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Sansui solid state stereophonic amplifier AU 777 A
www.youtube.com/user/sakamatra1
Specifications
Year 1969
Output power
Music power (IHF): 70W±1dB (8ohm)
Effective output: 30W/30W±1dB (8ohm)
THD 0.5% or less
Cross modulation distortion (60Hz:7kHz=4:1) 0.8% or less
Power Band Width (IHF) 20Hz - 50000Hz (0.5% of distortion)
Frequency characteristic 20Hz - 100,000Hz, ±1dB
Channel separation 20dB or more (1000Hz)
A hum and a noise (IHF) 100dB or more (closed circuit)
Input sensitivity/impedance 1V / 300kohm (an Output power, 1kHz)
Dumping factor 15 (8ohms)
Load impedance 4ohm-16ohm
Center channel Output voltage Flat output: 10V (1kHz)
High cut output (fo = 159Hz): 10V (50Hz)
Preamplifier parts
Output voltage Maximum output voltage: 4V
Output-power voltage: 1V
THD 0.1% (Output-power voltage)
Frequency characteristic 20Hz - 70,000Hz, and +0.5 -1.5 dB
A hum and a noise (IHF, maximum output voltage) Phono1, 2:80dB or more (closed circuit)
MIC: 85dB or more (closed circuit)
Tuner: 85dB or more (open circuit)
AUX: 85dB or more (open circuit)
Input sensitivity/impedance
(An Output-power voltage, 1kHz) Phono1:2mV±3dB /, 50kohm
Phono2:2mV±3dB /, 30kohm, 50kohm, 100kohm
MIC: 3.5mV±3dB /, 50kohm
Tuner: 140mV±3dB /, 100kohm
AUX: 140mV±3dB /, 100kohm
Tape Mon(Pin): 140mV±3dB /, 100kohm
Tape Recorder(Din): 140mV±3dB /, 100kohm
Sound-recording output Tape Rec(Pin): 150mV±3dB
Tape Recorder(Din): 30mV±3dB
Control Bass: 20Hz±15dB (3dB step)
Midrange: 1,500Hz±5dB (1dB step)
Treble: 20,000Hz±15dB (3dB step)
Loudness (volume 30dB): 50Hz+8dB, 10,000Hz+2.5dB
Switchpoint A high filter: 20,000Hz-18dB (12 dB/oct)
A low filter: 20Hz-26dB (12 dB/oct)
Muting: -20dB
Synthesis
Stream composition 31Tr, 5Di
Miscellaneous
Supply voltage 220V, 50Hz/60Hz
Dimensions
Width 435x height 155x depth of 334mm
Weight 12.5kg
Option The wood case made from a walnut
Blacktron Gold - Listening and Assault Unit
Spacecraft equipped with:
- stereo cockpit
- optoechoic head
- white noise generator
- modulation metronome
- dual megabass cannon
- large aperture antenna with phrase scanning
- dual IR (iridium) jam-session-er
- powerful pro-tone torpedo
- dual frequency Hi-Fi-per sonic missiles
Free download under CC Attribution (CC BY 2.0). Please credit the artist and rawpixel.com
Hu Zhengyan (c. 1584-1674) was a Chinese traditional painter, calligrapher, seal carver and publisher during the transition of the Ming and Qing dynasties. He produced China’s first printed publication in color, and was famous for his incredible techniques achieving gradation and modulation of shades in woodblock prints.
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: rawpixel
Free download under CC Attribution (CC BY 2.0). Please credit the artist and rawpixel.com
Hu Zhengyan (c. 1584-1674) was a Chinese traditional painter, calligrapher, seal carver and publisher during the transition of the Ming and Qing dynasties. He produced China’s first printed publication in color, and was famous for his incredible techniques achieving gradation and modulation of shades in woodblock prints.
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: rawpixel
Coming soon, two new modules from Pittsburgh Modular. From Rick at Pittsburgh:
"Dual Index: ($139 available in September) An 8hp high quality dual linear VCA with both offset gain and attenuation plus a mix out and room for my big fingers. This module is based on the Generator's Index circuit. Nice warm sound.
VCBend: ($139 available in September) A 6hp control voltage modulation module. This module takes the bipolar control voltage input and bends it to the amount of the CV input in relation to the Internal Voltage Reference pot. This module favours esoteric applications over precision. More often than not the output voltage does not resemble the input in any way. The control voltage output of this module is always positive. Both the control voltage input and VC input are attenuverted."
LINK to a discussion thread at Muff's: muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=41337&postdays=... .
New module announcement initially posted on Pittsburgh Modular's Twitter page: twitter.com/pghmodular .
A DIY audio electronics development platform. Very easy to plug things in and out of the breadboards and Arduino. Seed Studio oscilloscope has proven to be a worthy tool. Now cooking: an arduino synthesizer, based on some simple bitwise modulation. Audio and video demos coming up, soon maybe...
LTE is a standard for wireless data communications technology and an evolution of the GSM/UMTS standards. The goal of LTE was to increase the capacity and speed of wireless data networks using new DSP (digital signal processing) techniques and modulations that were developed around the turn of the millennium. LTE stands for Long-Term Evolution, and is marketed by AT&T as as 4G LTE. LTE is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals, and is based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies, which increases the capacity and speed using a different radio interface together with core network improvements.
AT&T adds six LTE markets, unveils plan for 77 more
April 10, 2013 7:11 AM PDT
by Roger Cheng
Six more AT&T markets have access to its 4G LTE network, bringing its total to 182, the carrier said today.
Meanwhile, seven existing AT&T markets have snagged expanded LTE coverage. The company also unveiled plans to bring the super-fast wireless connection to 77 additional markets by the end of summer.
AT&T is racing to catch up to market leader Verizon Wireless, which offers LTE in nearly 500 markets and plans to wrap up its deployment by the middle of the year. With the increasing consumer awareness over 4G LTE and the need for a faster wireless connection, having the breadth of coverage has become a critical selling point for the carriers.
AT&T, meanwhile, argues it has the highest 4G LTE speeds and also touts its HSPA+ network, which it also calls 4G, as part of its broader high-speed coverage.
AT&T is still ahead both of Sprint Nextel, which has lagged in its LTE roll out, particularly in the big cities, and of T-Mobile, which has just begun to roll out its next-generation network.
Here are the new markets:
Jackson, TN.,
Kalamazoo, Mo., Napa, Calif.,
Orangeburg, SC, Rocky Mount-Wilson, NC,
and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, Calif.
And here are the planned markets:
Florence / Muscle Shoals, AL.,
Huntsville, AL.,
Monroeville / Evergreen, AL.,
Troy / Greenville, AL.,
Tuscaloosa, AL.,
Flagstaff, Ariz., Chico, Calif., Merced, Calif., Visalia, Calif., Dover, Del., Lake City, Fla., Ocala, Fla., Hancock, Ga., Jefferson / Commerce (Jackson County), Ga., Valdosta, Ga., Davenport, Iowa, Champaign, Ill., Rockford, Ill., Columbus, Ind., Fort Wayne, Ind., Manhattan, Kan., Topeka, Kan.,
Elizabethtown, KY.,
New Iberia, LA., Shreveport, LA.,
Cape Cod, Mass., Leonardtown, Md., Flint, Mich., Lansing, Mich., Muskegon, Mich., Saginaw, Mich, Duluth, Minn., Cape Girardeau, Mo., Columbia, Mo.,
Biloxi/Gulfport, MS., Corinth / New Albany, MS., Greenwood / Cleveland, MS., Meridian / Philadelphia, MS.,
Asheville, N.C., Goldsboro, N.C., Kinston, N.C.,
Portsmouth, N.H., Atlantic City, N.J. Millville, N.J., Southern NJ Shore Points, N.J., Farmington, N.M., Gallup, N.M., Batavia, N.Y., Cortland, N.Y., Seneca Falls, N.Y., Dayton, Ohio, Wooster, Ohio, Youngstown, Ohio, Salem, Ore., Williamsport, Penn.,
Anderson, SC.,
Chattanooga, TN., Cookeville, TN.,
Athens, TX, Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, Corsicana, Texas, Huntsville, TX, Laredo, TX, Lufkin-Nacogdoches, TX, McAllen, TX, Paris, TX, Sherman-Denison, TX, Texarkana, TX, Victoria, TX,
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands,
Petersburg, VA., Roanoke, VA., Spokane, Wash., Huntington, WV, Morgantown, WV,
Laramie, Wyo.
Having owned the 2008 Kona Sutra for ten months, and just completed the first chain/cassette replacement, I thought it was about time for a long term review, to give other people an idea of what living with the Sutra has been like. My previous post explains why I chose the Sutra - I came up with what I thought was an impossibly eclectic list of requirements from a bicycle, and the Sutra ticked every single box.
Here's some specs, for the statophiles out there: Frame size C54cm Frame tubing Dedacciai COM 12.5 Butted Cromoly Fork Kona P2 700c TB Disc w/Lowrider Headset TH Crankarms FSA Gossamer MegaExo Chainrings 30/39/50 B/B FSA MegaExo Pedals Shimano PD-M520 SPD - Silver Chain Shimano HG53 --> Shimano HG93 XT Freewheel Shimano Deore (11-32, 9 Spd) --> Shimano XT M760 (11-32, 9spd) F/D Shimano Tiagra Triple R/D Shimano XT Shadow Shifters Shimano Bar-Con Handlebar FSA RD30 0S Stem FSA OS-190LX Grips Velo Wrap with Gel Brakes Avid BB7 Road Disc Brake Levers Shimano BLR-600 Front Hub Shimano M525 Disc Rear Hub Shimano M525 Disc Spokes DT Stainless 14g Tires Continental Contact 700 x 32C --> Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x38c Rims Mavic A 317 Disc Saddle Selle Italia XO SE --> Brooks B17 Seatpost FSA SL-280 Seat Clamp Kona Clamp Rear Rack Tubus Logo Panniers Bikebins Computer Sigma DTS 1606 L Fenders SKS Chromoplastic
My primary (i.e. 99% of the time) use of the Sutra has been for commuting. I have covered over 2700 miles (4500km) in the time I have owned it. My commuting route through London is pretty tough on bikes - the roads south of the Thames are awful and full of potholes, through the City there is broken glass all over the place, and further north of the river there are speedbumps everywhere. When I first got the Sutra she was wearing Continental Contact tyres, and they were pretty poor for commuting. They punctured easily and transmitted the bumpiness of the road right up into my forearms. Not much fun. After one puncture too many I replaced the tyres with Schwalbe Marathon Pluses, in their largest diameter, and the difference was marked. The increased volume of air provides a lot more cushioning for the arms, and I have not had a single puncture yet, despite having pulled 6mm long pieces of glass out of the tyre surfaces. The tyres are relatively heavy, but then so is the rest of the bike, and extra weight makes you stronger!
The original rear rack was pretty flimsy, and it did not allow the attachment of the Bikebin panniers I bought to try and add some rigidity. I ended up having to angle grind chunks out of the rack to fit the panniers, which can't have improved their structural integrity. After a month of experiencing the odd sensation of the bike wagging its tail whenever I stood up to pedal hard, I bit the bullet and upgraded the rack to a Tubus Logo. It was a tight fit with the rear disc brake, but the difference was immense. Gone was the sensation of a jelly-like bike, to be replaced by a sensation of rigid stability. Whilst the rack was expensive, it made all the difference, and I would highly recommend it.
Speaking of the brakes, they have saved my life on more than one occasion, usually when a Taxi decides to perform an emergency stop to pick up a fare. The brakes stop consistently in all conditions, and so far I have not had to replace the pads, althoguh I think it will be time to do it soon. Not bad considering I have travelled almost five thousand kilometres in all weathers in the stop-start conditions of London. I was concerned that the brakes might be too powerful, but the modulation provided by the levers and the flex in the arm of the brake means that whilst the power is there if necessary, you have a lot of control over it. There is some disc drag, but this is owing more to my laziness than the brakes themselves, and seems to have little impact on cruising speeds.
Using the bike in all conditions has been excellent. The all-over fenders (something I have never fitted to a bike previously) really keep the rain off and eliminate spray from the road. I had to saw a bit of the front fender off to fit it over the larger tyres, and a little bit off the rear for the same reason, but after the modification they have been flawless.
I had heard reports of spokes snapping, and nothing happened to me until recently, when I noticed a detached spoke whilst replacing the rear cassette. I had no idea how long the spoke had been damaged for, and replaced it myself. The rear wheel is slightly askew, but it does not foul on anything, which is good considering the small tolerance between it and the fender. To be fair, I have been jumping off kerbs and sometimes it is impossible to miss a massive hole in the road when you are in busy traffic. An upgrade I am considering is a stronger rear wheel, although it is not pressingly urgent.
