Rome's greatest defeat in the Teutoburg Forest (Germany)

In 9 CE an anti-Roman alliance of Germanic people led by the Cherusci chief Arminius defeated a Roman army led by Publius Quinctilius Varus in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. It is considered to be Rome's greatest defeat, as one eighth of Rome's army was destroyed. After the battle the Roman Empire never again attempted to conquer Germanic territory east of the Rhine River.

In the 19th century Arminius became a symbol of German unity and freedom. The Hermannsdenkmal in the Teutoburg Forest was built between 1838 and 1875 by Ernst von Bandel. With 54m is was until 1886 the biggest statue in the World.

The Marquis of Pombal and the Reconstruction of a Capital (Portugal)

In 1755 the Portuguese capital Lisbon was destroyed by an earthquake, a serious fire and a tsunami. The destruction of the capital had a tremendous effect on the politics, the culture and the science in the country. 

Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo was the Secretary of the State of Internal Affairs of the Kingdom in the government of Joseph I of Portugal from 1750 to 1777. He is known for his economic and financial reforms. After the earthquake he was in charge of the reconstruction of Lisbon, where many earthquake-proof buildings were constructed. In 1769 he became the 1st Marquis of Pombal.

The Praça Marquês de Pombal was built after the earthquake. It is located at the end of the Avenida de Liberdade. First it was known as Rotunda, Round Square. On the square is today a 36m tall statue of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, which was built between 1917 and 1934. 

Lwów, Lemberg, Львов, Львів, Lviv (Ukraine)

After the First Partition of Poland in 1772 Lviv became a part of the Hapsburg Monarchy and was then the capital of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. It was the fourth largest city of the Hapsburg Monarchy.

At the beginning of World War I was Lviv one of the strongest Austro-Hungarian garrisons in the Eastern part of the country. During the Battle of Lviv in August 1914 the city was captured by Russian troops and stayed conquered until June 1915. After World War I Lviv became a part of Poland. At the beginning of World War II Lviv was captured by the Soviet Union, but after the beginning of Operation Barbarossa in 1941 the city was captured by Germany. After World War II Lviv became a part of the Soviet Union and is since 1991 a part of Ukraine. 

Today is Lviv the seventh largest city in Ukraine. The Ensemble of Lviv's Historic Centre is since 1998 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Francis of Assisi and his home town (Italy)

Francis of Assisi was born in Assisi in 1181/1182. He was a Catholic friar and preacher and lived following the example set by Jesus Christ. He founded the Franciscan Order and was a co-founder of the Order of Saint Claire. He died in Assisi in 1226. In 1228 he was canonised and today he is worshipped as patron saint of the animals, the environmentalism and of Italy. He was buried at the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi.

The Basilica of San Francesco is a Papal basilica and thus one of the highest-ranking Roman Catholic churches. Since 2000 are Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco and other Franciscan Sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Hotel Petersberg (Germany)

The Hotel Petersberg is a former hotel in the Siebengebirge. It was opened in 1892. Although it was visited by the higher European nobility, it did not have economic success. In 1911 the ownership changed and between 1912 and 1914 the hotel was rebuilt at the behest of the the new owner. 

After World War II the Hotel Petersberg housed the Allied High Commission for Germany. In September 1949 the Occupation Statute was issued there and later that year Chancellor Konrad Adenauer signed there the Petersberg Agreement, which extended the rights of the Federal Government of Germany. Later the hotel was used as Federal Guest House of the German Federal Government.

Helgoland, a country changing island (Germany)

Helgoland is a red sandstone island in the North Sea with an offshore bathing dune, which was a part of the island until the 18th century. The island has a size of 0.9km² and rises up to 58m above sea level. 

In prehistoric times the island was a Frisian cultic site. The island was part of Denmark between 1714 and 1807 and then belonged to England. In 1890 England traded Helgoland for privileges in Africa and Helgoland became a part of Germany. The island was completely destroyed during World War II, but it was reconstructed from 1952 onwards after Great Britain returned it to Germany. 

Today it is used as island for cures. It is a part of the German State of Schleswig-Holstein.

On the backside the card has a special postmark from 2015 about the 125th anniversary of the incorporation of Helgoland to the German Empire.

Strasbourg, a city between two countries (France)

In the Middle Ages was Strasbourg a Free Imperial City within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1681 the city was conquered by France, but it was still affected by the Germans. During the Franco-Prussian War Strasbourg was besieged by German troops and it capitulated in 1870. In 1871 it became the capital of the Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine within the German Empire. After World War I Alsace-Lorraine declared its independence, but it was soon captured by French troops. In 1940 the city was once again conquered by German troops and in 1944 it was freed by Allied forces. After World War II Strasbourg became a part of France.

Today is Strasbourg the capital and largest city of the Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine region in eastern France and the seventh largest city of France. The Grand Île, Strasbourg's historic centre, is since 1988 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. France's oldest and biggest Christmas market is also held in Strasbourg.

After World War II Strasbourg became a symbol of the French-German reconciliation and the European integration, as the city's European District became home to various European institutions. It is the home to the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and the European Parliament. It is considered to be one of the Capitals of Europe. The European District of Strasbourg got the European Heritage Label in 2015.