Historical Blindness

In a departure from our usual fare, we explore the legends of the German White Lady, harbinger of Hohenzollern doom, and its many variations, spiderwebbing throughout German history and mythology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the capstone to our series on mysterious foundlings, we examine the story of Louisa, a vagabond woman who lived among haystacks in England, and the outrageous claim that connected her with an aristocratic forger on the Continent who may or may not have been the natural-born daughter of a Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part Two of our exploration of the mysterious foundling of Bavaria, Kaspar Hauser, we examine the suspicious attacks on his person as well as the outrageous theories regarding his royal patronage, and we try to discern the truth of the matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As an interlude to our 2-part exploration of Kaspar Hauser, Wild Boy and Foundling of Bavaria, we look at a story that bears some striking similarities. Eleven years before Hauser appeared in Nuremberg, a beautiful woman appeared in England, speaking an unrecognizable tongue, and she became both a beloved sensation and a scoundrel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1828, a strange teenager walked awkwardly into Nuremberg claiming to have been held captive his entire life. Was he an abused child, a wild boy, an impostor... or perhaps someone of noble birth hidden away from the world? In Part One, Foundling, we explore the popular narratives of wild foundlings and look at Kaspar's introduction into society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Blind Spot, we look at some further theories put forth supposedly proving that the Nazis burned the Reichstag themselves and then undertook to cover up their crime with murder, and we examine the documents that serve as the supposed evidence of these crimes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 27, 1933, the Reichstag, a grand building that housed the German legislature in Berlin, was set afire. One man was caught in the act, but had he set the blaze alone? Was he a patsy? Was the fire a Communist act of terror or a "false flag" operation designed to further the Nazi agenda? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aside from the Voynich Manuscript, there is perhaps no other unreadable book that has fueled more speculation than the Rohonc Codex. In this Blind Spot, the first of a series of interstitial mini-episodes, we look at its known history, attempts at deciphering it, and theories regarding its authenticity or fraudulence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Voynich Manuscript has fueled debate and speculation for decades. Is it written in code or in some unrecognizable language? Do its illustrations depict otherworldly flora? Is it a book of magic? Who wrote the book and why? Join us as we delve into all these questions and answer none of them.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There was dancing in the streets, but this was a danse macabre, compelling people to dance until they died. Was it demonic possession or divine punishment? Was it a physical ailment or a mental illness?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices