May 21, 2020 • 10 mins
Today's tour through the Cabinet celebrates 200 episodes by going deep into historic collections. Careful, though, because things get a little meta along the way.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Aaron Benky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is
full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book,
all of these amazing tales are right there on display,
just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet
(00:27):
of Curiosities. The Catholic Church has existed for nearly two millennia.
It's one of the oldest religious institutions in the West,
and an organization with such history is bound to have
a few secrets. For example, the Freemason's got their start
(00:51):
during the Middle Ages and are as mysterious today as
they were back then. Yet the symbols they leave behind
are everywhere. The square and compass has been spotted on
structures all over the world as evidence of Masonic involvements
in their construction. Other symbols, however, invite further investigation. Just
turn over a dollar bill and you'll see the Eye
(01:13):
of Horace, also known as the All Scene I Many
see that as a Masonic nod to the supreme architect
of the universe, but its true purpose on the bill
is unknown. Other secrets, though, are not so public. For
the Catholic Church. Those secrets are stored in a heavily
guarded vault beneath Vatican City known as the Secret Archives.
(01:33):
The Archives were established in sixteen twelve, and over the
centuries their contents have changed ownership and location. Today they
make up a fifty three mile long repository of papal documents, ledgers,
and other historical artifacts, all of it kept locked away underground.
Do you want to see Michelangelo's invoice for his work
(01:54):
on the Sistine Chapel or the court transcripts from Galileo's trial.
If you're lucky enough or privileged enough, you might get
to see them. But there's something else stored within the archives,
something the Church never wanted anyone else to see. But
one person found it and it changed his life. His
name was Genrik Mavrakiyevitch Ludwig, and he was a scientist
(02:16):
who had been held during the nineteen forties in a
Russian gulag. He had studied numerous disciplines, including architecture and
ancient languages, as well as mysticism, all while working as
a teacher, but he was also arrested and tortured, accused
of being a spy for the Vatican, perhaps because of
the documents he possessed. You see, Ludwig was fascinated by
(02:38):
ancient civilizations, especially the Sumerians. In the nineteen twenties, he
was allowed into the Vatican to leaf through their secret archives,
but rather than pour over the financial details of Michelangelo's
greatest work of art, he chose to examine some lesser
known documents. Between the covers of several manuscripts, Ludwig claimed
that he learned that the Earth had been visited by
(02:59):
extra trust life forms thousands of years earlier. According to
the texts, their presence helped to shape the directions of
the ancient Egyptians, the Mesopotamians, and even the Mayonds. The
Pyramids of Giza. The documents claimed that they weren't really tombs,
but energy machines built for the benefit of the strange visitors.
What type of energy they were meant to create, well,
(03:20):
no one knows. There were photographs too, and drawings kept there,
including pictures of what remained of the walls of Babylon.
Those had been destroyed, melted even by what was described
as a fiery pillar. Ludwig naturally believed the pillar was
a nuclear blast from some alien weapon. He didn't take
any of the documentation with him, of course, there would
(03:43):
have been no way to smuggle it out of the
archives without someone noticing. He did, though, managed to get
photographs of a few pages, while others he transcribed from memory.
As soon as he got home. In the years before
his arrest, Ludwig would show his students what he had learned.
His wife was also well aware of his obsession. In fact,
she had been the one to turn him into the
(04:04):
Soviet secret police in the first place. While he was
incarcerated in the gulag during World War Two, Ludwig distracted
his mind by creating over a dozen military inventions. He
came up with things like a soundproof testing area for
airplane engines and a safe way for troops to hurl
bombs at tank set close range. Ludwig was a tortured
(04:25):
man in more ways than one. His spouse had betrayed him,
his country had turned on him, and he was cursed
with knowledge that no one else would take seriously. But
he knew deep down that the answer to all of
life's important questions could be answered, yet no one would
believe him. I suppose that's to be expected, though, after all,
(04:45):
his ideas were quite literally out of this world. Author
William Gibson defined a new breed of science fiction with
(05:06):
his short stories and novels. His blend of technology with
everyday life predates the Internet age, but rings truer now
than it ever has before. The idea of humans connecting
to computers the way we do today was unheard of.
