Persepolis 3D

I realized recently that I forgot to write about one interesting project after visiting the British Museum in London during the summer last year. The amazing project is about the virtual reconstruction of the antic city of Persepolis by using computer animation and other modern techniques. For more information about the project, you can read here.

Today the ruins and remaining part of Persepolis lie in Iran at the foot of Kuh-i-Rahmat (Mountain of Mercy) about 650 km south of Teheran. Persepolis was founded by emperor  Darius I in 518 BC and  the city was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It presents an example of the dynastic city which also was burned by the Greeks of Alexander the Great in 330. For more info you can find on the UNESCO: s webpage.

Some videos about the impressive reconstruction project. 

Little bit of history from Brussel

Recently I was in Brussel, so I visited the Brussel City Museum, which at the moment has a special exhibition about the WWI. It is connected to the period when the city was under the control of German authorities after Belgium was occupied in the august of 1914. The exhibition provided many caricatures showing contemporary opinions on everyday life in the city. 

The general mobilisation of Brussels citizens.

 The Belgian reaction on the German ultimatum demanding the movement of German troops through Belgium which was against Belgium's status as a neutral country.

 The German Huns 

A Belgian soldier from the colony of Congo telling his family about the savage Europeans.

Rationing card for butter.

 The Queue.

Wartime board game. It shows the difficulties such as black market and police controls during the time of rationing.

Rationing coupon for soup and bread.

Pictures above and below. Caricatures of Belgian men being forced to work in Germany during the war.

Geography lesson on the left. Which country has the most significant numbers of pigs? Answer: Germany. 

 The map of Europe.

A propaganda leaf from the Germany army. The message was that the German soldiers were under attack from the civilian shooters during the campaign in Belgium. This was a way of justifying the measures taken by the army towards the civilians, such as using hostages during urban fighting and execution of suspected shooters.

Bayonets Down! A source of "anti-militarism" in France before WWI

Anti-militaristic propaganda posters that were torn down by the police in Lille in 1914. This poster was sent from the Swedish military attache in Paris to his General Staff as an example of the anti-military agitation. The organization behind was called l'Association  internationale antimilitariste. On the poster, it was written (bad French translation) : Soldiers you should shoot on those who will dare to order you to shoot on your brothers of misery.

Today we remember those who died during the Great War and declaration of ceasefire at 11 o'clock on 11th November of 1918. 

Brothers in Arms  RIP 

On the left and right: A French and a German soldier shaking hands.