The ride of the bike is super smooth, and certainly not anything like the road bikes I am used to. I use my other road bike for triathlons, and whilst it is a lot more nimble, it is much less comfortable. The Sutra is comfortable all day long, owing in no small part to the Brooks B17 saddle, which took about two thousand miles to properly break in! It was worth it though - sitting on the bike is like sitting in an armchair (albeit a very odd armchair, but an armchair nonetheless). I tend to cruise at about 20mph on her, and my 10.5 mile commute to work takes about 37 minutes. I have started seeking out hills in preparation for some touring of Wales, and the sutra certainly loves to climb. The aggressive, mountain-bike-like frame geometry no doubt assists in this, and is confidence inspiring when climbing and descending. The bar-con shifters were a novelty for me, but they make a lot of sense, especially if replacement shifters were needed on a tour. There are even bosses on the downtube to fit truly old-school shifters in an emergency.
The weight of the bike was a shock initially - weighing in at 15kgs without the accessories, she weighs significantly more than my Specialized Hardrock mountain bike, which is saying something! Over time I have become accustomed to the weight, and now it feels normal. The main advantage of this is that when I ride anything else, it feels super light and goes very rapidly. This makes this bike an ideal training steed.
In conclusion, I have found a lot to love about the Kona Sutra - she's tough, strong and surprisingly fast. There were some niggles about fitting add-ons, but they were all easy to overcome, and the result has been a reliable bike that I think will keep delivering for years.
Free download under CC Attribution (CC BY 2.0). Please credit the artist and rawpixel.com
Hu Zhengyan (c. 1584-1674) was a Chinese traditional painter, calligrapher, seal carver and publisher during the transition of the Ming and Qing dynasties. He produced China’s first printed publication in color, and was famous for his incredible techniques achieving gradation and modulation of shades in woodblock prints.
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: rawpixel
November Pageant Training Course for Ponds Femina Miss India 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Goa 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Kolkata 2013, Femina Miss India Bangalore 2013, Femina Miss India Indore 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Delhi 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Chandigarh 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Pune 2014, I am She 2013, Gladrags Megamodel 2012/2013 and Gladrags Mrs. India 2012/2013
Urvashi Rautela groomed and coached by The Tiara wins I am She Miss India Universe 2012 and ' I am Photogenic". Dipna Patel trained by The Tiara wins 3rd Runners up at IAM SHE Miss Universe India and the subtitle I am Fit. Gunjan Tyagi wins 2nd Runner Up at Gladrags South Mrs. India 2012. She will go on to participate in the Mrs. India All India in Mumbai later this year.
17 Winners in 14 Years! A Winner Every Year at The Tiara Pageant Training Studio
1. Winner of Young Turk 1998 Sandip Soparrkar , Ace Choreographer, Ballroom dance teacher,
2. Femina Miss India Earth 2002 Gauhar Khan,
3. Femina Miss India Universe 2005 Amrita Thapar
4. Femina Miss India World 2009 Pooja Chopra,
5.Gladrags Megamodel 2009 and Femina Miss India East 2011 and Bollywood Diva 2011 Ankita Mohapatra
6.Mr. India Earth 2009, Mann Sukhija
7.Miss India Intercontinental 2009 Sonia Jain
8. Femina Miss India International 2010 Neha Hinge
9.Gladrags Megamodel 2010 Arshina Trivedi
10.Femina Miss India South 2011 Shweta Dolli
11.Gladrags Manhunt 2011 First Runner Up Maitraya Kotecha
12.Miss Tourism Queen International of the year 2011 Urvashi Rautela
13.Miss India Worldwide 2011 1st Runner Up Anvita Sudarshan
14.Femina Style Diva 2011 Dipna Patel
15.Femina Miss India Earth 2012 Prachi
16.Mrs. India International 2012, 1st Runners Up Reet Sahu
17.Urvashi Rautela I am She Miss Universe India 2012.
ELIGIBILITY
If you are participating in:
Femina Miss India: Height 5.6” upwards, Age: 18 to 25
I am She: Height 5.6 upwards, Age: 18 to 27
Gladrags Mrs India Height 5.3 upwards, Age: 20 to 50
Gladrags Megamodel: 5.3” Upwards Age: 17 to 27
November 5th to December 10th 2012(Course Fee Rs 25,000)
Monday to Friday
To ensure that you have your seat please pay the booking amount of Rs 5000 which is an advance fee. This fee is non-refundable and non-transferable to another batch in another month. The remaining 20,000 has to be paid on the first day of class, For the hostel please call Mr. Anil Shinde 9822282817 .Meetings are only by appointment.
The Tiara is located only in Pune, we have no branches.
Course Details
• Filling up Forms and Registration Help
• Developing a Pageant Strategy
• Pageant & Ramp Walk
• Personality & Grooming
• Posture & Poise.
• Camera Facing Techniques & Portfolio Assistance ( Professional Portfolio Not Included)
• Public Speaking &Voice Modulation
• Modeling Technique & Body Language
• Making a Positive First Impression
• Wardrobe Analysis & Customized Wardrobe Assistance
• Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Assistance
. Confidence Building
• Mental Preparation
• Question Handling (Preliminary Round, Prejudging, On Stage and One-on-One)
• Personalize your answers so that you sound original
• Connecting with the Judges and Handling the Stage
• Platform Development
Don't be dismayed if you find that we are at Pune. You deserve the help of a Pageant professional; don't let location stand in the way of your dream. Assistance with accommodation provided. Limited seats. Reserve your spot now!
The Tiara,
Tel: +919823156193
ritika.ramtri@gmail.com
Having owned the 2008 Kona Sutra for ten months, and just completed the first chain/cassette replacement, I thought it was about time for a long term review, to give other people an idea of what living with the Sutra has been like. My previous post explains why I chose the Sutra - I came up with what I thought was an impossibly eclectic list of requirements from a bicycle, and the Sutra ticked every single box.
Here's some specs, for the statophiles out there: Frame size C54cm Frame tubing Dedacciai COM 12.5 Butted Cromoly Fork Kona P2 700c TB Disc w/Lowrider Headset TH Crankarms FSA Gossamer MegaExo Chainrings 30/39/50 B/B FSA MegaExo Pedals Shimano PD-M520 SPD - Silver Chain Shimano HG53 --> Shimano HG93 XT Freewheel Shimano Deore (11-32, 9 Spd) --> Shimano XT M760 (11-32, 9spd) F/D Shimano Tiagra Triple R/D Shimano XT Shadow Shifters Shimano Bar-Con Handlebar FSA RD30 0S Stem FSA OS-190LX Grips Velo Wrap with Gel Brakes Avid BB7 Road Disc Brake Levers Shimano BLR-600 Front Hub Shimano M525 Disc Rear Hub Shimano M525 Disc Spokes DT Stainless 14g Tires Continental Contact 700 x 32C --> Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x38c Rims Mavic A 317 Disc Saddle Selle Italia XO SE --> Brooks B17 Seatpost FSA SL-280 Seat Clamp Kona Clamp Rear Rack Tubus Logo Panniers Bikebins Computer Sigma DTS 1606 L Fenders SKS Chromoplastic
My primary (i.e. 99% of the time) use of the Sutra has been for commuting. I have covered over 2700 miles (4500km) in the time I have owned it. My commuting route through London is pretty tough on bikes - the roads south of the Thames are awful and full of potholes, through the City there is broken glass all over the place, and further north of the river there are speedbumps everywhere. When I first got the Sutra she was wearing Continental Contact tyres, and they were pretty poor for commuting. They punctured easily and transmitted the bumpiness of the road right up into my forearms. Not much fun. After one puncture too many I replaced the tyres with Schwalbe Marathon Pluses, in their largest diameter, and the difference was marked. The increased volume of air provides a lot more cushioning for the arms, and I have not had a single puncture yet, despite having pulled 6mm long pieces of glass out of the tyre surfaces. The tyres are relatively heavy, but then so is the rest of the bike, and extra weight makes you stronger!
The original rear rack was pretty flimsy, and it did not allow the attachment of the Bikebin panniers I bought to try and add some rigidity. I ended up having to angle grind chunks out of the rack to fit the panniers, which can't have improved their structural integrity. After a month of experiencing the odd sensation of the bike wagging its tail whenever I stood up to pedal hard, I bit the bullet and upgraded the rack to a Tubus Logo. It was a tight fit with the rear disc brake, but the difference was immense. Gone was the sensation of a jelly-like bike, to be replaced by a sensation of rigid stability. Whilst the rack was expensive, it made all the difference, and I would highly recommend it.
Speaking of the brakes, they have saved my life on more than one occasion, usually when a Taxi decides to perform an emergency stop to pick up a fare. The brakes stop consistently in all conditions, and so far I have not had to replace the pads, althoguh I think it will be time to do it soon. Not bad considering I have travelled almost five thousand kilometres in all weathers in the stop-start conditions of London. I was concerned that the brakes might be too powerful, but the modulation provided by the levers and the flex in the arm of the brake means that whilst the power is there if necessary, you have a lot of control over it. There is some disc drag, but this is owing more to my laziness than the brakes themselves, and seems to have little impact on cruising speeds.
Using the bike in all conditions has been excellent. The all-over fenders (something I have never fitted to a bike previously) really keep the rain off and eliminate spray from the road. I had to saw a bit of the front fender off to fit it over the larger tyres, and a little bit off the rear for the same reason, but after the modification they have been flawless.
I had heard reports of spokes snapping, and nothing happened to me until recently, when I noticed a detached spoke whilst replacing the rear cassette. I had no idea how long the spoke had been damaged for, and replaced it myself. The rear wheel is slightly askew, but it does not foul on anything, which is good considering the small tolerance between it and the fender. To be fair, I have been jumping off kerbs and sometimes it is impossible to miss a massive hole in the road when you are in busy traffic. An upgrade I am considering is a stronger rear wheel, although it is not pressingly urgent.
The ride of the bike is super smooth, and certainly not anything like the road bikes I am used to. I use my other road bike for triathlons, and whilst it is a lot more nimble, it is much less comfortable. The Sutra is comfortable all day long, owing in no small part to the Brooks B17 saddle, which took about two thousand miles to properly break in! It was worth it though - sitting on the bike is like sitting in an armchair (albeit a very odd armchair, but an armchair nonetheless). I tend to cruise at about 20mph on her, and my 10.5 mile commute to work takes about 37 minutes. I have started seeking out hills in preparation for some touring of Wales, and the sutra certainly loves to climb. The aggressive, mountain-bike-like frame geometry no doubt assists in this, and is confidence inspiring when climbing and descending. The bar-con shifters were a novelty for me, but they make a lot of sense, especially if replacement shifters were needed on a tour. There are even bosses on the downtube to fit truly old-school shifters in an emergency.
The weight of the bike was a shock initially - weighing in at 15kgs without the accessories, she weighs significantly more than my Specialized Hardrock mountain bike, which is saying something! Over time I have become accustomed to the weight, and now it feels normal. The main advantage of this is that when I ride anything else, it feels super light and goes very rapidly. This makes this bike an ideal training steed.
In conclusion, I have found a lot to love about the Kona Sutra - she's tough, strong and surprisingly fast. There were some niggles about fitting add-ons, but they were all easy to overcome, and the result has been a reliable bike that I think will keep delivering for years.
Free download under CC Attribution (CC BY 2.0). Please credit the artist and rawpixel.com
Hu Zhengyan (c. 1584-1674) was a Chinese traditional painter, calligrapher, seal carver and publisher during the transition of the Ming and Qing dynasties. He produced China’s first printed publication in color, and was famous for his incredible techniques achieving gradation and modulation of shades in woodblock prints.
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: rawpixel
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)
For more than a thousand years, has the Prague Castle been an important symbol of the Czech state. Founded in the 9th century, it became the permanent seat of the Czech rulers and, most recently, also of the Presidents. One of the largest castle complexes in the world consists of palaces, offices, churches and fortification buildings, gardens and picturesque corners. The castle covers an area of 45 hectares. The unique view to the Prague Castle is one of the most amazing panorama views in the world.
Prague Castle is the most important folk-cultural and historical monument, and is the symbol of the more than one thousand years of development of the Czech and all-Czech states. It is a monumental symbol of the palace, church, fortification, official and residential buildings which represent very valuable monuments, included in all style epochs. It covers an area of 45 hectares, was the seat of the Bohemian princes, kings and emperors, and since the Republic was founded in 1918, it was also the residence of the presidents. Since 1962, the Prague Castle has been known for its archaeological discoveries.
