Daniel Bellingradt
@dbellingradt.bsky.social
Historian of communication flows currently at Universität Augsburg | Co-editor of JbKG https://t1p.de/JbKG | Team #skystorians | I have friends everywhere | And I do enjoy my work |
linktree: https://linktr.ee/danielbellingradt
linktree: https://linktr.ee/danielbellingradt
I mean, why not enjoy yourself, while being seated on top of ruined stony building that is sailing, on a wooden ship, powered by a mysterious energy that needs an exhaust pipe in the 1660s...
November 18, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I mean, why not enjoy yourself, while being seated on top of ruined stony building that is sailing, on a wooden ship, powered by a mysterious energy that needs an exhaust pipe in the 1660s...
I am yet unsure about the meaning of this #earlymodern image of Vulcanus, the god of fire (of volcanoes) and metalworking, sitting absolutely relaxed holding a blacksmith's hammer, but he looks like he's enjoying himself, doesn't he? #vulcano
November 18, 2025 at 6:10 PM
I am yet unsure about the meaning of this #earlymodern image of Vulcanus, the god of fire (of volcanoes) and metalworking, sitting absolutely relaxed holding a blacksmith's hammer, but he looks like he's enjoying himself, doesn't he? #vulcano
And here is the image of the Swiss dragons flying around Mount Pilatus, and eventually being killed (the other image). In the long term, this is how Kircher contributed to tourism marketing of Black Forest lakes and Swiss mountains...
November 18, 2025 at 9:35 AM
And here is the image of the Swiss dragons flying around Mount Pilatus, and eventually being killed (the other image). In the long term, this is how Kircher contributed to tourism marketing of Black Forest lakes and Swiss mountains...
And of course, while dragons were swimming in a lake in the Black Forest, there were dragons in Central Switzerland too. Like here, at the Mount Pilatus, a mountain massif overlooking Lucerne, a few dragons were hiding over here having a good time ...
November 18, 2025 at 9:32 AM
And of course, while dragons were swimming in a lake in the Black Forest, there were dragons in Central Switzerland too. Like here, at the Mount Pilatus, a mountain massif overlooking Lucerne, a few dragons were hiding over here having a good time ...
Did I mention yet that Kircher also features a story about dragons being present in the German lake "Mummelsee"? Well, you better watch out, tourists of today, when visiting this fine spot in the Black Forest... I count at least 2 dragons in this image.
November 18, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Did I mention yet that Kircher also features a story about dragons being present in the German lake "Mummelsee"? Well, you better watch out, tourists of today, when visiting this fine spot in the Black Forest... I count at least 2 dragons in this image.
Another page in Kircher's book, another dragon. This one looks rather scary compared to the other ones ...
November 18, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Another page in Kircher's book, another dragon. This one looks rather scary compared to the other ones ...
In fact, Kircher is highlighting a lot of dragons in his book, like this one, the "Draco Helveticus..."
November 18, 2025 at 9:18 AM
In fact, Kircher is highlighting a lot of dragons in his book, like this one, the "Draco Helveticus..."
While the flying dragon was in fact a paper dragon made to impress non-Christians, this one, also featured in Kircher's book, was a real dragon: "Hic est Draco..."
November 18, 2025 at 9:11 AM
While the flying dragon was in fact a paper dragon made to impress non-Christians, this one, also featured in Kircher's book, was a real dragon: "Hic est Draco..."
And here is the page with the dragon in full glory:
November 18, 2025 at 9:03 AM
And here is the page with the dragon in full glory:
Dancing AI robots.
November 16, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Dancing AI robots.
For reference, this is how the real version of the digitized book looks like:
November 15, 2025 at 8:33 AM
For reference, this is how the real version of the digitized book looks like:
That’s a book from 1756 you won’t find in the catalogues. It’s art from Hito Steyerl, and featured this weekend in the German SZ Magazin. The real Codex Maximilianeus Bavaricus Civilis exists, but without #AI robots on the title page next to an entry about “Leibeigenschaft” #bookhistory #skystorians
November 15, 2025 at 8:29 AM
That’s a book from 1756 you won’t find in the catalogues. It’s art from Hito Steyerl, and featured this weekend in the German SZ Magazin. The real Codex Maximilianeus Bavaricus Civilis exists, but without #AI robots on the title page next to an entry about “Leibeigenschaft” #bookhistory #skystorians
The whole story, in Dutch and German, can be seen on this broadside. If you read German or Dutch, enjoy the details: airholes for the soldiers to breathe meanwhile, the shooting as a wind-powered (climate neutral) war strategy, and lots of more futuristic ideas. Pure fun, source in the alt-text. Bye
November 13, 2025 at 9:49 AM
The whole story, in Dutch and German, can be seen on this broadside. If you read German or Dutch, enjoy the details: airholes for the soldiers to breathe meanwhile, the shooting as a wind-powered (climate neutral) war strategy, and lots of more futuristic ideas. Pure fun, source in the alt-text. Bye
The shooting itself and the landing is miraculously undertheorized in the published plan...
