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A Voyage to the Old Kingdom

The proper history of England begins with the conquest of the island by the Anglo-Saxons in the 6th century. Still, for many thousand years before, the country was inhabited by settlers, who cultivated the land and made it arable for the upcoming generations. During this process, the landscape was altered extensively. Of course, England used to be covered by dense forests before, like other parts of Northern Europe. Much of the wood was used for chipmaking, as England was an island country and depended on sea trade and fishing. England became rich, and in the middle ages, beautiful castles and monasteries were built, surrounded by little towns, which became bigger towns with magnificent cathedrals later on. A lot of the history of England can still be seen today when traveling to England. Take your time, don’t hurry, and never forget the cup of tea in the afternoon!

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A Journey through England

England is a prosperous country when it comes to history and traditions. There are old mansions and ruins scattered all through the nation, surrounded very often by beautiful nature and accompanied by lovely gardens. Amiable is South England, which consists of exciting and sometimes even weird-looking coastlines. Get yourself a nice cup of tea, find a place with a great view, and enjoy yourself!

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Discovering Roma

Wandering through the many labyrinth-like streets of Rome is like walking through history itself. At every corner, there is a church or monument of significance. But what makes Rome are the people and their culture. The Romans enjoy themselves and their lifestyle, which consists of spending time with friends and having a good wine and dinner. Don’t dare to leave Rome without trying some local cuisine! And there is more than just Pizza (although it is delicious over here, to be fair).

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Discovering Évora

I was lucky to come around quite a bit in Europe’s most southwestern country, but a spot blank on my map of Portugal was to the East of Lisboa. The ancient city of Évora was founded by the Romans before Christ. On the day of my visit in early May, the opportunities for exciting shots were great, as a storm came with heavy clouds. However, the sun was still there, refusing to obey and shining on the beautiful buildings of Évora, making for a great and gloomy atmosphere.

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The Algarve

Although I traveled to Portugal extensively, curiously, I had never been to the Algarve, the southern coast of the country, before. I must admit I had my prejudices. It seemed to me that this part of the country was reserved for the sun-seeking mass tourist. Northern Portugal seemed much more mysterious and exciting to me. It was the road less traveled. But boy – was I missing out! The Algarve, with its white architecture glowing in the sunlight, seems like a natural extension of the Portugal I know. Sure, there are tourists at this time of the year (beginning of May), but there are not more than in Lisboa. Give it a try!

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Fortress of the Working Class: Karl-Marx-Hof

About a year ago, I published a series about famous Viennese communal apartment blocks called “Gemeindebau.” I photographed the “Rabenhof”, i.e., raven court, in the 3rd district the last time. Today, I want to introduce one of the most famous “Gemeindebauten,” the Karl-Marx-Hof in the north of Vienna, named after the father of communism himself. The large building complex was constructed in the 1930s when Vienna was known as a red city due to the leftwing government in the town hall. The Karl-Marx-Hof was designed and built by a student of the famous Austrian architect Otto Wagner, Karl Ehn, and stretches over a length of more than 1 km. Along the way, there are four tramway stations. The building has a kindergarten, parks, and community centers. In the short civil war in 1934, many socialists barricaded themselves in the sizeable fortress-like building and fought against the right-wing troops. Luckily, there were no deaths. Today, life is relatively quiet here, and the Karl-Marx-Hof is a peaceful fortress of the working class.

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