Zoological Gardens of Western Europe

Abstract

The sixteenth century in Europe was a dynamic period. Gradually, the first signs of a modern European society appeared. The dogmatic Church was losing its influence, and new thoughts developed in the sciences, arts, and philosophy. Europe began to prepare for the great changes of the coming centuries. There were strong bonds with the Arabic countries, and the rich and civilized Orient. Cities and states that had a monopoly on trade with the Orient became increasingly important, and as the monopoly shifted so did the influence of the states. At the time science and medicine were much more advanced in the Orient than they were in Europe. Therefore, after the crusades, trade was not only an exchange of goods, but a stimulus for the cultural development of Europe. The end of the sixteenth century brought the most important changes to Europe. Political and scientific centers of Europe shifted from the Italian and German city-states to the Hispanic empires. Portuguese and Spanish voyagers discovered more of the African and Asian coasts, as well as the American coasts. Later, the influence of the Portuguese and Spanish declined as France, England, and Holland became the leading Western European countries with extensive colonies. Cultural and political development within each of the European countries was quite different. In most of the countries, a central power with a king or emperor governing from a capital developed. In some places, such as Germany, the feudalistic society continued without creating a central power. Germany was a loose confederation of dozens, at times hundreds, of principalities of different sizes, each with its own currency, administration, law, and army. Only in 1871 did Prussia unite most of the German states, with Berlin as the capital.