My Mom, Germany, And History

I'm a history buff with half German and half English ancestry. But, Ancestry.com informs me that my DNA is not exactly 50/50. With a bit of Scandinavian (Denmark), I'm slightly more English than German, which surprises me because my Mom who was born in Germany, says she is 100% German. Her family lived in Germany without moving for 500 years or longer. So why am I not 50% German? Let's go back in time, shall we?

During the Middle Ages, the monarchs of Europe answered the Popes' calls to fight in the Crusades, and King Richard I of England, from the Plantagenet line, answered the call. At the time England also ruled across the Channel in parts of present-day France.

The following is history along with pure speculation  ...

After fighting in the Third Crusade while sailing home, Richard the Lionheart and 4 attendants were shipwrecked. They tried to cross (Central Europe) the Germanies incognito to return to England only to be recognized and captured by Duke Leopold V of Austria, handed over to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI and held for ransom. 

It took 15 months for Richard's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, who ruled as his regent in England, to raise the money to pay for his freedom. My mother's Bavarian town was one of the places of Richard's captivity. Back in the day, when kings were held for ransom, they weren't locked up in a small jail cell but in a Castle befitting their station and allowed to roam within the perimeters of a given territory while being carefully watched by their captors. Under guard they could move around but couldn't leave the boundary. So those merry men might have fraternized with the local maidens of the town, because my mother's town has a mix of German and English ancestry. My mother's nieces and nephews with 2 German parents raised in the town also have some English DNA, as does other residents of her town. There is no record of significant English migration to Southern Germany during the centuries which would also explain the town's ancestry. Is my mother a descendent of either Richard the Lionheart or one of his 4 attendants? We shall never know.

My Mom and I back in the day.

Just for fun (as we can't take this too seriously), do you think Richard I and my Mom have the same nose? She had a cousin named Richard, a popular generational name in Southern Germany. Hmm, how did that name get into the family? A coincidence or not?:) 

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Source: David Attenborough Fans

17 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know About Germany

1. Germany is the most populous country in the European Union, with over 83 million people.

2. Berlin, the capital, is nine times larger than Paris and has more bridges than Venice.

3. Germany is home to the world's largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, held annually in Munich, the capital of Bavaria.

4. The country is famous for its contributions to classical music, being the birthplace of composers like Beethoven, Bach, and Brahms.

5. Germany is known for its extensive autobahn network, with some stretches having no speed limit.

6. The Berlin Wall, which once separated East and West Germany, stood for 28 years and was torn down in 1989.

7. Germany has over 1,500 types of sausages, with bratwurst and currywurst being particularly popular. Also wesswurst.

8. Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria inspired Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Neuschwanstein Castle

9. German is the most widely spoken native language in Europe and is known for its long compound words, such as Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz.

10. Germany has a rich history of innovation and is the birthplace of the printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century.

11. The country is one of the world's leading automobile
manufacturers, home to brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Volkswagen.

12. Germany is home to more than 20,000 castles, reflecting its medieval history.

13. The Black Forest in southwestern Germany inspired the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.

14. Germans are known for their recycling efforts, boasting one of the highest recycling rates in the world.

15. The country is a federal republic, consisting of 16 states known as Bundesländer.

16. Germany has a strong Christmas market tradition, with Nuremberg and Dresden hosting some of the oldest and most famous markets.

17. It is a member of the Schengen Area, allowing for border free travel between many European countries.

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British people roll their eyes when Americans claim they are related to royalty. Personally I don't care one way or another. In the 21st century, I'm a proud commoner.

What makes history great fun (no pun intended:) is how we are all descendants of Charlemagne. It's ultra cool and simultaneously, nothing special, as it applies to every human with European ancestry. We also have a zillion other 16 times great-grandparents, too many to count! 

Richard I of England lies next to his mother Eleanor. He requested to lie at the feet of his father Henry II at the Abbey of Fontevraud (not captured in the photo) as an act of contrition for rebelling against him. All the bodies buried in the Abbey were destroyed during the French Revolution.

Richard I of England's ancestry traces back to William the Conqueror (his great-great grandfather), who was of Norman French and Viking (Norwegian) ancestry. William's Norman dynasty that ruled England integrated into a broader European landscape, including the Germanies.

Richard I was said to be his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine's favorite son. He had at least one known illegitimate son, Philip of Cognac, who lived into his 30s before disappearing (without legitimate issue) into history.📜 

I love when new artifacts or documents are found or decoded like the Dead Sea Scrolls, the body of Richard III, or the letters of Mary Queen of Scots. A history buff loves when facts emerge to unravel mysteries, as well as, to debunk them!

Alles Liebe zum Muttertag, Mama!

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