Breakup Week - Atlas Obscura
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Breakup Week
February 11–15

Breakup Week

February 11-15

Leo and Sophia, six weeks before his death in 1910.
literature

Tolstoy Ghosted His Wife Then Up and Died

But he did not get the quiet death he was seeking.
Noor Al-Samarrai February 15, 2019
A tea bowl from the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, 16th century, repaired using the kintsugi technique.
art

The Art of Repairing Broken Ceramics Creates a New Kind of Beauty

Pottery is fixed for practical purposes—and aesthetic ones as well.
Evan Nicole Brown February 15, 2019
San Francisco (left) and Osaka (right) were sister cities for 60 years.
statues

What Happens When Sister Cities Break Up?

In October 2018, the Japanese city of Osaka broke off its 60-year relationship with San Francisco, California.
Jonathan Carey February 15, 2019
Thums Up's marketing enjoined consumers to "Taste the Thunder!'
coca cola

When India Kicked Out Coca-Cola, Local Sodas Thrived

Some still reign today.
Kylie Obermeier February 15, 2019
<em>Plucking the Red and White Roses in the Old Temple Gardens</em>, the 1910 fresco painting by Henry Payne, in the Palace of Westminster, is based on a scene from Shakespeare's <em>Henry VI</em>.
war history

Forcing People to Hold Hands Is Not a Great Way to End a War

King Henry VI's "Loveday" did little to stop the Wars of the Roses.
Noor Al-Samarrai February 15, 2019
The pyramid atop 5D-33 is long gone.
temples

Archaeologists Dismantled a Maya Pyramid in Guatemala and Never Put It Back Together

They tore it down in the 1960s to solve the puzzle below.
Jessica Leigh Hester February 14, 2019
Cricket fans pose with Indian and Pakistani flags during the 2011 match.
sports

When Indian Hosts Opened Their Homes to Pakistani Cricket Fans

India and Pakistan's volatile relationship keeps their citizens apart. Cricket brings them together.
Reina Gattuso February 14, 2019
More advanced birch tapping techniques co-exist with the spigot and bucket method.
food

In Alaska, Birch Syrup Is a Sweet Sign of Breakup Season

The running sap is like a local version of Groundhog Day.
Bree Kessler February 14, 2019
This library wasn't meant to be so empty.
libraries

Inside the Belgian Library That Tore Itself Apart

In the 1960s, a conflict between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking students divided a historic collection.
Matthew Taub February 14, 2019
This 1797 engraving was said to be inspired by a real-life wife sale in London that year. A man reportedly took his wife to Smithfield Market, tied her to a railing, and sold her for a guinea, along with "twenty pounds in bad halfpence," to a Paddington florist.
bars

When Divorce Was Off the Table, English Couples Dissolved Their Marriages With Beer

The practice of "wife-selling" wasn't legal, but a drink signaled freedom from a relationship that had soured.
Zara Stone February 13, 2019
Bibi and Poldi having a tense moment.
zoos

The Celebrity Tortoise Breakup That Rocked the World

In 2011, after nearly a century together, Galápagos tortoises Bibi and Poldi called it quits. We still don’t know why.
Cara Giaimo February 13, 2019
A woman looking at a backpack in the Museum of Broken Relationships.
museums

A Visit to the Museum of Broken Relationships

A unique collection focused on what happens after love dies.
Lizzie Philip August 6, 2025
This illustration of the tower comes from a 1655 volume by Johan Nieuhof.
architecture

During the Taiping Rebellion, a Stunning 15th-Century Pagoda Met Its Demise

Centuries after the Porcelain Tower was torn down, it was built up again—and this time, made of steel.
Jessica Leigh Hester February 13, 2019
Video

A Visit to the Museum of Broken Relationships

3:58
Sometimes, being alone is the very best thing.
show & tell

20 Peaceful Places That Make Solitude Magical

Atlas Obscura readers share their favorite spots to revel in isolation.
Eric Grundhauser February 12, 2019
A copy of the print paper, <em>Hikikomori Shimbun</em>.
japan

Japan's Most Interesting Newspaper Is for Recluses, by Recluses

Fed up with sensationalized portrayals, the country's hikikomori are reclaiming their narrative.
Rohini Chaki February 12, 2019
The building tumbled down, despite protests from environmentalists.
churches

The German Church Smashed to Smithereens to Make Room for Coal

The town sat atop a trove of rock that was irresistible to fuel companies.
Jessica Leigh Hester February 12, 2019
Lincoln wrote to Mary Owens to break off their partnership before it even really heated up.
abraham lincoln

A Breakup Tip From Abraham Lincoln: Just Tell Her Your Town Is Terrible

In letters to his accidental fiancée, the future president painted Springfield, Illinois, as a bummer.
Jennifer Wright February 12, 2019