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4K - Tetrachromatic Vivid Weathers ENB - Ghost ZIP by Slothability

Execution of P Zrinyi, F Nadasdy and F Frangepan (detail)

Unknown Master,1671, Hungarian National Museum

there was a cluster of very bushy bay trees growing through these rocks, totally blocking the view of the oaks beyond -- so they got lopped. the remaining stumps almost look like rocks themselves!

Two photos shot and blended by Hilleboe, aka #Iconoclast00

Snapper point, Queensland, Australia

Patarei Prison

Grim and dark place in the past

Tourist attraction nowadays

Yale Football

Defensive Game Plan

Yale-Army Game

September 2014

  

During WWII Poland, brave young women from the Home Army pretended to be courtisanes, to get to German's officer homes and execute them.

Assassin's creed origins

Ingame Photomode

Bayek finishing of one of the feared "gaulish warriors".

I approached this one like a drawing

The condemned faces his executioners.

FAMOUS HEADS THAT ROLLED AT THE TOWER

 

Execution inside the Tower was a privilege reserved for those of high rank, or for those who had dangerously strong popular support, to keep them away from the gawping crowds. Ten people were beheaded on Tower Green which stretches to the west of the White Tower.

 

THE BEHEADED QUEENS

 

The most well known among those executed on or near Tower Green were three former queens of England. Two of those queens were wives of Henry VIII.

 

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was in her early 30s and Catherine Howard, Henry's fifth wife, was barely in her 20s. Both were accused of adultery, but neither may have been guilty.

 

The third queen to meet her end within the Tower was 16-year-old Lady Jane Grey. She was on the throne for just nine days, and was the innocent pawn in a failed military coup by her father-in-law, the Duke of Northumberland.

 

EXPERT AND BLUNDERING EXECUTIONS

 

Anne Boleyn was executed by the clean stroke of an expert swordsman shipped in from France especially for the occasion. On the day of her execution, she enquired, 'I heard say the executioner was very good, and I have a little neck.'

 

By contrast, Margaret Pole who was another victim of the axe was said to be much less lucky in her final moments. A blundering executioner was said to have ‘hacked her head and shoulders to pieces’.

 

THE EXECUTION SITE MEMORIAL

 

Today, at the very site of these executions on Tower Green you can see a memorial sculpture and quote dedicated to those who were condemned to death by order of the state.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizal_Monument

 

The Rizal Monument (original title: Motto Stella, Latin, "guiding star") is a memorial in Rizal Park in Manila, Philippines built to commemorate the executed Filipino nationalist, José Rizal. The monument consists of a standing bronze sculpture of Rizal, with an obelisk, set on a stone base within which his remains are interred. A plaque on the pedestal's front reads: "To the memory of José Rizal, patriot and martyr, executed on Bagumbayan Field December Thirtieth 1896. This monument is dedicated by the people of the Philippine Islands".

 

The perimeter of the monument is guarded continuously by the Philippine Marine Corps’ Marine Security and Escort Group, the changing of the guard having become a daily ritual. About 100 m (330 ft) north-northwest of the monument is the exact location where Rizal was executed, marked by life-size dioramas depicting his final moments.

 

An exact replica of the Rizal Monument can be found in Madrid, Spain at the junction of Avenida de Las Islas Filipinas and Calle Santander.

or maybe i should title it "any last words?"

 

This is Chaari-,... the mouth of a sailor, this one, and she is a bit mad, and that's what i love about her. As will you if you ever have the good fortune to bump into her somewhere in the world.

 

What was that Kerouac line? the one that starts "the only people for me are the mad ones,..."

----------------------------------------

 

also,...

 

Dear Fujifilm,

 

Fuck you.

 

Since Fuji cant wait to get rid of their film division I say that we dont buy more in the hopes that they will change their minds, cos they wont.

 

so why throw money at people who cant wait to clock out?

 

Instead, I say we help them die. Because the faster fuji dies, the faster the market will move to Kodak and give them the financing necessary to feed our addiction for a long time.

 

I say we send our hard earned cash to people who intend to support our crazy analog fetish.

 

As such, in an effort to hasten the death of Fuji's film division, I shall mostly be shooting Kodak Alaris from here on out.

 

yeah i know, i'm sure that any fuji exec that happens to read this will be all "OoOoh we're shaking"

 

which is my point,... the wankers.

 

Hello Kodak :D

I feel like this sign literally sets the tone for everything you do during your day at either the Magic Kingdom in Florida, or at Disneyland in California. Absolute brilliance.

 

That said, it is executed far, far better in California. At Disneyland, these signs are out in the open, and you always see them before you pass under the railroad track. It is a constant reminder of what is to come, for new and old guests. In Florida, for some odd reason, they always have theirs covered by some stupid banner that goes along with their current promotion. Whether it is "What Will You Celebrate?" or "Let the Memories Begin", these staples of Disney storytelling are hidden from view from Magic Kingdom guests, unless you actively search them out.

 

Hopping off my soapbox now. This was shot with Ryan's favorite lens, the Canon 135mm f/2. Thanks for lookin', and have a great day!

Project Blur

 

stock-http://www.flickr.com/photos/29591209@N06/ www.sxc.hu/profile/bugdog

Thanks to Martin Widlund for using his photo...!

@ Tate Modern, London

Hrair Sarkissian’s Execution Squares 2008 comprises a series of photographs depicting the sites of public executions in Syria, the artist’s country of birth. The images were taken in three different cities – Damascus, Aleppo and Lattakia – in places where public executions have taken place, for civil rather than political crimes. Sarkissian took these photographs early in the morning when the streets were quiet, around the time when executions are carried out. The subject of an execution will usually be brought to the square at 4.30 a.m., but their body is routinely left there in full view of passers-by until around 9.00 a.m. Sarkissian’s first personal experience of an execution was as a child when he passed one of these squares on his journey to school and saw three bodies hanging in the street.

 

Charles Paul Renouard , born in Cour-Cheverny ( Loir-et-Cher ) on November 5 , 1845and died in Paris onJanuary 2 , 1924, is a French painter , engraver and illustrator .

 

Born in Cour-Cheverny onNovember 5, 1845, the sixth child of a modest clog-maker, Paul Renouard left his native region in 1859 to earn a living in Paris . He became a building painter and had the opportunity to come and work on the premises of the École des beaux-arts . He occasionally shows a talent for drawing that he has had since childhood. He was noticed and in 1868 he was admitted to the Beaux-Arts where he entered the studio of Isidore Pils . A beloved pupil of the latter, he helped him in the execution of the interior decorations of the Opéra Garnier and, in 1875, Pils having fallen ill, Paul Renouard painted the ceilings of the grand staircase from the cartoons of his master.

 

He painted dancers, portraits of many of the personalities of his century: Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau , Sarah Bernhardt and Victorien Sardou , Ambroise Thomas , Alexandre Dumas fils , Émile Bergerat , Ravachol , Michel-Eugène Chevreul , Louis Ménard , Joseph Meissonnier , Camille Saint-Saëns , General Boulanger , and all the members of the Institute and the Chamber of Deputies , then Lawrence Alma-Tadema , John Everett Millais, Marshal Katie Booth , Frederic Leighton , Luke Fildes , the nine sketches of Henry Irving as Mephistopheles .

 

Paul Renouard is above all a prolific illustrator working in black and white for the major illustrated newspapers. Regular contributor to L'Illustration , Paris illustré , Revue illustrée , The Graphic , he was famous for his series on English life, the Opéra Garnier and events such as the Universal Exhibition of 1900 , the ' Dreyfus affair , the trial of Émile Zola , the Thérèse Humbert and Steinheil affairs , the coronation celebrations of Edward VII , the funeral of Queen Victoria , the celebrations and tournament of 75th anniversary of the Independence of Belgium and the Universal Exhibition of 1905 in Liège , the Franco-Russian celebrations in Compiègne in 1901, the First World War .

 

In London , where he lived almost as much as in Paris and elsewhere, he illustrated Parliament , Drury Lane , the Salvation Army , the prisons, the docklands , the opium dens of the East End , the Lyceum Theatre , the Courts of Justice , the barracks of horse-guards, the world of sports, the music-halls, the Royal Academy for The Graphic . In his Pocket Sketches in London , he humorously depicts the types of English daily life, clubmen buried in large leather armchairs, visitors to museums, policeman and copyists of theNational Gallery , the railway station staff, the walkers in Hyde Park , the sleepers in Kensington Gardens , the coachmen, the omnibus conductors, the small world of the schools of the East, the class of babies… He attends the Jubilee of the Queen , prize distributions by the Dean of Westminster Abbey , the reassembly of Big Ben , the Royal Tournaments , dance classes by Katie Lanner , sessions of the Berners Street Anarchist Circle. Then it's Ireland, a series of pages with dark accents: children carrying peat to pay for school, a meeting, an eviction, police approaches...

