[gothic-l] _Storm over Europe_ - A Short Review

[Bertil Haggman]

Pleased to provide some more information on Peter
Arens _Storm over Europe_. It is already in its second edition (Econ
List Ullstein Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Munich) in 2002.

"Dem vorliegenden buch liegt die Fernsehserie
des ZDF _Sturm ueber Europa. Die Voelkerwanderung_
zugrunde. Der Autor dankt herzlich all denen, die ihm
bereitwillig ihre Forschungsmaterialen zur Verfuegung
gestellt und ihm mit ihrem Rat gestanden haben, ins-
besondere Prof. Herwig Wolfram, Wien."

The author concludes that "Die Goten sind zweifelsohne
das schilerndste Volk der germanischen Welt." To the great
reputation of the Goths contributed also that the Gothic
language was the oldest of all Germanic languages.

One of the most common researcher mentioned on this
list, Bierbrauer, cannot be found in the selected bibliography.

A reliable scholar is however mentioned, Alexander Demandt,
whose _Der Fall Roms. Die Aufloesung des roemischen Reichs im Urteil
der Nachwelt_. Muenchen 1984, can be recommended.

A chapter deals with the Visigoths in Spain, the first nation
in Europe, so the author. The historians regard the Visgothic kingdom
as the most perfect successor state of the West Roman empire,
the first "national" kingdom of the Middle Ages.

Especially fascinating in the TV-series was the recreation of
Reccopolis, a city northeast of Toledo, from which Reccared,
the son of Leovigild, was to rule the kingdom. The Visigoths
took over the old right of the Roman emperor to found cities.
It was only the Vandal King Hunerich, who had attempted
the same feat, by renaming Unricopolis for himself.
Another example is The(o)dericopolis, named after Theoderich
the Great.

Reccopolis has been in focus of Spanish scholars since 1944.
An interesting claim in the book is that there are 2,000 Spanish
placenames related to mainly, one can assume, th Visigoths.

Gothically

Bertil Haggman



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