#viennese modernism

[sliogan-ach]

Haus Steiner, Wien, Österreich. Adolf Loos. 1910.

[meisterdrucke]

Moa, 1911 von Egon Schiele

[auutumn]

autumn court inspired by germanic folklore & fairytales, my beloved

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Types of Adjectives

Adjectives - words that modify nouns and pronouns.

There are 13 categories of adjectives that describe the different ways adjectives can be used in the English language.

Descriptive Adjectives

Describe the characteristics, traits, or qualities of a noun or pronoun.

In English, they often are placed directly before the noun they are describing.

For example: Excited children ate delicious treats in the colorful cafeteria.

EXAMPLES of descriptive adjectives: beautiful, witty, wicked, confusing, rich, new, strange, rocky, circular, helpful, competent, smelly, stable, grumpy, devoted, smart, muscular, graceful, scary, safe, wooden, sleepy, tardy, hungry, strange, hopeful, proud, new, dainty, royal, arrogant, round, efficient, youthful, cumbersome, fickle, mild, expensive, small, rude, generous, courageous, zany, thin, round, oval, dark, hot, modern, petite, weary

Compound Adjectives

Formed from multiple words, which are usually connected by hyphens.

For example: We all enjoyed some ice-cold sodas.

EXAMPLES of compound adjectives: old-fashioned, run-of-the-mill, middle-of-the-road, heavy-duty, happy-go-lucky, see-through, easy-going, big-time, long-term

Comparative Adjectives

Used to compare two different people or things to each other.

Most comparative adjectives in English end in "-er".

In other instances, they are denoted with "more".

For example: My brother is stronger than yours.

EXAMPLES of comparative adjectives: better, bigger, older, angrier, prettier, smarter, kinder, more determined, more interesting

Superlative Adjectives

Used to compare more than two people or things by indicating which one is the most supreme or extreme.

Most superlative adjectives in English end in "-est".

In other instances, they are denoted with "most" or "least".

For example: I thought she was the most creative artist on the planet.

EXAMPLES of superlative adjectives: best, biggest, oldest, prettiest, happiest, most striking

Proper Adjectives

Formed from proper nouns.

For example: At the grocery store, we bought Mexican tortillas, German sausage, and French cheese.

There are some proper adjectives that are based on people and places that may not be capitalized if they are used as more general words, such as herculean.

EXAMPLES of proper adjectives: Viennese, Russian, Orwellian, Shakespearean, spartan, draconian, titanic

Participial Adjectives

Based on participles, which are words that usually end in "-ed" or "-ing" and derive from verbs.

For example: The frightened students ran away from the terrifying clown.

EXAMPLES of participial adjectives: burnt, depressed, surprised, misunderstood, annoying, shocking, time-consuming

Distributive Adjectives

Used to refer to members of a group individually.

For example: Both of the team captains took the time to congratulate every member of the team.

EXAMPLES of distributive adjectives: each, either, neither, any

Limiting Adjectives

Restrict a noun or pronoun rather than describe any of its characteristics or qualities.

For example: The building had twelve floors, hundreds of windows, and several unique features.

EXAMPLES of limiting adjectives: a/an, some, few, dozen, eight, thousands

Possessive Adjectives

Used to express possession or ownership.

For example: Everyone brought their own dish and my mom made her famous punch for our potluck.

EXAMPLES of possessive adjectives: your, our, its, his

Interrogative Adjectives

There are only 3 interrogative adjectives in English.

They are used to ask questions.

For example: What is the fastest way to get this done?

The 3 interrogative adjectives are: what, which, whose

Demonstrative Adjectives

Used to express relative positions in space and time.

For example: I think that color looks great on you, but this one matches those shoes better.

The 4 most commonly used demonstrative adjectives in English are: this, that, these, those

Adjectives can be in different categories depending on how they are used in a sentence:

Attributive Adjectives

Many descriptive adjectives are commonly used as attributive adjectives.

Usually directly next to the noun and pronoun that they modify.

These sentences all use attributive adjectives:

The sleepy dogs dozed on the doorstep.