 

In Rome during Holy Week , in Washington during Congress , he captured overseas political life vividly in a collection of portraits and scenes as expressive as they were witty: the Appropriations Committee, the Ways and Means Committee , the left, the right, the representatives of the press in Parliament, the stenographer, the portraits of Mark Carlisle , President of the Chamber of Deputies, of John James Ingalls (in) , President of the Senate…

 

"More than a painter of modern life, he was the superiorly informed journalist, the intelligent and clairvoyant reporter, who with a lively and rapid gaze from which nothing seems to have to escape, immediately perceives what must be seen and retained from picturesque and tragic; for Paul Renouard knew how to rise up to the story on occasion and faithfully noted with a firm, prompt and bold pencil, with a power of truth which surely localizes the scene and the environment, energetically outlined the characters, accusing with decision and precision characters and types in individuals 1 . »

 

He left his mark on his era and touched his contemporaries such as Vincent van Gogh who, through his correspondence with his brother Theo , showed great admiration for his work and his talent.

 

Member of the National Society of Fine Arts and the Society of French Artists , Paul Renouard obtained a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889 and 1900 . He was named Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1893.

 

He was a professor at the National School of Decorative Arts in Paris in 1903.

 

He died in Paris onJanuary 2, 1924and rests in the small cemetery of Chambon-sur-Cisse .

 

His works are kept in Paris at the Louvre Museum and the Paris Museum of Modern Art (series on English life), at the Opera Library-Museum (series on dance and the Opera), at the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo , at the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels , at the Museum of Fine Arts in Tours , Limoges and Blois .

 

Hayashi Tadamasa was one of Paul Renouard's patrons, and his collection of nearly 200 engravings and drawings was, on the collector's death, donated by his heirs to the Imperial Household Museum in Tokyo (now the National Museum of Tokyo ).

 

Blois is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours.

 

With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the department, and the 4th of the region.

 

Historically, the city was the capital of the county of Blois, created on 832 until its integration into the Royal domain in 1498, when Count Louis II of Orléans became King Louis XII of France. During the Renaissance, Blois was the official residence of the King of France.

 

Since 2013, excavations have been conducted by French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP in French) in Vienne where they found evidence of "one or several camps of late Prehistory hunter-gatherers, who were also fishermen since fishing traps were found there.. They were ancestors of the famous Neolithic farmer-herders, who were present in current France around 6,000 BCE [i.e.: 8,000 years ago]."

 

Ancient times

A major urban development begun in 1959 uncovered the remains of a late Gallic settlement and an urban centre from the Gallo-Roman period. At that time, the town was located on the road linking Chartres to Bourges. In the network of cities of the Carnutes people, Blois was a secondary settlement. Excavations carried out on the right bank between 2001 and 2016 and on the left bank in 2013-2014 revealed the presence of a largely developed town on the right bank and an occupation on the left bank during the Gallic and Gallo-Roman periods. The Loire river has undoubtedly always been a major axis route, although no traces of a port have been uncovered. However, there are remains of former bridges linking the two banks.

 

Middle Ages

Though of ancient origin, Blois is first distinctly mentioned by Gregory of Tours in the 6th century, and the city gained some notability in the 9th century, when it became the seat of a powerful countship known as Blesum castrum.

 

Main article: County of Blois

Blois was first organised around a county, which was recreated in 956 by Count Theobald I of Blois, also known as The Trickster. His descendants, known as "Thibaldians", remained as Counts up until the county was incorporated into the royal domain in 1397. The House of Blois also succeeded in raising some of its members or descendants to the highest levels of the European nobility, notably by acceding to the thrones of France, England, Navarre, Spain and Portugal.

 

Main article: Counts of Blois

In 1171, Blois was the site of a blood libel against its Jewish community that led to 31 Jews (by some accounts 40) being burned to death. Their martyrdom also contributed to a prominent and durable school of poetry inspired by Christian persecution. In the Middle Ages, Blois was the seat of the County of Champagne it passed to the French crown in 1314, forming the province of Champagne. In 1196, Count Louis I of Blois granted privileges to the townsmen; a commune, which survived throughout the Middle Ages, probably dated from this time. The counts of the Châtillon dynastic line resided at Blois more often than their predecessors, and the oldest parts of the château (from the 13th century) were built by them. By 1397, Count Guy II of Blois-Châtillon offered the county to his cousin, Duke Louis I of Orléans, son of King Charles VI. In 1429, Joan of Arc made Blois her base of operations for the relief of Orléans. She rode the 35 miles on 29 April from Blois to relieve Orléans. In 1440, after his captivity in England, Duke Charles of Orléans (son of Duke Louis I) took up residence in the Château of Blois, where in 1462 his son was born, Duke Louis II of Orléans who would afterwards be known as Louis XII.

 

Renaissance era

By 1498, King Charles VIII died with no heirs in the Château of Amboise. As a result, Duke Louis II ran 22 miles between the Château and Blois, and was crowned as King Louis XII of France. He then married Charles VIII's widow, Queen Anne of Brittany, in 1499. The birth of their daughter, Claude of France, started the union of Brittany with France. Louis XII, as the last hereditary Count of Blois, naturally established his royal Court in the city. The Treaty of Blois, which temporarily halted the Italian Wars, was signed there in 1504–1505. During his reign, the city experienced a massive redevelopment, with some architectural elements inspired from the Italian Renaissance, as seen in the medieval castle immediately turned into a château, and the construction of many hôtels particuliers for the nobility throughout the entire kingdom. One of which, Hôtel d'Alluye, was built as a copy of an Italian palace for Florimond Robertet, who was an important French minister under King Charles VIII, King Louis XII and King Francis I.

 

On 1 January 1515, Louis XII died. His throne would be passed to Francis I, the husband to his daughter, Claude of France. In 1519, King Francis I ordered the construction of the Château of Chambord (10 miles away from Blois), but its construction lasted for one year before he died in 1547. In the meantime, he gradually expressed his will to move to Fontainebleau, near Paris, and started to abandon Bloisian. Much of the royal furniture was moved from Blois to Fontainebleau by 1539.

 

The French Wars of Religion was a significantly destructive conflict among the French people. The city's inhabitants included many Calvinists, and in 1562 and 1567 it was the scene of struggles between them and the supporters of the Catholic Church. On 4 July 1562, Blois and Beaugency, conquered by Protestants just before, were looted by Catholics led by Maréchal de St. André. On 7 February 1568, Protestants under Captain Boucard's command, looted and invaded the town, eventually killing many Catholics. Grey friars were also killed and thrown in the well of their own convent. In addition, all the churches were ransacked. In 1576 and 1588, King Henry III convoked the Estates General to Blois where he attained refuge after an uprising called the Day of the Barricades. In response, Duke Henry I of Guise was assassinated on 23 December 1588 for his involvement in the uprising. The following day, his brother, Cardinal Louis II of Guise, who was also archbishop of Reims, suffered the same fate. Their deaths were shortly followed by that of the Queen-Mother, Catherine de' Medici.

 

In the 16th century, the French Royal court often made Blois their leisure resort.

 

Modern era

After the departure of the Royal Court towards Paris, Blois lost the status of Royal residence, along with the luxury and economic activity that came with it. King Henry IV displaced the Royal library to Fontainebleau, which would later be the National Library of France (Bibliothèque nationale de France).

 

In 1606, Philippe de Béthune gave his ownership of Vienne-lez-Blois village, on the left bank of the Loire river, to Blois, making it a part of the city afterwards known as Blois-Vienne. From 1617 to 1619 Marie de' Medici, wife of King Henri IV, exiled from the court by his son, King Louis XIII, lived in the château. By 1622, the Counter-Reformation got establishment in Blois, founded a Society of Jesus and financed the construction of the St. Louis Chapel, which is today St. Vincent Church.

 

Then in 1634, Louis XIII exiled his brother, Gaston, Duke of Orléans and Count of Blois, who became attached to the city. The Duke in 1657, found a hospital in Blois-Vienne, now named Résidence Gaston d'Orléans, and financed the reconstruction of the Hôtel-Dieu. He remained in Blois until his death, in 1660.