Back then. Technology was meant to be a tool to
help us advance our minds. Today it's become an extension
of our minds themselves, and in some ways as even
(05:28):
surpassed them. Gibson once wrote, we are that strange species
that constructs artifacts intended to counter the natural flow of forgetting.
You see, we don't forget anymore. The Internet is forever
Our pocket cameras capture every moment as they happen, saved
to some nebulous cloud for all eternity. Before smartphones and
(05:51):
the web, though, there was a time when our memories
were curated. We stored them in photo albums, we displayed
them on a mantle above our fireplace, and if it
were curious enough, we kept them somewhere else Entirely in
the middle of the sixteenth century, Archduke Ferdinand the Second
ruled Outer Austria from Ambrus Castle. The enormous palace resided
(06:11):
in Innsbruck and was treated more like a museum than
a mansion. In the Spanish hall of the castle, Ferdinand
kept twenty seven portraits of the rulers of Tyrril, a
region of the Alps that was later dissolved after World
War One. He also had a vast collection of armor
and weapons on display, primarily throughout the lower castle. He
wanted to honor the memories of great commanders whose armor
(06:34):
he possessed, while also demonstrating the historical importance of German
military gear. In the upper castle was the Habsburg Portrait Gallery,
a collection that has grown to almost three hundred paintings
over the last four hundred years. The portraits depicted the
great rulers of the Habsburgs as well as the Holy
Roman Empire. A short walk from the portrait gallery were
(06:55):
other collections as well, including an exhibit devoted to glass
from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, Gothic sculptures, and frescos.
It's safe to say that the Archduke was quite the collector,
but perhaps his greatest collection was in the lower Castle.
The Chamber of Art and Wonders held some of the
most incredible paintings of historical figures found anywhere in the world.
(07:19):
For example, one of the portraits on display is that
of Petrus Gonzalvo's also known as the Man of the Woods.
You might remember him as Pedro Gonzalez, the Spanish nobleman
who was born with hypotrichosis, a condition that caused large
amounts of hair to sprout all over his body. Then
there's a portrait of Gregor Baki, a Hungarian soldier, also
(07:40):
displayed in the chamber. According to the stories, Baki had
either been in the midst of battle or performing in
a jousting tournament when he was impaled by a lance
through his right eye and miraculously lived. Ivory sculptures, carved
with ornate designs, crystals, rare coins, weapons, and odd musical
instruments make up a sizable portion of this collection, as
(08:03):
did various corals, bronze animals, and automatons. However, much of
it was devoted to paintings. One in particular has garnered
a lot of attention since it's unveiling. It is a
portrait of a man with long brownish black hair and
a mustache that stretches across the width of his face.
He wears a red cap adorned with a large jewel
(08:24):
set against a golden star or sun. Even his red
coats is fastened with gold clasps and a matching color.
The painting subject has been described as the personification of evil, and,
thanks to his reputation for cruelty, was immortalized in one
of the most famous tales ever told. His name was
Vlad Tepees, also known as Vlad the Impaler, but you
(08:47):
probably know him as one of the inspirations behind the
character of Dracula. The Chamber of Art and Wonders at
Ambras Castle still exists in its original location. Many other
collections have been moved to other facilities or dismantled over
the years, making this particular kunst Kammer the oldest of
its kind in the world. Oh and about that word.
(09:10):
Kunst kama is a German word with a very special meaning.
It translates roughly as an early type of museum where
strange objects were exhibited. But for you and I, it's
a little more personal, isn't it, Because in a lot
of ways it symbolizes the four hundred people, places, and
artifacts that have had their stories told by me to
(09:31):
listeners like you all over the world. Yes, Kunstkammer is
a funny word, but around here we call it by
a different name, A Cabinet of Curiosities. I hope you've
enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe
(09:51):
for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the
show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was
created by me, Aaron Mankey in partnership with how Stuff Works.