History
The initial phases of the Prague Castle are connected with the first historically documented Přemyslid Bořivoj (Bořivoj I (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbɔr̝ɪvɔj], Latin: Borzivogius, c. 852 – c. 889) was the first historically documented Duke of Bohemia from about 870 and progenitor of the Přemyslid dynasty.] The Duchy of Bohemia was at those times subordinated to Great Moravia.). This one transferred in the 80s of the 9th century his original seat from Levý Hradec to the place where on the raised spot above the river Vltava/Moldau already existed a Slavic castle and was very well situated.
The first princely palace apparently only consisted of wood. The first stone building and the oldest Christian sanctuary was the Virgin Mary Church. Its remains have been found between the Second Courtyard and the Bastion garden (original name of the garden: Na Baště). This Bořivoj church was soon reconstructed by the prince Spytihněv I, who was buried here in 915. The second church in the castle was the St. George Basilica founded by Prince Vratislaus I. The next Přemyslide, Prince Wenceslas (Saint), the third sanctuary - the St Veit Rotunda - in the twenties of the 10th century nearby had built which in the 11th century by Prince Spytihnev II was transformed into a huge basilica.
In 973, when the bishopric was established in Prague, the castle was not only the seat of the head of state, but also the seat of the Prague bishop, the highest representative of the church. At the same time arose the first monastery in Bohemia at St. George's basilica.
In the 10th century the castle occupied an area of about 6 ha. In the Romanesque epoch the former fortress, especially after the year 1135 thanks to Soběslaus I, as the stony princely palace and the new masonry fortified with some towers were erected, was turned into a fortified medieval castle. Of the towers is the eastern blacktower best preserved.
Very significantly the Gothic period in the appearance of Prague Castle intervened, most of all Charles IV (1346 - 1378), who, with his father, John of Luxemburg (1310 - 1346), obtained from the pope the promotion of the Prague bishopric to the archbishopric and laid the foundations for the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral. Under Charles IV, the castle for the first time was turned into the imperial residence. Charles IV the defense of the Prague Castle had consolidated, the Royal Palace with the Chapel of All Saints he rebuilt generously. The roofs he had covered with gilded plates, which were the foundation for the binding of words "Golden Prague". Since 1382, Bohemian rulers ceased to occupy the Prague Castle for more than 100 years. The royal court was moved to the place of today's Community hall and back to the Prague castle it came only in 1483 under Wladislaus from the Jagiellonian dynasty.
Although the ruler already in 1490 moved to Ofen (Buda), he had the Prague castle renovated in the late Gothic style under the supervision of Benedikt Ried. He was the master builder of the magnificent Vladislav Hall, the largest secular vaulted room of the then Europe, with which the first Renaissance signs came to Prague. He carried out major construction works, including the construction of a new masonry, the defensive towers and the expansion of the Royal Palace. At his time, the Gothic died away and a new architectural style, the Renaissance, gradually prevailed.
The direct influence of the Italian art on the new style was most frequently observed in Prague under the reign of Ferdinand I (von Habsburg) and after his departure from Prague under the influence of the governor Ferdinand of Tyrol. At that time, the medieval castle was converted into a comfortable Renaissance castle with gardens. The typical Italian architecture of the Royal Pleasure palace arose in the northern King's garden.
For a large building activity in 1541 contributed a fire devastating the castle objects as well as the surrounding area quite a lot. Within the framework of the restoration, both the housing estates and the church buildings were rebuilt. Under the reign of the first Habsburgs, nobility palaces were added to the castle grounds (for example, the Pernstein Palace - later Lobkowicz Palace, Rosenberg Palace and others). Horse stable buildings were built in the north-west.
Under the reign of the Emperor Rudolph II (1576 - 1611), the Renaissance and Mannerism transformation of the castle, which for the second time became the center of the empire, and especially the center of European culture and science, reached its peak. On the second courtyard, new rooms were built for the collections of Rudolph - the new (now Spanish) hall and the Rudolph gallery. Also arose the connection tract between the northwestern and the southwestern part of the castle. Just here the famous Kunstkammer (Art chamber) and other rooms for Rudolph's collective activities were located. Additionally further horse stable properties were built for his rare Spanish horses. During the Rudolph times also the foundation stone of the famous Golden Alley was laid. Laboratories of the Rudolph-Alchymists were supposed to have been in the Powder tower above the Hirschgraben (Deer's ditch). The castle suffered again considerable damages when it was occupied by the Saxon army in 1631 and by the Swedes in 1648 not only was occupied but also plundered. After the Thirty Years' War, the Habsburgs did not care too much about the Prague royal seat.
Only Maria Theresia carried out an extensive reconstruction of the Prague Castle from 1755 - 1775 into a representative castle complex. The reason for the massive construction action were war damages, caused by the intense bombing of the castle during war conflicts at the beginning of her reign. The reconstruction was designed by the Viennese architect Nicolo Pacassi, who also planned the first courtyard with the monumental entrance gate. From the time of the Theresian reconstruction stems also the chapel of the Holy Cross on the 2nd castle forecourt and other buildings, especially the noblewomen institute. The south wing he imprinted the uniform monumental late Baroque facade of a representative seat. His plans influenced by Viennese Rococo and French Classicism the builders Anselmo Lurago, Anton Kunz and Anton Haffenecker brought into life.
In the 19th century, the castle fell into ruin, in several objects after the Josephine reforms the army settled. In connection with the stay of Ferdinand I the Good in the castle after his abdication in 1848 and further in connection with the preparation for the coronation of Franz Joseph I in the sixties it came to building modifications of several objects. After 1859, when the community for the completion of St Veit cathedral emerged, began first the repair, and then, under the influence of the architect Joseph Mocker, the work on the actual completion of St Veit's cathedral was started, completed in 1929.
In the years 1920 - 35, carried out extensive regulations of the Prague Castle as the seat of the Czechoslovak President the great Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik, who masterfully combined the valuable historical space with modern civilization claims. His modifications mainly concerned the 1st and 3rd court, the southern gardens of the castle, the fourth forecourt with the Bastion garden as well as numerous interiors. He created e.g. the pillared hall, private rooms of the presidential residence, including the Masaryk workroom. His pupil, Otto Rothmayer, brought to an end the incomplete solutions of some castle interior spaces after the Second World War in comparable quality.
In 1936, Pavel Janák and after him, in 1959, Jaroslav Fragner became castle architect.
After the year of change of 1989, the Prague Castle was opened to the public in many places. During the term of President Havel, at the castle it came to modulations of the interiors and to the expansion of two new entrances into the second courtyard after the project of the creator and designer Bořek Šípek. The puncture through the rampart of the Powder bridge in Hirschgraben was rewarded with a significant prize (Arch. Josef Pleskot). Also interesting is the modern greenhouse of the world-famous architect Eva Jiřičná. The Georgian Square (Jiřské náměstí) was re-paved and modulated. The Mosaic of the Last Judgment was renovated in collaboration with the specialists from the Getti Institute. In 1990, the Prague Castle was solemnly illuminated and this situation lasts from dusk to midnight until today. In the main tourist season, the lighting time even lasts an hour longer until 1 o'clock. The tradition of electric lighting, but on a much smaller scale, began in 1928, when the lamps were installed for the 10th anniversary of the elevation to a Republic. A little bit the present daylight resembles of those from the end of the sixties, but today it is much more detailed and in communist times it was only switched on at solemn occasions. At that time, illuminative days were state holidays or significant day of republic, which, however, did not lack recognition from the communist point of view.
In recent years the reconstruction and renovation work has been developed in many buildings of the castle and a considerable attention has been devoted to the archaeological investigation, which has been going on since 1925 and has brought many insights into the history of the castle. The investigation as well as the renovation of the individual rooms and objects is motivated by the idea of invigorating them as much as possible by making them accessible to the public.
Prager Burg (Pražský hrad)
Die Prager Burg ist seit über tausend Jahren ein bedeutendes Symbol des tschechischen Staates. Gegründet im 9. Jahrhundert wurde sie zum ständigen Sitz der tschechischen Herrscher und zuletzt auch der Präsidenten. Einer der größten Burgkomplexe weltweit setzt sich aus Palästen, Amts-, Kirchen- und Fortifikationsgebäuden, aus Gärten und malerischen Ecken zusammen. Die Burg erstreckt sich auf einer Fläche von 45 Hektar. Der alleinige Blick auf die Prager Burg stellt einen der überwältigendsten Panoramablicke der Welt dar.
Die Prager Burg ist das bedeutendste Volkskultur- und Historiedenkmal, sie ist das Symbol der mehr als eintausendjährigen Entwicklung des böhmischen sowie gesamttschechischen Staats. Es ist ein monumentales Symbol der Palast-, Kirchen-, Fortifikations-, Amts- und Wohngebäude, die sehr wertvolle Denkmäler darstellen, einbezogen auf alle Stilepochen. Sie erstreckt sich auf einer Fläche von 45 ha, war der Sitz der böhmischen Fürsten, Könige und Kaiser und seit der Republikentstehung im Jahre 1918 war sie auch die Residenz der Präsidenten. Seit 1962 steht die Prager Burg mit ihren archäologischen Funden als bekanntester.
Geschichte
Die Anfangszeiten der Prager Burg sind mit dem ersten historisch belegten Přemysliden Bořivoj verbunden. Dieser übertrug in den 80er Jahren des 9. Jahrhunderts seinen ursprünglichen Sitz von Levý Hradec an den Ort, wo auf der erhabenen Stelle über der Moldau eine slawische Burgstätte bereits bestand und sehr gut gelegen war.
Der erste Fürstenpalast bestand offenbar aus Holz. Der erste Steinbau und das älteste christliche Heiligtum war die Jungfrau Maria Kirche. Ihre Reste wurden zwischen dem II. Vorhof und dem Basteigarten (Originalname des Gartens: Na Baště) gefunden. Diese Bořivoj-Kirche wurde durch den hier im Jahre 915 beigesetzten Fürsten Spytihněv I. bald umgebaut. Die zweite Kirche im Burgraum war die vom Fürsten Vratislaus I. gegründete St. Georg Basilika. Der nächste Přemyslide, der Fürst Wenzel (der Heilige), ließ in der Nähe in den 20er Jahren des 10. Jahrhunderts das dritte Heiligtum - die St. Veit Rotunde - bauen, die im 11. Jahrhundert vom Fürsten Spytihněv II. zu einer gewaltigen Basilika umgebaut wurde.
Im Jahre 973, als in Prag das Bistum gegründet wurde, war die Burg nicht nur der Sitz des Staatsoberhaupts, sondern auch der Sitz des Prager Bischofs, des höchsten Repräsentanten der Kirche. Zu demselben Zeitpunkt entstand an der St. Georg Basilika das erste Kloster in Böhmen.
Im 10. Jahrhundert nahm die Burg eine Fläche von ca. 6 ha in Anspruch. In der romanischen Epoche wurde die einstige Burgstätte, insbesondere nach dem Jahr 1135 dank Soběslaus I., als der steinige Fürstenpalast und das neue mit einigen Türmen verstärkte Mauerwerk aufgebaut wurden, zu einer festen mittelalterlichen Burg umgebaut. Von den Türmen ist der östliche Schwarzturm am besten erhalten.
Sehr bedeutend griff ins Aussehen der Prager Burg die Gotikzeit ein, insbesondere Karl IV. (1346 - 1378), der mit seinem Vater Johann von Luxemburg (1310 - 1346) vom Papst die Beförderung des Prager Bistums zum Erzbistum erwirkte und den Grundstein für den Bau der St. Veit Kathedrale legte. Unter Karl IV. wurde die Burg zum ersten Mal zur Kaiserlichen Residenz. Karl IV. ließ die Verschanzung der Prager Burg festigen, den Königspalast mit der Kapelle Aller Heiligen baute er großzügig um. Die Dächer ließ er mit vergoldeten Blechen decken, die das Fundament für die Wörterbindung „Goldenes Prag“ darstellten. Seit 1382 hörten böhmische Herrscher auf, die Prager Burg für mehr als 100 Jahre zu bewohnen. Der Königshof wurde an den Ort des heutigen Gemeindehauses umgezogen und zurück auf die Prager Burg kehrte er erst im Jahre 1483 unter Wladislaus aus der Jagiellonen-Dynastie.
Obwohl der Herrscher bereits 1490 nach Ofen (Buda) umsiedelte, ließ er die Prager Burg im spätgotischen Stil unter der Bauleitung von Benedikt Ried umbauen. Er war der Baumeister des großartigen Wladislaus-Saals, des größten weltlichen gewölbten Raums des damaligen Europas, mit dem die ersten Renaissancezeichen nach Prag kamen. Er führte großartige Bauregelungen einschließlich des Ausbaus eines neuen Mauerwerks, der Wehrtürme und der Erweiterung des Königspalastes durch. Zu seiner Zeit klang die Gotik aus und es setzte sich allmählich ein neuer Baustil durch, die Renaissance.
