European History

A mugshot of "Count" Lustig

The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice.

“Count” Victor Lustig was America’s greatest con man. But what was his true identity?

Happy 543rd Birthday, Nicolaus Copernicus

The Renaissance scientist set the stage for modern astronomy

The Cabin of Peter the Great.

This Cabin Could be the World’s Smallest Palace

Be it ever so humble, Peter the Great once briefly called it home

"We were facing two options: to leave the site to fall into ruin or find investors who would be willing to restore it and make it accessible to visitors," Montenegrin tourism chief Olivera Brajovic tells the Agence France-Presse.

A Prison Camp in Montenegro Is Now Becoming a Luxury Resort

The tiny Mamula island once held more than 2,300 prisoners during World War II

The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist on Cathedral Island, Wroclaw, Poland.

Why You Should Visit Europe's Two New Capitals of Culture

Wroclaw, Poland and San Sebastian, Spain just joined the EU list—and for good reason

The 1,500-year-old skeleton of a man and his prosthesis was found in a grave next to medieval church in Hemmaberg, Austria.

1,500-Year-Old Prosthetic Foot Discovered in Austria

The skeleton of a middle-aged man may have been missing a lower limb but in its place researchers found a wooden 'foot'

"John Dee Performing an Experiment before Elizabeth I"

A Painting of John Dee, Astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, Contains a Hidden Ring of Skulls

The life and work of John Dee contained a strange mix of science and magic

A blue bead uncovered at the Iron Age village archeological site in Norway.

There’s a 1,500-Year-Old Farming Village Beneath a Norwegian Airport

An airport expansion gives archaeologists the chance to dig for historical treasures in a pre-Viking settlement

A nautical-themed hairstyle from the mind of Danny Lewis.

Create Your Own Delightful, Excessive Version of 18th-Century Women’s Hairstyles

A museum’s interactive tool gives the powdered styles of the French Court of the 1700s some fierce competition

Spanish dictator Francisco Franco (left) and Philippe Petain (right), head of state for Vichy France, salute during the French national anthem during a meeting in Montpelier, France, March, 1941.

France Is Making Thousands of Vichy-Era Documents Public

Archives regarding the Vichy regime’s collaboration with the Nazis made “freely accessible”

Portrait of Suleyman I (1520-1566), 10th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Suleiman the Magnificent's Lost Tomb Might Finally Be Found

Hungarian historians believe they have found the Ottoman sultan’s final resting place

An illustration of a Spanish galleon at the time when European travelers searched for treasure across the seas.

Legendary Shipwreck May Have Been Found off the Colombia Coast

The sunken treasure on the Spanish galleon San Jose could be worth up to $17 billion

Europeans Only Started Digesting Dairy 4,000 Years Ago

They can enjoy that cheese thanks to ancient nomadic herders

How Anne Frank's Diary Changed the World

The most famous account of life during the Holocaust has been read by tens of millions of people

A victorious commander rides in a chariot during a triumphal procession in ancient Rome.

What You Don’t Know About Ancient Rome Could Fill a Book. Mary Beard Wrote That Book

The British historian reveals some surprises about the ancient Roman people and their customs

Experience Alpine Enchantment at These Eight Austrian Huts

Grander than their name might imply, these <i>hütten</i> are the perfect perch for weary travelers

Images of survivors of the Herero genocide foreshadowed similar scenes from the liberation of Nazi death camps

A Brutal Genocide in Colonial Africa Finally Gets its Deserved Recognition

Activist Israel Kaunatjike journeyed from Namibia to Germany, only to discover a forgotten past that has connections to his own family tree

A hiker is dwarfed by the landscape of the mountain plateau where the Viking sword was found

Hiker Accidentally Discovers 1,200-Year-Old Viking Sword in Norway

The wrought iron weapon is an extraordinary find

The Real-Life Places That Inspired Frankenstein

How Mary Shelley used ideas, events and places to invent her famous monster

There’s an Elephant Buried Underneath the Vatican

The forgotten remains of a beloved, 16th-century papal pet

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