Locations of events.

You know the trendy so-called “help-yourself” literature on the subject of “happiness” – in just five minutes, without any effort, with money-back guarantee. Fortunately, Italian Renaissance poet Petrarch does not offer superficial light fare such as this. But in 1366, he also wrote a guide to happiness.

Around 1600, war was raging throughout Europe. Happy were those who were blessed with modern fortifications. In 1624 Italian military engineer Francesco Tesini wrote a manual on fortifications and sieges because he knew perfectly what really mattered.

For a long time, Europeans thought that foreign and distant China was absolutely fascinating. Dutchman Joan Nieuhoff was one of the few who actually travelled there. His richly illustrated report about the country became a huge success.

Have you ever wondered why the noble ladies and gentlemen of the Baroque period, who are usually arrogantly staring at us from paintings in castles and museums, are wearing huge wigs? It was fashionable, of course. But why did it come into fashion? The disgusting answer is: syphilis.

Schaffhausen entrepreneur Johann Conrad Fischer travelled to England in 1814. He wanted to know how far the British competition had come during the Napoleonic Wars. His diary illustrates vividly how things were going in the centres of industrialisation.