Der direkte Einfluss der italienischen Kunst des neuen Stils wurde in Prag unter der Regierung von Ferdinand I. (von Habsburg) und nach seinem Weggang von Prag unter der Wirkung des Statthalters Ferdinand von Tirol am meisten beobachtet. Damals wurde die mittelalterliche Burg in ein bequemes Renaissanceschloss mit Gärten umgewandelt. Im nördlichen Königsgarten entstand die typisch italienische Architektur des Königlichen Lustschlosses.
Zu einer großen Bauaktivität trug im Jahre 1541 ein Brand bei, der die Burgobjekte sowie die Umgebung ziemlich viel kaputt machte. Im Rahmen der Wiederherstellung wurden sowohl die Wohnräume als auch die Kirchenobjekte umgebaut. Unter der Regierung der ersten Habsburger kamen ins Burggelände auch Adelspaläste dazu (zum Beispiel der Pernstein-Palast - später Lobkowicz-Palast, Rosenberg-Palast und weitere). Im Nordwesten wurden Pferdestallgebäude erbaut.
Unter der Regierung des Kaisers Rudolph II. (1576 - 1611) erreichte der Renaissance- und Manierismusumbau der Burg, die zum zweiten Mal zum Zentrum des Reiches und insbesondere zum Zentrum der europäischen Kultur und Wissenschaft wurde, seinen Gipfel. Auf dem II. Vorhof wurden neue Räume für die Sammlungen Rudolphs erbaut - der Neue (heute Spanische) Saal und die Rudolph-Galerie. Es entstand auch der Verbindungstrakt zwischen dem Nordwest- und dem Südwestteil der Burg. Eben hier befanden sich die berühmte Kunstkammer und weitere Räume für die Sammeltätigkeit Rudolphs. Es wurden auch weitere Pferdestallobjekte für seine seltenen spanischen Pferde aufgebaut. Während der Rudolph-Zeiten wurde auch der Grundstein der berühmten Goldenen Gasse gelegt. Laboratorien der Rudolph-Alchymisten sollen im Pulverturm über dem Hirschgraben gewesen sein. Die Burg erlitt erneut erhebliche Schäden, als sie 1631 vom sächsischen Heer und 1648 von den Schweden besetzt und ausgeplündert wurde. Nach dem Dreißigjährigen Krieg kümmerten sich die Habsburger um den Prager königlichen Sitz nicht allzu sehr.
Erst Maria Theresia führte in den Jahren 1755 - 1775 einen umfangreichen Umbau der Prager Burg zu einem repräsentativen Schlosskomplex durch. Der Grund für die massive Bauaktion waren Kriegsschäden, verursacht durch die intensive Bombardierung der Burg bei Kriegskonflikten zu Beginn ihrer Regierung. Den Umbau entwarf der Wiener Architekt Nicolo Pacassi, der auch den I. Vorhof mit dem monumentalen Eingangstor projektierte. Aus der Zeit des theresianischen Umbaus stammt auch die Kapelle des Heiligen Kreuzes auf dem II. Burgvorhof und weitere Gebäude, insbesondere die Edeldamenanstalt. Dem Südflügel prägte er die einheitliche monumentale Spätbarockfassade eines Repräsentationssitzes ein. Seine durch das Wiener Rokoko und den französischen Klassizismus beeinflussten Pläne brachten die Baumeister Anselmo Lurago, Anton Kunz und Anton Haffenecker zustande.
Im 19. Jahrhundert verfiel die Burg, in mehreren Objekten ließ sich nach den josephinischen Reformen das Heer nieder. Zu Bauregelungen einiger Objekte kam es im Zusammenhang mit dem Aufenthalt von Ferdinand I. dem Guten auf der Burg nach seiner Abdikation im Jahre 1848 und weiter im Zusammenhang mit der Vorbereitung auf die vorgesehene Krönung von Franz Joseph I. in den 60er Jahren. Nach 1859, als die Gemeinde für die Fertigstellung der St. Veit Kathedrale entstand, begann zuerst die Reparatur und anschließend unter der Wirkung des Architekten Joseph Mocker wurde die Arbeit an der eigentlichen Fertigstellung der St. Veit Kathedrale aufgenommen, abgeschlossen im Jahre 1929.
In den Jahren 1920 - 35 führte ausgedehnte Regelungen der Prager Burg als des Sitzes des tschechoslowakischen Präsidenten der bedeutende slowenische Architekt Josip Plečnik durch, der den wertvollen historischen Raum mit modernen Zivilisationsansprüchen meisterlich zusammenfügte. Seine Regelungen betrafen vor allem den 1. und 3. Vorhof, die Südgärten der Burg, den 4. Vorhof mit dem Basteigarten sowie zahlreiche Innenräume. Er schuf z.B. die Säulenhalle, Privaträume der Präsidentenwohnung einschließlich des Arbeitszimmers Masaryks. Sein Schüler Otto Rothmayer brachte die unvollendeten Lösungen einiger Burginnenräume nach dem 2. Weltkrieg in vergleichbarer Qualität zu Ende.
Im Jahre 1936 ist Pavel Janák und nach ihm seit 1959 Jaroslav Fragner Burgarchitekt geworden.
Nach dem Wendejahr 1989 wurde die Prager Burg an vielen Stellen für die Öffentlichkeit geöffnet. Während der Amtszeit des Präsidenten Havel kam es auf der Burg zu Regelungen der Innenräume und zum Ausbau zweier neuer Eingänge in den 2. Vorhof nach dem Projekt des Bildners und Designers Bořek Šípek. Mit einem bedeutenden Preis wurde der Durchstich durch den Wall der Pulverbrücke im Hirschgraben belohnt (Arch. Josef Pleskot). Interessant ist auch das moderne Gewächshaus der weltberühmten Architektin Eva Jiřičná. Der Georg-Platz (Jiřské náměstí) wurde neu bepflastert und geregelt. In Zusammenarbeit mit den Fachleuten aus dem Getti-Institut wurde die Mosaik „des Letzten Gerichts“ renoviert. Im Jahre 1990 wurde die Prager Burg feierlich beleuchtet und dieser Zustand dauert von der Dämmerung bis zur Mitternacht bis heute. In der touristischen Hauptsaison dauert die Beleuchtungszeit sogar eine Stunde länger, bis 1 Uhr. Die Tradition der elektrischen Beleuchtung, jedoch im viel kleineren Umfang, begann im Jahre 1928, als die Lampen zum 10. Jubiläum der Republikentstehung installiert wurden. Ein wenig ähnelte die heutige feierliche Beleuchtung jener aus dem Ende der 60er Jahren, heute ist sie allerdings viel detaillierter und in den Kommunistenzeiten wurde sie nur bei feierlichen Gelegenheiten angemacht. Beleuchtungswürdige Tage waren damals Staatsfeiertage oder bedeutende Republiktage, denen allerdings aus der kommunistischen Sicht die Anerkennung nicht fehlte.
In den letzten Jahren entwickelte sich die Umbau- bzw. Renovierungstätigkeit in vielen Objekten der Burg und eine erhebliche Aufmerksamkeit wurde der archäologischen Untersuchung gewidmet, die bereits seit 1925 läuft und viele Erkenntnisse über die Burggeschichte brachte. Die Untersuchung sowie die Renovierung der einzelnen Räume und Objekte ist von der Idee motiviert, sie dadurch, dass sie der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht werden, möglichst viel zu beleben.
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)
For more than a thousand years, has the Prague Castle been an important symbol of the Czech state. Founded in the 9th century, it became the permanent seat of the Czech rulers and, most recently, also of the Presidents. One of the largest castle complexes in the world consists of palaces, offices, churches and fortification buildings, gardens and picturesque corners. The castle covers an area of 45 hectares. The unique view to the Prague Castle is one of the most amazing panorama views in the world.
Prague Castle is the most important folk-cultural and historical monument, and is the symbol of the more than one thousand years of development of the Czech and all-Czech states. It is a monumental symbol of the palace, church, fortification, official and residential buildings which represent very valuable monuments, included in all style epochs. It covers an area of 45 hectares, was the seat of the Bohemian princes, kings and emperors, and since the Republic was founded in 1918, it was also the residence of the presidents. Since 1962, the Prague Castle has been known for its archaeological discoveries.
History
The initial phases of the Prague Castle are connected with the first historically documented Přemyslid Bořivoj (Bořivoj I (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbɔr̝ɪvɔj], Latin: Borzivogius, c. 852 – c. 889) was the first historically documented Duke of Bohemia from about 870 and progenitor of the Přemyslid dynasty.] The Duchy of Bohemia was at those times subordinated to Great Moravia.). This one transferred in the 80s of the 9th century his original seat from Levý Hradec to the place where on the raised spot above the river Vltava/Moldau already existed a Slavic castle and was very well situated.
The first princely palace apparently only consisted of wood. The first stone building and the oldest Christian sanctuary was the Virgin Mary Church. Its remains have been found between the Second Courtyard and the Bastion garden (original name of the garden: Na Baště). This Bořivoj church was soon reconstructed by the prince Spytihněv I, who was buried here in 915. The second church in the castle was the St. George Basilica founded by Prince Vratislaus I. The next Přemyslide, Prince Wenceslas (Saint), the third sanctuary - the St Veit Rotunda - in the twenties of the 10th century nearby had built which in the 11th century by Prince Spytihnev II was transformed into a huge basilica.
In 973, when the bishopric was established in Prague, the castle was not only the seat of the head of state, but also the seat of the Prague bishop, the highest representative of the church. At the same time arose the first monastery in Bohemia at St. George's basilica.
In the 10th century the castle occupied an area of about 6 ha. In the Romanesque epoch the former fortress, especially after the year 1135 thanks to Soběslaus I, as the stony princely palace and the new masonry fortified with some towers were erected, was turned into a fortified medieval castle. Of the towers is the eastern blacktower best preserved.
Very significantly the Gothic period in the appearance of Prague Castle intervened, most of all Charles IV (1346 - 1378), who, with his father, John of Luxemburg (1310 - 1346), obtained from the pope the promotion of the Prague bishopric to the archbishopric and laid the foundations for the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral. Under Charles IV, the castle for the first time was turned into the imperial residence. Charles IV the defense of the Prague Castle had consolidated, the Royal Palace with the Chapel of All Saints he rebuilt generously. The roofs he had covered with gilded plates, which were the foundation for the binding of words "Golden Prague". Since 1382, Bohemian rulers ceased to occupy the Prague Castle for more than 100 years. The royal court was moved to the place of today's Community hall and back to the Prague castle it came only in 1483 under Wladislaus from the Jagiellonian dynasty.
Although the ruler already in 1490 moved to Ofen (Buda), he had the Prague castle renovated in the late Gothic style under the supervision of Benedikt Ried. He was the master builder of the magnificent Vladislav Hall, the largest secular vaulted room of the then Europe, with which the first Renaissance signs came to Prague. He carried out major construction works, including the construction of a new masonry, the defensive towers and the expansion of the Royal Palace. At his time, the Gothic died away and a new architectural style, the Renaissance, gradually prevailed.
The direct influence of the Italian art on the new style was most frequently observed in Prague under the reign of Ferdinand I (von Habsburg) and after his departure from Prague under the influence of the governor Ferdinand of Tyrol. At that time, the medieval castle was converted into a comfortable Renaissance castle with gardens. The typical Italian architecture of the Royal Pleasure palace arose in the northern King's garden.
For a large building activity in 1541 contributed a fire devastating the castle objects as well as the surrounding area quite a lot. Within the framework of the restoration, both the housing estates and the church buildings were rebuilt. Under the reign of the first Habsburgs, nobility palaces were added to the castle grounds (for example, the Pernstein Palace - later Lobkowicz Palace, Rosenberg Palace and others). Horse stable buildings were built in the north-west.
Under the reign of the Emperor Rudolph II (1576 - 1611), the Renaissance and Mannerism transformation of the castle, which for the second time became the center of the empire, and especially the center of European culture and science, reached its peak. On the second courtyard, new rooms were built for the collections of Rudolph - the new (now Spanish) hall and the Rudolph gallery. Also arose the connection tract between the northwestern and the southwestern part of the castle. Just here the famous Kunstkammer (Art chamber) and other rooms for Rudolph's collective activities were located. Additionally further horse stable properties were built for his rare Spanish horses. During the Rudolph times also the foundation stone of the famous Golden Alley was laid. Laboratories of the Rudolph-Alchymists were supposed to have been in the Powder tower above the Hirschgraben (Deer's ditch). The castle suffered again considerable damages when it was occupied by the Saxon army in 1631 and by the Swedes in 1648 not only was occupied but also plundered. After the Thirty Years' War, the Habsburgs did not care too much about the Prague royal seat.
