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August
16 in German History
--------------------------------- August 16, 1419
Death of Wenceslas in Prague (now in the
Czech Republic) (born in Nürnberg, Germany). Wenceslas
gained the titles, German King, King of Bohemia and King of
the Romans. He was a very weak ruler in unsettled times. He
was deposed, spent some time in prison and lost his position
as King of Bohemia. He retained the title of King of the
Germans until his death although he remained in Prague and
had essentially nothing to do with rule in Germany.
August 16, 1795
Birth of the composer, Heinrich August
Marschner, in Zittau, Germany. Marschner was an acquaintance
of Ludwig van Beethoven and a close friend of Carl Maria von
Weber. Marschner was the director of the Dresden Opera. His
operas include, Hans Heiling, Der Vampyr and Templer
und Jüdin.
August 16, 1832
Birth of Wilhelm Wundt in Mannheim,
Germany. Wundt is called the father of experimental
psychology. At the University of Heidelberg, Wundt taught the
first course in psychology under the heading of science
(prior to that it had been in the category of philosophy). As
a professor at the University of Leipzig he established the
world's first psychology laboratory.
August 16, 1876
Richard Wagner's opera Siegfried is
produced for the first time in Bayreuth.
August 16, 1899
Death of Robert Bunsen in Heidelberg,
Germany. Bunsen gave his name to the Bunsen burner, developed
spectroanalysis, and discovered the elements rubidium and
cesium. He invented the filter pump, the ice calorimeter and
the vapor calorimeter. He was a professor of chemistry at the
University of Heidelberg.
August 16, 1906
Birth of the Prince of Liechtenstein, Franz
Josef, near Deutschlandsberg, Austria. He ruled Liechtenstein
from 1938-1989. He was able to keep Liechtenstein neutral
after the German annexation of Austria. Franz Josef built a
strong industrial base to anchor his small country's economy.
Women gained the vote during his reign, in 1984.
August 16, 1936
The Berlin Olympic games conclude.
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