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Die letzten Tage von Rungholt
Friesland im Jahr 1361. Der Salzsieder Arfast muß sich gegen Machtgier und Ignoranz zur Wehr setzen. Denn die führenden Männer seiner Heimat drohen die Marsch durch exzessiven Salzabbau in höchste Gefahr zu bringen. Doch die Warnungen des jungen Mannes verhallen ungehört. Als Arfast sich bis zum König durchschlägt, um diesen um Hilfe zu bitten, fällt er einer infamen Verschwörung zum Opfer und gerät in Lebensgefahr.
431 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Kari Köster-Lösche
72 books6 followersKari Köster-Lösche is a German author writing mostly historical fiction.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 19, 2018
Short Verdict: A book for those interested in the lost city of Rungholt.
In North Frisia, an area now located in the state of Schleswig Holstein (Germany), everyone is familiar with the myths surrounding the lost settlement of Rungholt. According to local lore, the destruction of the once fabulously wealthy community was the divine punishment for its residents' self-indulgence and greed.
Marcellus Day in January 1362 marks the beginning of Rungholt's end. A devastating storm flood sweeps across the area, substantially altering the coastline and killing an estimated 100,000 across approximately 30 distinct settlements. After three days the water finally recedes. Previously inhabited land is to this day buried under water and mud. Rungholt, a significant coastal settlement and regional trading hub before the flood, is believed to have been swallowed up by the Sea wholesale and has since become the subject of many a myth.
Most of these legends connect the residents' moral conduct with the community's destruction and are undoubtedly the product of superstition. Yet, all folklore contains at least a grain of truth and the local legends surrounding the demise of Rungholt are no exception.
Researchers by and large agree that Rungholt once existed: It is recorded on maps dating back to the mid-16th Century; and a number of official deeds from the same period also make mention of the location. Its population is believed to have numbered around 3000. Whether their lifestyle was indeed as extravagant as legends claim, remains questionable. Battered by both the Plague and a decline in trade in the decades preceding the catastrophe, by the arrival of the 'Groote Manndränke’ (engl: Grote Mandrenke) Rungholt had seen better days.
Drawing on insights from archeological and historical research, Kari Köster-Lösche's fictional account of Rungholt's demise, Die Letzten Tage von Rungholt, chronicles the months leading up to the catastrophic flood.
My full review is available here:
My full review is available here: https://readaroundtheclock.blogspot.c...
In North Frisia, an area now located in the state of Schleswig Holstein (Germany), everyone is familiar with the myths surrounding the lost settlement of Rungholt. According to local lore, the destruction of the once fabulously wealthy community was the divine punishment for its residents' self-indulgence and greed.
Marcellus Day in January 1362 marks the beginning of Rungholt's end. A devastating storm flood sweeps across the area, substantially altering the coastline and killing an estimated 100,000 across approximately 30 distinct settlements. After three days the water finally recedes. Previously inhabited land is to this day buried under water and mud. Rungholt, a significant coastal settlement and regional trading hub before the flood, is believed to have been swallowed up by the Sea wholesale and has since become the subject of many a myth.
Most of these legends connect the residents' moral conduct with the community's destruction and are undoubtedly the product of superstition. Yet, all folklore contains at least a grain of truth and the local legends surrounding the demise of Rungholt are no exception.
Researchers by and large agree that Rungholt once existed: It is recorded on maps dating back to the mid-16th Century; and a number of official deeds from the same period also make mention of the location. Its population is believed to have numbered around 3000. Whether their lifestyle was indeed as extravagant as legends claim, remains questionable. Battered by both the Plague and a decline in trade in the decades preceding the catastrophe, by the arrival of the 'Groote Manndränke’ (engl: Grote Mandrenke) Rungholt had seen better days.
Drawing on insights from archeological and historical research, Kari Köster-Lösche's fictional account of Rungholt's demise, Die Letzten Tage von Rungholt, chronicles the months leading up to the catastrophic flood.
My full review is available here:
My full review is available here: https://readaroundtheclock.blogspot.c...
Displaying 1 of 1 review