A tardy student ran in as the bell rang.

We fed the hungry cat.

The strange figures appeared in the mist.

Her hopeful eyes gazed at me.

Predicate Adjectives

Some of the same descriptive adjectives that were used as attributive adjectives above can also be used as predicate adjectives.

Appear in the predicate of a sentence as a subject complement rather than directly next to the nouns or pronouns that they modify.

Predicate adjectives follow linking verbs in sentences and clauses.

These sentences all use predicate adjectives:

They are asleep.

I arrived late to work.

She felt hungry.

The figures seemed strange.

The children looked hopeful.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[scotianostra]

On 10th December 1928, the hugely influential architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh died in London.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was born in the East End of Glasgow in 1868, and is one of its most famous sons. He lived and worked in the city for much of his life, and it was during his studies at the Glasgow School of Art that he met his wife Margaret MacDonald. The pair formed a close artistic collaboration with Margaret’s sister Frances, and Frances’ husband Herbert MacNair, becoming known as ‘The Four’. As was advocated at the school at the time, the group worked cross-disciplinarily, producing designs in many mediums, from furniture to textiles.

Mackintosh is, of course, best known for his astoundingly unique and innovative architectural style. Celebrated today as a leading pioneer of modernism, he had a distinctive vernacular which absorbed traditional Scottish architecture, elements of modernist utilitarianism, and the understated, functional design of Japan (newly opened to the West). His designs, which also embraced natural forms (like his famous ‘rose’) as well as the mechanisation of the industrial revolution, influenced the Art Nouveau movement on the Continent, where his work was met with great acclaim during the eighth Viennese Secession Exhibition in 1900.

His success and productivity as an architect was short lived, with most of his high profile commissions taking place over a mere ten year period, between 1895-1906. As this work dried up, he turned his focus fully to working as an artist in watercolour. He and Macdonald moved to Walberswick, Suffolk in 1914, where he produced delicate and technical studies of flowers and plants. Struggling to make ends meet, the pair then moved to Port Vendres in the South of France, where his painting focused on the natural forms of the coastline juxtaposed against the manmade.

He returned to Britain through illness, and died in London at the age of 60. His legacy grew gradually in the decades after his death, and he is now a household name around the world.

Pics are of the man himself, a Statue of Charles Rennie Mackintosh unveiled on the 90th anniversary of his death in 2018. The sculptor is Andy Scott, one of his more conventional works, Andy’s other work includes The Kelpies. Next is Scotland Street School, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh between 1903 and 1906. The building is one of Glasgow's foremost architectural attractions. The Willow Tea Rooms is next, one of Glasgow’s famous treasures for locals and tourists, alike. Finally the sublime Glasgow School of Art library, severely damaged by fire in 2014, almost fully restored then destroyed by a second fire in June 2018, with sadly only the burnt-out shell remaining.

In October 2021 it was announced The Glasgow School of Art ruled out constructing a new building to replace its fire-ravaged Mackintosh building and had opted for a ‘faithful reinstatement’ of the 1909 architectural masterpiece

Explore the CRM website for much more........https://www.charlesrenniemac.co.uk/

[snowwhite-andtheknight]

Announcing: Obiyuki Week 2024

Welcome back one and all to our ninth annual Obiyuki Week! Our theme this year is:

Ballroom Dance

Each day will have a form of dance for a prompt, as well as a few themes that can be used to inspire works or continue existing ones. This ship week is open to all Obiyuki works, so even if a submission does not quite fit the day, please feel free to post and join in!

Day 1: Quadrille

Introduced in France around 1760, the Quadrille quickly became popular in 18th and 19th century ballrooms across Europe. It is performed by four couples in a square, with one couple at a time dancing while the other three rest. Although not performed in modern competitions, the quadrille late gave rise to other popular forms of dance, such as the waltz and American square dancing.