 

Under Louis XIV's reign, Blois became un independent bishopric. David Nicolas de Bertier, first bishop of Blois from 1697, chose as seated cathedral St. Solenne Church, that had been destroyed by a storm and was under reconstruction, before being completed 3 years later in 1700, thanks to the intervention of Colbert's wife, who herself came from Blois. The new edifice became Blois Cathedral and got dedicated to St. Louis.

 

A wide episcopal palace is built by King Louis XIV's official architect, Jacques Gabriel, right next to the newly built cathedral, on a site overlooking the Loire Valley. Landscaping of terraced gardens began in 1703 and lasted nearly 50 years. The so-called Bishopric Gardens were first open to the public in 1791 by Henri Grégoire (known as the Abbot Grégoire), the first constitutional bishop after the French Revolution.

 

During the night between 6 and 7 February 1716, the medieval bridge collapsed. Construction of a new one is ordered during the following year. Jacques-Gabriel Bridge was inaugurated in 1724. All the levies were consolidated, and the river channel of La Bouillie in the prolongation of La Creusille Harbor was closed and dried out.

 

When Duke Gaston of Orléans died, the château ended up stripped by King Louis XIV, completely abandoned, to the point that King Louis XVI once considered to demolish it by 1788. The edifice was saved when the Royal-Comtois Regiment established their base within it.

 

In 1790, Orléanais province was dismantled, and the First Republic created the Loir-et-Cher department, with Blois as the local capital.

 

By 1814, Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma and wife of Napoleon I, found refuge in Blois.

 

Contemporary era

Another wind blew in Blois in the 19th century. First, the railroad came in 1846 with the inauguration of the Paris–Tours railway, whose Blois Station is a stop. The competition against river transportation gradually forced La Creusille Harbor to reinvent its activity. In parallel, the city got more industrialised from 1848 thanks to a successful chocolate brand created by Bloisian, Victor-Auguste Poulain.

 

Like Paris, Blois urban organisation was redesigned during 1850 and 1870 by Mayor Eugène Riffault, who was friends with Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann. Thus, he had bound through a boulevard holding his name the modern upper town (where the cathedral, Hôtel of Préfecture, and Halle aux Grains are located), and the medieval lower town. He also paved the way to the construction of the boulevard Daniel Depuis, in the West of Blois. Between 1862 and 1865, the Denis-Papin staircase are built under La Morandière's supervision, in the axis of Jacques-Gabriel Bridge and Blois-Vienne's Wilson Avenue.

 

In the meantime, the lower town faced three of the most significant flooding of the Loire river: in 1846, 1856 (the worst), and 1866. The downtown districts of St. Jean and Blois-Vienne were under water, as well as La Bouillie spillway.

 

On 13 December 1871, the Prussian army took control of Blois during the Franco-Prussian War. The city was taken back by Lieutenant Georges de Villebois-Mareuil, General Joseph Pourcet, and General Bertrand de Chabron. Since then, a memorial stands on Wilson Avenue in Vienne.

 

In 1939, Blois Basilica construction was completed. That same year, between 29 January and 8 February, more than 3,100 Spanish refugees came to the Loir-et-Cher department, fleeing the Spanish Civil War and Dictator Francisco Franco. In June 1940, the German bombings destroyed a large part of the downtown, and the French destroyed the 10th arch of Jacques-Gabriel Bridge to prevent further advance for their enemies. The German army bombed the former Town Hall on 16 June, thus killing Mayor Émile Laurens in the process, and took over the city 2 days later, on 18 June, the exact same day of Charles de Gaulle's Appeal for Internal Resistance.

 

Between June and August 1944, US-English-allied bombings destroyed other infrastructures, like the railroad bridge between Blois and Romorantin. In total during WWII, 230 people were killed, and 1,522 buildings were entirely or partially destroyed. On 16 August 1944, the German troops ran to Blois-Vienne to get refuge there and destroyed the three central arches of the bridge. On 1 September, they surrendered. The bridge was rebuilt and reopened in December 1948.

 

In 1959, Mayor Marcel Bühler received President Charles de Gaulle and launched the construction of the ZUP, at the North of the city, on the same scheme of so-called banlieues of Paris or any other French city.

 

Landmarks and tourism

Since 1986, Blois is part of the French Towns of Art and History program, which promotes the cultural and historical estate.

 

Château of Blois

The Château of Blois, a Renaissance multi-style château once occupied by King Louis XII, is located in the centre of the city, and an 18th-century stone bridge spans the Loire. It was also the residence of many Counts of Blois, who were amongst the most closest vassals to the King of France between the 9th and the 14th century. Many gardens are located around the château, like:

 

House of Magic

Right in front of the château, La Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin (i.e.: Robert-Houdin House of Magic) is a museum dedicated to illusionism. This is the only public museum in Europe which incorporates in one place collections of magic and a site for permanent performing arts, and directly reflects the personality of Robert-Houdin.

 

Louis-XII Place and Fountains

Opened after bombings in 1944, the place stands right below the château, closest to the Loire river, and is actually located at the center of Blois downtown. There are local shops and restaurants, and a 16th-century fountain stands below the Sycamores planted in the place. Known as Louis XII Fountain (Fontaine Louis XII), this is one of the greatest and oldest water inlets throughout the city, but far from being the only one. Among the other founts, there are:

 

St. Martin Fountain (Fontaine Saint-Martin), below the staircase between the château and Louis XII Place;

 

St. Nicholas Fountain (Fontaine Saint-Nicolas), within the St. Nicholas Church;

 

Elected Representatives' Fountain (Fontaine des Élus), in rue Foulerie;

 

Ave Maria Fountain (Fontaine Ave Maria), in place Ave Maria;

 

Town hall Fountain (Fontaine de l'Hôtel de Ville), below the

Denis Papin staircase (where was the former Town Hall before WWII);

 

St. Jack Fountain (Fontaine Saint-Jacques), in rue Denis Papin;

 

Corbigny Fountain (Fontaine de Corbigny), in Victor Hugo Square ;

 

Simple Fountain (Fontaine des Simples), in the Lily Garden, in remembrance of a monumental Versailles-style fountain lost after WWII bombings.

 

Comics Museum

Blois is also the location of so-called Maison de la BD, a museum devoted to the art of comic books. Since the 1980s, this museum hosts an annual comic festival in late November called BD Boum, described as "the leading free comic book festival in France".

 

Former Hôtel-Dieu

Already by 924, monks from the St. Lomer community were given some acres below the medieval castle, but outside the city walls, on the bank of the Loire river. In the 13th century, a proper church was built, then fortified because of the Hundred Years' War. St. Lomer Abbey was completely destroyed during the French Wars of Religion. The edifice was rebuilt until the early 18th century. When the French Revolution broke out by 1789, the church was turnt into a Hôtel-Dieu, namely a charity hospital for the have-nots, because Revolutionners destroyed many clergy- and royal-related monuments. After that, new buildings were added to the original St. Lomer Abbey, which became St. Nicholas Church, and the additional edifices remained dedicated to the Hôtel-Dieu of the city. Nonetheless, this part was gradually abandoned and taken back by some public services. A reconversion project is currently under study.

 

Former Poulain Chocolate Factory

In the late 19th century, Bloisian industrialist and chocolatier Victor-Auguste Poulain established his brand's factory next to Blois station. The premises moved in the 1980s. Nowadays, those are housings and host the National Institute and School of Applied Sciences (INSA).

 

Denis-Papin Staircase

As Blois is built on a pair of steep hills, winding and steep pathways run through the city, culminating in long staircases at various points. The most iconic of them is the monumental Denis-Papin staircase which overlooks the town, provides a panoramic view by overlooking the downtown and the Loire Valley, and regularly enlivens urban space with original decorations. The fountain next to the staircase is a reminder of the location of the first Town Hall, destroyed after bombings on 16 June 1940.

 

Town Hall and Bishopric Gardens

Blois achieved independence from the Diocese of Chartres in 1697, and the cathedral was completed by 1700. As a result, the first bishops engineered wide gardens on several levels, next to the premises. Since the destruction of the former Blois town hall during World War II, local authorities requisitioned the bishop's apartments to establish there the new town hall. Now organised as an urban park, the gardens offer a panoramic view on the downtown, the Loire river, and Blois-Vienne. A statue of Joan of Arc, given to the city by American patron J. Sanford Saltus, stands in the middle of the park. Bishopric gardens are open to public all the year, and a remarkable rose garden can be visited from 15 May and 30 September, each year.

