Sidon and Beirut.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusade_of_1197

·       Primary source 2
          "Although the German contribution to the First Crusade, which lasted from 1096 to 1099, (1096-1099) was insignificant, German knights and German rulers, from King Conrad III in the Second Crusade (1147-1149) to Emperor Frederick II in 1228, made major commitments to campaigns for the defense and recovery of the Holy Land" (Post-Classical History, 1). In the year 1147, the first recognition of the crusade against the pagan Slavs to the east of the river Elbe occurred. In this, campaigns against the Baltic and Finno-Ugrian peoples in the lands to the south and east of the Baltic Sea became a major focus of crusading warfare from 13th-15th centuries.
          "In the following account, “German” and “Germany” refer essentially to the medieval German-speaking lands, roughly coextensive with modern-day Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland" (Post-Classical History, 1). The medieval kingdom of Germany also included lands that were not German-speaking. In the west, the counties of Holland, Brabant, and Hainaut and the duchies of Lower and Upper Lotharingia, the kingdom of Bohemia, and the margraviate of Moravia were among these places. "Many of the kings of Germany were crowned as Holy Roman Emperors and thus also exercised authority in the other two kingdoms regarded as making up the Holy Roman (also Western or German) Empire: the kingdom of Burgundy (parts of modern southeastern France, northwestern Italy, and western Switzerland) and the medieval kingdom of Italy (Lombardy, Veneto, and Tuscany)" (Post-Classical History, 1) Starting in 1194, the Staufen emperors Henry VI and Frederick II ruled the kingdom of Sicily. This included the southern half of mainland Italy.
      http://erenow.com/postclassical/crusades/371.html

·       Secondary source 
         "The German Crusade of 1197-98 has been largely ignored by Anglophone historians, or regarded at best as little more than a minor incident in the aftermath of the Third Crusade" (Medievelists, 1) In similarity to so many other crusading expeditions, it was something of a damp squib in the end, ending  in confusion and retreat in the face of an aroused and temporarily united Islam. This led to most of the participants returning to their homeland in the wake of the death of the Emperor Henry VI. However, contemporaries didn't necessarily agree, considering it to be "on a par with the earlier expeditions of Frederick Barbarossa and Richard the Lionheart" (Medievelists, 1). One might suggest that, even in terms of the Holy Land, it was by no means unimportant because the recovery of Beirut was a considerable success. This was balanced by the loss of Jaffa to al-Ādil in September 1197 shortly before the main crusaders arrived in the Holy Land. However, this was only a temporary set-back because Jaffa was  regained through diplomacy in 1204. Also in March of 1198 at Acre, it was while the German crusaders were in the East that the Teutonic Knights were formally constituted as a military monastic order.
         In November of 1197, the recapture of Beirut continued the process begun by the Third Crusade in which the embattled Christian states in the East were established on a decent footing once again, even though on a significantly smaller scale than before the disaster of 1187. By itself the success at Beirut didn't completely solve the problem that the crusader states at the end of the 12th century, which was composed of a series of coastal enclaves separated one from another, rather than one continuous strip of territory. "Admittedly the more-or-less simultaneous recapture of Gibelet [Jubail], by the local Franks, once again linked the territory of Beirut with the county of Tripoli, while Bohemond III’s recapture of Lattakiah [Laodiciea] regained an important stronghold in the south of the principality of Antioch" (Medievelists, 1). Unfortunately, between Lattakiah and the county of Tripoli lay Jabala, which remained in Muslim hands, while Beirut was separated from the rest of the kingdom of Jerusalem by Sidon and its territory, which the Franks only regained in 1227.  Thus when Jacques de Vitry, who was the new bishop of Acre, wished to travel northwards to Beirut. Because of that, from there on to the county of Tripoli early in 1217, he was able to traverse the territory of Sidon only with a large military escort.  "Here the failure of the German Crusade properly to follow up its success at Beirut was a serious setback, especially given the high hopes with which it had been invested at the time" (Medievelists, 1).
       http://www.medievalists.net/2015/03/the-german-crusade-of-1197-1198/

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Conclusion: (3-4 paragraphs)

     Over the course of this project, I have learned how much change has occurred to Germany over the course of time. Throughout the pre-classic, classical, and post-classical era, Germany has evolved more and more as a society that has eventually transformed into the country known today. I learned how they highly valued religion and felt it was a strong priority in life. To them, any religious artifacts were held to a high standard and were sometimes used to establish power and dominance. The people of Germany has experienced times of harsh wars that would become engraved into their history. Throughout history, German's views on religion, war, and other cultures have greatly evolved into the country that we have now today.

     Over the course of history, Germany has blended with several different cultures. The primary cultures that they've melded with were the English and Europeans. The society of Germany has also greatly changed over the course of time. Religion has still remained an important part of their culture, but they've greatly evolved in terms of their treatment of women, acceptance and understanding a different cultures. They've looked on the wars of the past to help them evolve into their own idea of an ideal society. This has led to a greatly world acceptance and communication with other members of different cultures.

     Though this country has experienced its dark times, including wars, we can learn a lot from the country of Germany. We can teach ourselves how we could interpret religion by examining how the German society treats it. We can also learn how to accept other cultures by reading up about all the wars Germany experienced throughout history. Like Germany, people in the West treat religion as an important part of our society. Some people let religion help them determine their life decisions and how they should live their lives. Thankfully, Germany has opened up to more people of different cultures in recent times. Hopefully, our society has started to adopt this and will allow more people of different societies in, which could lead to a more unified world.