Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) von Braun, Wernher vôn broun [key], 1912–77, German-American rocket scientist and astronautics engineer, b. Germany, grad. Berlin Technological Institute (B.S., 1932), Univ. of Berlin (Ph.D., 1934)...

(Encyclopedia) Johannes von Saaz (Johannes von Tepl) yōhänˈəs fən zäts, tĕpˈəl [key], c.1350–c.1414, Bohemian humanist and writer. Johannes is best known for his powerful work Der Ackermann aus Böhmen (c...

(Encyclopedia) Kulmbach, Hans von häns fən ko͝olmˈbäkh [key], c.1480–1522, German painter and graphic artist. His real name was Hans Süss. In general his work reveals the influence of Dürer, but he had litt...

(Encyclopedia) Lenbach, Franz von fränts fən lānˈbäkh [key], 1836–1904, German portrait painter. He studied in Munich and Rome and from 1863 to 1868 worked as a copyist of old masters in Italy and Spain. His ...

(Encyclopedia) Baeyer, Adolf von (Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer) äˈdôlf fən bāˈyər; yōhänˈ frēˈdrĭkh vĭlˈhĕlm [key], 1835–1917, German chemist. He taught at Berlin and Strasbourg and in...

(Encyclopedia) Gottfried von Strassburg gôtˈfrēt fən shträsˈbo͝orkh [key], fl. 13th cent., German poet, also called Godfrey of Strasbourg. He is thought to have been official scribe of Strasbourg, but little ...

(Encyclopedia) Caprivi Strip tsĭpˈfəl [key] [Ger. Zipfel=tip, point], region, c.300 mi (480 km) long and 50 mi (80 km) wide, NE Namibia, bordered on the N by Angola and Zambia and on the S by Botswana. It is name...

(Encyclopedia) Delbrück, Rudolf von dĕlˈbrük [key], 1817–1903, German statesman. He served (1857–76) under Bismarck as president of the chancellery of the North German Confederation (1866–71) and, after 1...

(Encyclopedia) Magellan, Ferdinand məjelˈən [key], Port. Fernão de Magalhães, Span. Fernando de Magallanes, c.1480–1521, Portuguese navigator who sailed for Portugal and Spain. Born of a noble family, he was ...

(Encyclopedia) Mackensen, August von ouˈgo͝ost fən mäˈkənzən [key], 1849–1945, German field marshal. In World War I he defeated the Russians in the battle of the Masurian Lakes (1914–15), conducted succes...