Culture of Belgium
Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Belgium. The country has also a very active jazz scene that is achieving international recognition with bands like Aka Moon, Maak's Spirit and Octurn. Harmonicist Toots Thielemans, guitarist Philip Catherine and Django Reinhardt are probably the best known Belgian jazz musicians.
Friedrich Sorge
Friedrich Adolph Sorge was born on 9 November 1828 in Bethau, Saxony, Germany, son of the Reverend Georg Sorge and Hedwig Lange.
His father was a free-thinking person, and often gave shelter to Polish revolutionaries travelling from France and Belgium to Poland.
He was 19 when the revolutions of 1848 in the German states began.
He joined a group of armed revolutionaries in Saxony, but they were quickly suppressed by Pomeranian troops and Sorge was forced to take refuge in Switzerland.
He returned to Germany and joined the Karlsruhe Freikorp. His unit fought the Prussians in Baden and the Palatinate, losing both times.
In June 1849 Sorge again took refuge in Switzerland.