Two Cheers For Google

[poliphilo]

Hey I'm 55.

I was going to write that I've now outlived Shakespeare, but I find I was wrong in thinking he died at 54. In fact he died at 52- so I've now outlived him by three years. I tried Googling "people who died at 54" in search of other celebs I could crow over, but I didn't get any usable results. Did I want to know about "Famous people who died in air crashes"?

Actually, no.

Google hasn't had a good day. Earlier I wanted it to tell me about Ausburg- the town in Bavaria (I'm thinking Purchas might drop by sometime) and it was very parsimonious. I was offered information on American citizens called Ausburg and some American towns called Ausburg and the diary of an American soldier who was once stationed in Ausburg. ("Beaucoup women hereabout" he tells us- what a lovely, perceptive man) but substantial inside dope on one of the loveliest cities in Southern Germany- No.

Gosh, I may be forced to consult those awkward, cumbersome, out-of-date things called "books".

But I do now know the Roman name. Augusta Vindelicum. It's better than nothing.

But we mustn't knock Google. They're standing up to Bush. They're not going to let him know I've been wanting to find out about Ausburg or people who kicked the bucket at 54.

My heroes! (Google, that is- not the middle-aged deaders.)

Comments

[dadi.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday to you :) and may it be a year full of interesting journeys, be they real or literary!

As somebody already mentioned, it is Augsburg. And if you need some help on it, I have been there several times and know it quite well, I even have relatives who have been living there for many centuries, among which one who has been burned as a witch around 1480...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

They were burning witches there in the 1480s?

This I need to know more about.

A whole new plot line suggests itself.

I chose the name at random. I Googled a list of Bavarian towns and Augsburg was at the top. I got lucky with Orvieto. Seems like I could have got lucky with Augsburg too!

[dadi.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. Heinrich Institoris Kramer himself, he of the Malleus Maleficarum of sinister fame, held the witch processes in Augsburg in 1480.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

1480 has already happened. Bother!

May I ask the name of your witch ancestor?

[dadi.livejournal.com]

It was Ella Schweigering. She is not documented in any official registration though, it is just family lore, we have several witches in our tree ;-). As the history goes, she was part of 10 women who were processed by Institoris because of their taking communion several times a day (which seemed a proof that they used the holy bread for witchcraft). They were absolved because all of them were very well versed in bible matters and so could get free. Institoris got his revenge on 3 of them though, among which my ancestor, a year later, in Konstanz, where they had relocated in order to get away from the city where they had been outcast after the process, and this time they got judged on three different issues: whoring, witchcraft (they sold healing herbs) and stealing. And this time they burned.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you. This is fascinating.

My ancestors- the ones I know about anyway- were all Quakers and Baptist ministers and the like.

That's on my mother's side. My father's side is a dark mystery.

[dadi.livejournal.com]

Ah my family is crazy. Witches on my mother's side, mad jews on my father's ;-).

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful heritage.

[dadi.livejournal.com]

No wonder I turned out like I did ;-)