Only Maria Theresia carried out an extensive reconstruction of the Prague Castle from 1755 - 1775 into a representative castle complex. The reason for the massive construction action were war damages, caused by the intense bombing of the castle during war conflicts at the beginning of her reign. The reconstruction was designed by the Viennese architect Nicolo Pacassi, who also planned the first courtyard with the monumental entrance gate. From the time of the Theresian reconstruction stems also the chapel of the Holy Cross on the 2nd castle forecourt and other buildings, especially the noblewomen institute. The south wing he imprinted the uniform monumental late Baroque facade of a representative seat. His plans influenced by Viennese Rococo and French Classicism the builders Anselmo Lurago, Anton Kunz and Anton Haffenecker brought into life.
In the 19th century, the castle fell into ruin, in several objects after the Josephine reforms the army settled. In connection with the stay of Ferdinand I the Good in the castle after his abdication in 1848 and further in connection with the preparation for the coronation of Franz Joseph I in the sixties it came to building modifications of several objects. After 1859, when the community for the completion of St Veit cathedral emerged, began first the repair, and then, under the influence of the architect Joseph Mocker, the work on the actual completion of St Veit's cathedral was started, completed in 1929.
In the years 1920 - 35, carried out extensive regulations of the Prague Castle as the seat of the Czechoslovak President the great Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik, who masterfully combined the valuable historical space with modern civilization claims. His modifications mainly concerned the 1st and 3rd court, the southern gardens of the castle, the fourth forecourt with the Bastion garden as well as numerous interiors. He created e.g. the pillared hall, private rooms of the presidential residence, including the Masaryk workroom. His pupil, Otto Rothmayer, brought to an end the incomplete solutions of some castle interior spaces after the Second World War in comparable quality.
In 1936, Pavel Janák and after him, in 1959, Jaroslav Fragner became castle architect.
After the year of change of 1989, the Prague Castle was opened to the public in many places. During the term of President Havel, at the castle it came to modulations of the interiors and to the expansion of two new entrances into the second courtyard after the project of the creator and designer Bořek Šípek. The puncture through the rampart of the Powder bridge in Hirschgraben was rewarded with a significant prize (Arch. Josef Pleskot). Also interesting is the modern greenhouse of the world-famous architect Eva Jiřičná. The Georgian Square (Jiřské náměstí) was re-paved and modulated. The Mosaic of the Last Judgment was renovated in collaboration with the specialists from the Getti Institute. In 1990, the Prague Castle was solemnly illuminated and this situation lasts from dusk to midnight until today. In the main tourist season, the lighting time even lasts an hour longer until 1 o'clock. The tradition of electric lighting, but on a much smaller scale, began in 1928, when the lamps were installed for the 10th anniversary of the elevation to a Republic. A little bit the present daylight resembles of those from the end of the sixties, but today it is much more detailed and in communist times it was only switched on at solemn occasions. At that time, illuminative days were state holidays or significant day of republic, which, however, did not lack recognition from the communist point of view.
In recent years the reconstruction and renovation work has been developed in many buildings of the castle and a considerable attention has been devoted to the archaeological investigation, which has been going on since 1925 and has brought many insights into the history of the castle. The investigation as well as the renovation of the individual rooms and objects is motivated by the idea of invigorating them as much as possible by making them accessible to the public.
Prager Burg (Pražský hrad)
Die Prager Burg ist seit über tausend Jahren ein bedeutendes Symbol des tschechischen Staates. Gegründet im 9. Jahrhundert wurde sie zum ständigen Sitz der tschechischen Herrscher und zuletzt auch der Präsidenten. Einer der größten Burgkomplexe weltweit setzt sich aus Palästen, Amts-, Kirchen- und Fortifikationsgebäuden, aus Gärten und malerischen Ecken zusammen. Die Burg erstreckt sich auf einer Fläche von 45 Hektar. Der alleinige Blick auf die Prager Burg stellt einen der überwältigendsten Panoramablicke der Welt dar.
Die Prager Burg ist das bedeutendste Volkskultur- und Historiedenkmal, sie ist das Symbol der mehr als eintausendjährigen Entwicklung des böhmischen sowie gesamttschechischen Staats. Es ist ein monumentales Symbol der Palast-, Kirchen-, Fortifikations-, Amts- und Wohngebäude, die sehr wertvolle Denkmäler darstellen, einbezogen auf alle Stilepochen. Sie erstreckt sich auf einer Fläche von 45 ha, war der Sitz der böhmischen Fürsten, Könige und Kaiser und seit der Republikentstehung im Jahre 1918 war sie auch die Residenz der Präsidenten. Seit 1962 steht die Prager Burg mit ihren archäologischen Funden als bekanntester.
Geschichte
Die Anfangszeiten der Prager Burg sind mit dem ersten historisch belegten Přemysliden Bořivoj verbunden. Dieser übertrug in den 80er Jahren des 9. Jahrhunderts seinen ursprünglichen Sitz von Levý Hradec an den Ort, wo auf der erhabenen Stelle über der Moldau eine slawische Burgstätte bereits bestand und sehr gut gelegen war.
Der erste Fürstenpalast bestand offenbar aus Holz. Der erste Steinbau und das älteste christliche Heiligtum war die Jungfrau Maria Kirche. Ihre Reste wurden zwischen dem II. Vorhof und dem Basteigarten (Originalname des Gartens: Na Baště) gefunden. Diese Bořivoj-Kirche wurde durch den hier im Jahre 915 beigesetzten Fürsten Spytihněv I. bald umgebaut. Die zweite Kirche im Burgraum war die vom Fürsten Vratislaus I. gegründete St. Georg Basilika. Der nächste Přemyslide, der Fürst Wenzel (der Heilige), ließ in der Nähe in den 20er Jahren des 10. Jahrhunderts das dritte Heiligtum - die St. Veit Rotunde - bauen, die im 11. Jahrhundert vom Fürsten Spytihněv II. zu einer gewaltigen Basilika umgebaut wurde.
Im Jahre 973, als in Prag das Bistum gegründet wurde, war die Burg nicht nur der Sitz des Staatsoberhaupts, sondern auch der Sitz des Prager Bischofs, des höchsten Repräsentanten der Kirche. Zu demselben Zeitpunkt entstand an der St. Georg Basilika das erste Kloster in Böhmen.
Im 10. Jahrhundert nahm die Burg eine Fläche von ca. 6 ha in Anspruch. In der romanischen Epoche wurde die einstige Burgstätte, insbesondere nach dem Jahr 1135 dank Soběslaus I., als der steinige Fürstenpalast und das neue mit einigen Türmen verstärkte Mauerwerk aufgebaut wurden, zu einer festen mittelalterlichen Burg umgebaut. Von den Türmen ist der östliche Schwarzturm am besten erhalten.
Sehr bedeutend griff ins Aussehen der Prager Burg die Gotikzeit ein, insbesondere Karl IV. (1346 - 1378), der mit seinem Vater Johann von Luxemburg (1310 - 1346) vom Papst die Beförderung des Prager Bistums zum Erzbistum erwirkte und den Grundstein für den Bau der St. Veit Kathedrale legte. Unter Karl IV. wurde die Burg zum ersten Mal zur Kaiserlichen Residenz. Karl IV. ließ die Verschanzung der Prager Burg festigen, den Königspalast mit der Kapelle Aller Heiligen baute er großzügig um. Die Dächer ließ er mit vergoldeten Blechen decken, die das Fundament für die Wörterbindung „Goldenes Prag“ darstellten. Seit 1382 hörten böhmische Herrscher auf, die Prager Burg für mehr als 100 Jahre zu bewohnen. Der Königshof wurde an den Ort des heutigen Gemeindehauses umgezogen und zurück auf die Prager Burg kehrte er erst im Jahre 1483 unter Wladislaus aus der Jagiellonen-Dynastie.
Obwohl der Herrscher bereits 1490 nach Ofen (Buda) umsiedelte, ließ er die Prager Burg im spätgotischen Stil unter der Bauleitung von Benedikt Ried umbauen. Er war der Baumeister des großartigen Wladislaus-Saals, des größten weltlichen gewölbten Raums des damaligen Europas, mit dem die ersten Renaissancezeichen nach Prag kamen. Er führte großartige Bauregelungen einschließlich des Ausbaus eines neuen Mauerwerks, der Wehrtürme und der Erweiterung des Königspalastes durch. Zu seiner Zeit klang die Gotik aus und es setzte sich allmählich ein neuer Baustil durch, die Renaissance.
Der direkte Einfluss der italienischen Kunst des neuen Stils wurde in Prag unter der Regierung von Ferdinand I. (von Habsburg) und nach seinem Weggang von Prag unter der Wirkung des Statthalters Ferdinand von Tirol am meisten beobachtet. Damals wurde die mittelalterliche Burg in ein bequemes Renaissanceschloss mit Gärten umgewandelt. Im nördlichen Königsgarten entstand die typisch italienische Architektur des Königlichen Lustschlosses.
Zu einer großen Bauaktivität trug im Jahre 1541 ein Brand bei, der die Burgobjekte sowie die Umgebung ziemlich viel kaputt machte. Im Rahmen der Wiederherstellung wurden sowohl die Wohnräume als auch die Kirchenobjekte umgebaut. Unter der Regierung der ersten Habsburger kamen ins Burggelände auch Adelspaläste dazu (zum Beispiel der Pernstein-Palast - später Lobkowicz-Palast, Rosenberg-Palast und weitere). Im Nordwesten wurden Pferdestallgebäude erbaut.
Unter der Regierung des Kaisers Rudolph II. (1576 - 1611) erreichte der Renaissance- und Manierismusumbau der Burg, die zum zweiten Mal zum Zentrum des Reiches und insbesondere zum Zentrum der europäischen Kultur und Wissenschaft wurde, seinen Gipfel. Auf dem II. Vorhof wurden neue Räume für die Sammlungen Rudolphs erbaut - der Neue (heute Spanische) Saal und die Rudolph-Galerie. Es entstand auch der Verbindungstrakt zwischen dem Nordwest- und dem Südwestteil der Burg. Eben hier befanden sich die berühmte Kunstkammer und weitere Räume für die Sammeltätigkeit Rudolphs. Es wurden auch weitere Pferdestallobjekte für seine seltenen spanischen Pferde aufgebaut. Während der Rudolph-Zeiten wurde auch der Grundstein der berühmten Goldenen Gasse gelegt. Laboratorien der Rudolph-Alchymisten sollen im Pulverturm über dem Hirschgraben gewesen sein. Die Burg erlitt erneut erhebliche Schäden, als sie 1631 vom sächsischen Heer und 1648 von den Schweden besetzt und ausgeplündert wurde. Nach dem Dreißigjährigen Krieg kümmerten sich die Habsburger um den Prager königlichen Sitz nicht allzu sehr.
Erst Maria Theresia führte in den Jahren 1755 - 1775 einen umfangreichen Umbau der Prager Burg zu einem repräsentativen Schlosskomplex durch. Der Grund für die massive Bauaktion waren Kriegsschäden, verursacht durch die intensive Bombardierung der Burg bei Kriegskonflikten zu Beginn ihrer Regierung. Den Umbau entwarf der Wiener Architekt Nicolo Pacassi, der auch den I. Vorhof mit dem monumentalen Eingangstor projektierte. Aus der Zeit des theresianischen Umbaus stammt auch die Kapelle des Heiligen Kreuzes auf dem II. Burgvorhof und weitere Gebäude, insbesondere die Edeldamenanstalt. Dem Südflügel prägte er die einheitliche monumentale Spätbarockfassade eines Repräsentationssitzes ein. Seine durch das Wiener Rokoko und den französischen Klassizismus beeinflussten Pläne brachten die Baumeister Anselmo Lurago, Anton Kunz und Anton Haffenecker zustande.
Im 19. Jahrhundert verfiel die Burg, in mehreren Objekten ließ sich nach den josephinischen Reformen das Heer nieder. Zu Bauregelungen einiger Objekte kam es im Zusammenhang mit dem Aufenthalt von Ferdinand I. dem Guten auf der Burg nach seiner Abdikation im Jahre 1848 und weiter im Zusammenhang mit der Vorbereitung auf die vorgesehene Krönung von Franz Joseph I. in den 60er Jahren. Nach 1859, als die Gemeinde für die Fertigstellung der St. Veit Kathedrale entstand, begann zuerst die Reparatur und anschließend unter der Wirkung des Architekten Joseph Mocker wurde die Arbeit an der eigentlichen Fertigstellung der St. Veit Kathedrale aufgenommen, abgeschlossen im Jahre 1929.