Themes: Change of Partners, Ensemble Piece, Meddling Matchmakers; White

Day 2: Foxtrot

Premiering in 1914, the Foxtrot was first danced to ragtime music before becoming the dance of choice for big bands from the late 1910s through the 1940s. Known for its elegant glide across the dance floor and quick steps, the foxtrot has since split into slow and quick versions-- also known as the quickstep

Themes: Compatibility, Banter, Swept Off Their Feet; Blue

Day 3: Paso Doble

Originating in Spain, the Paso Doble's dramatic steps are meant to imitate the movements of a bullfight, with the lead playing matador and the follow being either cape or bull. It is often known as the "man's dance," since it displays the lead position-- traditionally male-- to its best advantage.

Themes: Conflict, Obi POV, Vying For Dominance; Red

Day 4: Viennese Waltz

The first ballroom dance to be danced in closed position-- aka, partners hold each other while facing toward each other-- the Viennese Waltz caused a scandal when it was introduced in late 18th century ballrooms. It became fashionable during the Regency period, though it remained "riotous and indecent" as late 1825.

Themes: Scandal, Tradition, Falling in Love; Silver

Day 5: Rhumba

The slowest of the Latin dances performed in modern competition, the Rhumba was first danced in the streets of Cuba before gaining popularity in the early 20th century and becoming what is now known as Ballroom Rumba. Known for its sensual movements and emphasis on hips, it is both known as the "dance of love" and the "woman's dance" for showing off the skill of its follow.

Themes: Intimate, Shirayuki POV, Hips Don't Lie; Green

Day 6: Tango

Another dance tamed to the tastes of ballroom-goers, the Tango originated as an improvisational dance in the lower-class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and was brought to the United States by immigrants in the early 20th century. It is characterized by drama and passion and precise footwork.

Themes: Passion, Close Quarters, Rivals-to-Lovers; Black

Day 7: West Coast Swing (Free Day)

Evolving from the Lindy Hop of the 1930s, West Coast Swing started as an adaptation of the dance to fit a more crowded dance floor, before gaining popularity as a style all its own in the 1960s. Meant to be improvisational and playful, it best showcases the connection between partners.

Themes: Improvising, Adventure, Friends-to-Lovers; Gold

Dates: September 22nd-28th Tag: #obiyukiweek24 

[Guidelines beneath cut]

Guidelines:

All work must be your own (eg. no plagiarizing other sources, tracing, pose stealing, AI art/writing etc)

The main pairing is Obi x Shirayuki

Must follow the day’s prompt, however loosely

Must be tagged #obiyukiweek24 within the first five tags

With Tumblr’s tagging system on the fritz, please also @ snowwhite-andtheknight in your entry

Please label with the day’s number!

All NSFWcontent must be tagged and under a Read More!

You may submit multiple entries for each day!

Be nice

Play hard

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Some thoughts about things on Bang Bravern… (bit long, sorry)

Why do I clock the German major general Heidemarie as a lesbian?

So what if “ga-ga-pi” is some kind of a code, similar to Morse code or the binary code? Lulu has her “ga-ga-pi.” The other Deathdrive has its “ga-ga-ga. Pi-ga-ga-ga-pi. Pi-ga-ga-pi-ga.” The sequence is different in order to convey another meaning. The only solution is how to interpret it. Or perhaps, I am just overthinking.

So what are the Death Drives?

From the series’s glossary:

Death Drives : A mysterious mechanical life form that suddenly attacked the earth. Their goal is to achieve the best "death" that each of them wants. They came to this earth around all the galaxies in search of an existence that will fulfil their wishes.

Those drives sound like a part of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis’ theory, the theory of pleasure principle (Lustprinzip).

Did Masami Obari, the director, turn to the Austrian psychoanalyst to gather the blueprint for his latest work?

(I know that Freud doesn’t have many fans among the Tumblr folks. But he “is” my neighbour. After having seen “Freud’s Vanished Neighbors” and read an article that the Viennese didn’t accept him as part of the community because he was not born in Austria and had Jewish family, and was still referred to as “Zugeraster,” a derogatory term for an outsider, he earned my respect and like everyone who was born centuries ago had other mentality that was not at all fitting in the modern era.)