 

Hôtels Particuliers and Timber Framing Houses

Since Count Louis II of Orléans became King Louis XII of France in 1498, the city started to host many noblepersons from all the Kingdom. All would build their own mansion as close from the château as they could. King Louis XII also imported Renaissance style from Italy due to his successful military campaigns there. Among these so-called hôtels particuliers, there are:

 

the Hôtel d'Alluye;

the Hôtel d'Amboise;

the Hôtel de Belot;

the Hôtel de la Capitainerie (a.k.a. Hôtel de Bretagne);

the Hôtel de la Chancellerie (i.e.: Chancellery Hotel);

the Hôtel Denis-Dupont;

the Hôtel d'Épernon;

the Hôtel de Guise;

the Hôtel de Jassaud;

the Hôtel de Lavallière, built for Louise de Lavallière;

the Hôtel de Rochefort;

the Hôtel Sardini;

the Hôtel Viart;

the Hôtel de Villebresme, in which Denis Papin lived;

the Château de la Vicomté (i.e.: Château of Viscounty), in the hamlet of Les Grouëts.

 

Blois-Vienne and the Loire river

Please note all the above edifices have been listed as Blois-Vienne (or merely Vienne) is the name given to the southern part of the city, on the left bank of the Loire river. Independent from the city until 1606, there are many traces of the river's past. The main link between both banks is the Jacques-Gabriel Bridge, built in the early 18th century. From the levees circling the surroundings to other abandoned bridges, Vienne has also conserved a harbour, named La Creusille, which is now an urban park right on La Loire à Vélo bike route. Beyond the levees, La Bouillie Park is getting rehabilitated, and actually is a spillway in the event of floodings. Further to the south of the city, the Forêt de Russy is a reminder of the thick woods that once covered the area.

 

Religious Buildings

The city also is provided with many religious edifices, including:

Blois Cathedral, dedicated to both Kings Louis IX and Louis XII, built between 1564 and 1700.

St. Vincent Blois Church, dedicated to Saint Vincent de Paul, built between 1625 and 1660.

St. Nicholas Blois Church, dedicated to bishop Saint Nicholas of Myra, built in the 12th century.

Blois-Vienne Church, dedicated to Saint Saturnin of Toulouse, built between c. 1500 and 1528.

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Trinité, dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Trinity, built between 1932 and 1939.

 

Historical and political figures

Ivomadus (5th century), Breton chieftain who would have conquered Blois and established there an independent Kingdom until Clovis I's conquest.

Count William of Orléans (died 834), first count of Blois.

Count Theobald I (913–975), viscount who declared himself Count when Duke Hugh the Great died in 956.

Thubois (c. 1044–1090)[citation needed]

Lady Adela of Normandy (c. 1067 – 1137), daughter of William the Conqueror, married to Stephen II, Count of Blois.

King Stephen of England (c. 1096 – 1154), second son of Count Stephen II and Lady Adela, he became King of England from 1135 to 1154.

Lady Adela of Champagne (c. 1140 – 1206), daughter of Count Theobald IV of Blois, she married King Louis VII and gave to him future King Philip II.

Duke Charles of Blois (1319–1364), notable stakeholder during the Hundred Years' War.

King Louis XII (1462–1515), Count of Blois from 1465 to 1498, then King of France up to 1515.

Queen Anne of Brittany (1477–1514), last Queen of Brittany, she remarried King Louis XII in 1499, then moved to Blois until her death.

King Francis I (1494–1547), King of France born in Cognac, but he lived in Blois since his marriage in 1506 with Louis XII and Anne's daughter.

Queen Catherine de' Medici (1519–1589), Queen consort of France, who died in the Château of Blois.

Queen Marie de' Medici (1575–1642) was exiled to the Château of Blois by her son, King Louis XIII.

Duke Henry I of Guise (1550–1588), assassinated on 23 December 1588 in the château.

Duke Gaston of Orléans (1494 in Fontainebleau – 1547), uncle of King Louis XVI, he got establishment in the château, and died there.

Jean Morin (1591–1659), theologian and biblical scholar of Protestant parents

Michel V Bégon (1638–1710), officier de plume of the French Navy.

Marie Anne de Bourbon (1666–1739), also known as Mademoiselle de Blois, daughter of King Louis XIV.

Michel VI Bégon de la Picardière, (1669–1747). Commissioner in the French Navy; intendant of New France and Le Havre.

Thomas de Mahy, Marquis de Favras (1744–1790), royalist

Jean-Marie Pardessus (1772–1853).

Joseph Léopold Sigisbert Hugo (1773–1828).

Eugène Riffault (1803–1888).

Joséphine Marchais (1842–1874).

Émile Laurens (1884–1940).

Georges Litalien (1896–1952), deputee of the Loir-et-Cher department.

Henri de La Vaissière (1901–1944).

Pierre Sudreau (1919–2012).

Jack Lang (1939–).

Bernard Boucault. Préfet de Police in Paris (from 2012 to 2015).

 

Artists

Pierre de Ronsard (1524–1585), poet from Vendôme but he met his muse Cassandre in the Château of Blois in 1549.

Jacob Bunel (1568–1614), Bloisian painter who studied in the Royal School of Fontainebleau.

Antoine Boësset (1587–1643), composer of secular music, and superintendent of music at the Ancien Régime French court.

Jean Monier (1600–1656), painter close to Queen Marie de' Medici.

Étienne Baudet (1638–1711), engraver born in Vineuil.

Pierre Monier (1641–1703), painter and son of Jean Monier.

Jacques Gabriel (1667–1742), Parisian architect who designed the Jacques-Gabriel Bridge in Blois.

Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805–1871), watchmaker, magician and illusionist, widely recognized as the father of the modern style of conjuring.

Ulysse Besnard (1826–1899), painter, then ceramist.

Daniel Dupuis (1849–1899), painter, sculptor and medal artist.

Jules Contant (1852–1920), painter born in Blois-Vienne, son of a politician.

Émile Gaucher (1858–1909), sculptor.

Alfred Jean Halou (1875–1939), sculptor from Blois, who designed the Franco-Prussian War memorial in Blois.

Étienne Gaudet (1891–1963), engraver and painter from Nevers but who lived and died in Blois.

Bernard Lorjou (1908–1986), painter.

Claudine Doury (born 1959), photographer.

Jean-Louis Agobet (born 1968), composer.

Christian Jui (born 1973), poet.

Niro (born 1987), rapper born in Orléans but he grew up and currently lives in Blois.

Hildegarde Fesneau (born 1995), violinist.

 

Artisans

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Blois was the hometown of many artisans in the watchmaking and goldsmithing industries. Among them:

Julien Coudray, who was one of the first watchmakers in Blois according to Tardy, worked for Kings Louis XII and Francis I. There is a street in Blois that holds his name.

the Cuper family : the Louvre museum, Paris, possesses two watches made by Michel Cuper, and two other ones by P. Cuper. A street also holds their name in the city.

the Bellanger family : Martin with a first wife got 2 sons born between 1594 and 1597 (among them, one was called Isaac), then at least 3 other ones with a Suzanne, named Pierre (born in 1603), Jean (married in 1641 and dead in 1678), and Théophile.

Guillaume Couldroit, from whom the British Museum, London, has a table clock.

Jacques de la Garde, from whom the British Museum has a striking clock, and from whom a table clock can be found in the National Museum of the Renaissance in Écouen, France.

Charles Perras, from whom 2 watches can be found in the British Museum, as well as in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

the Duduict brothers.

Blaise Foucher, Duiduict's disciple, from whom the British Museum possesses one watchcase.

the Vautier family, among whom the British Museum has several Louis' watchcases.

the Gribelin family, among whom Simon was watchmaker and engraver for the King, and his son Abraham (1589–1671) succeeded to him. Nowadays, the Louvre Museum has a watch made by Abraham.

the Girard family, among whom Marc came from the Netherlands and established in Blois, his son Théodore and grandson Marc II were both watchmakers.

Christophe Morlière (born in Orléans in 1604 – 1643), who moved to Blois. By 1632, he was ordered a watch for Lady Marguerite of Lorraine when she married Gaston, Duke of Orléans and Count of Blois.

Pierre Brisson.

Paul Viet, from whom the British Museum got a painted watchcase.

Jean Bonbruict, from whom the British Museum has a silver coach watch.

Nicolas Lemaindre, who was watchmaker and valet for Queen Catherine de' Medici. The British Museum also possesses one of his works, as well as the Louvre and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Pierre Landré, from whom a watch is visible in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City.

the Chartier family, among whom Pierre had a son registered as T. Chartier in the Louvre where a cylindrical table clock is exposed.

François Laurier.

Londonian watchmaker Henry Massy was son of Nicolas Massy, born in Blois.

Robert Vauquer, who has now 2 watches in the Louvre and 1 in the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.

