1665 and all that

Off to the specialist in Memmingen this morning to have some of my stitches removed. Leaving a few as a safety measure as history has shown there is a danger of the whole thing opening up again. Back next week for the last ones.

As the whole visit took less than 10 minutes, had a bit of time to wander and see if I could get a different Blip. In Memmingen, one doesn't need to look far.

The Blip was taken in an alley known as the Schmelzgaessle or Melting alley. What they melted in ancient times I haven't yet found out. Animal fats? The building is dated 1665 but it isn't included in the official list of buildings of historic importance. Certainly, the ye olde tin garage in the foreground is probably not the best example of historic construction methods.

Probably the remains of English or Scottish soldiers party hut after the 30-year war which had ravaged most of Germany between 1618 and 1648 and described in Wiki as:

One of the longest and most destructive conflicts in human history as well as the deadliest European religious war in history, the war resulted in eight million fatalities.

Several English, including Charles I, but notably many Scots took part in the war.

And you ask why the mainlander Europeans generally back the EU idea and its main objective of securing peace?

So in 1665, the folk of Memmingen were probably generally a happy folk and enjoying being ruled by a good autocratic Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria. [In earlier times, the term "autocrat" was coined as a favourable feature of the ruler, having some connection to the concept of "lack of conflicts of interests" as well as an indication of grandeur and power.]

Back in good olde democratic England, they had a King on the throne again since 1660, Charles II. His daddy had been executed by parliament who took charge for a few years (1649-1660) and the Rumpers in "that democratic house"  renamed the country "The Republic of England".

Although Charles II had been put on the woolsack in 1660, he had cleared off from London by 1665 as the city was being ravaged by the Great Plague. And so it was that in this year the "London Gazette" was founded, a newspaper running to this day, to be an official organ of government. Well actually it started out as the Oxford Gazette which was where Charles had fled and he was not prepared to pick up, never mind read the newspaper if it was printed in pest inflicted London.

Funny how the Brits don't seem to remember much about their Rumpers and The Republic of England! If the words are taken into the mouth then please as "Commonwealth", sounds oh sooo much better.