Deathdrives, or death drives, in Freudian psychoanalytical universe, mean Thanatos, Todestrieb in German, is a term that describes: the drive toward death and destruction, often expressed through behaviors such as aggression, repetition compulsion, and self-destructiveness.

From Freud’s book, “Beyond the Pleasure Principle” :

Our departure point was the great antithesis of life drives and death drives. Object-love itself shows us a second such polarity – that of love (affection) and hate (aggression). What if we succeeded in connecting these two polarities, what if we succeeded in tracing one back to the other! We have always acknowledged a sadistic component in the sexual drive; as we know, this component can develop a life of its own and turn into a perversion that dominates a person's entire sexual life. It also occurs as a dominant partial drive in one of those forms of organization of sexual life that I have termed ‘pre-genital’. But how could we possibly suppose that the sadistic drive, which aims to harm its object, derives from Eros, the preserver of life? Isn't it altogether plausible to suppose that this sadism is actually a death drive that has been ousted from the ego at the instance of the narcissistic libido, and as a result only becomes apparent in conjunction with the object?

So you have the enemies, the Death Drives, ready to destroy the humans, and Bravern on the other with the quality of being the Eros. The sentient robot’s ethos is to save the humanity first. All the while obsessing with his pilot, Ao Isami. Obsession and kindness overlapping.

@whypolar analysed their names, then doing some googling of the meanings of both Isami and Lewis’ names, it seems the two share the same description. Yours truly is not at all a Japanese language expert, this website suggests that Isami has 21 variations in kanji.

勇 means "bravery, courage."

Brave - Showing courage and strength in the face of danger or difficulty.

Daring - Willing to take risks and try new things.

Strong - Having great physical or mental power.

Courageous - Having or showing courage in the face of danger or difficulty.

Resolute - Firmly determined to do something.

Soldier - A person who serves in an army.

It describes Isami’s personality perfectly!

Lewis, on the other hand…

From the celebrated author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, to lauded actor Daniel-Day Lewis, a boy called Lewis is in good company! Lewis is of German origin and means "Renowned warrior." It has many variations in Latin, French, and Gaelic languages that all point to the same sentiment of “strength” and “courage”. With the name Lewis, you can hope to instill your baby boy with a fearless optimism for life.

All three of them—Bravern, Isami and Lewis—are “strong and courageous.”

[artsandculture]

The Kiss (1908-1909) 🎨 Gustav Klimt 🏛️ Belvedere 📍 Vienna, Austria

“The Kiss”, probably the most popular work by Gustav Klimt, was first exhibited in 1908 at the Kunstschau art exhibition on the site of today’s Konzerthaus. The Ministry bought it from there for the sum of 25,000 Kronen and thus secured for the state one of the icons of Viennese Jugendstil and indeed of European modern art. It undoubtedly represents the culmination of the phase known as the “Golden Epoch”. In this decade, the artist created a puzzling, ornamental encoded programme that revolved around the mystery of existence, love and fulfilment through art. Klimt gained initial inspiration for this in 1903 on a journey to Ravenna to see the Byzantine mosaics. In addition, the painting contains a myriad of motifs from various cultural epochs, above all from Ancient Egyptian mythology. Most recent research has, however, revealed that it is not enough to read the ornaments in the picture just as symbols rooted in tradition aiming to convey a timelessly valid message. They reveal more, such as references to Klimt’s love for Emilie Flöge and the artist’s exploration of the sculptor Auguste Rodin’s art.

[blueiscoool]

Gustav Klimt Portrait Found After Vanishing Nearly 100 Years Ago

It is one of the last works the artist painted before his death in 1918.

One of the last paintings by the renowned Austrian artist Gustav Klimt has miraculously been found after vanishing nearly 100 years ago.

The painting, titled Portrait of Fräulein Lieser, was found in Vienna after last being seen by the public in 1925. Until now, the only known photograph of the painting had been held in the archives of the Austrian National Library. The picture was likely taken in 1925 in connection with the Klimt exhibition by Otto Kallir-Nirenstein in the Neue Galerie, Vienna.

Since then, its location had been a mystery.