 

Intellectuals

Peter of Blois (c. 1130 – c. 1211), theologian, poet and diplomat born in Blois.

Paul Reneaulme (c. 1560 – c. 1624), doctor and botanist born in the city.

Florimond de Beaune (1601–1652), jurist and mathematician born in Blois.

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643–1687), first explorer of Louisiana, born in Rouen, then teacher at the Royal College of Blois.

Denis Papin (1647–1713), physicist, mathematician and inventor from Blois.

Angel Baffard (1655–1726), genealogist specialist of Bloisian.

Jean Marie Pardessus (1772–1853), lawyer.

Augustin Thierry (1795–1856), historian born in the city.

Amédée Thierry (1797–1873), historian like his elder brother, and journalist.

Félix Duban (1798–1870), Parisian architect who restored the Château of Blois.

Louis de La Saussaye (1801–1878), numismatist and historian from Blois.

Jules de La Morandière (1813–1905), architect, and Duban's disciple.

Victor-Auguste Poulain (1825–1918), chocolatier who created the Chocolat Poulain brand in 1848.

Albert Poulain (1851–1937), chocolatier and industrialist, son of the precedent.

Tiburce Colonna-Ceccaldi (1832–1892), diplomat and archaeologist born in Blois.

Édouard Blau (1836–1906), dramatist and opera librettist from Blois.

Arthur Trouëssart (1839–1929), architect, historian, and genealogist specialized in Bloisian history.

Adrien Thibault (1844–1918), ceramist born in La Chaussée-Saint-Victor, then historian of Bloisian.

René Guénon (also Sheikh 'Abd al-Wahid Yahya; 1886 – 1951), author, philosopher, social critic, the founder of the Traditionalist School.

Philippe Ariès (1914–1984), medievalist and historian.

Albert Ronsin (1928–2007), 20th-century French scholar, historian, librarian, and curator.

Françoise Xenakis (1930–2018), novelist and journalist.

Maxime Schwartz (born 1940), molecular biologist who has been a research director at the CNRS, and Director General of the Pasteur Institute.

Henri Tézenas du Montcel (1943–1994), economist

Pierre Rosanvallon (born 1948), historian and sociologist.

Christophe Lebreton (1950-1996), Trappist monk and one of the Tibhirine monks.

Luc Foisneau (born in 1963), philosopher and director of research at CNRS.

 

Sportspersons

Marcel Lehoux (1888–1936), racing driver

Philippe Gondet (1942–2018), footballer.

Nicolas Vogondy (born 1977), cyclist.

Sonia Bompastor (born 1980), female footballer.

Aly Cissokho (born 1987), footballer of Senegalese descent.

Bernard Onanga Itoua (born 1988), footballer.

Alexis Khazzaka (born 1994), Lebanese footballer.

Corentin Jean (born 1995), footballer.

Alpha Kaba (born 1996), basketball player

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizal_Monument

 

The Rizal Monument (original title: Motto Stella, Latin, "guiding star") is a memorial in Rizal Park in Manila, Philippines built to commemorate the executed Filipino nationalist, José Rizal. The monument consists of a standing bronze sculpture of Rizal, with an obelisk, set on a stone base within which his remains are interred. A plaque on the pedestal's front reads: "To the memory of José Rizal, patriot and martyr, executed on Bagumbayan Field December Thirtieth 1896. This monument is dedicated by the people of the Philippine Islands".

 

The perimeter of the monument is guarded continuously by the Philippine Marine Corps’ Marine Security and Escort Group, the changing of the guard having become a daily ritual. About 100 m (330 ft) north-northwest of the monument is the exact location where Rizal was executed, marked by life-size dioramas depicting his final moments.

 

An exact replica of the Rizal Monument can be found in Madrid, Spain at the junction of Avenida de Las Islas Filipinas and Calle Santander.

Registan (a sandy place): this public square was the centre of Samarkand and the site of a large market. It came to be used as the place where royal proclamations were made, public executions held, and trade & commerce conducted. In the 15th and 17th centuries, madrassas were built on three sides of the square. This design, madrasas facing each other across a square or street, is called a kosh, a "double, pair", as the building of madrasas are opposite each other on the sides of the street or square.

 

Patron: Ulugh Beg (Mīrzā Muhammad Tāraghay bin Shāhrukh) 1394-1449 (assassinated by his son), a Timurid sultan (r.1447–1449), grandson of Timur (Tamerlane) (1336–1405), as well as a famous astronomer and mathematician.

Five women fall victim to a firing squad, they were among 100 Slovenians shot in the village of Celje in 1942.

One method the Nazis used to discourage rebellion was the shooting of hostages, especially women and children, in retaliation for acts of resistance. Five women, about to fall victims to a firing squad, were among 100 Slovenians shot in the village of Celje in 1942. The Nazis believed that the shooting of women and children would be especially effective in discouraging resistance activity. Yet, even such atrocities did not completely halt the actions of the Yugoslavian partisans.

Photo: Lydia Chagoll / United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Photo Archive

www.holocaustchronicle.org/staticpages/319.html

A complete equipment for the execution with an axe (1:5 replicas). Used in Germany at the end of the 19-th and early 20-th century. The executions took place in the gray morning in each prison yard. The bench, as well as the block was attached to the bottom of the scaffold, in order not to endanger the safe running of the execution. Around the block was sprinkled a lot sawdust to soak up the blood. The convict was printed by the assistants of the executioner to the bank. Here, the arms of the condemned were pulled down by using the rope and shackles on the existing block rings around the block . The head was printed in the notch on the block and is fixed. The whole ceremony was "accompanied" by the ringing of the sinners' bell until the ax fell.

Execution on the Old Town Square 21. 6. 1621

23-06-2001 | Olaf Barth, Katrin Bock

Olaf Barth and Katrin Bock now take a look at the events that took place on the Old Town Square 380 years ago.

Execution on the Old Town Square 21. 6. 1621

If you have ever been to Prague, you may have noticed the 27 crosses which have been embedded into the pavement at the foot of the Old Town Town Hall. Perhaps you have wondered about their origin. Well, in the following minutes you will learn more about the context of these crosses. First of all, listen to the Czech writer Alois Jirasek portraying the events at the end of the 19th century in one of his stories:

"In the night of 20 to 21 June 1621, fear and grief prevailed everywhere in Prague, and the roads had become like deserted, for on Prague restrictions had been imposed. Only the clash of the weapons and the heavy steps of foreign soldiers broke through the oppressive silence. On the Old Town Square there was a lot of activity, and boards and beams were unloaded from wagons and carried to the middle of the place, where a scaffold grew by the flickering light of numerous torches. By daybreak a gallows covered with red cloth was towering. At sunrise fulminated a cannon cracker showing that the execution had to begin. On the scaffold dark hooded people were visible, the assistents of the executioner and the gravedigger. Finally, the executioner, Jan Mydláø, also appeared. Immediately the imperial judges took their seats, and the names of the twenty-seven death-condemned noblemen were exclaimed. While foreign soldiers were drumming in the streets of Prague, in the houses people of Prague prayed for their faithful, the 27 men who were either beheaded or hanged at the same time. It is reported that once a year, always in the night from the 20th to the 21st of June, the noblemen and citizens appear on the Old Town Square. Silently they walk over the square to the church, where, kneeling before the altar, they receive the Last Supper in both forms. And as silently as they have come they disappear again."

The Hradschin 1618, in the year of the window-lintel (contemporary engraving)

So far the Czech writer Alois Jirasek about the events of that night 380 years ago, when the leaders of the insurrection of the Estates against the Catholic Habsburgs were judged. 27 nobles, gentlemen and citizens, Czechs and Germans, Protestants and a Catholic then left their lives. They were punished for having joined an uprising against the legal Habsburg emperor which had a religious background, for the Emperor had previously tried to restrict the freedom of religion which had been in force in the Bohemian lands since the middle of the fifteenth century. The revolt had begun on May 23, 1618, with the famous Prague defenestration, and ended with the battle Battle of White Mountain in November 1620, for the Czechs still today a national trauma. In that battle before the gates of Prague the army of the Catholic Habsburgs the Protestant Estates had utterly vanquished. What followed was a relentless persecution of all insurgents, regardless of their social position or nationality. Emperor Ferdinand II used his military victory to strengthen his position in the rebellious Bohemian lands, to suppress the Protestant faith and to break the power of the Estates once and for all.

