History's Mysteries

a few secrets. For example, the Freemason's got their start 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 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.

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 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 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

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

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,

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 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 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 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, his ideas were quite literally out of this world. Author William Gibson defined a new breed of science fiction with 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 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

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 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 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. 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 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 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 dot com. And until next time, stay curious. Yeah,