In den Jahren 1920 - 35 führte ausgedehnte Regelungen der Prager Burg als des Sitzes des tschechoslowakischen Präsidenten der bedeutende slowenische Architekt Josip Plečnik durch, der den wertvollen historischen Raum mit modernen Zivilisationsansprüchen meisterlich zusammenfügte. Seine Regelungen betrafen vor allem den 1. und 3. Vorhof, die Südgärten der Burg, den 4. Vorhof mit dem Basteigarten sowie zahlreiche Innenräume. Er schuf z.B. die Säulenhalle, Privaträume der Präsidentenwohnung einschließlich des Arbeitszimmers Masaryks. Sein Schüler Otto Rothmayer brachte die unvollendeten Lösungen einiger Burginnenräume nach dem 2. Weltkrieg in vergleichbarer Qualität zu Ende.
Im Jahre 1936 ist Pavel Janák und nach ihm seit 1959 Jaroslav Fragner Burgarchitekt geworden.
Nach dem Wendejahr 1989 wurde die Prager Burg an vielen Stellen für die Öffentlichkeit geöffnet. Während der Amtszeit des Präsidenten Havel kam es auf der Burg zu Regelungen der Innenräume und zum Ausbau zweier neuer Eingänge in den 2. Vorhof nach dem Projekt des Bildners und Designers Bořek Šípek. Mit einem bedeutenden Preis wurde der Durchstich durch den Wall der Pulverbrücke im Hirschgraben belohnt (Arch. Josef Pleskot). Interessant ist auch das moderne Gewächshaus der weltberühmten Architektin Eva Jiřičná. Der Georg-Platz (Jiřské náměstí) wurde neu bepflastert und geregelt. In Zusammenarbeit mit den Fachleuten aus dem Getti-Institut wurde die Mosaik „des Letzten Gerichts“ renoviert. Im Jahre 1990 wurde die Prager Burg feierlich beleuchtet und dieser Zustand dauert von der Dämmerung bis zur Mitternacht bis heute. In der touristischen Hauptsaison dauert die Beleuchtungszeit sogar eine Stunde länger, bis 1 Uhr. Die Tradition der elektrischen Beleuchtung, jedoch im viel kleineren Umfang, begann im Jahre 1928, als die Lampen zum 10. Jubiläum der Republikentstehung installiert wurden. Ein wenig ähnelte die heutige feierliche Beleuchtung jener aus dem Ende der 60er Jahren, heute ist sie allerdings viel detaillierter und in den Kommunistenzeiten wurde sie nur bei feierlichen Gelegenheiten angemacht. Beleuchtungswürdige Tage waren damals Staatsfeiertage oder bedeutende Republiktage, denen allerdings aus der kommunistischen Sicht die Anerkennung nicht fehlte.
In den letzten Jahren entwickelte sich die Umbau- bzw. Renovierungstätigkeit in vielen Objekten der Burg und eine erhebliche Aufmerksamkeit wurde der archäologischen Untersuchung gewidmet, die bereits seit 1925 läuft und viele Erkenntnisse über die Burggeschichte brachte. Die Untersuchung sowie die Renovierung der einzelnen Räume und Objekte ist von der Idee motiviert, sie dadurch, dass sie der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht werden, möglichst viel zu beleben.
Having owned the 2008 Kona Sutra for ten months, and just completed the first chain/cassette replacement, I thought it was about time for a long term review, to give other people an idea of what living with the Sutra has been like. My previous post explains why I chose the Sutra - I came up with what I thought was an impossibly eclectic list of requirements from a bicycle, and the Sutra ticked every single box.
Here's some specs, for the statophiles out there: Frame size C54cm Frame tubing Dedacciai COM 12.5 Butted Cromoly Fork Kona P2 700c TB Disc w/Lowrider Headset TH Crankarms FSA Gossamer MegaExo Chainrings 30/39/50 B/B FSA MegaExo Pedals Shimano PD-M520 SPD - Silver Chain Shimano HG53 --> Shimano HG93 XT Freewheel Shimano Deore (11-32, 9 Spd) --> Shimano XT M760 (11-32, 9spd) F/D Shimano Tiagra Triple R/D Shimano XT Shadow Shifters Shimano Bar-Con Handlebar FSA RD30 0S Stem FSA OS-190LX Grips Velo Wrap with Gel Brakes Avid BB7 Road Disc Brake Levers Shimano BLR-600 Front Hub Shimano M525 Disc Rear Hub Shimano M525 Disc Spokes DT Stainless 14g Tires Continental Contact 700 x 32C --> Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x38c Rims Mavic A 317 Disc Saddle Selle Italia XO SE --> Brooks B17 Seatpost FSA SL-280 Seat Clamp Kona Clamp Rear Rack Tubus Logo Panniers Bikebins Computer Sigma DTS 1606 L Fenders SKS Chromoplastic
My primary (i.e. 99% of the time) use of the Sutra has been for commuting. I have covered over 2700 miles (4500km) in the time I have owned it. My commuting route through London is pretty tough on bikes - the roads south of the Thames are awful and full of potholes, through the City there is broken glass all over the place, and further north of the river there are speedbumps everywhere. When I first got the Sutra she was wearing Continental Contact tyres, and they were pretty poor for commuting. They punctured easily and transmitted the bumpiness of the road right up into my forearms. Not much fun. After one puncture too many I replaced the tyres with Schwalbe Marathon Pluses, in their largest diameter, and the difference was marked. The increased volume of air provides a lot more cushioning for the arms, and I have not had a single puncture yet, despite having pulled 6mm long pieces of glass out of the tyre surfaces. The tyres are relatively heavy, but then so is the rest of the bike, and extra weight makes you stronger!
The original rear rack was pretty flimsy, and it did not allow the attachment of the Bikebin panniers I bought to try and add some rigidity. I ended up having to angle grind chunks out of the rack to fit the panniers, which can't have improved their structural integrity. After a month of experiencing the odd sensation of the bike wagging its tail whenever I stood up to pedal hard, I bit the bullet and upgraded the rack to a Tubus Logo. It was a tight fit with the rear disc brake, but the difference was immense. Gone was the sensation of a jelly-like bike, to be replaced by a sensation of rigid stability. Whilst the rack was expensive, it made all the difference, and I would highly recommend it.
Speaking of the brakes, they have saved my life on more than one occasion, usually when a Taxi decides to perform an emergency stop to pick up a fare. The brakes stop consistently in all conditions, and so far I have not had to replace the pads, althoguh I think it will be time to do it soon. Not bad considering I have travelled almost five thousand kilometres in all weathers in the stop-start conditions of London. I was concerned that the brakes might be too powerful, but the modulation provided by the levers and the flex in the arm of the brake means that whilst the power is there if necessary, you have a lot of control over it. There is some disc drag, but this is owing more to my laziness than the brakes themselves, and seems to have little impact on cruising speeds.
Using the bike in all conditions has been excellent. The all-over fenders (something I have never fitted to a bike previously) really keep the rain off and eliminate spray from the road. I had to saw a bit of the front fender off to fit it over the larger tyres, and a little bit off the rear for the same reason, but after the modification they have been flawless.
I had heard reports of spokes snapping, and nothing happened to me until recently, when I noticed a detached spoke whilst replacing the rear cassette. I had no idea how long the spoke had been damaged for, and replaced it myself. The rear wheel is slightly askew, but it does not foul on anything, which is good considering the small tolerance between it and the fender. To be fair, I have been jumping off kerbs and sometimes it is impossible to miss a massive hole in the road when you are in busy traffic. An upgrade I am considering is a stronger rear wheel, although it is not pressingly urgent.
The ride of the bike is super smooth, and certainly not anything like the road bikes I am used to. I use my other road bike for triathlons, and whilst it is a lot more nimble, it is much less comfortable. The Sutra is comfortable all day long, owing in no small part to the Brooks B17 saddle, which took about two thousand miles to properly break in! It was worth it though - sitting on the bike is like sitting in an armchair (albeit a very odd armchair, but an armchair nonetheless). I tend to cruise at about 20mph on her, and my 10.5 mile commute to work takes about 37 minutes. I have started seeking out hills in preparation for some touring of Wales, and the sutra certainly loves to climb. The aggressive, mountain-bike-like frame geometry no doubt assists in this, and is confidence inspiring when climbing and descending. The bar-con shifters were a novelty for me, but they make a lot of sense, especially if replacement shifters were needed on a tour. There are even bosses on the downtube to fit truly old-school shifters in an emergency.
The weight of the bike was a shock initially - weighing in at 15kgs without the accessories, she weighs significantly more than my Specialized Hardrock mountain bike, which is saying something! Over time I have become accustomed to the weight, and now it feels normal. The main advantage of this is that when I ride anything else, it feels super light and goes very rapidly. This makes this bike an ideal training steed.
In conclusion, I have found a lot to love about the Kona Sutra - she's tough, strong and surprisingly fast. There were some niggles about fitting add-ons, but they were all easy to overcome, and the result has been a reliable bike that I think will keep delivering for years.
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)
For more than a thousand years, has the Prague Castle been an important symbol of the Czech state. Founded in the 9th century, it became the permanent seat of the Czech rulers and, most recently, also of the Presidents. One of the largest castle complexes in the world consists of palaces, offices, churches and fortification buildings, gardens and picturesque corners. The castle covers an area of 45 hectares. The unique view to the Prague Castle is one of the most amazing panorama views in the world.
Prague Castle is the most important folk-cultural and historical monument, and is the symbol of the more than one thousand years of development of the Czech and all-Czech states. It is a monumental symbol of the palace, church, fortification, official and residential buildings which represent very valuable monuments, included in all style epochs. It covers an area of 45 hectares, was the seat of the Bohemian princes, kings and emperors, and since the Republic was founded in 1918, it was also the residence of the presidents. Since 1962, the Prague Castle has been known for its archaeological discoveries.
History
The initial phases of the Prague Castle are connected with the first historically documented Přemyslid Bořivoj (Bořivoj I (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbɔr̝ɪvɔj], Latin: Borzivogius, c. 852 – c. 889) was the first historically documented Duke of Bohemia from about 870 and progenitor of the Přemyslid dynasty.] The Duchy of Bohemia was at those times subordinated to Great Moravia.). This one transferred in the 80s of the 9th century his original seat from Levý Hradec to the place where on the raised spot above the river Vltava/Moldau already existed a Slavic castle and was very well situated.
The first princely palace apparently only consisted of wood. The first stone building and the oldest Christian sanctuary was the Virgin Mary Church. Its remains have been found between the Second Courtyard and the Bastion garden (original name of the garden: Na Baště). This Bořivoj church was soon reconstructed by the prince Spytihněv I, who was buried here in 915. The second church in the castle was the St. George Basilica founded by Prince Vratislaus I. The next Přemyslide, Prince Wenceslas (Saint), the third sanctuary - the St Veit Rotunda - in the twenties of the 10th century nearby had built which in the 11th century by Prince Spytihnev II was transformed into a huge basilica.
In 973, when the bishopric was established in Prague, the castle was not only the seat of the head of state, but also the seat of the Prague bishop, the highest representative of the church. At the same time arose the first monastery in Bohemia at St. George's basilica.
In the 10th century the castle occupied an area of about 6 ha. In the Romanesque epoch the former fortress, especially after the year 1135 thanks to Soběslaus I, as the stony princely palace and the new masonry fortified with some towers were erected, was turned into a fortified medieval castle. Of the towers is the eastern blacktower best preserved.
Very significantly the Gothic period in the appearance of Prague Castle intervened, most of all Charles IV (1346 - 1378), who, with his father, John of Luxemburg (1310 - 1346), obtained from the pope the promotion of the Prague bishopric to the archbishopric and laid the foundations for the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral. Under Charles IV, the castle for the first time was turned into the imperial residence. Charles IV the defense of the Prague Castle had consolidated, the Royal Palace with the Chapel of All Saints he rebuilt generously. The roofs he had covered with gilded plates, which were the foundation for the binding of words "Golden Prague". Since 1382, Bohemian rulers ceased to occupy the Prague Castle for more than 100 years. The royal court was moved to the place of today's Community hall and back to the Prague castle it came only in 1483 under Wladislaus from the Jagiellonian dynasty.
Although the ruler already in 1490 moved to Ofen (Buda), he had the Prague castle renovated in the late Gothic style under the supervision of Benedikt Ried. He was the master builder of the magnificent Vladislav Hall, the largest secular vaulted room of the then Europe, with which the first Renaissance signs came to Prague. He carried out major construction works, including the construction of a new masonry, the defensive towers and the expansion of the Royal Palace. At his time, the Gothic died away and a new architectural style, the Renaissance, gradually prevailed.
The direct influence of the Italian art on the new style was most frequently observed in Prague under the reign of Ferdinand I (von Habsburg) and after his departure from Prague under the influence of the governor Ferdinand of Tyrol. At that time, the medieval castle was converted into a comfortable Renaissance castle with gardens. The typical Italian architecture of the Royal Pleasure palace arose in the northern King's garden.