Procession on the White Mountains (Josef Berka and A. Gustav, around 1800)

All persons who had somehow participated in the uprising of the Estates were punished. The worst punishment experienced three lords, seven knights and 17 citizens, who were executed in the early morning hours of June 21, 1621 on the Old Town Square. The execution took place conforming to the etiquette: first came the lords, then the knights, and finally the citizens. It is said the bloodthirsty torture to have lasted for four hours, while the executioner Jan Mydlar in the proces was to have beaten blunt four swords.

Joachim Andreas Graf Schlick was the first to be beheaded, whose family had grown rich thanks to the silver mines in the west Bohemian Jáchymov valley. Count Schlick had worked for many years at the Saxon court as an educator of the future ruler Johann Georg. During the Bohemian uprising of the Estates, Schlick had been quite active. Among other things, he was one of the participants of the famous 1618 defenestration. Next came Vaclav Budova from Budovec. Since the beginning of the 17th century, he had been strongly committed to the observance of the freedom of belief in the Bohemian lands and had been one of the spokesmen of the insurgents. As the third nobleman, Krystof Harant of Polzice and Bezdruzice lost his head. He had been court musician and companion of Rudolf at the court of Emperor Rudolf II. He was not very interested in politics, but he had been one of the military leaders of the insurgents, which now cost him his head. All three of them, without any doubt, belonged to the intellectual elite of the country, all three of them had been to many places, were well-educated, spoke several languages, and were Protestants.

Among the 7 knights was also the Catholic Divis Cernin of Chudenice. This one had made the fatal mistake of opening the gates of the castle to the representatives of the Estates on the 23rd of May, 1618, who then threw the three representatives of the Habsburg power out of a window in protest against the restriction of the rights of the Protestants.

Jan Jesensky

Jan Jessenius, the rector of the Charles University of Prague, was one of those who got the severest judgement. He was not only beheaded, his tongue had been cut off before, additionally he was also quartered after the execution. Emperor Ferdinand had expressed himself personally for this harsh judgment. The internationally respected scholar, who had carried out the first public autopsy in Prague in 1600, had aroused the wrath of the ruler as he had himself pronounced against the election of Ferdinand for the King of Bohemia as well as published a series of harsh writings against the Habsburgs.

The heads of twelve executed were hanged in iron baskets for deterrence and warning at the Old Town Bridge Tower. From there they were removed only 10 years later, when the Saxons 1631 occupied Prague for a short time.

Ferdinand II.

Emperor Ferdinand II took advantage of the victory over the rebellious Protestant estates, which had dethroned him, the legitimate heir, and elected another one, the "Winter King", Frederick of the Palatinate. 166 nobles Ferdinand had completely dispossessed, another 500 lost a large part of their estates. On the other hand, his faithful were rewarded. Those were given great lands in the Bohemian lands. In addition, monasteries were returned lands that they had lost during the Hussite wars in the 15th century.

The greatest winners were probably Albrecht von Waldstein, Karl von Liechtenstein, and Johann Ulrich von Eggenberg, who were now able to call great domains their own. But also other noble families then settled in the Bohemian lands, like the Trauttmansdorff, Thun, Metternich and Clary families.

Even ordinary citizens and peasants were affected: those who did not convert to the Catholic faith had to leave the country. In 1624 the Catholic faith became the only one recognized in the Bohemian lands - more and more subjects saw themselves forced to emigrate. Some 150,000 people are said to have left the Bohemian lands for religious reasons in the years after the defeat of the Protestant Estates. The probably most famous emigrant of that time is Jan Amos Komensky - Comenius. The pedagogue and bishop of the Unity of the Brotherhood settled down after a few journeys in Holland, where he died in 1670 at the age of 78.

Even in the eyes of most of today's Czechs, the "time of darkness" began with the defeat of the Protestant estates in the Battle of Weissenberg. As such, the almost 300 years of the unrestricted rule of the Habsburgs over the Bohemian countries were designated, which ended only with the independence of Czechoslovakia in 1918. The formerly proud kingdom of Bohemia had been degrated to a Habsburg province according to the new regional order of 1627, and had lost most of its rights, including the freedom of faith for which its inhabitants had fought since the death for heresy of Jan Hus in 1415. Today, not only the 27 crosses embedded on the Old Town Square, but also all the magnificent Baroque buildings in the country, are reminiscent of this historic epoch. With these the Catholic Habsburgs showed their Bohemian and Moravian subjects who is the boss in the country.

And so we are already at the end of our trip into the 17th century.

 

Hinrichtung auf dem Altstädter Ring 21. 6. 1621

23-06-2001 | Olaf Barth, Katrin Bock

Olaf Barth und Katrin Bock werfen heute einen Blick auf die Geschehnisse, die sich vor 380 Jahren auf dem Altstädter Ring ereigneten.

Hinrichtung auf dem Altstädter Ring 21. 6. 1621

Wer von Ihnen schon mal in Prag war, dem sind sie vielleicht aufgefallen, die 27 in das Pflaster eingelassenen Kreuze zu Füssen des Altstädter Rathausturmes. Vielleicht haben Sie sich über deren Ursprung gewundert. Nun in den folgenden Minuten erfahren Sie mehr über die Bewandtnis dieser Kreuze. Hören Sie zunächst einmal, wie der tschechische Schriftsteller Alois Jirasek die entsprechenden Ereignisse Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts in einer seiner Geschichten schilderte:

"In der Nacht vom 20. auf den 21. Juni 1621 herrschte überall in Prag Angst und Trauer. Die Strassen waren wie ausgestorben, denn über Prag war Ausgangsverbot verhängt worden. Nur das Klirren der Waffen und schwere Schritte fremder Soldaten durchbrachen die bedrückende Stille. Auf dem Altstädter Ring herrschte reger Betrieb. Bretter und Balken wurden von Wagen abgeladen und zur Platzmitte getragen, wo beim flackernden Licht zahlreicher Fackeln ein Gerüst wuchs. Als es zu dämmern begann, ragte da ein mit rotem Stoff überzogener Galgen empor. Beim Sonnenaufgang donnerte von der Prager Burg ein Kanonenschlag. Ein Zeichen dafür, dass die Exekution beginne. Auf dem Galgengerüst waren dunkle vermummte Gestalten zu sehen - die Henkershelfer und der Totengräber. Schliesslich erschien auch der Henker Jan Mydláø. Alsbald nahmen die kaiserlichen Richter ihre Sitze ein, und die Namen der 27 zum Tode verurteilten Standesherren wurden ausgerufen. Während in den Strassen Prags fremde Soldaten trommelten, beteten in den Häusern die Prager für ihre Getreuen, die 27 Herren, die zur selben Zeit geköpft oder gehängt wurden. Es wird berichtet, dass die hingerichteten Adeligen und Bürger einmal im Jahr, immer in der Nacht vom 20. auf den 21. Juni, auf dem Altstädter Ring erscheinen. Schweigend gehen sie über den Platz zur Kirche, wo sie, vor dem Altar knieend, das Abendmahl in beiderlei Gestalt empfangen. Und so lautlos wie sie gekommen verschwinden sie wieder."

Der Hradschin 1618, im Jahre des Fenstersturzes (Zeitgenössiger Stich)

Soweit der tschechische Schriftsteller Alois Jirasek über die Ereignisse jener Nacht vor 380 Jahren, als die Anführer des Ständeaufstandes gegen die katholischen Habsburger gerichtet wurden. 27 Adelige, Herren und Bürger, Tschechen und Deutsche, Protestanten und ein Katholik liessen damals ihr Leben. Bestraft wurden sie dafür, dass sie sich einem Aufstand gegen den rechtmässigen Habsburger Kaiser angeschlossen hatten, der einen religiösen Hintergrund hatte, denn der Kaiser hatte zuvor versucht, die seit Mitte des 15. Jahrhunderts in den Böhmischen Ländern geltende Religionsfreiheit einzuschränken. Der Aufstand hatte am 23. Mai 1618 mit dem berühmten Prager Fenstersturz begonnen und mit der für Tschechen noch heute ein nationales Trauma darstellenden Schlacht am Weissen Berg im November 1620 geendet. In jener Schlacht vor den Toren Prags hatte das Heer der katholischen Habsburger die protestantischen Stände vernichtend geschlagen. Was folgte war eine unbarmherzige Verfolgung aller Aufständischen, ungeachtet ihrer gesellschaftlichen Stellung oder Nationalität. Kaiser Ferdinand II. nutzte seinen militärischen Sieg, um seine Stellung in den aufständischen Böhmischen Ländern zu stärken, den protestantischen Glauben zurückzudrängen und die Macht der Stände ein für alle mal zu brechen.

