
{"id":2707,"date":"2018-12-19T14:26:08","date_gmt":"2018-12-19T13:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"\/blog\/?p=2707"},"modified":"2019-03-13T15:18:59","modified_gmt":"2019-03-13T14:18:59","slug":"christmas-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/blog\/2018\/12\/19\/christmas-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Island"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Christmas Island<\/h1>\n<p><strong>&#8222;Christmas Island&#8220; \u2013 what kind of an island can that be? Do men with white beards and red bathrobes live there, constantly celebrating Christmas? Are presents exchanged every day? Does it never stop snowing there? Is this where heavenly peace reigns? The historian Robert Kluth has researched the history of the island for our blog.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I am curious so I enter the name in a search engine and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Christmas_Island\" target=\"_blank\">read<\/a> that Christmas Island is in the Indian Ocean south of Java; lowest temperature 23\u00b0 C. (73\u00b0 F.). This means no snow. It is surrounded by an azure blue sea, with high cliffs covered with palm trees. I begin to imagine a kind of Robinson Crusoe idyll. Presents beneath palm trees, not exactly your typical Christmas.<\/p>\n<style id=\"bwg-style-0\">    #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .bwg-container-0.bwg-standard-thumbnails {      width: 628px;              justify-content: center;        margin:0 auto !important;              background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00);            padding-left: 4px;      padding-top: 4px;      max-width: 100%;            }        #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .bwg-container-0.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-item {    justify-content: flex-start;      max-width: 156px;            width: 156px !important;          }    #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .bwg-container-0.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-item a {       margin-right: 4px;       margin-bottom: 4px;    }    #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .bwg-container-0.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-item0 {      padding: 0px;            background-color:rgba(255,255,255, 0.30);      border: 0px none #CCCCCC;      opacity: 1.00;      border-radius: 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data-current-url=\"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2707\"         data-lightbox-url=\"\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php?action=GalleryBox&#038;current_view=0&#038;gallery_id=27&#038;tag=0&#038;theme_id=1&#038;shortcode_id=52&#038;sort_by=order&#038;order_by=asc&#038;current_url=%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F2707\"         data-gallery-id=\"27\"         data-popup-width=\"800\"         data-popup-height=\"500\"         data-is-album=\"gallery\"         data-buttons-position=\"bottom\">      <div id=\"bwg_container2_0\">             <div id=\"ajax_loading_0\" class=\"bwg_loading_div_1\">      <div class=\"bwg_loading_div_2\">        <div class=\"bwg_loading_div_3\">          <div id=\"loading_div_0\" class=\"bwg_spider_ajax_loading\">          <\/div>        <\/div>      <\/div>    <\/div>            <form id=\"gal_front_form_0\"              class=\"bwg-hidden\"              method=\"post\"              action=\"#\"              data-current=\"0\"              data-shortcode-id=\"52\"              data-gallery-type=\"thumbnails\"              data-gallery-id=\"27\"              data-tag=\"0\"              data-album-id=\"0\"              data-theme-id=\"1\"              data-ajax-url=\"\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php?action=bwg_frontend_data\">          <div id=\"bwg_container3_0\" class=\"bwg-background bwg-background-0\">                <div data-max-count=\"4\"         data-thumbnail-width=\"156\"         data-bwg=\"0\"         data-gallery-id=\"27\"         data-lightbox-url=\"\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php?action=GalleryBox&amp;current_view=0&amp;gallery_id=27&amp;tag=0&amp;theme_id=1&amp;shortcode_id=52&amp;sort_by=order&amp;order_by=asc&amp;current_url=%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F2707\"         id=\"bwg_thumbnails_0\"         class=\"bwg-container-0 bwg-thumbnails bwg-standard-thumbnails bwg-container bwg-border-box\">            <div class=\"bwg-item\">        <a class=\"bwg-a  bwg_lightbox\"  data-image-id=\"115\" href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-gallery\/TEX06363.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"no\">                <div class=\"bwg-item0 \">          <div class=\"bwg-item1 \">            <div class=\"bwg-item2\">              <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy bwg_standart_thumb_img_0 \"                   data-id=\"115\"                   data-width=\"\"                   data-height=\"\"                   data-src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-gallery\/thumb\/TEX06363.jpg\"                   src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-gallery\/thumb\/TEX06363.jpg\"                   alt=\"Christbaumschmuck, Tukan, Guatemala, 1993 \u00a9 DHM\"                   title=\"Christbaumschmuck, Tukan, Guatemala, 1993 \u00a9 DHM\" \/>            <\/div>            <div class=\"\">                                                      <\/div>          <\/div>        <\/div>                        <\/a>              <\/div>            <div class=\"bwg-item\">        <a class=\"bwg-a  bwg_lightbox\"  data-image-id=\"114\" href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-gallery\/TEX06361.