Lotharingia: A Personal History of Europe’s Lost Country
23. November 2020 18:00
Simon Winder
Veranstaltungsort Via Zoom
“A master of the art of making history both funny and fun . . . Once again he brings Germany bouncing back to life”
Simon Jenkins, author of A Short History of Europe
In AD 843, the three surviving grandsons of the great Emperor Charlemagne met at Verdun. After years of bitter squabbles over who would inherit the family land, they finally decided to divide the territory and go their separate ways. In a moment of staggering significance, one grandson inherited what became France, another Germany and the third Lotharingia: the chunk that initially divided the other two. The dynamic between these three great zones has dictated much of our subsequent fate.
In this beguiling, hilarious and compelling book we retrace how both from west and from east any number of ambitious characters have tried and failed to grapple with these Lotharingians, who ultimately became Dutch, German, Belgian, French, Luxembourgers and Swiss. Over many centuries, not only has Lotharingia brought forth many of Europe’s greatest artists, inventors and thinkers, but it has also reduced many a would-be conqueror to helpless tears of rage and frustration. Joining Germania and Danubia in Simon Winder’s endlessly fascinating retelling of European history, Lotharingia is a personal, wonderful and gripping story.
The event will be chaired by Rupert Graf Strachwitz, Vice Chairman Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft.
Please register here. You will receive the login details straight after registering. Please note that by registering, you consent to a video recording of the event.
23. November 2020 18:00
Simon Winder
Veranstaltungsort
Via Zoom
“A master of the art of making history both funny and fun . . . Once again he brings Germany bouncing back to life”
Simon Jenkins, author of A Short History of Europe
In AD 843, the three surviving grandsons of the great Emperor Charlemagne met at Verdun. After years of bitter squabbles over who would inherit the family land, they finally decided to divide the territory and go their separate ways. In a moment of staggering significance, one grandson inherited what became France, another Germany and the third Lotharingia: the chunk that initially divided the other two. The dynamic between these three great zones has dictated much of our subsequent fate.
In this beguiling, hilarious and compelling book we retrace how both from west and from east any number of ambitious characters have tried and failed to grapple with these Lotharingians, who ultimately became Dutch, German, Belgian, French, Luxembourgers and Swiss. Over many centuries, not only has Lotharingia brought forth many of Europe’s greatest artists, inventors and thinkers, but it has also reduced many a would-be conqueror to helpless tears of rage and frustration. Joining Germania and Danubia in Simon Winder’s endlessly fascinating retelling of European history, Lotharingia is a personal, wonderful and gripping story.
The event will be chaired by Rupert Graf Strachwitz, Vice Chairman Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft.
Please register here. You will receive the login details straight after registering. Please note that by registering, you consent to a video recording of the event.
Simon Winder is the author of the highly praised The Man Who Saved Britain. He works in publishing and lives in Wandsworth Town.
“Lotharingia” has been published as “Herzland: Eine Reise durch Europas historische Mitte zwischen Frankreich und Deutschland“ by Siedler (2020).