The Flickr History Image Generatr

Warsaw, details

Warsaw, details

Golden History Park - Nikon FG, 50mm, Ektachrome 100

Freudenberg is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

The town lies on the German-Dutch holiday road called the Orange Route, joining towns, cities and regions associated with the House of Orange.

Freudenberg lies in hilly uplands between 243 and 505 m above sea level. The 17 constituent communities share roughly 55 km2, of which two thirds is made up of broadleaf and spruce forest.

The oldest constituent communities are most likely the two that were both mentioned in documents in the 11th century, namely Plittershagen and Oberholzklau in 1079. Freudenberg is known to have been an Amt and court seat as of the early 15th century. The village and the castle of Freudenberg had their first documentary mention in 1389.

The castle was founded over the Weibe Valley together with a settlement by the Counts of Nassau as a corner post of their domain. Count Johann IV of Nassau, Vianden and Diez gave the Freudenberg townsfolk their "freedom rights" on 7 November 1456. This was a kind of minimal town rights, but the document bestowing this distinction upon the town is taken as evidence of town rights being granted Freudenberg. Documents give clues that Freudenberg was established quite early on as a "Flecken", or market town. The historic town core is even still called Alter Flecken (alt means "old"; –er is a grammatical inflection).

In 1540, both the castle and the town were heavily damaged by a fire. On William the Rich's orders, there came into being about the mid 16th century new building works. The market town was given a new town wall with four gates. In the northwest, the Hohenhainer Tor was built, in the northeast the Weihertor, in the southeast the Braastor and in the southwest the Schultor (Tor means "gate"). However, owing to yet another town fire on 9 August 1666, the town was once again laid waste. Prince Johann Moritz von Nassau-Siegen built the town anew, using much the same layout, planned in 1540, as had stood before the fire. The castle, however, was not restored, and to this day, all that can be seen of it are a few wall remains.

In 1969, the new, greater Freudenberg came into being with the merger of the seventeen former municipalities named herein.

The "Alter Flecken" is Freudenberg's downtown core, built wholly of half-timbered houses. It gives the impression of a small town from the 17th century. The Alter Flecken was included in the Kulturatlas des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (Cultural Atlas of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia) as a "Building monument of international importance". The Evangelical church, after Freudenberg got its own parish in 1585, was built as a "fortress church" (i.e. with architecture somewhat reminiscent of a military fortification). The belltower is the only one of the former castle's towers still left standing.

The church in Oberholzklau was built early in the 13th century and is worth seeing as a Romanesque church whose architecture nevertheless plainly shows transition to Gothic. The rectory next door, built in half-timbered style, is from 1608.

Former mayor Hermann Vomhof is at this time Freudenberg's only honorary citizen.

Freudenberg is the ancestral village of Apollo XI Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, a descendant of Freudenberg Burgermeister Jacob Friesenhagen, circa 1660.

The ancient paintings of the Ajanta Caves are among the greatest treasures of Indian art and a remarkable window into a world that flourished more than 1,500 years ago. Created between the 2nd century BCE and the 6th century CE, these exquisite murals cover the walls and ceilings of Buddhist monasteries and prayer halls carved into the rocky cliffs of Maharashtra. Their vibrant colors, graceful figures, and intricate details continue to captivate visitors from around the world.

More than works of art, the Ajanta paintings are visual stories of faith, compassion, and human experience. Many depict the Jataka tales, which narrate the previous lives of the Buddha, along with scenes of royal courts, merchants, musicians, nature, and everyday life. These murals reveal not only the spiritual ideals of Buddhism but also the social, cultural, and artistic richness of ancient India. The paintings are celebrated for their expressive faces, fluid movements, and extraordinary ability to convey emotion and storytelling. Their influence spread far beyond India, inspiring artistic traditions across Asia and along the Silk Roads. Today, the Ajanta paintings stand as a timeless testament to human creativity, devotion, and the enduring power of art to connect history, culture, and spirituality across centuries.

The ancient paintings of the Ajanta Caves are among the greatest treasures of Indian art and a remarkable window into a world that flourished more than 1,500 years ago. Created between the 2nd century BCE and the 6th century CE, these exquisite murals cover the walls and ceilings of Buddhist monasteries and prayer halls carved into the rocky cliffs of Maharashtra. Their vibrant colors, graceful figures, and intricate details continue to captivate visitors from around the world.