"The rediscovery of this portrait, one of the most beautiful of Klimt's last creative period, is a sensation," said the im Kinsky auction house in a statement announcing the discovery. "As a key figure of Viennese Art Nouveau, Gustav Klimt epitomizes fin de siècle Austrian Modernism more than any other artist. His work, particularly his portraits of successful women from the upper middle class at the turn of the century, enjoy the highest recognition worldwide."

The work of art will go up for auction at the im Kinsky auction house in Vienna on April 24 and is expected to fetch millions on the market.

"Klimt's paintings rank in the top echelons of the international art market. His portraits of women are seldom offered at auctions. A painting of such rarity, artistic significance, and value has not been available on the art market in Central Europe for decades," im Kinsky auction house said. "This also applies to Austria, where no work of art of even approximate importance has been available."

The painting will now travel worldwide on short exhibitions until it is auctioned and is set to be presented at various locations internationally, including stops in Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain and Hong Kong.

The model for the painting is labeled as Fräulein Lieser, also known as Margarethe Constance Lieser (1899-1965), daughter of the Austrian industrial magnate Adolf Lieser. But new research by the im Kinsky auction house into the history and provenance of the masterpiece has opened up the possibility that Klimt's model could have been another member of the Lieser family -- either Helene Lieser (1898-1962), the first-born of Henriette Amalie Lieser-Landau and Justus Lieser, or their younger daughter, Annie Lieser (1901-1972), according to officials.

"In April and May 1917, the sitter visited Klimt's studio in Hietzing nine times to pose for him," im Kinsky said. "Klimt probably began the painting in May 1917. The painter chose a three-quarter portrait for his depiction and shows the young woman in a strictly frontal pose, close to the foreground, against a red, undefined background. A cape richly decorated with flowers is draped around her shoulders."

The portrait is thought to be one of Klimt's last paintings and was done shortly before he died of a stroke on Feb. 6, 1918. The painting was left, with several small portions of it unfinished, in his studio and it is thought that the painting was given to the family who had commissioned it after his death.

The painting, however, would soon vanish and the exact fate of the painting after 1925 is unclear.

"What is known is that it was acquired by a legal predecessor of the consignor in the 1960s and went to the current owner through three successive inheritances," im Kinsky auction house said.

ByJon Haworth.

[samanthamarkle92]

Closed!!

Attention Modern Warfare fic writers! Having a really hard time finding a fic that was really good! It was a reader insert where you're kidnapped by your prepper Viennese neighbor and held captive in his bunker and the task force rescues you! Only trying to find it because there was a possibility of more chapters! Tagging a few people who might have had it on their profiles: @glossysoap @rowarn @deadbranch @soapxmactavish @soapsgf @ghostslittlegf @ghostkinnie

[mybeingthere]

The Pioneering Pottery of Lucie Rie

by Robin Cawdron-Stewart.

"Very few people in this country think of the making of pottery as an art" – so wrote Bernard Leach in May 1940. Yet the pottery that Leach wrote of – with "its own language and inherent laws"- had a presence within the broader British Arts scene since the beginning of the century through the likes of the Omega Workshops and the Seven & Five Society.

Today ceramics are held in equal esteem to the mediums of painting and sculpture, and clay celebrated for its great breadth and versatility. And whilst no single potter alone can be credited with this great accomplishment, the work of Lucie Rie has done much to promote studio ceramics, presenting them to a truly global audience.

Born in Vienna in 1902, Rie grew up in an environment steeped in the style and elegance of Viennese Modernism and enrolled at the Vienna Kumstgewerbeschule in 1922 where she learnt to throw. It was also whilst a student that she began to develop her in-depth scientific understanding and fascination with glazes – something which stayed with her throughout her life. Rie established a name for herself on the continent, winning prizes for her work at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1937 but following the Anschluss and the union of Austria with Nazi Germany she fled Vienna and, together with her husband, arrived in London.

The Britain that Rie arrived into was a world away from Vienna, both socially and in terms of the artistic environment and the ceramic scene. British studio pottery was dominated by the work and writings of Bernard Leach, who looked back to the historic craft tradition or further afield to the Japanese aesthetic. Rie grappled with this very alien approach, and despite her efforts, could not divorce herself from the European and Modernist ideals that she had learned on the continent."