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"no\">                <div class=\"bwg-item0 \">          <div class=\"bwg-item1 \">            <div class=\"bwg-item2\">              <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy bwg_standart_thumb_img_0 \"                   data-id=\"114\"                   data-width=\"\"                   data-height=\"\"                   data-src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-gallery\/thumb\/TEX06361.jpg\"                   src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-gallery\/thumb\/TEX06361.jpg\"                   alt=\"Christbaumschmuck, Tropischer Vogel, Guatemala, 1993 \u00a9 DHM\"                   title=\"Christbaumschmuck, Tropischer Vogel, Guatemala, 1993 \u00a9 DHM\" \/>            <\/div>            <div class=\"\">                                                      <\/div>          <\/div>        <\/div>                        <\/a>              <\/div>            <div class=\"bwg-item\">        <a class=\"bwg-a  bwg_lightbox\"  data-image-id=\"113\" href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-gallery\/TEX04961.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"no\">                <div class=\"bwg-item0 \">          <div class=\"bwg-item1 \">            <div class=\"bwg-item2\">              <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy bwg_standart_thumb_img_0 \"                   data-id=\"113\"                   data-width=\"\"                   data-height=\"\"                   data-src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-gallery\/thumb\/TEX04961.jpg\"                   src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-gallery\/thumb\/TEX04961.jpg\"                   alt=\"Christbaumschmuck, Kokosnuss, Asien, 1994 \u00a9 DHM \"                   title=\"Christbaumschmuck, Kokosnuss, Asien, 1994 \u00a9 DHM \" \/>            <\/div>            <div class=\"\">                                                      <\/div>          <\/div>        <\/div>                        <\/a>              <\/div>          <\/div>    <style>      \/*pagination styles*\/      #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .tablenav-pages_0 {\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\t\t\t\tfont-size: 12px;\t\t\t\tfont-family: segoe ui;\t\t\t\tfont-weight: bold;\t\t\t\tcolor: #666666;\t\t\t\tmargin: 6px 0 4px;\t\t\t\tdisplay: block;      }      @media only screen and (max-width : 320px) {      #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .displaying-num_0 {     \t display: none;      }      }      #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .displaying-num_0 {\t\t\t\tfont-size: 12px;\t\t\t\tfont-family: segoe ui;\t\t\t\tfont-weight: bold;\t\t\t\tcolor: #666666;\t\t\t\tmargin-right: 10px;\t\t\t\tvertical-align: middle;      }      #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .paging-input_0 {\t\t\t\tfont-size: 12px;\t\t\t\tfont-family: segoe ui;\t\t\t\tfont-weight: bold;\t\t\t\tcolor: #666666;\t\t\t\tvertical-align: middle;      }      #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .tablenav-pages_0 a.disabled,      #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .tablenav-pages_0 a.disabled:hover,      #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .tablenav-pages_0 a.disabled:focus,\t\t\t#bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .tablenav-pages_0 input.bwg_current_page {\t\t\t\tcursor: default;\t\t\t\tcolor: rgba(102, 102, 102, 0.5);      }      #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .tablenav-pages_0 a,      #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 .tablenav-pages_0 input.bwg_current_page {\t\t\t\tcursor: pointer;\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\t\t\t\tfont-size: 12px;\t\t\t\tfont-family: segoe ui;\t\t\t\tfont-weight: bold;\t\t\t\tcolor: #666666;\t\t\t\ttext-decoration: none;\t\t\t\tpadding: 3px 6px;\t\t\t\tmargin: 0;\t\t\t\tborder-radius: 0;\t\t\t\tborder-style: solid;\t\t\t\tborder-width: 1px;\t\t\t\tborder-color: #E3E3E3;\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbackground-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1.00);\t\t\t\tbox-shadow: 0;\t\t\t\ttransition: all 0.3s ease 0s;-webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;      }      <\/style>      <span class=\"bwg_nav_cont_0\">              <div class=\"tablenav-pages_0\">                  <\/div>                <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"page_number_0\" name=\"page_number_0\" value=\"1\" \/>      <script type=\"text\/javascript\">        if( jQuery('.bwg_nav_cont_0').length > 1 ) {          jQuery('.bwg_nav_cont_0').first().remove()        }        function spider_page_0(cur, x, y, load_more) {          if (typeof load_more == \"undefined\") {            var load_more = false;          }          if (jQuery(cur).hasClass('disabled')) {            return false;          }          var items_county_0 = 1;          switch (y) {            case 1:              if (x >= items_county_0) {                document.getElementById('page_number_0').value = items_county_0;              }              else {                document.getElementById('page_number_0').value = x + 1;              }              break;            case 2:              document.getElementById('page_number_0').value = items_county_0;              break;            case -1:              if (x == 1) {                document.getElementById('page_number_0').value = 1;              }              else {                document.getElementById('page_number_0').value = x - 1;              }              break;            case -2:              document.getElementById('page_number_0').value = 1;              break;\t\t\t\t\t\tcase 0:              document.getElementById('page_number_0').value = x;              break;            default:              document.getElementById('page_number_0').value = 1;          }          bwg_ajax('gal_front_form_0', '0', 'bwg_thumbnails_0', '0', '', 'gallery', 0, '', '', load_more, '', 1);        }                    jQuery('.first-page-0').on('click', function () {              spider_page_0(this, 1, -2, 'numeric');              return false;            });            jQuery('.prev-page-0').on('click', function () {              spider_page_0(this, 1, -1, 'numeric');              return false;            });            jQuery('.next-page-0').on('click', function () {              spider_page_0(this, 1, 1, 'numeric');              return false;            });            jQuery('.last-page-0').on('click', function () {              spider_page_0(this, 1, 2, 'numeric');              return false;            });        \t\t\t\t\/* Change page on input enter. *\/        function bwg_change_page_0( e, that ) {          if (  e.key == 'Enter' ) {            var to_page = parseInt(jQuery(that).val());            var pages_count = jQuery(that).parents(\".pagination-links\").data(\"pages-count\");            var current_url_param = jQuery(that).attr('data-url-info');            if (to_page > pages_count) {              to_page = 1;            }\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tspider_page_0(this, to_page, 0, 'numeric');\t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn false;\t\t\t\t\t\t          }          return true;        }        jQuery('.bwg_load_btn_0').on('click', function () {            spider_page_0(this, 1, 1, true);            return false;        });      <\/script>      <\/span>                <\/div>        <\/form>        <style>          #bwg_container1_0 #bwg_container2_0 #spider_popup_overlay_0 {          background-color: #000000;          opacity: 0.70;          }          <\/style>        <div id=\"bwg_spider_popup_loading_0\" class=\"bwg_spider_popup_loading\"><\/div>        <div id=\"spider_popup_overlay_0\" class=\"spider_popup_overlay\" onclick=\"spider_destroypopup(1000)\"><\/div>        <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"bwg_random_seed_0\" value=\"812962630\">                <\/div>    <\/div>    <script>      if (document.readyState === 'complete') {        if( typeof bwg_main_ready == 'function' ) {          if ( jQuery(\"#bwg_container1_0\").height() ) {            bwg_main_ready(jQuery(\"#bwg_container1_0\"));          }        }      } else {        document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {          if( typeof bwg_main_ready == 'function' ) {            if ( jQuery(\"#bwg_container1_0\").height() ) {             bwg_main_ready(jQuery(\"#bwg_container1_0\"));            }          }        });      }    <\/script>    \n<p>375 years ago, an English captain of the East India Company was sailing across the Indian Ocean. Not too much is known about William Mynors, that was his name, and his voyage. I have been unable to find a picture of him, but in my mind\u2019s eye, I imagine an English captain with a weather-beaten face, maybe even with a white beard. He is lying in his bed and it\u2019s 3:00 o\u2019clock in the morning. A sailor storms into his cabin shouting \u201cLand Ahoy!\u201d Mynors brings the ship about and sees the island. The steep, tree-covered cliffs rise darkly from the sea. Later a trader will describe the island as <a href=\"http:\/\/edwardworthlibrary.ie\/Book-of-the-Month\/2013-Books-of-the-Month\/2013-December-Christmas-Island\/\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cexceedingly pleasant, being covered with lofty trees\u201d<\/a>. Perhaps Mynors sails around the island, but finds no place to lay anchor. The captain asks what date it is, or maybe he already knows. Despite the warm weather, today is Christmas, 25 December 1643, just past Christmas Eve. Mynors thinks for a minute and then enters in his logbook that they have discovered an island and <a href=\"https:\/\/shipstamps.co.uk\/forum\/viewtopic.php?f=2&amp;t=8415\" target=\"_blank\">\u201c\u2026 because it was Christmas Day we called it by the name of Christmas Island [sic].\u201d<\/a> What a beautiful name!