Charles Dickens is inseparable from London, not simply as a setting, but as a force that shaped his imagination. In the early 19th century, the city was expanding at unprecedented speed, defined by industrial wealth, deep poverty, and stark social divisions.This episode of Icons & Origins explores how Dickens’ early experiences in London, from its markets and workhouses to its prisons and polluted riverbanks, became the raw material for some of the most enduring stories in English literature. Rather than treating the city as a backdrop, Dickens transformed it into a living presence, reflecting both the energy and the moral tensions of his age.Don't forget to hit the like button and subscribe to discover more amazing places around the world! #CharlesDickens #Dickens #London #England #Victorian #History #Literature #Storyteller #IndustrialRevolution #19thCentury #OliverTwist #BleakHouse #GreatExpectations #AChristmasCarol #LondonHistory #UrbanLife #ClassicLiterature #HistoricalFiction #BritishHistory #SocialCritique #FoggyLondon #VictorianLondon #FamousAuthors #CityAndAuthor #IconicWriters #Storytelling #UrbanHistory #LondonWriters

Hidden in the heart of the Mediterranean lies a capital unlike any other.Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, remains divided by barbed wire and checkpoints — the last split capital in Europe. Once a crossroads of empires, centuries of conquest, colonisation, and rivalry left a line that still cuts through its streets today. From Ottoman rule to British control, independence to invasion, this is the story of how a pencil mark on a map became a frontier that endures half a century later.

More than thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany is one nation again — but not always one experience.From wages to politics, from identity to culture, the old border still casts a long shadow.This video explores the hidden legacy of division: how East and West Germany became different worlds, why reunification left scars, and how the invisible line still shapes the country today.We’ll trace the story from the Cold War split, through the fall of the Wall, to the challenges of integration and the lingering divides in modern Germany.Don't forget to hit the like button and subscribe to discover more amazing places around the world!