Reconstruction and illustration of Mirasaura in its natural forested environment, hunting insects

This Surprising Ancient Reptile Had a Colorful, Corrugated Sail on Its Back. New Research Suggests It Was Used to Communicate

A 247-million-year-old fossil from a German natural history museum reveals the secrets of Mirasaura

Neuschwanstein was one of four castles in Bavaria to make the list.

Germany’s Stunning Fairytale Castles Added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List

Built under the rule of Ludwig II, the grand palace complexes in Bavaria were among 26 new sites granted world heritage status

Scholars with the "Constructing the Limes" project led the research on the newly discovered site.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Roman Army Camp in the Netherlands—15 Miles Beyond the Empire’s Northern Border

Researchers think the camp was built during the second century C.E. Stretching across 22 acres, it was identified using a computer model developed by an archaeology student

Carl Hagenbeck opened his Tierpark Hagenbeck in Hamburg, Germany, in 1907. Decades earlier, the impresario had exhibited Indigenous humans in conditions that replicated their home environments.

The Man Who Invented the Modern Zoo Tested Out His Ideas on People First

Carl Hagenbeck believed that animals should be housed in habitats that mimicked their natural environment. Earlier, he’d followed the same guiding philosophy when exhibiting Indigenous people in “human zoos”

A German submarine torpedoed the S.S. Pennsylvania Sun on July 15, 1942, destroying 107,500 barrels of U.S. Navy fuel oil.

The Hidden History of the Nazi U-Boats That Prowled the Gulf Coast, Bringing World War II to America’s Shores

Between 1942 and 1943, German submarines sank 56 Allied ships in the region and damaged another 14, losing just one of their own in the process

Volunteers and archaeologists rebuilt the tomb site, lifting massive stones with modern excavation tools.

This German Town Carefully Reconstructed a 5,500-Year-Old Megalithic Monument

After years of excavation and study, archaeologists have restored the Küsterberg burial site to its original layout to celebrate the annual European Day of Megalithic Culture

Dumbo octopuses, like the Opisthoteuthis agassizii seen here during a 2019 dive, are the deepest-living group of octopuses known.

Humans Have Seen Only 0.001 Percent of the World’s Deep Seas, Leaving Most of the Planet a Vast Mystery

Researchers argue that expanding deep-sea exploration is vital to understanding and managing these marine habitats

An illustration of Witold Pilecki in military uniform in 1939 (left) and as an inmate at Auschwitz in 1940 (right)

The Daring Polish Resistance Fighter Who Volunteered to Be Sent to Auschwitz So He Could Sabotage the Nazi Death Camp From the Inside

Witold Pilecki smuggled reports about Germany’s war crimes to the Allies, urging them to stop the atrocities at Auschwitz by bombing the camp. But his warnings went unheeded

Grave adoption programs—some part of structured, longstanding projects, others more individually driven—offer a touching layer of history that takes many visitors and even seasoned war experts by surprise.

History of Now

Meet the Dedicated Volunteers Who Honor World War II’s Fallen American Service Members by Adopting Their Graves

Europe will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s surrender on May 8. But thousands of locals remain committed to preserving year-round the memories of those killed while fighting to liberate the continent

Archaeologists unearthed more than 100 equine skeletons near the site of a Roman military base.

1,800-Year-Old Horse Buried With Grave Goods Suggests Deep Bond Between a Roman Soldier and His Steed

Archaeologists were preparing for the construction of a new housing development when they found more than 100 equine skeletons dating to the second century C.E.

European gray wolves in Germany

Why Have European Wolves Recovered So Much in the Past Decade?

The predators have increased by almost 60 percent on the continent

Prisoners sit by a wire fence following the liberation of Bergen-Belsen in April 1945.

How Bergen-Belsen, Where Anne Frank Died, Was Different From Every Other Nazi Concentration Camp

A new exhibition at the Wiener Holocaust Library in London chronicles the German camp complex’s history, from its origins housing prisoners of war to its afterlife holding displaced persons

Spectrum launched from the Andøya Space Center in Norway before plumetting into the icy sea.

First Orbital Rocket Launched From Western Europe Crashes Into Sea After Roughly 30-Second Flight

Isar Aerospace, the company behind the rocket, is still heralding the launch as a success due to the data it provided

Stephen Tabor with the Huntington Library's copy of the Gutenberg Bible

Gutenberg Bible Reunited With Rare 15th-Century Devotional Print Once Tucked Inside Its Pages

Two centuries after they were separated, the print and the Bible are on display together at the Huntington Library in California

Birkenstock's popular Madrid style

Birkenstocks Are Not Works of Art, According to a German Court

The ruling comes after years of legal battles surrounding cheaper knock-offs, which the company argues are a violation of copyright law

Diver Chris de Putron inspects the wreck of the German submarine UC-18, which sank off the Channel Islands in February 1917.

How Britain’s Secret Decoy Ships Outfoxed German U-Boats During World War I

Divers recently discovered the wreck of a German submarine and the Royal Navy Q-ship that sank it in February 1917

A selection of artifacts unearthed at the Hezingen site

Cool Finds

Elite Germanic Pagans Buried ‘Devil’s Money’ as Offerings for Their Gods at This Ancient Cult Site

Researchers excavated the deposits of coins and jewelry in the Netherlands, near the German border

The Brook, Frits Thaulow, 1875/1906

Dozens of Artworks Rescued From War-Torn Ukraine Go on Display in Berlin

A new collaborative exhibition showcases 60 breathtaking pieces that were evacuated from the Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art

World leaders gathered in Oswiecim, Poland, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Survivors and World Leaders Gather to Commemorate 80th Anniversary of Auschwitz Liberation

The Nazis murdered an estimated 1.1 million people at the death camp in southern Poland before its liberation on January 27, 1945

A Surinam golden-eyed tree frog calls for a mate, puffing out its cheeks.

See 25 Incredible Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Cast your vote for your favorite of the photographs, which are all contenders for the People’s Choice award, through January 29

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