Mini-series
The mini-series of articles Richard the Lionheart and Austria delves into the probable origins of Austria’s red-white-red flag, rooted in the dispute between Leopold V of Babenberg and Richard the Lionheart at Acre. It explores the circumstances surrounding the King of England’s capture in Vienna and provides examples, drawn from popular science literature, of the amount of silver paid for his release.
- Duke of Austria vs. King of England at Acre
- Capture of the King of England at Vienna
- Ransom for Richard the Lionheart
In the near future, I plan to supplement the examples of the recorded ransom amount with additional sources I have discovered. I intend to conclude the series with a fourth part, focusing on the investments made by Leopold V with the acquired silver, particularly the relocation of the mint from Krems an der Donau to Vienna and the initiation of the minting of the renowned Viennese pfennigs (German: Wiener Pfennig).
In the autumn of 2022, when I purchased the newly published book Drezno 1945. Ogień i mrok by Sinclair McKay (Kraków: ZNAK) in a Warsaw bookstore, I could not have anticipated how profoundly I would be moved by the story it told. The author vividly recounted the destruction of Dresden at the end of World War II, poignantly portraying the fates of well-known individuals who perished and those who endured the horrors of the carpet bombing.
The depictions of everyday life in Dresden, presented through a stylistically polished retrospective, came vividly to life for me—particularly as I visited the city at the beginning of 2023, still deeply engrossed in the book.