Henry the Lion, his cities and his tomb (Germany)

Henry the Lion was a member of the House of Welf born in 1129. In 1142 he became Duke of Saxony. In 1152 he had a big influence on the coronation of his cousin Frederick I Barbarossa as German King. For his part the thankful cousin helped Henry to become Duke of Bavaria in 1156. In the following years he established a king-like position in Northern Germany, which was viewed with mistrust by the other Saxon leaders. Henry also supported Frederick during his first Italian campaigns, but their relation worsened when Henry denied help in 1176. Frederick was defeated and Henry had to go to exile in England. Henry the Lion died in 1195.

Henry the Lion Fountain in Braunschweig

In the city of Braunschweig Henry the Lion built a centre of ducal representation. Important buildings of the period are the Brunswick Cathedral, the Dankwarderode Castle and the Brunswick Lion.

Also the city of Lübeck was supported by Henry the Lion. Actually there was a conflict with the city, but when it was destroyed by fire in 1158 Henry helped to rebuilt the city and fostered its overseas trade.

The Nazi Regime considered Henry the Lion as pioneer of the German eastward expansion and the Brunswick Cathedral became a destination of the völkisch pilgrimage. Henry's tomb was thus desecrated in 1935.

Frederick I Barbarossa (Germany)

Frederick I Barbarossa was born in 1122. His father was a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, while is mother came from the House of Welf. He became Duke of Swabia in 1147, German King in 1152 and Holy Roman Emperor in 1155. His reign was influenced by his conflicts with the Lombard League and the Pope. Later he prepared the Third Crucade, but before he reached his destination, he drowned in the Saleph River in 1190.

The History of Palermo and Sicily (Italy)

Palermo was founded in 8th century BCE by the Phoenicians. It was a part of Cathage until it was conquered by the Romans in 254 BCE. In 440 the city came under the control of Germanic tribes, before it was reconquered by the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire in the Gothic War in the 6th century. In 904 Sicily was captured by the Arabs and Palermo became the capital of the Emirate of Sicily. During the Christian Reconquest of the island the County of Sicily was founded, which became a kingdom under Norman rule in 1130. In 1194 the Kingdom of Sicily fell to the House of Hohenstaufen. In the following centuries the kingdom was ruled in personal unions with the Holy Roman Empire (1220–1250), the Crown of Aragon (1282–1516), the Kingdom of Spain (1516–1713), the Duchy of Savoy (1713–1720), the Habsburg Monarchy (1720–1735) and the Kingdom of Naples (1735–1816). In 1816 the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was founded with Palermo as its capital, but already in 1817 the capital was moved to Naples. In 1861 it was annexed by the Kingdom of Sardinia to form the Kingdom of Italy. 

The Palazzo dei Normanni is the oldest royal residence in Europe. It was the seat of the Kings of Sicily during the Norman domination. Later it was used as the main seat of power for the subsequent rulers of Sicily. In the 12th and 13th century it was the imperial seat of Frederick II and Conrad IV. Today it houses the Sicilian Regional Assembly. 

The Arab-Norman Palermo is since 2015 on the UNESCO World Heritge 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.

Hanseatic League and its Queen (Germany)

The Hanseatic League existed between the 12th and the 17th century. First it was only a union of merchants, but since the 14th century it was organised by the cities itself. Since then also Hanseatic Days were held frequently. The Hanseatic League was not only an important factor in the development of the Northern European economy but also of its politics and culture. At its climax nearly 300 coastal and inland cities joined the league. In the 15th century the demise of the Hanseatic League began with the strengthening of the local sovereigns, the shift of trade route and the new competitors developing due to the discovery of America. In 1669 only the nine cities Braunschweig, Bremen, Cologne, Gdańsk, Hamburg, Hildesheim, Lübeck, Osnabrück and Rostock came together for the last Hanseatic Day. 

Lübeck was founded in 1143, but had already to be founded for a second time in 1159 after it was destroyed by fire. Henry the Lion, who rebuilt the city in 1159, relocated a diocese to Lübeck and built the cathedral in 1173. The city got the imperial immediacy in 1226 and soon controlled the trade in the Baltic Sea as Germany's leading Hanseatic city, The Queen of the Hanseatic League. The Lübeck law and the brick Gothic spread from Lübeck in the Baltic area. Lübeck withstood the Thirty Years' War in the 16th century and the end of the Hanseatic League, but suffered an economical setback in the Napoleonic Era during the French occupation between 1806 and 1811. In 1937 Lübeck lost its independence and became a part of the German State of Schlesweig-Holstein. Today is Lübeck Germany's most important port on the Baltic Sea and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To commemorate the 650th anniversary of the Hanseatic League of Cities Germany and Sweden issued a joint stamp on 7th September 2006. The stamp uses as indicator for the change from merchant to city league the first Hanseatic Day in 1356, where representatives from all cities were present.