For a large building activity in 1541 contributed a fire devastating the castle objects as well as the surrounding area quite a lot. Within the framework of the restoration, both the housing estates and the church buildings were rebuilt. Under the reign of the first Habsburgs, nobility palaces were added to the castle grounds (for example, the Pernstein Palace - later Lobkowicz Palace, Rosenberg Palace and others). Horse stable buildings were built in the north-west.
Under the reign of the Emperor Rudolph II (1576 - 1611), the Renaissance and Mannerism transformation of the castle, which for the second time became the center of the empire, and especially the center of European culture and science, reached its peak. On the second courtyard, new rooms were built for the collections of Rudolph - the new (now Spanish) hall and the Rudolph gallery. Also arose the connection tract between the northwestern and the southwestern part of the castle. Just here the famous Kunstkammer (Art chamber) and other rooms for Rudolph's collective activities were located. Additionally further horse stable properties were built for his rare Spanish horses. During the Rudolph times also the foundation stone of the famous Golden Alley was laid. Laboratories of the Rudolph-Alchymists were supposed to have been in the Powder tower above the Hirschgraben (Deer's ditch). The castle suffered again considerable damages when it was occupied by the Saxon army in 1631 and by the Swedes in 1648 not only was occupied but also plundered. After the Thirty Years' War, the Habsburgs did not care too much about the Prague royal seat.
Only Maria Theresia carried out an extensive reconstruction of the Prague Castle from 1755 - 1775 into a representative castle complex. The reason for the massive construction action were war damages, caused by the intense bombing of the castle during war conflicts at the beginning of her reign. The reconstruction was designed by the Viennese architect Nicolo Pacassi, who also planned the first courtyard with the monumental entrance gate. From the time of the Theresian reconstruction stems also the chapel of the Holy Cross on the 2nd castle forecourt and other buildings, especially the noblewomen institute. The south wing he imprinted the uniform monumental late Baroque facade of a representative seat. His plans influenced by Viennese Rococo and French Classicism the builders Anselmo Lurago, Anton Kunz and Anton Haffenecker brought into life.
In the 19th century, the castle fell into ruin, in several objects after the Josephine reforms the army settled. In connection with the stay of Ferdinand I the Good in the castle after his abdication in 1848 and further in connection with the preparation for the coronation of Franz Joseph I in the sixties it came to building modifications of several objects. After 1859, when the community for the completion of St Veit cathedral emerged, began first the repair, and then, under the influence of the architect Joseph Mocker, the work on the actual completion of St Veit's cathedral was started, completed in 1929.
In the years 1920 - 35, carried out extensive regulations of the Prague Castle as the seat of the Czechoslovak President the great Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik, who masterfully combined the valuable historical space with modern civilization claims. His modifications mainly concerned the 1st and 3rd court, the southern gardens of the castle, the fourth forecourt with the Bastion garden as well as numerous interiors. He created e.g. the pillared hall, private rooms of the presidential residence, including the Masaryk workroom. His pupil, Otto Rothmayer, brought to an end the incomplete solutions of some castle interior spaces after the Second World War in comparable quality.
In 1936, Pavel Janák and after him, in 1959, Jaroslav Fragner became castle architect.
After the year of change of 1989, the Prague Castle was opened to the public in many places. During the term of President Havel, at the castle it came to modulations of the interiors and to the expansion of two new entrances into the second courtyard after the project of the creator and designer Bořek Šípek. The puncture through the rampart of the Powder bridge in Hirschgraben was rewarded with a significant prize (Arch. Josef Pleskot). Also interesting is the modern greenhouse of the world-famous architect Eva Jiřičná. The Georgian Square (Jiřské náměstí) was re-paved and modulated. The Mosaic of the Last Judgment was renovated in collaboration with the specialists from the Getti Institute. In 1990, the Prague Castle was solemnly illuminated and this situation lasts from dusk to midnight until today. In the main tourist season, the lighting time even lasts an hour longer until 1 o'clock. The tradition of electric lighting, but on a much smaller scale, began in 1928, when the lamps were installed for the 10th anniversary of the elevation to a Republic. A little bit the present daylight resembles of those from the end of the sixties, but today it is much more detailed and in communist times it was only switched on at solemn occasions. At that time, illuminative days were state holidays or significant day of republic, which, however, did not lack recognition from the communist point of view.
In recent years the reconstruction and renovation work has been developed in many buildings of the castle and a considerable attention has been devoted to the archaeological investigation, which has been going on since 1925 and has brought many insights into the history of the castle. The investigation as well as the renovation of the individual rooms and objects is motivated by the idea of invigorating them as much as possible by making them accessible to the public.
Prager Burg (Pražský hrad)
Die Prager Burg ist seit über tausend Jahren ein bedeutendes Symbol des tschechischen Staates. Gegründet im 9. Jahrhundert wurde sie zum ständigen Sitz der tschechischen Herrscher und zuletzt auch der Präsidenten. Einer der größten Burgkomplexe weltweit setzt sich aus Palästen, Amts-, Kirchen- und Fortifikationsgebäuden, aus Gärten und malerischen Ecken zusammen. Die Burg erstreckt sich auf einer Fläche von 45 Hektar. Der alleinige Blick auf die Prager Burg stellt einen der überwältigendsten Panoramablicke der Welt dar.
Die Prager Burg ist das bedeutendste Volkskultur- und Historiedenkmal, sie ist das Symbol der mehr als eintausendjährigen Entwicklung des böhmischen sowie gesamttschechischen Staats. Es ist ein monumentales Symbol der Palast-, Kirchen-, Fortifikations-, Amts- und Wohngebäude, die sehr wertvolle Denkmäler darstellen, einbezogen auf alle Stilepochen. Sie erstreckt sich auf einer Fläche von 45 ha, war der Sitz der böhmischen Fürsten, Könige und Kaiser und seit der Republikentstehung im Jahre 1918 war sie auch die Residenz der Präsidenten. Seit 1962 steht die Prager Burg mit ihren archäologischen Funden als bekanntester.
Geschichte
Die Anfangszeiten der Prager Burg sind mit dem ersten historisch belegten Přemysliden Bořivoj verbunden. Dieser übertrug in den 80er Jahren des 9. Jahrhunderts seinen ursprünglichen Sitz von Levý Hradec an den Ort, wo auf der erhabenen Stelle über der Moldau eine slawische Burgstätte bereits bestand und sehr gut gelegen war.
Der erste Fürstenpalast bestand offenbar aus Holz. Der erste Steinbau und das älteste christliche Heiligtum war die Jungfrau Maria Kirche. Ihre Reste wurden zwischen dem II. Vorhof und dem Basteigarten (Originalname des Gartens: Na Baště) gefunden. Diese Bořivoj-Kirche wurde durch den hier im Jahre 915 beigesetzten Fürsten Spytihněv I. bald umgebaut. Die zweite Kirche im Burgraum war die vom Fürsten Vratislaus I. gegründete St. Georg Basilika. Der nächste Přemyslide, der Fürst Wenzel (der Heilige), ließ in der Nähe in den 20er Jahren des 10. Jahrhunderts das dritte Heiligtum - die St. Veit Rotunde - bauen, die im 11. Jahrhundert vom Fürsten Spytihněv II. zu einer gewaltigen Basilika umgebaut wurde.
Im Jahre 973, als in Prag das Bistum gegründet wurde, war die Burg nicht nur der Sitz des Staatsoberhaupts, sondern auch der Sitz des Prager Bischofs, des höchsten Repräsentanten der Kirche. Zu demselben Zeitpunkt entstand an der St. Georg Basilika das erste Kloster in Böhmen.
Im 10. Jahrhundert nahm die Burg eine Fläche von ca. 6 ha in Anspruch. In der romanischen Epoche wurde die einstige Burgstätte, insbesondere nach dem Jahr 1135 dank Soběslaus I., als der steinige Fürstenpalast und das neue mit einigen Türmen verstärkte Mauerwerk aufgebaut wurden, zu einer festen mittelalterlichen Burg umgebaut. Von den Türmen ist der östliche Schwarzturm am besten erhalten.
Sehr bedeutend griff ins Aussehen der Prager Burg die Gotikzeit ein, insbesondere Karl IV. (1346 - 1378), der mit seinem Vater Johann von Luxemburg (1310 - 1346) vom Papst die Beförderung des Prager Bistums zum Erzbistum erwirkte und den Grundstein für den Bau der St. Veit Kathedrale legte. Unter Karl IV. wurde die Burg zum ersten Mal zur Kaiserlichen Residenz. Karl IV. ließ die Verschanzung der Prager Burg festigen, den Königspalast mit der Kapelle Aller Heiligen baute er großzügig um. Die Dächer ließ er mit vergoldeten Blechen decken, die das Fundament für die Wörterbindung „Goldenes Prag“ darstellten. Seit 1382 hörten böhmische Herrscher auf, die Prager Burg für mehr als 100 Jahre zu bewohnen. Der Königshof wurde an den Ort des heutigen Gemeindehauses umgezogen und zurück auf die Prager Burg kehrte er erst im Jahre 1483 unter Wladislaus aus der Jagiellonen-Dynastie.
Obwohl der Herrscher bereits 1490 nach Ofen (Buda) umsiedelte, ließ er die Prager Burg im spätgotischen Stil unter der Bauleitung von Benedikt Ried umbauen. Er war der Baumeister des großartigen Wladislaus-Saals, des größten weltlichen gewölbten Raums des damaligen Europas, mit dem die ersten Renaissancezeichen nach Prag kamen. Er führte großartige Bauregelungen einschließlich des Ausbaus eines neuen Mauerwerks, der Wehrtürme und der Erweiterung des Königspalastes durch. Zu seiner Zeit klang die Gotik aus und es setzte sich allmählich ein neuer Baustil durch, die Renaissance.
Der direkte Einfluss der italienischen Kunst des neuen Stils wurde in Prag unter der Regierung von Ferdinand I. (von Habsburg) und nach seinem Weggang von Prag unter der Wirkung des Statthalters Ferdinand von Tirol am meisten beobachtet. Damals wurde die mittelalterliche Burg in ein bequemes Renaissanceschloss mit Gärten umgewandelt. Im nördlichen Königsgarten entstand die typisch italienische Architektur des Königlichen Lustschlosses.
Zu einer großen Bauaktivität trug im Jahre 1541 ein Brand bei, der die Burgobjekte sowie die Umgebung ziemlich viel kaputt machte. Im Rahmen der Wiederherstellung wurden sowohl die Wohnräume als auch die Kirchenobjekte umgebaut. Unter der Regierung der ersten Habsburger kamen ins Burggelände auch Adelspaläste dazu (zum Beispiel der Pernstein-Palast - später Lobkowicz-Palast, Rosenberg-Palast und weitere). Im Nordwesten wurden Pferdestallgebäude erbaut.
Unter der Regierung des Kaisers Rudolph II. (1576 - 1611) erreichte der Renaissance- und Manierismusumbau der Burg, die zum zweiten Mal zum Zentrum des Reiches und insbesondere zum Zentrum der europäischen Kultur und Wissenschaft wurde, seinen Gipfel. Auf dem II. Vorhof wurden neue Räume für die Sammlungen Rudolphs erbaut - der Neue (heute Spanische) Saal und die Rudolph-Galerie. Es entstand auch der Verbindungstrakt zwischen dem Nordwest- und dem Südwestteil der Burg. Eben hier befanden sich die berühmte Kunstkammer und weitere Räume für die Sammeltätigkeit Rudolphs. Es wurden auch weitere Pferdestallobjekte für seine seltenen spanischen Pferde aufgebaut. Während der Rudolph-Zeiten wurde auch der Grundstein der berühmten Goldenen Gasse gelegt. Laboratorien der Rudolph-Alchymisten sollen im Pulverturm über dem Hirschgraben gewesen sein. Die Burg erlitt erneut erhebliche Schäden, als sie 1631 vom sächsischen Heer und 1648 von den Schweden besetzt und ausgeplündert wurde. Nach dem Dreißigjährigen Krieg kümmerten sich die Habsburger um den Prager königlichen Sitz nicht allzu sehr.
Erst Maria Theresia führte in den Jahren 1755 - 1775 einen umfangreichen Umbau der Prager Burg zu einem repräsentativen Schlosskomplex durch. Der Grund für die massive Bauaktion waren Kriegsschäden, verursacht durch die intensive Bombardierung der Burg bei Kriegskonflikten zu Beginn ihrer Regierung. Den Umbau entwarf der Wiener Architekt Nicolo Pacassi, der auch den I. Vorhof mit dem monumentalen Eingangstor projektierte. Aus der Zeit des theresianischen Umbaus stammt auch die Kapelle des Heiligen Kreuzes auf dem II. Burgvorhof und weitere Gebäude, insbesondere die Edeldamenanstalt. Dem Südflügel prägte er die einheitliche monumentale Spätbarockfassade eines Repräsentationssitzes ein. Seine durch das Wiener Rokoko und den französischen Klassizismus beeinflussten Pläne brachten die Baumeister Anselmo Lurago, Anton Kunz und Anton Haffenecker zustande.
