History

Louis XIV built a Xanadu at Versailles – and sealed his family’s fate. But amid the extravagant luxury was thrilling innovation

The Republican presidents appear to have much in common. But their policies are poles apart and Donald must turn his back on Ronald to make his MAGA agenda work

Colourful stories abound of how France’s vintners tricked and humiliated the occupying Germans in world war two. But the truth is rather more complex

Once a forgotten figure, athlete turned activist Werner Seelenbinder is finally getting the credit he is due

The Christmas tree in the Umbrian town of Gubbio in central Italy is so big, you can even switch the lights on from space

Daniel O’Connell, the 19th-century Kerryman, embodies Ireland’s discharge from the straps of England more than any other historical figure

An astounding, eccentric documentary uncovers a murky assassination plot involving Belgium, the CIA and Louis Armstrong

First published in 1924, his masterpiece Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain) is a highbrow ode to chilling

The German racing driver’s memorial site is in a fitting location, close to a fast-paced autobahn

As the second coming of Donald Trump threatens a sell-out of Kyiv, Europe finds itself pondering events of 75 years ago

A 1532 first edition of Machiavelli’s The Prince, which are vanishingly hard to come by, has just come on the market

The forgotten Scottish philosopher’s legacy resurfaced last week when his historic cello was played for the first time in 220 years

The 643 villagers of Oradour-sur-Glane were wiped out by the Nazis. Untouched by order of de Gaulle, the place where they lived and died is now a shrine

Two stunning exhibitions at the Helmut Newton Foundation celebrate the great photographer and the city he escaped from

An empty square in the centre of the German capital gives a warning from the recent past

My first Berlin adventure began at Checkpoint Charlie. My second began in Islington

Bonhoeffer fought against exclusion and for those who couldn’t fight for themselves

A new museum in Giza reminds us of Europe’s deepest origins

The present inhabitants of Overloon and Venray definitely do not forget the battle to liberate their villages

First came a devastating flood.. then a city’s battle to save its cultural heritage

The global north needs to be building friendships with as many of our former colonies as possible

The art school embodied a renewed liberal spirit in the Weimar Republic but also had complex intersections with the Nazi Party

The photographer’s extraordinary images of ordinary lives get a new showing in her centenary year

Europe's greatest ever treasure hunt is over, leaving thousands bereft

The Frenchman won seven Grand Slam singles titles in the 1920s before becoming an innovator in the world of sportswear and tennis equipment

In Fanø, a tiny island off Denmark’s west coast, signs of the second world war endure for residents today

The Yugoslav autocrat cultivated his international statesman image aboard a yacht where he hosted celebrities and dictators

The exhibition that the artist planned finally arrives in London, 119 years late

The French photographer took half a million pictures in his life. It took only one to restore his reputation and bring him wealth and controversy

Photographer Christoph Irrgang returns to the sites where masterpieces were painted to see how much they have changed

Seventy years ago at White City, a thrilling 5,000 metres established the concept of live televised events beamed across the continent

For Generation X, it lives on in Scottish politics, culture and memory