<\/p>\n<p>For Europe Christmas is an important festival, even today. Christmas tells us \u201csomething\u201d, even if it is only \u201cfamily celebration\u201d. For a European captain and his crew far from home the name \u201cChristmas Island\u201d must have made them yearn for the homeland. After all, the ship was sailing through territory unknown to Europeans. To hear the name \u201cChristmas Island\u201d would make one think of snow, despite the tropical heat. It means something to every European, even if the island is so far away and the area so foreign.<\/p>\n<p>What would the English explorers have said if they had known that the island also had other names? Far into the 19<sup>th<\/sup> century it was also called \u201cMonij\/Moni\u201d or sometimes \u201cSelam\u201d, or \u201cCelan Isle\u201d. These exotic names can be found on maps from the 17<sup>th<\/sup> and 18<sup>th<\/sup> centuries. Jan Tent, an expert in place names, <a href=\"https:\/\/australiapostcollectables.com.au\/articles\/the-naming-of-christmas-island\" target=\"_blank\">speculates<\/a> that \u201cMonij\u201d probably comes from the Sanskrit word \u201cmuni\u201d (holy man, silent) and refers to the silence and remoteness of the island. He believes that \u201cSelam\u201d, on the other hand, most likely derives from the Javanese word \u201csela\u201d, meaning \u201cprecious stone\u201d, given the ubiquitous steep rocky coastline of Christmas Island. Would the Englishman Mynors have accepted one of these names on 25 December 1643? The captain and his crew appropriated the distant island as something of their own, captivated it with a Christian European name.<\/p>\n<p>Incidentally, the crew of the Royal Mary never set foot on the island. It was first in 1688 that the pirate and explorer William Dampier sent two small boats to land on the island. They returned with wood, birds and crabs. The place was uninhabited \u2013 no human lived on the island, which is about the size of 18,000 football fields. Until the 19<sup>th<\/sup> century it was not even clear whether there was one island or three at this place in the ocean. At this time there was still no independent geographical science with exact maps: the Europeans were still \u201cdiscovering\u201d the world, but not yet researching it (J\u00fcrgen Osterhammel). It was claimed that the names \u201cMonij\u201d and \u201cSelam\u201d stood for two other neighbouring islands, so that a map from the year 1707 shows three islands in this area, as can be seen on a modern <a href=\"https:\/\/australiapostcollectables.com.au\/content\/dam\/auspost_corp_microsites\/collectables\/stamp-issues-2017\/christmas-island-early-voyages\/gallery\/chrismas_island_early-voyages-mynors-voyage-1643.png.auspostimage.500*0.low.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Australian stamp<\/a>.<\/p>\n<style id=\"bwg-style-1\">    #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails {      width: 628px;              justify-content: center;        margin:0 auto !important;              background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00);            padding-left: 4px;      padding-top: 4px;      max-width: 100%;            }        #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-item {    justify-content: flex-start;      max-width: 156px;            width: 156px !important;          }    #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-item a {       margin-right: 4px;       margin-bottom: 4px;    }    #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-item0 {      padding: 0px;            background-color:rgba(255,255,255, 0.30);      border: 0px none #CCCCCC;      opacity: 1.00;      border-radius: 0;      box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #888888;    }    #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-item1 img {      max-height: none;      max-width: none;      padding: 0 !important;    }        @media only screen and (min-width: 480px) {      #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-item0 {        transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;-webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;      }      #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-item0:hover {        -ms-transform: scale(1.1);        -webkit-transform: scale(1.1);        transform: scale(1.1);      }    }          #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-item1 {      padding-top: 100%;    }        #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-title2,    #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-ecommerce2 {      color: #CCCCCC;      font-family: segoe ui;      font-size: 16px;      font-weight: bold;      padding: 2px;      text-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #888888;      max-height: 100%;    }    #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-thumb-description span {    color: #323A45;    font-family: Ubuntu;    font-size: 12px;    max-height: 100%;    word-wrap: break-word;    }    #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-play-icon2 {      font-size: 32px;    }    #bwg_container1_1 #bwg_container2_1 .bwg-container-1.bwg-standard-thumbnails .bwg-ecommerce2 {      font-size: 19.2px;      color: #CCCCCC;    }    <\/style>    <div id=\"bwg_container1_1\"         class=\"bwg_container bwg_thumbnail bwg_thumbnails \"         data-right-click-protection=\"1\"         data-bwg=\"1\"         data-scroll=\"0\"         data-gallery-type=\"thumbnails\"         data-gallery-view-type=\"thumbnails\"         data-current-url=\"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2707\"         data-lightbox-url=\"\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php?action=GalleryBox&#038;current_view=1&#038;gallery_id=28&#038;tag=0&#038;theme_id=1&#038;shortcode_id=53&#038;sort_by=order&#038;order_by=asc&#038;current_url=%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F2707\"         data-gallery-id=\"28\"         data-popup-width=\"800\"         data-popup-height=\"500\"         data-is-album=\"gallery\"         data-buttons-position=\"bottom\">      <div id=\"bwg_container2_1\">             <div id=\"ajax_loading_1\" 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#spider_popup_overlay_1 {          background-color: #000000;          opacity: 0.70;          }          <\/style>        <div id=\"bwg_spider_popup_loading_1\" class=\"bwg_spider_popup_loading\"><\/div>        <div id=\"spider_popup_overlay_1\" class=\"spider_popup_overlay\" onclick=\"spider_destroypopup(1000)\"><\/div>        <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"bwg_random_seed_1\" value=\"290303506\">                <\/div>    <\/div>    <script>      if (document.readyState === 'complete') {        if( typeof bwg_main_ready == 'function' ) {          if ( jQuery(\"#bwg_container1_1\").height() ) {            bwg_main_ready(jQuery(\"#bwg_container1_1\"));          }        }      } else {        document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {          if( typeof bwg_main_ready == 'function' ) {            if ( jQuery(\"#bwg_container1_1\").height() ) {             bwg_main_ready(jQuery(\"#bwg_container1_1\"));            }          }        });      }    <\/script>    \n<p>In the 19<sup>th<\/sup> century the British began researching the island scientifically. Now it was about geography and geology. The scientists prepared precisely measured map material and established that there was only one island in this area and that it contained phosphate. In the 20<sup>th<\/sup> century the island finally became part of world history. In the Second World War Japan occupied the island in March 1942, and it was only returned to the United Kingdom in October 1945. On 1 October 1958 sovereignty over the island was transferred to Australia. In 2001 Australia erected the Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre for the so-called Boat People seeking asylum. The background was the attempt of the Australian government to keep unwanted people away from mainland Australia. The boat arrivals headed for Australia were not even allowed to land, but were put in the camp. Christmas Island was an ideal place for this, as it is located 2500 km away from Australia in the middle of the ocean. It was virtually impossible to escape from the camp, which was surrounded by an electrically charged fence, with cameras monitoring every room. And so that the inmates could not apply for asylum in Australia, the island was promptly declared exterritorial. The people repeatedly protested against their situation and some died in the attempt. In October of 2018 the government finally closed down the camp.<\/p>\n<p>And thus the beautifully named \u201cChristmas Island\u201d meets with the harsh reality of the Indian Ocean. The present-day inhabitants earn their living mostly by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.phosphateresources.com.au\/images\/cirp---leifeirexe.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">mining phosphate<\/a>, where they certainly do not wear red bathrobes.<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-right: 5px;\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/RobertKluth.jpg\" width=\"140\" \/><br \/>\n<sup>\u00a9 Privat<\/sup><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#3d9b35\">\n<h4 style=\"color: #ffffff; padding: 5px 10px 0px 10px;\">Robert Kluth<\/h4>\n<p style=\"color: #ffffff; padding: 0px 10px 5px 10px;\">Robert Kluth is a historian and exhibition curator and has worked for german and american museums. He taught history and philosophy at a Berlin grammar school. You can contact him via <a style=\"color: white;\" href=\"color: white;\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h2><span>Christmas Island<span><\/h2>\n<p>&#8222;Christmas Island&#8220; \u2013 what kind of an island can that be? Do men with white beards and red bathrobes live there, constantly celebrating Christmas? Are presents exchanged every day? Does it never stop snowing there? Is this where heavenly peace reigns? The historian Robert Kluth has researched the history of the island for our blog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[1698,1515],"class_list":["post-2707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allgemein-en","tag-christmas","tag-europe-and-the-sea"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2707","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2707"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2852,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2707\/revisions\/2852"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}