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The Vasa Museum, Stockholm Print
By Jonny Mardling   
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
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In the early 17th century Sweden was busy building and empire around the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. Consequntly, a strong navy was essential. During the 1620s, Sweden was at war with Poland, and in 1625 King Gustavus Adolphus ordered new warships - among them the Vasa.

In 1628 the ship was ready. Sunday 10th August was the day of the her maiden voyage. She set sail and fired a salute, but after only a few minutes of being under way the ship began to list. Water started to gush in through the gun ports, and to everyone's horror and disbelief the mighty warship sank with approximately 150 people aboard.

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Going Underground In Berlin Print
(2 votes, average 4.50 out of 5)
By Jonny Mardling   
Thursday, 09 July 2009
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You wouldn’t give the two green steel doors any thought as you climb the stairs at Gesundbrunnen U-Bahn (underground) station in Berlin. If you even noticed them, you might simply think that they were to provide access to the workings of the underground railway system. But thanks to the Berliner Unterwelten Association (Berlin Underworld Association), a non-profit organisation made up of people from all walks of life, the mystery of what lies behind these innocuous doors is revealed. And as is often the case, looks can be more than deceiving. As you enter what was the airlock (whilst gas had effectively been outlawed, both sides possessed such weapons, and there was of course the danger of fire) of the Gesundbrunnen bunker, you are taking a step back more than 60 years into some of the darkest days of the 20th Century.

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