Continue https://www.sothebys.com/.../art.../lucie-rie-pioneer-potter

[whencyclopedia]

Embodied Histories: New Womanhood in Vienna, 1894–1934

"Embodied Histories" by Katya Motyl explores the intersection of gender, modernity, and urban culture in Vienna during the late-19th and early-20th centuries. This book is an enlightening resource for university students focusing on modern European history.

When first picking up this book, the reader might not expect to stumble upon police reports regarding wrongful arrests of Viennese women at the turn of the century. As a contemporary reader, what is provided on the pages of Katya Motyl’s new book is enlightening yet infuriating.

Embodied Histories: New Womanhood in Vienna, 1894–1934 by Katya Motyl explores the intersection of gender, modernity, and urban culture in Vienna during the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Motyl is a cultural and social historian, Assistant Professor of History, and Affiliate Faculty of the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program at Temple University.

Her book, written successfully and with expert knowledge, focuses on the "New Woman" concept and is aimed at scholars and students of global history and gender studies. The New Woman, described by Motyl, was symbolic of changing traditional gender roles and aspirations among women in Vienna whether she was aware of the change or not.

Through a combination of historical analysis and cultural critique, Motyl examines various aspects of the experiences of the New Woman in each chapter. These include her participation in public life, her engagement with emerging feminist movements, her portrayal in literature and art, and her embodiment in fashion and lifestyle choices. Motyl offers readers an in-depth discovery of unbearably truthful historical scenarios based on her thorough research of documents, including police reports, court records, and more. This well-rounded research approach makes the book compelling, unique, and a must-read for anyone studying European history, women’s history, or sexuality.

According to Motyl, at the turn of the century, women in Vienna were apprehended by police simply for walking outside at night or dressing in non-traditional feminine outfits. The eye-opening and informative stories and the voices of the women affected are revealed throughout the text. The instances of women unable to speak freely about their emotions or thoughts are also mentioned, giving readers insight as to why human rights and women's rights are important yet still challenged today.

Outlets such as theater or sanatorium visits were usually the only means of expression for women in Vienna during this time. The information included in this often heart-wrenching text is sewn together with various forms of artwork. Tying the stories together with cartoons, sketches, and even the era's political drawings showcases society and gender norms, displaying the mindset of people who lived during the turn of the century in Vienna.

The adoption of new styles and beliefs together with the rejection of outdated norms during this period were seen as significant acts of rebellion, leading to police interactions, as women searched for self-expression. With this book, their experiences are brought to light. Embodied Histories reflects broader changes in gender roles of women and societal expectations of them in early 20th-century Europe, laying the groundwork for further advancements of women’s rights and social equality in the future.

Katya Motyl has contributed a significant gift to cultural and social history research with her book. Motyl's effort in demonstrating how Viennese women contributed to and were shaped by the city's dynamic cultural milieu offers insights into their individual experiences and collective impact on society.

Continue reading...

[mozartbachtoven]

Embellished Mozart manuscript uncovered

Solo part suggests Piano Concerto No 23 was composed for his favourite pupil, Barbara Ployer, researcher says

A manuscript of Mozart's Piano Concerto No 23 with an explosion of unfamiliar extra notes has suggested to a researcher that the piece was written for and performed by one of the composer's favourite pupils.

Research by the pianist and music historian Robert Levin – who will perform the more ornate version next week with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London – has suggested the manuscript is a more faithful impression of how Mozart would have performed such pieces.

The extra section was written so Mozart's favourite pupil, Barbara Ployer, could perform it, and the manuscript includes further notes in her handwriting. Mozart himself would have improvised the embellishment in performance.

The only portrait of Ployer, daughter of a Viennese tax collector and regarded by her friends as an outstanding performer, is a little scribble by Mozart in the margin of another manuscript, which shows an elaborate high hairdo and a less becoming hook nose.

