(Published in GralsWelt 48/2008) The Bible is the most printed (and probably also the most widely read) book in world literature. Its significance for the Jewish and Christian religions is fundamental and its influence on world culture cannot be assessed. After the Bible had been considered an unassailable source of truth in the West for centuries, especially since the [...]
(Published in GralsWelt 50/2008) 700 years of firearms - a cause for reflection. At the beginning of the 14th century, probably in 1308, 700 years ago, the first cannon was fired in Europe. One of the most momentous inventions of all time reached our Old Continent: Firearms soon became the most powerful single factor that has ever influenced world history. [...]
(Published in GW 46/2007) Was there a religious cult around the “great mother”, a supreme female deity, long before the patriarchal monotheism (belief in one god)? And did the culture that developed under it guarantee a harmonious, peaceful coexistence in a "golden age"? Here we summarize the research on this question and also describe the meaning [...]
(Published in GralsWelt 51/2008) An exciting thriller became a world bestseller and sparked discussions about the history of religion: Dan Brown's “Da Vinci Code”. The adventurous thriller was soon followed by theological works in several languages that denounce historical inaccuracies in Brown's thriller. Various claims of the bestseller are discussed, commented on and refuted. One would almost think that it would not work [...]
(Published in GralsWelt 43/2007) The 20th century has been called the century of demagogues and dictators: Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini, SAlazar, Hitler, Franco, Mao, Castro, Pol Pot. As different as these oppressors were in their personalities or their political profiles, they all sparked a pseudo-religious "enthusiasm" - in fact it was hysteria - that has continued to [...]
(Published in GralsWelt 32/2004) Rancher, Cowboys and Bandits The conquest of the “West” went hand in hand with an economic development - not to say: a waste of resources - in which one (often short-term) “boom” replaced the other. It all started with the lucrative fur trade, which peaked in 1840. Then came the California gold rush of 1849, the discovery of [...]
(Published in GralsWelt 32/2004) The Great Awakening Daring, ingenious technical achievements, but at the same time unrestrained greed and inhuman brutality - these were the signs in the "Wild West" of North America where the colonization of the Great Plains took place. A departure of unimaginable proportions, a time that is glorified in countless films and books - the great age of railway construction, the [...]
(Published in GralsWelt 30/2003) Train of Tears After the War of Independence - see Part 3 of this series - the USA was an undisputed, sovereign power that could think of the internal expansion of its country. However, the war costs were high, the states were in debt - and the government was inclined to procure the missing money where it [...]
About the Appalachians (Published in Grail World 29/2003) The bloody history of the “Wild West” in North America offers an exemplary insight into the state of mind of mankind around 250 years ago. Driven by thirst for conquest and - see the introductory quote - even with reference to the “will of God”, the subjugation and extermination of the Indian people was promoted - [...]
The threat posed by the whites is growing (Published in GralsWelt 28/2003) In the American consciousness the word “border” has a special, almost mystical meaning. The limit is the place of probation, adventure and success beckon here, and progress is fought for. For example, President Kennedy spoke of a "new frontier" when it came to the [...]
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