I make another award winning show called Lore, which is
a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can
learn all about it over at the World of Lore
(10:12):
dot com. And until next time, stay curious. Yeah,
Welcome to Aaron Benky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is
full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book,
all of these amazing tales are right there on display,
just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet
(00:27):
of Curiosities. The Catholic Church has existed for nearly two millennia.
It's one of the oldest religious institutions in the West,
and an organization with such history is bound to have
a few secrets. For example, the Freemason's got their start
(00:51):
during the Middle Ages and are as mysterious today as
they were back then. Yet the symbols they leave behind
are everywhere. The square and compass has been spotted on
structures all over the world as evidence of Masonic involvements
in their construction. Other symbols, however, invite further investigation. Just
turn over a dollar bill and you'll see the Eye
(01:13):
of Horace, also known as the All Scene I Many
see that as a Masonic nod to the supreme architect
of the universe, but its true purpose on the bill
is unknown. Other secrets, though, are not so public. For
the Catholic Church. Those secrets are stored in a heavily
guarded vault beneath Vatican City known as the Secret Archives.
(01:33):
The Archives were established in sixteen twelve, and over the
centuries their contents have changed ownership and location. Today they
make up a fifty three mile long repository of papal documents, ledgers,
and other historical artifacts, all of it kept locked away underground.
Do you want to see Michelangelo's invoice for his work
(01:54):
on the Sistine Chapel or the court transcripts from Galileo's trial.
If you're lucky enough or privileged enough, you might get
to see them. But there's something else stored within the archives,
something the Church never wanted anyone else to see. But
one person found it and it changed his life. His
name was Genrik Mavrakiyevitch Ludwig, and he was a scientist
(02:16):
who had been held during the nineteen forties in a
Russian gulag. He had studied numerous disciplines, including architecture and
ancient languages, as well as mysticism, all while working as
a teacher, but he was also arrested and tortured, accused
of being a spy for the Vatican, perhaps because of
the documents he possessed. You see, Ludwig was fascinated by
(02:38):
ancient civilizations, especially the Sumerians. In the nineteen twenties, he
was allowed into the Vatican to leaf through their secret archives,
but rather than pour over the financial details of Michelangelo's
greatest work of art, he chose to examine some lesser
known documents. Between the covers of several manuscripts, Ludwig claimed
that he learned that the Earth had been visited by
(02:59):
extra trust life forms thousands of years earlier. According to
the texts, their presence helped to shape the directions of
the ancient Egyptians, the Mesopotamians, and even the Mayonds. The
Pyramids of Giza. The documents claimed that they weren't really tombs,
but energy machines built for the benefit of the strange visitors.
What type of energy they were meant to create, well,
(03:20):
no one knows. There were photographs too, and drawings kept there,
including pictures of what remained of the walls of Babylon.
Those had been destroyed, melted even by what was described
as a fiery pillar. Ludwig naturally believed the pillar was
a nuclear blast from some alien weapon. He didn't take
any of the documentation with him, of course, there would
(03:43):
have been no way to smuggle it out of the
archives without someone noticing. He did, though, managed to get
photographs of a few pages, while others he transcribed from memory.
As soon as he got home. In the years before
his arrest, Ludwig would show his students what he had learned.
His wife was also well aware of his obsession. In fact,
she had been the one to turn him into the
(04:04):
Soviet secret police in the first place. While he was
incarcerated in the gulag during World War Two, Ludwig distracted
his mind by creating over a dozen military inventions. He
came up with things like a soundproof testing area for
airplane engines and a safe way for troops to hurl
bombs at tank set close range. Ludwig was a tortured
(04:25):
man in more ways than one. His spouse had betrayed him,
his country had turned on him, and he was cursed
with knowledge that no one else would take seriously. But
he knew deep down that the answer to all of
life's important questions could be answered, yet no one would
believe him. I suppose that's to be expected, though, after all,
(04:45):
his ideas were quite literally out of this world. Author
William Gibson defined a new breed of science fiction with
(05:06):
his short stories and novels. His blend of technology with
everyday life predates the Internet age, but rings truer now
than it ever has before. The idea of humans connecting
to computers the way we do today was unheard of.