Levin hunted down all the versions of the score, which were separated during the second world war for safe keeping. The original Piano Concerto No 23 ended up in Paris. The manuscript for No 12 – with new clarinet parts for No 23 on the same sheet – was taken to Krakow, and the performance part with the embellishments for No 23 was taken to Berlin.

He concedes the newly uncovered version he has uncovered is not to modern taste, but insists it is more authentic. "Barbara Ployer goes mad with the spray can. Her solo part is brimful of notes. It was written by her, but as Mozart's pupil she would have known how much he would have wanted her to write in, and no one today would play their solo with so many frills and flourishes."

[leggeteconme]

Me in my normal classes:

Sitting quietly in the back

Taking copious notes

Doodling if can't focus

Occasional clarifying questions

Me in my history of musical instruments class with my program director and only one other student, who happens to be one of my friends:

Snide comments about equal temperament, modern pianos, English harpsichords, etc.

Gleefully clapping hands and jumping up and down whenever we get to look at a Neapolitan harpsichord or Viennese piano

Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the museum watching my friend answer questions that I've been forbidden from answering because our prof knows I know the answers already

Cannot listen while looking at prof - has nose two inches from the soundboard of the harpsichord he's talking about to look for evidence of alterations

"I don't think anyone has as much fun in this class as you do."

-Professor

[jesawyer]

Hello! I've been doing some research for a Pentiment fan project, and I was curious about the game's usage of gendered surnames. My research indicates -yn like the game uses is a fairly uncommon suffix, and more commonly -in or -en were used for feminine forms of surnames. What made you choose to use -yn? Thanks in advance.

You're correct. -yn is not as common. However, y is more commonly found in Bavarian and Austrian names (e.g., my own family surname, Sayer, which is Viennese).

So it's a nod to the specific location of Tassing and an effort to make the names feel a little more "altmodisch". To be fully true to records I would have used a mix of -in, -en, and -yn.

For the same reason, many of the personal names also use spellings that were not standardized in the 16th century, e.g. Clara instead of Klara, Caspar instead of Kaspar, etc. Every spelling I used was one I found in a 15th or 16th century record, but the names can look odd to a modern German speaker.

(N.b.: The localizers modernized/standardized most of the personal names in the German translation.)

[argyrocratie]

"100 years of Interpol: Why there’s no reason to celebrate"

(...)

"Following several inconclusive conferences like the “International Conference of Rome for the Social Defense Against Anarchists” in 1898, the follow-up in 1904 in St. Petersburg, as well as the “First International Criminal Police Congress” in Monaco 1914, another conference took place in September 1923 following the initiative of Viennese chief of police Johann Schober. The conference was concluded with the founding of the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC), direct predecessor of today’s Interpol, with Johann Schober as its president. As Viennese police president he forced reforms towards a “modernization” of investigation methods and information exchange systems, making the Austrian police internationally renowned. He established an intelligence service that compiled a register of persons as well as indexes through surveillance and informants. The focus was not only set on general criminality but with regards to the politicaly active, like anarchists, communists and social revolutionaries. Regarding the personnel, he worked towards removing social democrats from the agency and employed antimarxists and later nazis.

In 1938 the ICPCs leadership was taken over by the National Socialists and its headquarter was moved to Berlin-Wannsee, where it shared its rooms and lead with the Gestapo. The ICPCs records, that were transferred to Berlin, like the so called “Internationales Zigeunerregistratur (international gypsy registry)”, as well as the records concerning counterfeiting of money and passports, helped the National Socialists prosecuting certain groups and in their mass production of counterfeit money and fake passports in the KZ Sachsenhausen.

The ICPC was dissolved in 1945 but newly formed as the International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol – probably also to distance itself from the ICPC of the inter- and poastwar period. However, certain continuities are observable in its 100 year history, even though it was probably only a coincidence that in 1968 Paul Dickopf, a sworn SS-policeman, was elected president and the prosecution of nazi criminals did not start before the 1980s…

_

Interpol, as it exists today, is, contrary to the popular medial representations, not a supra-national police agency with the authority to arrest, but more an association that functions as network of law enforcement agencies of its member states. As an organization, it offers administrative support in the fields of communication and data banks/information exchange, as well as support in investigations, expertise, and trainings for the various law enforcement agencies.

