The innkeeper's son, Thierry Hermes, was born in 1801 in Krefeld on the Lower Rhine. He emigrated to Paris and founded a business that soon produced luxury leather goods.
Since Putin became Russian president, the number of deaths among his critics has increased. Demonstrations against right-wing extremism and for democracy will take place again in many German cities this weekend. The editorial team at SPIEGEL History recommends: Finally a grave: How two Spanish sisters were finally able to bury the remains of their grandfather.