More than works of art, the Ajanta paintings are visual stories of faith, compassion, and human experience. Many depict the Jataka tales, which narrate the previous lives of the Buddha, along with scenes of royal courts, merchants, musicians, nature, and everyday life. These murals reveal not only the spiritual ideals of Buddhism but also the social, cultural, and artistic richness of ancient India. The paintings are celebrated for their expressive faces, fluid movements, and extraordinary ability to convey emotion and storytelling. Their influence spread far beyond India, inspiring artistic traditions across Asia and along the Silk Roads. Today, the Ajanta paintings stand as a timeless testament to human creativity, devotion, and the enduring power of art to connect history, culture, and spirituality across centuries.

The ancient paintings of the Ajanta Caves are among the greatest treasures of Indian art and a remarkable window into a world that flourished more than 1,500 years ago. Created between the 2nd century BCE and the 6th century CE, these exquisite murals cover the walls and ceilings of Buddhist monasteries and prayer halls carved into the rocky cliffs of Maharashtra. Their vibrant colors, graceful figures, and intricate details continue to captivate visitors from around the world.

More than works of art, the Ajanta paintings are visual stories of faith, compassion, and human experience. Many depict the Jataka tales, which narrate the previous lives of the Buddha, along with scenes of royal courts, merchants, musicians, nature, and everyday life. These murals reveal not only the spiritual ideals of Buddhism but also the social, cultural, and artistic richness of ancient India. The paintings are celebrated for their expressive faces, fluid movements, and extraordinary ability to convey emotion and storytelling. Their influence spread far beyond India, inspiring artistic traditions across Asia and along the Silk Roads. Today, the Ajanta paintings stand as a timeless testament to human creativity, devotion, and the enduring power of art to connect history, culture, and spirituality across centuries.

The ancient paintings of the Ajanta Caves are among the greatest treasures of Indian art and a remarkable window into a world that flourished more than 1,500 years ago. Created between the 2nd century BCE and the 6th century CE, these exquisite murals cover the walls and ceilings of Buddhist monasteries and prayer halls carved into the rocky cliffs of Maharashtra. Their vibrant colors, graceful figures, and intricate details continue to captivate visitors from around the world.

More than works of art, the Ajanta paintings are visual stories of faith, compassion, and human experience. Many depict the Jataka tales, which narrate the previous lives of the Buddha, along with scenes of royal courts, merchants, musicians, nature, and everyday life. These murals reveal not only the spiritual ideals of Buddhism but also the social, cultural, and artistic richness of ancient India. The paintings are celebrated for their expressive faces, fluid movements, and extraordinary ability to convey emotion and storytelling. Their influence spread far beyond India, inspiring artistic traditions across Asia and along the Silk Roads. Today, the Ajanta paintings stand as a timeless testament to human creativity, devotion, and the enduring power of art to connect history, culture, and spirituality across centuries.

Pairs of Gold Sheet Funerary Amulets from the Mummy of Psusennes I.
The pairs include mostly different shapes, like the Horus Falcon, Khnum-Ra "I guess", the Two Ladies Falcon, Wadjet Falcon and Nekhbet Falcon, clutching the Shen rings of eternity in their talons

evening walk in Gdańsk
author: Jan Helebrant
location: Gdańsk, Poland
www.juhele.blogspot.com
license CC0 Public Domain Dedication

184 Shepherds Bush Road, London, England

184 Shepherds Bush Road, London, England

Somewhere in rural Italy, we came across an abandoned sugar plant deserted for long. Yet, we were surprised to find farmers on the property claiming a part of it, and also people squatting in at least one of the houses. That old factory was no-man's-land where no laws applied anymore. A bit outlying we found the former cooling tower. It was completely overgrown and we had to find a way through the dense undergrowth. The dogs of the neighbors started barking like crazy. Luckily, they couldn't reach us after we have climbed the ladder to the tower.

Somewhere in rural Italy, we came across an abandoned sugar plant deserted for long. Yet, we were surprised to find farmers on the property claiming a part of it, and also people squatting in at least one of the houses. That old factory was no-man's-land where no laws applied anymore. A bit outlying we found the former cooling tower. It was completely overgrown and we had to find a way through the dense undergrowth. The dogs of the neighbors started barking like crazy. Luckily, they couldn't reach us after we have climbed the ladder to the tower.