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Besides its headquarters in Lyon, France, and seven regional bureaus, the organization has bureaus in each of the 195 member states with more than 1000 employees, making her the largest police organization. The budget of 140 million euros is comprised of the member states’ contributions and, additionally, separate contributions from EU, several repression agencies of the member states (FBI) and the Interpol Foundation. But Interpol also receives donations from NGOs, the private sector (Philipp Morris, FIFA, IOC, Quatar 2022, etc.) and other international organizations (UNICEF, FRONTEX, etc.). One of the organizations central tasks is the maintenance of 19 data banks, that contain entries on missing and wanted persons, fingerprints, DNA samples, and stolen (travel) documents. According to its own accounts, the data banks contain 125 million police files that are queried 187 times per second. In 2022 alone this results in 5.9 billion queries with 1.4 million hits. In Austria 32 million wanted person searches were queried through, or for, Interpol in 2020, additionally there were 900.000 car inquiries, as well as 7.4 million inquiries on stolen documents.

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Transnational repression

Arguably the most important instrument for repression by Interpol is the sending out of so-called “Notices”. These are calls for support requested for by Interpol member states and subsequently being sent out to law enforcement agencies globally. These Notices are divided into colours depending on their respective purpose. A Black Notice is a call for support in finding or identifying a body, while a Blue Notice is a request for information regarding the whereabouts of an individual. The by far most frequent Notices are Red Notices, i.e. the request for information of whereabout and the arrest with subsequent extradition of a person.

These Red Notices are very popular in autocracies like Turkey, China, Russia and some of the Arab states as tool for the international persecution and repression of dissidents or other politically persecuted individuals. The perfidious thing here is that affected are not informed about their international labeling, or can only lose them after long-lasting and expensive juridical processes. The president of the Uighur World Congress, now living in Germany, was searched for, by these means, for 21 years after China issued such a warrant.

When labeled with a Red Notice, people do not only have to live in fear of repression by the original persecuting state but also in fear of the cops of the other 194 member states. Apart from the ever present danger of being arbitrarily arrested and extradited, it can impossible for affected individuals to open bank accounts, move across borders or find a job. Red Notices are thus not only issued as means of political persecution and extradition, for some states it is enough to simply make the life of dissidents abroad as hard as possible.

According to the Interpol statutes, Red Notices cannot be issued out of political or religious reasons but it is only since very recently that requests – though, of course, by Interpol itself and only lapidary – are being controlled; though, rather, such a control can be easily circumvented by issuing the Notice on a wrong warrant. This happened to the nephew of the former opposition leader Fethullah Gülen. He was arrested and extradited from Kenya to Turkey on basis of a fake warrant for child abuse, in Turkey, however, he was wrongly convicted for being part of a terrorist organization for which he is still serving time in Turkish prison.

The Bahraini dissident and human rights activist Ahmed Jafaar Muhammad Ali was, on his flight from Bahraini authorities, extradited from his Serbian exile on base of a Red Notice from Interpol, deported to Bahrains capital Manama where he was directly turned over to the local repression agencies. This happened despite intervention by the European Court of Justice and its demand towards the Serbian state to annul the undertaking, since Muhammad was facing possible torture and execution in Bahrain for his political work. He actually was even held captive and tortured prior to his flight for taking part in anti-government protests. In his absence he was sentenced for life. In 2017 two of his co-convicts were, after two years of inhumane captivity, executed by the Bahraini state. All this was known to Interpol and the Serbian authorities, yet neither were the extradition cancelled nor the Red Notice at Interpol annulled.

Interpol thus becomes a tool of repression by autocracies and dictatorships, and the supposedly “democratic” states their henchmen. This transnational contempt for mankind puts a spotlight on the fact that no single state, may it be ever so “democratically legitimized” or appeal ever so much to respecting human rights, can be trusted. As long as this world is trashed with an internationally connected body of pigs, the politically or religiously persecuted or individuals persecuted for their race, have nowhere to be safe."

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