Back then. Technology was meant to be a tool to
help us advance our minds. Today it's become an extension
of our minds themselves, and in some ways as even
(05:28):
surpassed them. Gibson once wrote, we are that strange species
that constructs artifacts intended to counter the natural flow of forgetting.
You see, we don't forget anymore. The Internet is forever
Our pocket cameras capture every moment as they happen, saved
to some nebulous cloud for all eternity. Before smartphones and
(05:51):
the web, though, there was a time when our memories
were curated. We stored them in photo albums, we displayed
them on a mantle above our fireplace, and if it
were curious enough, we kept them somewhere else Entirely in
the middle of the sixteenth century, Archduke Ferdinand the Second
ruled Outer Austria from Ambrus Castle. The enormous palace resided
(06:11):
in Innsbruck and was treated more like a museum than
a mansion. In the Spanish hall of the castle, Ferdinand
kept twenty seven portraits of the rulers of Tyrril, a
region of the Alps that was later dissolved after World
War One. He also had a vast collection of armor
and weapons on display, primarily throughout the lower castle. He
wanted to honor the memories of great commanders whose armor
(06:34):
he possessed, while also demonstrating the historical importance of German
military gear. In the upper castle was the Habsburg Portrait Gallery,
a collection that has grown to almost three hundred paintings
over the last four hundred years. The portraits depicted the
great rulers of the Habsburgs as well as the Holy
Roman Empire. A short walk from the portrait gallery were
(06:55):
other collections as well, including an exhibit devoted to glass
from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, Gothic sculptures, and frescos.
It's safe to say that the Archduke was quite the collector,
but perhaps his greatest collection was in the lower Castle.
The Chamber of Art and Wonders held some of the
most incredible paintings of historical figures found anywhere in the world.
(07:19):
For example, one of the portraits on display is that
of Petrus Gonzalvo's also known as the Man of the Woods.
You might remember him as Pedro Gonzalez, the Spanish nobleman
who was born with hypotrichosis, a condition that caused large
amounts of hair to sprout all over his body. Then
there's a portrait of Gregor Baki, a Hungarian soldier, also
(07:40):
displayed in the chamber. According to the stories, Baki had
either been in the midst of battle or performing in
a jousting tournament when he was impaled by a lance
through his right eye and miraculously lived. Ivory sculptures, carved
with ornate designs, crystals, rare coins, weapons, and odd musical
instruments make up a sizable portion of this collection, as
(08:03):
did various corals, bronze animals, and automatons. However, much of
it was devoted to paintings. One in particular has garnered
a lot of attention since it's unveiling. It is a
portrait of a man with long brownish black hair and
a mustache that stretches across the width of his face.
He wears a red cap adorned with a large jewel
(08:24):
set against a golden star or sun. Even his red
coats is fastened with gold clasps and a matching color.
The painting subject has been described as the personification of evil, and,
thanks to his reputation for cruelty, was immortalized in one
of the most famous tales ever told. His name was
Vlad Tepees, also known as Vlad the Impaler, but you
(08:47):
probably know him as one of the inspirations behind the
character of Dracula. The Chamber of Art and Wonders at
Ambras Castle still exists in its original location. Many other
collections have been moved to other facilities or dismantled over
the years, making this particular kunst Kammer the oldest of
its kind in the world. Oh and about that word.
(09:10):
Kunst kama is a German word with a very special meaning.
It translates roughly as an early type of museum where
strange objects were exhibited. But for you and I, it's
a little more personal, isn't it, Because in a lot
of ways it symbolizes the four hundred people, places, and
artifacts that have had their stories told by me to
(09:31):
listeners like you all over the world. Yes, Kunstkammer is
a funny word, but around here we call it by
a different name, A Cabinet of Curiosities. I hope you've
enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe
(09:51):
for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the
show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was
created by me, Aaron Mankey in partnership with how Stuff Works.
I make another award winning show called Lore, which is
a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can
learn all about it over at the World of Lore
(10:12):
dot com. And until next time, stay curious. Yeah,
Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities News
Host
Aaron Mahnke
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