Category: Histories of countries and key towns and cities around the world

By Tim Lambert Early Winnipeg Winnipeg stands at the confluence of two rivers. Its name comes from native words meaning murky waters. The French built a fur trading post on the site in 1738 called Fort Rouge. However, the fort was later abandoned. Then in 1810, the North West Company built a new fort called… Continue reading A History of Winnipeg

By Tim Lambert Early Wroclaw Wroclaw is one of Poland’s great cities. It began in the 10th century as a settlement on an island called Ostrow Tumski (Cathedral Island). In 990 Silesia and Wroclaw became part of Poland. In 1000 a bishopric (diocese of a bishop) was established there. In 1241 Wroclaw was devastated when… Continue reading A History of Wroclaw, Poland

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Bea Price Early Zakopane Zakopane is a flourishing winter sports center at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. It’s commonly called The winter capital of Poland. However, until the 19th century, Zakopane was only a tiny village. It does not appear in history until the 17th century. However during the… Continue reading A History of Zakopane

By Tim Lambert Ancient Albania The people of Albania learned to use bronze about 2,100 BC. Then about 1,000 BC, they learned to use iron. The Iron Age people of Albania are called the Illyrians. The Illyrians eventually came into conflict with Rome and the Romans conquered them in 167 BC. Under Roman rule, Albania… Continue reading A Short History of Albania

By Tim Lambert Early Amsterdam The city of Amsterdam began as a village on the River Amstel. However, in the Middle Ages, it grew rapidly as a center of trade. In 1275 Floris V, Count of Holland gave the people of ‘Amstelledamme’ to transport their goods by water through his territory. In 1306 the bishop… Continue reading A Short History of Amsterdam

By Tim Lambert From the 4th century, BC Celtic people lived in what is now Austria. At the end of the 1st century BC, the Romans conquered the region as far north as the River Danube, and in 45 AD they created the province of Noricum. The Romans built towns such as Vindobona (Vienna) in… Continue reading A Short History of Austria

By Tim Lambert Early Berlin The great city of Berlin began in the 13th century. Originally there were 2 settlements on either side of the Spree River, Colln and Berlin. Colln was first mentioned in 1237 while Berlin was first mentioned in 1244. The two towns grew rapidly and in 1307 they made an alliance.… Continue reading A Short History of Berlin

By Tim Lambert Early Bhutan By 1,500 BC people lived in Bhutan by herding animals. In the 7th century AD Buddhism was introduced into Bhutan. In the 8th century, an Indian named Padmasambhava did much to encourage the spread of Buddhism in Bhutan. Ever since Buddhism has been an integral part of the culture of… Continue reading A Short History of Bhutan

By Tim Lambert Early Budapest In the 1st century AD, the Romans conquered parts of what is now Hungary. About 100 AD, they created a town called Aquincum on the site of Budapest. However, in 409, the Huns captured the town. The region was then ruled by different peoples until the Magyars conquered the area… Continue reading A Short History of Budapest

By Tim Lambert Ancient Cambodia Cambodia has a rich and fascinating history. The first humans in Cambodia were Stone Age hunters and gatherers. However, farming was introduced into Cambodia in about 2,300 BC. The first farmers in Cambodia used stone tools but from about 1,500 BC the Cambodians used tools and weapons made from bronze.… Continue reading A Short History of Cambodia