Prozession am Weißen Berge (Josef Berka und A. Gustav, um 1800)

Alle Personen, die irgendwie an dem Ständeaufstand beteiligt gewesen waren, wurden bestraft. Am schlimmsten traf es dabei drei Herren, sieben Ritter und 17 Bürger, die in den frühen Morgenstunden des 21. Junis 1621 auf dem Altstädter Ring hingerichtet wurden. Bei der Hinrichtung wurde die Etike gewahrt: zuerst waren die Herren dran, dann die Ritter und schliesslich die Bürger. Vier Stunden lang soll die blutige Tortur gedauert haben, vier Schwerter soll der Henker Jan Mydlar dabei stumpf geschlagen haben.

Als erster wurde Joachim Andreas Graf Schlick geköpft, dessen Familie dank der Silberminen im westböhmischen Joachimsthal reich geworden war. Graf Schlick hatte jahrelang am sächsischen Hof als Erzieher des zukünftigen Herrschers Johann Georg gewirkt. Während des böhmischen Ständeaufstands war Schlick recht aktiv gewesen, unter anderem gehörte er zu den Teilnehmern des berühmten Fenstersturzes von 1618. Als nächstes kam Vaclav Budova von Budovec an die Reihe. Dieser hatte sich seit dem Beginn des 17. Jahrhunderts stark für die Einhaltung der Glaubensfreiheit in den Böhmischen Ländern eingesetzt und war einer der Wortführer der Aufständischen gewesen. Als dritter hochgestellter Adeliger verlor Krystof Harant von Polzice und Bezdruzice seinen Kopf. Dieser war am Hofe Kaiser Rudolfs II. Hofmusikant und Gesellschafter Rudolfs gewesen. Für Politik interessierte er sich nicht sehr, doch war er einer der Heerführer der Aufständischen gewesen, das kostete ihn nun seinen Kopf. Alle drei Herren gehörten ohne Zweifel zur geistigen Elite des Landes, alle drei waren weitgereist, hervorragend gebildet, sprachen mehrere Sprachen - und waren Protestanten.

Unter den 7 Rittern war auch der Katholik Divis Cernin von Chudenice. Dieser hatte den verhängnisvollen Fehler gemacht, am 23. Mai 1618 den Repräsentanten der Stände die Burgtore geöffnet zu haben, die dann die drei Vertreter der Habsburger Macht aus Protest gegen die Einschränkung der Rechte der Protestanten aus einem Fenster warfen.

Jan Jesensky

Eines der härtesten Urteile traf Jan Jessenius, den Rektor der Prager Karlsuniversität, der als 16. an die Reihe kam: er wurde nicht nur geköpft, zuvor wurde ihm die Zunge abgeschnitten, ausserdem wurde er nach der Hinrichtung noch geviertelt. Für dieses harte Urteil hatte sich Kaiser Ferdinand persönlich ausgesprochen. Der international angesehene Gelehrte, der 1600 in Prag die erste öffentliche Obduktion durchgeführt hatte, hatte den Zorn des Herrschers erregt, da er sich auf verschiedenen Landtagen gegen die Wahl Ferdinands zum böhmischen König ausgesprochen sowie eine Reihe von scharfen Schriften gegen die Habsburger veröffentlicht hatte.

Die Köpfe von zwölf Hingerichteten wurden in Eisenkörben zur Abschreckung und Warnung an den Altstädter Brückenturm gehängt. Von dort wurden sie erst 10 Jahre später entfernt, als die Sachsen 1631 Prag für kurze Zeit besetzten.

Ferdinand II.

Kaiser Ferdinand II. nutzte seinen Sieg über die aufständischen protestantischen Stände, die ihn, den rechtmässigen Erben, entthront hatten und einen anderen, den "Winterkönig" Friedrich von der Pfalz, gewählt hatten. 166 Adelige liess Ferdinand vollkommen enteignen, weitere 500 verloren einen Grossteil ihrer Güter. Belohnt wurden dagegen seine Getreuen. Diese erhielten grosse Ländereien in den Böhmischen Ländern. Ausserdem bekamen Klöster Ländereien zurück, die sie zur Zeit der Hussitenkriege im 15. Jahrhundert verloren hatten.

Die grössten Gewinner waren wohl Albrecht von Waldstein, Karl von Liechtenstein sowie Johann Ulrich von Eggenberg, die nun grosse Herrschaften ihr Eigen nennen konnten. Aber auch andere Adelsdfamilien setzten damals in den Böhmischen Ländern ihren Fuss, wie die Familien Trauttmansdorff, Thun, Metternich und Clary.

Auch einfache Bürger und Bauern waren betroffen: wer nicht zum katholischen Glauben übertrat, musste das Land verlassen. 1624 wurde der katholische Glaube der einzig anerkannte in den Böhmischen Ländern - immer mehr Untertanen sahen sich gezwungen, zu emigrieren. Rund 150.000 Menschen sollen in den Jahren nach der Niederlage der protestantischen Stände die Böhmischen Länder aus religiösen Gründen verlassen haben. Der wohl bekannteste Emigrant jener Zeit ist Jan Amos Komensky - Comenius. Der Pädagoge und Bischof der Brüderunität liess sich nach einigen Reisen in Holland nieder, wo er 1670 im Alter von 78 Jahren verstarb.

Auch in den Augen der meisten heutigen Tschechen begann damals mit der Niederlage der protestantischen Stände in der Schlacht am Weissen Berg die "Zeit der Finsternis". Als solche werden die knapp 300 Jahre der uneingeschränkten Herrschaft der Habsburger über die Böhmischen Länder bezeichnet, die erst mit der Unabhängigkeit der Tschechoslowakei 1918 endeten. Das einstmals stolze Königreich Böhmen war nach der neuen Landesordnung von 1627 zu einer Habsburger Provinz degradiert worden und hatte die meisten seiner Rechte verloren - auch das der Glaubensfreiheit, für das seine Bewohner seit dem Ketzertod des Jan Hus 1415 gekämpft hatten. Heute erinnern an diese Geschichtsepoche nicht nur die 27 in das Strassenpflaster eingelassenen Kreuze auf dem Altstädter Ring, sondern auch all die prächtigen Barockbauten im Lande. Mit diesen zeigten die katholischen Habsburger ihren böhmischen und mährischen Untertanen, wer der Herr im Lande ist.

Und damit sind wir bereits am Ende unseres Ausfluges in das 17. Jahrhundert.

www.radio.cz/de/rubrik/geschichte/hinrichtung-auf-dem-alt...

*once the order is given, nothing and no one can stop it; all is done in perfect harmony;

shooters are trained to go for the heart, but frequently the bullets hit other parts of the body

Isn't it funny how some people learn to fly only after they die?

I took this picture in 1992. My grandmother cut my cousin's hair, who was pulling his head into his shoulders and closing his eyes all the time. Somehow he was very afraid of this procedure.

 

Экзекуция

Эту фотографию я сделал в 1992 году. Бабушка стригла моего двоюродного брата, который всю дорогу втягивал голову в плечи и зажмуривал глаза. Почему-то он сильно боялся этой процедуры.

أولاً الحمدلله انها وصلت بالسلامه ^_^

 

ثانياً أتمنى تعجبكم الفكره

 

ثالثاً .. انت يا السوني اريكسون .. الله يرحمك .. انتهى دورك من اليوم وخلّك حق المكالمات بس ;p

 

رابعاً .. أتمنى تقبلوني معاكم يا كانونييييييين

 

أخيراً .. لكم كل الشكر يا أصدقاء على التشجيع والحافز

وأهم شي لأتخطى مرحلة الموبايلات :p

Elsdon Northumberland.

"On the morning of 27th May 1541, Margaret Pole was informed she would be dead within the hour. Henry VIII was determined to rid his realm of anyone that may pose a threat to his throne, which included a frail 67-year-old lady. Until the end, Margaret claimed her innocence before God, she stated no crime had been imputed to her and that she was wrongly judged. According to popular belief, a poem was found carved on the wall of her cell, as follows:

 

‘For traitors on the block should die;

I am no traitor, no, not I!

My faithfulness stands fast and so,

towards the block I shall not go!

Nor make one step, as you shall see;

Christ in Thy Mercy, save Thou me!’"

 

Blessed Margaret Pole was beheaded here, on East Smithfield Green, within the precincts of the Tower, on 27th May 1541, and buried in the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula.

 

"She died a traitor under the law, but to many others an unlawfully judged elderly woman who did not deserve her cruel end. Following the execution of his mother, Cardinal Reginald Pole said that he would ‘Never fear to call himself the son of a martyr’. And 345 years later, in 1886, Lady Salisbury became exactly that. On the 29th December 1886, she became the Blessed Margaret Pole under the Roman Catholic Church. She was beatified by Pope Leo XIII."

