2556 - Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Magdeburg is the capital city of Saxony-Anhalt. It was founded by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. He was buried in the city's cathedral after his death.

Magdeburg has been destroyed twice. In 1631 the Catholic League sacked the city resulting in the death of 25 000 non-combatants during the Thirty Years War. Magdeburg was a Protestant city as most of the citizenry turned Protestant in 1524. Once the soldiers entered Magdeburg, they set fire to single houses to smoke out people. Wind fanned the flames and 1700 of the 1900 buildings were destroyed. Soldiers went out of control after the fire died down. They had not been paid and began looting the city. When people couldn't give the soldiers anything, they began to beat, skewer, and hang people, as well as gang rape minors and commit torture. Only 20% of residents survived. The bodies were dumped into the Elbe River so as to prevent disease.

Magdeburg was also heavily bombed by British and American forces in World War II. Magdeburg produced synthetic oil and was thus targeted. On January 16, 1945, the Royal Air Force destroyed much of the city during a bombing raid. Up to 2500 civilians were killed. On July 1, 1945, the city was a part of the Soviet Zone of Occupation. Many of the remaining buildings were destroyed by the Soviets, while others were left unoccupied to decay over time. .

Magdeburg became the capital of Saxony-Anhalt in 1990 after the reunification of Germany. In 2005 it celebrated its 1200th anniversary.

3227 - Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Mölln is a small city of about 20 000 located in northern Germany. The Elbe-Lübeck Canal flows through the town, and there are eight small lakes that surround the city. It was founded in the 12th century and was a part of the Old Salt Route. Salt that was produced in the salt mines of Lower-Saxony was shipped to the Baltic Sea. Till Eulenspiegel, a legendary trickster known for exposing vices and provoking thought, is said to have lived in Mölln the last year of his life. He apparently died of the plague in 1350, but his existence has never been proven. Mölln has several monuments dedicated to him.

3322 - Hamburg, Germany

Happy birthday to me! What a lovely handmade card from the sender. Beautiful penmanship. Am Rothenbaum is the site of the main court of the German Open Tennis Championships. The International German Open has been played at the Rothernbaum since 1892, making it Germany's longest running tennis tournament. The current stadium was built in 1999 and can hold 13 200 people.

3232 - Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States of America

The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal North Pierhead Light was built in 1882. There were nine keepers of the light until 1897. It was redesigned in 1903 and is 12 meters high. The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal was started in 1872 and wasn't opened for large-scale watercraft until 1890. The canal is 2.1 kilometers long that goes from Sturgeon Bay in Lake Michigan to Green Bay. There are no locks on this canal. The canal was sold to the United States government in 1893 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the canal.

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