But the moment after the landing of the cannonball is called the moment of the "opening bomb": happy soldiers leave the ball, and check out the new place of deployment. As you can see in the image.
But the moment after the landing of the cannonball is called the moment of the "opening bomb": happy soldiers leave the ball, and check out the new place of deployment. As you can see in the image.
November 13, 2025 at 9:44 AM
The shooting itself and the landing is miraculously undertheorized in the published plan...
But the moment after the landing of the cannonball is called the moment of the "opening bomb": happy soldiers leave the ball, and check out the new place of deployment. As you can see in the image.
But the moment after the landing of the cannonball is called the moment of the "opening bomb": happy soldiers leave the ball, and check out the new place of deployment. As you can see in the image.
Step three of the plan titled 'shoot the soldiers through the air' was to get as much explosives ready as needed for such a big experiment to shoot. Meanwhile the 25 soldiers in the ball played cards, maybe. Or prayed. Whatever.
November 13, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Step three of the plan titled 'shoot the soldiers through the air' was to get as much explosives ready as needed for such a big experiment to shoot. Meanwhile the 25 soldiers in the ball played cards, maybe. Or prayed. Whatever.
Step two of the plan included to close the human-filled cannonball, and insert the ball into the cannon. Some heavy lifting was in the air.
November 13, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Step two of the plan included to close the human-filled cannonball, and insert the ball into the cannon. Some heavy lifting was in the air.
So someone clever came up with this idea to use a very big cannonball as a container for hiding and transporting soldiers.
Why not shoot soldiers to the place of action? Anyway, step one was to get the soldiers into the cannonball, as you can see on the image.
Why not shoot soldiers to the place of action? Anyway, step one was to get the soldiers into the cannonball, as you can see on the image.
November 13, 2025 at 9:31 AM
So someone clever came up with this idea to use a very big cannonball as a container for hiding and transporting soldiers.
Why not shoot soldiers to the place of action? Anyway, step one was to get the soldiers into the cannonball, as you can see on the image.
Why not shoot soldiers to the place of action? Anyway, step one was to get the soldiers into the cannonball, as you can see on the image.
First things first, #earlymodern Europe was not the first world region to experiment with cannons, gun powder, explosives in a military context, but the many conflicts of the period made Europe a place of many military experiments. #milHist
November 13, 2025 at 9:21 AM
First things first, #earlymodern Europe was not the first world region to experiment with cannons, gun powder, explosives in a military context, but the many conflicts of the period made Europe a place of many military experiments. #milHist
Dear #skystorians, here is a cool story of a very big cannon experiment of the 1680s in Europe. A 🧵 about the idea of transporting people in cannon balls ...
November 13, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Dear #skystorians, here is a cool story of a very big cannon experiment of the 1680s in Europe. A 🧵 about the idea of transporting people in cannon balls ...
Au weia! Der Jäger hat ein Gewehr?, fragte die #Großkatze.
November 12, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Au weia! Der Jäger hat ein Gewehr?, fragte die #Großkatze.
Müssen wir jetzt leiser spielen?, fragten sich soeben drei Großkatzen nahe Kalenborn leicht besorgt.
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Müssen wir jetzt leiser spielen?, fragten sich soeben drei Großkatzen nahe Kalenborn leicht besorgt.
Wie, die fahnden jetzt nach mir?, fragte eine besorgte #Großkatze nahe Kalenborn.
November 12, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Wie, die fahnden jetzt nach mir?, fragte eine besorgte #Großkatze nahe Kalenborn.
Die finden mich nie, summte die frohlockende #Großkatze nahe Kalenborn.
November 12, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Die finden mich nie, summte die frohlockende #Großkatze nahe Kalenborn.
No slides, just words. Many words. Those were the days.
November 11, 2025 at 9:25 AM
No slides, just words. Many words. Those were the days.
Alas! Someone was actually taking notes!
November 11, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Alas! Someone was actually taking notes!