 

Today, 28 May, is her feast day.

  

The Postcard

 

A carte postale that was published by Laurent-Nel of Rennes. The image is a glossy real photograph. It was posted in Quiberon on Saturday the 10th. July 1937 to:

 

Miss M. Reeks,

74, Elphinstone Road,

Hastings,

England.

 

However, Miss Reeks' address has been crossed out and the card was forwarded from Hastings on the 13th. July 1937 to:

 

1, Chandos Road,

Cricklewood,

London NW2.

 

The pencilled message on the divided back of the card was as follows:

 

"Saturday.

Dear Miss Reeks,

No doubt you will be

surprised to hear from

me.

I had a very nice time in

Paris, the Exhibition was

really lovely, but not near

finished yet.

Now we have moved

further on to Quiberon, a

pretty seaside, but nothing

to do.

The women dress in their

national costume and the

men go out fishing.

There is no music or lights

in the town. All you do is

watch the fishermen or go

on the beach.

Kind regards to Mrs. Taylor.

Hoping to see you soon,

V. M. Alan".

 

The International Exhibition in Paris

 

The exhibition to which the writer referred was the

Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques Dans la Vie Moderne.

 

The Exposition was held from the 25th. May to the 25th. November 1937 in Paris, France. It was held in the Palais de Chaillot, with 45 countries participating.

 

Quiberon

 

Quiberon is a commune in the French department of Morbihan, administrative region of Brittany, western France.

 

It is situated on the southern part of the Quiberon peninsula, the northern part being the commune of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon. It is primarily known as a seaside resort for French tourists during summer, and for its history of sardine production.

 

Quiberon is connected to the mainland by a tombolo which is a sandy isthmus.

 

History of Quiberon

 

During the Seven Years' War the bay was the site of the Battle of Quiberon Bay (1759) between the French and British fleets. Then later in July 1795 during the period of the French Revolution, Quiberon was used by French Royalist exiles, with assistance from the British, as the base for a failed invasion of Brittany (traditionally a royalist area). However the invasion was defeated by the Revolutionaries under General Lazare Hoche.

 

In the 19th. century, Nicolas Appert, a chemist, developed a technique that permitted the sterilisation of food. Thanks to this process, Quiberon became the leading harbour for sardine fishing and the production of canned sardines in France.

 

Many families from the Finistère département migrated to Quiberon for the fishing season (May to October). When the men put out to sea, the women worked in the sardine can factories.

 

The railway between Auray and Quiberon was inaugurated in 1882. It changed Quiberon's way of life. Fishing, canning and the exploitation of seaweed became replaced by tourism. At that time, some famous people stayed in Quiberon, including the writers Gustave Flaubert and Anatole France, and the actress Sarah Bernhardt.

 

The year 1924 was important for the peninsula because it was classified as health resort.

 

Penthièvre Fort

 

During the Second World War, Penthièvre Fort at the narrow isthmus was occupied by the Germans, and incorporated into the Atlantic Wall. It housed various blockhouses, but was mainly used by the infantry.

 

In July 1944, 59 resistance fighters were tortured and buried alive there. A Cross of Lorraine mounted on a stone pillar, with a plaque listing the names of the fighters, stands there in memory of them. Although the fort is still of military importance (as a training base), a tunnel where the bodies were discovered can be visited.

 

Note on the left of the photograph there is an advertisement for 'Bains Penthièvre'.

 

George Eliava

 

So what else happened on the day that the card was posted?

 

Well, the 10th. July 1937 was not a good day for George Eliava, because on that day he was executed at the age of 45 in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union.

 

George, who was born on the 13th. January 1892 in Sachkhere, Kutais Governorate, Russian Empire, was a Georgian-Soviet microbiologist who worked with bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria).

 

George Eliava's Career

 

From 1909 to 1912 George studied medicine at Novorossiysk University and continued his studies in Geneva until 1914. He graduated at Moscow University in 1916. The same year, he became head of the bacteriological laboratory in Trabzon.

 

in 1917 he headed the bacteriological laboratory in Tbilisi. In 1918–1921, and again in 1926–1927, he worked at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, where he met Félix d'Hérelle, the co-discoverer of bacteriophages.

 

Eliava became excited about the potential of bacteriophages in medical applications, and brought the research (and, eventually, d'Hérelle), to Tbilisi.

 

In 1923, Eliava founded a bacteriological institute in Tbilisi to research and promote phage therapy. The institute was renamed George Eliava Institute in 1988.

 

From 1927, Eliava held the chair for hygiene at the medical faculty of Tbilisi, and from 1929 the chair for microbiology.

 

In 1934, the Tbilisi Black Death Centre was founded and headed by Eliava.

 

The Death of George Eliava

 

In 1937, Eliava was arrested and (together with his wife) executed as a "People's Enemy", either for being an intellectual or for competing for a woman with Lavrenti Beria, chief of the secret police to Joseph Stalin.

 

Mass Executions in Siberia

 

Also on that day, 24 people were executed in Siberia for sabotaging Soviet railways.

 

Chiang Kai-Shek

 

Also on the 10th. July 1937, Chiang Kai-Shek made a radio address to millions announcing the Kuomintang's policy of resistance against Japan.

Colouring History - WWII

German Wehrmacht General Anton Dostler is tied to a stake before his execution by a firing squad in a stockade in Aversa, Italy, on December 1, 1945. The General, Commander of the 75th Army Corps, was sentenced to death by an United States Military Commission in Rome for having ordered the shooting of 15 unarmed American prisoners of war, in La Spezia, Italy, on March 26, 1944.

 

Original B&W photo: cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/ww2_20/s_w01_99-02957.jpg

 

Accession Number: 1972:0033:0037

 

Maker: Unidentified

 

Title: Execution of the Conspirators - Springing of the Trap. [From Harpers Weekly, July 22, 1865]

 

Date: 1865

 

Medium: wood engraving

 

Dimensions: Image: 12.4 x 12.4 cm, Mount: 27 x 34.5 cm

 

George Eastman House Collection

 

About the Collection · Blog · Reproductions & Image Licensing

 

On 27 May 1541, Blessed Margaret Pole was executed in the Tower of London next to the church of St Peter ad Vincula.

 

After two years of being imprisoned as a traitor in the Tower, the 67 year old Plantagenet heiress was executed for opposing Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy. As a woman of noble birth, Margaret Pole was given a private execution. There are two accounts of her execution – One says that she was executed by an inexperienced axeman who missed her neck the first time, gashing her shoulder, and that it took a further ten blows to finish her off. The second account tells of how she managed to escape from the block and that she was hewn down by the executioner as she ran.

 

Margaret Pole was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886.

Execution site Herzogenbusch concentration camp

The view from the side of the executioner. On the backside of the block known as blood box is mounted. This element can be easily detached and reattached.

Executions down across globe, says Amnesty International

The number of people executed by their own governments fell by 25 per cent last year, with China carrying out the most executions, Amnesty International said Friday.

The human rights organization report — the Annual Death Penalty Statistics — outlines the number of executions and death sentences carried out in the world in 2006.

According to the report, at least 1,591 people were known to be executed by their own governments in 25 countries last year.

Of those executions, 90 per cent took place in six countries:

China - 1,010

Iran - 177

Pakistan - 82

Iraq - 65

Sudan - 65

U.S.A. - 53

Amnesty International believes the Chinese figures are drastically underestimated, suggesting the real total is close to 8,000 executions, based on information from a Chinese legal expert. China keeps its prisoner executions a state secret.

Five of the executions are known to be people under 18: four in Iran and one in Pakistan

"The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment," said Amnesty Secretary General Irene Khan. "It must be abolished and a universal moratorium will be an important step forward."

Thousands on death row

The same year, 55 countries handed down 3,861 new death sentences, adding to the more than 20,000 people waiting on death row, said the report.

"A death penalty free world is possible if key governments are willing to show political leadership," said Khan.

Across the globe, Amnesty reports 128 countries have abolished the death penalty either by law or in practice, while 69 countries retain or use the death penalty.

Methods of execution include beheading, electrocution, hanging, lethal injection, shooting, stoning and stabbing.

While Canada abolished capital punishment in 1976, it retained the death penalty for military crimes such as treason or mutiny. All references to the death penalty were wiped from the National Defence Act in 1998.

The final execution in Canada took place in Toronto in December 1962, when two men were hanged for murder www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/04/27/amnesty-executions.html...

   

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