General Archives ⋆ Page 5 of 46 ⋆ The Passenger

July 1, 2024January 30, 2025

Canada Day

Canada Day is celebrated every year on July 1st to commemorate the founding of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, when the British North America Act (now known as the Constitution Act, 1867) united the colonies of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into one country. Initially called Dominion Day, the holiday marked the birth of Canada as a self-governing nation within the British Empire. The name was officially changed to Canada Day in 1982, following the patriation of the Canadian Constitution. Today, Canada Day is a national holiday that reflects the country’s pride in its history, culture, and diversity.

May 31, 2024June 23, 2024

Pit Stop

Every year the eyes of the world turn to Monaco for the Formula 1 Grand Prix when the fast cars race through the narrow streets of the city and pass along the Casino as well as the Port Hercule. But Monaco as one of those microstates in Europe, fully surrounded by France, is always worth a visit. It is reigned by prince Albert II, became independent from France in 1489, has 40,000 inhabitants (thereof 8,000 citizens) and can be considered one of the safest places in the world with one policeman and -woman per inhabitant.

May 31, 2024June 4, 2024

Respectueux du climat

When I had given myself the mission to visit my hitherto unseen European microstates (Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Andorra) I immediately thought that this should be possible in an eco-friendly manner. Reaching Liechtenstein with Deutsche Bahn and SNCF was hassle-free, but the trip to Monaco was a very long one with many things that could go wrong. I tried it anyway.

May 16, 2024June 25, 2024

Cruising

Millenium bridge seen from ferry boat, London

Visiting London also means visiting the river Thames. I’ve spent many hours at its riverbank, crossed it endless times via bridges and using the Greenwich foot tunnel. So far I hadn’t taken the opportunity to go by boat on the lifeline of the city which is an easy pleasure: you don’t need to find a commercial tour operator, there are ferry boats that you can use just like any other means of transport. You can just tap in and out with your credit card and it doesn’t cost a fortune.

April 30, 2024January 31, 2025

Rainbow Nation

South Africa is often called the Rainbow Nation to symbolize its diverse cultures, ethnic groups, and religions. The term was popularized by Archbishop Desmond Tutu after the end of apartheid in 1994, reflecting the country’s transition to a multiracial democracy under Nelson Mandela. The ‘rainbow‘ represents the many different people and traditions coexisting in the country, including Black, White, Colored, Indian, and various indigenous groups such as the Zulu, Xhosa, and Sotho. It also highlights South Africa’s eleven official languages and rich cultural heritage.

April 27, 2024January 30, 2025

Freedom Day

Celebrated on April 27th each year, Freedom Day marks the historic day in 1994 when South Africa held its first democratic elections, which were open to all citizens, regardless of race. This day symbolizes the end of decades of Apartheid rule, a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that had deeply divided the nation. The elections on Freedom Day were a turning point in South Africa’s history, leading to the election of Nelson Mandela as the country’s first Black president.

April 20, 2024January 31, 2025

Mother city

Cape Town, one of South Africa’s most iconic cities, has a rich history shaped by its strategic location at the southern tip of the African continent. The area was originally inhabited by indigenous groups, including the Khoisan people, before the arrival of Europeans. In 1652, the Dutch East India Company established a refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope, led by Jan van Riebeeck. This marked the beginning of European colonization in South Africa. As Cape Town is the place of the first European settlements, it is also called the ‘Mother city‘.

April 17, 2024May 20, 2024

Rand

Traveling the touristy areas of South Africa means that you can pay everywhere by credit card and you don’t need cash (except for tipping and car park guardians) – that’s nice, but you would miss out the beautiful South African banknotes decorated with different animals and having Nelson Mandela on every single one of them. It is in use since 1961 when South Africa changed its status from being a British Dominion to a fully independent republic.

March 22, 2024March 25, 2024

Eschede

I’ve been using high-speed trains in Germany very often and always felt secure. Travelling by train is one of the most secure means of transport and there are many technical measures that ensure this, including the European Train Control System (ETCS), dedicated allowances to use a railway track as well as automated braking the train if the train driver is not responding or the train too fast. When travelling by car you have a 164 times higher risk to get injured than in a train. But even a system like this can never be 100 % secure and we all had to learn that on June 3rd, 1998, when the most severe accident of European high-speed trains happened close to a small city in Lower Saxony.

March 22, 2024March 22, 2024

Bergen-Belsen

The horror of Bergen-Belsen evolved over time. First, this place located between Celle and Soltau was a military training ground, then it became a camp for prisoners of war from France, Italy and the Soviet Union. From 1943 on the SS turned parts of the camp site into concentration camp; some of the Jewish inmates were planned to be exchanged against Germans detained outside of Germany, others were transported further on to extinction camps. At the end of the World War II concentration camps close to the battle zones were evacuated and tens of thousands were brought to Bergen-Belsen. Overall 38,000 humans died on this soil while the concentration camp was operating. Unfortunately around 14,000 died after the liberation because of illnesses and bad supply.