Im 19. Jahrhundert verfiel die Burg, in mehreren Objekten ließ sich nach den josephinischen Reformen das Heer nieder. Zu Bauregelungen einiger Objekte kam es im Zusammenhang mit dem Aufenthalt von Ferdinand I. dem Guten auf der Burg nach seiner Abdikation im Jahre 1848 und weiter im Zusammenhang mit der Vorbereitung auf die vorgesehene Krönung von Franz Joseph I. in den 60er Jahren. Nach 1859, als die Gemeinde für die Fertigstellung der St. Veit Kathedrale entstand, begann zuerst die Reparatur und anschließend unter der Wirkung des Architekten Joseph Mocker wurde die Arbeit an der eigentlichen Fertigstellung der St. Veit Kathedrale aufgenommen, abgeschlossen im Jahre 1929.
In den Jahren 1920 - 35 führte ausgedehnte Regelungen der Prager Burg als des Sitzes des tschechoslowakischen Präsidenten der bedeutende slowenische Architekt Josip Plečnik durch, der den wertvollen historischen Raum mit modernen Zivilisationsansprüchen meisterlich zusammenfügte. Seine Regelungen betrafen vor allem den 1. und 3. Vorhof, die Südgärten der Burg, den 4. Vorhof mit dem Basteigarten sowie zahlreiche Innenräume. Er schuf z.B. die Säulenhalle, Privaträume der Präsidentenwohnung einschließlich des Arbeitszimmers Masaryks. Sein Schüler Otto Rothmayer brachte die unvollendeten Lösungen einiger Burginnenräume nach dem 2. Weltkrieg in vergleichbarer Qualität zu Ende.
Im Jahre 1936 ist Pavel Janák und nach ihm seit 1959 Jaroslav Fragner Burgarchitekt geworden.
Nach dem Wendejahr 1989 wurde die Prager Burg an vielen Stellen für die Öffentlichkeit geöffnet. Während der Amtszeit des Präsidenten Havel kam es auf der Burg zu Regelungen der Innenräume und zum Ausbau zweier neuer Eingänge in den 2. Vorhof nach dem Projekt des Bildners und Designers Bořek Šípek. Mit einem bedeutenden Preis wurde der Durchstich durch den Wall der Pulverbrücke im Hirschgraben belohnt (Arch. Josef Pleskot). Interessant ist auch das moderne Gewächshaus der weltberühmten Architektin Eva Jiřičná. Der Georg-Platz (Jiřské náměstí) wurde neu bepflastert und geregelt. In Zusammenarbeit mit den Fachleuten aus dem Getti-Institut wurde die Mosaik „des Letzten Gerichts“ renoviert. Im Jahre 1990 wurde die Prager Burg feierlich beleuchtet und dieser Zustand dauert von der Dämmerung bis zur Mitternacht bis heute. In der touristischen Hauptsaison dauert die Beleuchtungszeit sogar eine Stunde länger, bis 1 Uhr. Die Tradition der elektrischen Beleuchtung, jedoch im viel kleineren Umfang, begann im Jahre 1928, als die Lampen zum 10. Jubiläum der Republikentstehung installiert wurden. Ein wenig ähnelte die heutige feierliche Beleuchtung jener aus dem Ende der 60er Jahren, heute ist sie allerdings viel detaillierter und in den Kommunistenzeiten wurde sie nur bei feierlichen Gelegenheiten angemacht. Beleuchtungswürdige Tage waren damals Staatsfeiertage oder bedeutende Republiktage, denen allerdings aus der kommunistischen Sicht die Anerkennung nicht fehlte.
In den letzten Jahren entwickelte sich die Umbau- bzw. Renovierungstätigkeit in vielen Objekten der Burg und eine erhebliche Aufmerksamkeit wurde der archäologischen Untersuchung gewidmet, die bereits seit 1925 läuft und viele Erkenntnisse über die Burggeschichte brachte. Die Untersuchung sowie die Renovierung der einzelnen Räume und Objekte ist von der Idee motiviert, sie dadurch, dass sie der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht werden, möglichst viel zu beleben.
Free download under CC Attribution (CC BY 2.0). Please credit the artist and rawpixel.com
Hu Zhengyan (c. 1584-1674) was a Chinese traditional painter, calligrapher, seal carver and publisher during the transition of the Ming and Qing dynasties. He produced China’s first printed publication in color, and was famous for his incredible techniques achieving gradation and modulation of shades in woodblock prints.
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: rawpixel
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for more details
Specifications
Year 1973
Form : Solid-state 4ch control Integrated Amplifier
Circuit system
Power amplifier part
Perfect complimentary whole page hardwired-connection OCL circuitry
Power amplifier part
Music power (IHF)
120W (4ohms)
98W (8ohms)
Effective output (IHF)
42W/42W (4ohms)
35W/35W (8ohms)
Power Band Width
5Hz - 50kHz-3dB
Frequency characteristic
5Hz-100kHz+0 -3 dB
Distortion (at the time of an effective output) 0.2% or less
Cross modulation distortion (60Hz:7kHz=4:1) 0.2% or less (at the time of an effective output)
SN ratio (IHF) 110dB or more
Dumping factor 50 (at the time of an 8-ohm load intensity)
Input sensitivity/impedance 1V/50kohm
Input sensitivity/impedance
Phono : 2mV / 30kohm, 50kohm, 100kohm
Tuner, AUX : 100mV /, 80kohm
Tapes monitor Rec Out : 100mV / 10kohm
Playback : 100mV / 60kohm
Rec/Play(DIN) : 100mV / 60kohm, 50mV / 80kohm
An Output voltage/impedance Output power : 1V/200 ohm
Maximum output voltage : 3V
Phono maximum permissible input 100mV (1kHz)
Frequency characteristicDeflection of less than ±0.5dB from a Phono : RIAA standard curve
Tuner, AUX : 5Hz - 60kHz, and +0 -3 dB
Tone control
Bass :50Hz, ±16dB
Turnover frequency : 150Hz, 500Hz
Treble : 20kHz, ±14dB
Turnover frequency : 2kHz, 6kHz
Loudness control 100Hz : +10dB (Volume −30dB)
An Output-power voltage
/Output load impedance 600mV / 10 kohm
Maximum output voltage 2.5V
Frequency characteristic 10Hz-20kHz+0 -3 dB
The semiconductor used Transistor : 37 pieces
Diode : Seven pieces
Power source AC 100V, 50/60Hz
Power consumption At the time of an Output power : 70W
Dimensions
Width 410x height 140x depth of 300mm
Weight 10.3kg
source : audio-database.com
Free download under CC Attribution (CC BY 2.0). Please credit the artist and rawpixel.com
Hu Zhengyan (c. 1584-1674) was a Chinese traditional painter, calligrapher, seal carver and publisher during the transition of the Ming and Qing dynasties. He produced China’s first printed publication in color, and was famous for his incredible techniques achieving gradation and modulation of shades in woodblock prints.
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: rawpixel
Free download under CC Attribution (CC BY 2.0). Please credit the artist and rawpixel.com
Hu Zhengyan (c. 1584-1674) was a Chinese traditional painter, calligrapher, seal carver and publisher during the transition of the Ming and Qing dynasties. He produced China’s first printed publication in color, and was famous for his incredible techniques achieving gradation and modulation of shades in woodblock prints.
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: rawpixel
GATECRASHER 9TH BIRTHDAY LIVE @ REPUBLIC 21-Sept-2003 , SHEFFIELD , ENGLAND , UK
Gatecrasher 9th B'day (2003-09-20)
01. Mark Norman - Overkill (Intro Mix)
02. Terry Bones & Fred Baker - Introspection (John Askew Remix) (Paul van Dyk Re-Edit)
03. Inzite - Spellbound
04. Agnelli & Nelson - Holding On To Nothing (Paul van Dyk Rework)
05. Modulation - Spirits (Cosmicman Remix)
06. R.B.A - Daywalker
07. Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes (Sweeping Strings Mix)
08. ID
09. 4 Strings - Revelation
10. Jaron Inc. - Overflow
11. Scott Bond Vs. Solar Stone - Naked Angel
12. James Holden & Thompson - Nothing (93 Returning Mix)
13. Donald & Giles - Weekend Wonder (Donald & Giles Remix)
14. Goldenscan - Sunrise (Pulser 6AM Vocal Mix)
15. Paul van Dyk feat. Second Sun - Crush (Album Mix)
16. Paul van Dyk Feat. Vega 4 - Time Of Our Lives (Paul van Dyk Club Mix)
17. David Forbes - Answers (Original Mix)
18. Masters & Nickson - 5th Dimension (Instrumental)
19. Lunatic Asylum - Cabal (Energy Flow) (Hiker & Dumondt's Gom Jabar Mix)
20. Nu-NRG - Connective
21. Three Drives - Carrera 2 (Nu-NRG Remix)
22. Modulation - Spirits (Slusnik Luna Remix)
23. ID
24. Extension 119 - The Zone (Original Mix)
25. Marcel Woods - Time's Running Out
26. ID
27. DJ Flex Pres. Digital Club - Dynamo [w/ DJ Tomcraft - Brainwashed (Club Mix Sampled]
28. Paul van Dyk vs Marco V - For A Revolt
29. Chris Liebing - Natural Selection
30. Tiesto - Traffic
31. Mat Silver Vs. Tony Burt - Ultimate Wave (Paul van Dyk Rework)
32. Project Magneta - Twisted Soul
33. Project Zero - Omega Six (Paul van Dyk Rework)
34. Nick Lunn & YOMC pres. Tecno Punx - Energize (Paul van Dyk Edit)
35. Paul van Dyk feat. Hemstock & Jennings - Nothing But You (Original Mix)
www.iti-worldwide.org/theatredaymessage.html
Author of the World Theatre Day Message 2009
Augusto Boal - Message 2009
"All human societies are “spectacular*” in their daily life and produce “spectacles” at special moments. They are “spectacular” as a form of social organization and produce “spectacles” like the one you have come to see.
Even if one is unaware of it, human relationships are structured in a theatrical way. The use of space, body language, choice of words and voice modulation, the confrontation of ideas and passions, everything that we demonstrate on the stage, we live in our lives. We are theatre!
Weddings and funerals are “spectacles”, but so, also, are daily rituals so familiar that we are not conscious of this. Occasions of pomp and circumstance, but also the morning coffee, the exchanged good-mornings, timid love and storms of passion, a senate session or a diplomatic meeting - all is theatre.
One of the main functions of our art is to make people sensitive to the “spectacles” of daily life in which the actors are their own spectators, performances in which the stage and the stalls coincide. We are all artists. By doing theatre, we learn to see what is obvious but what we usually can’t see because we are only used to looking at it. What is familiar to us becomes unseen: doing theatre throws light on the stage of daily life.
Last September, we were surprised by a theatrical revelation: we, who thought that we were living in a safe world, despite wars, genocide, slaughter and torture which certainly exist, but far from us in remote and wild places. We, who were living in security with our money invested in some respectable bank or in some honest trader’s hands in the stock exchange were told that this money did not exist, that it was virtual, a fictitious invention by some economists who were not fictitious at all and neither reliable nor respectable. Everything was just bad theatre, a dark plot in which a few people won a lot and many people lost all. Some politicians from rich countries held secret meetings in which they found some magic solutions. And we, the victims of their decisions, have remained spectators in the last row of the balcony.
Twenty years ago, I staged Racine’s Phèdre in Rio de Janeiro. The stage setting was poor: cow skins on the ground, bamboos around. Before each presentation, I used to say to my actors: “The fiction we created day by day is over. When you cross those bamboos, none of you will have the right to lie. Theatre is the Hidden Truth”.
When we look beyond appearances, we see oppressors and oppressed people, in all societies, ethnic groups, genders, social classes and casts; we see an unfair and cruel world. We have to create another world because we know it is possible. But it is up to us to build this other world with our hands and by acting on the stage and in our own life.
Participate in the “spectacle” which is about to begin and once you are back home, with your friends act your own plays and look at what you were never able to see: that which is obvious. Theatre is not just an event; it is a way of life!
We are all actors: being a citizen is not living in society, it is changing it."
Augusto Boal
(Original Portuguese)
Priya D’Silva a winner all the way, trained by The Tiara makes it to Top 5 of Pond's Femina Miss India Pune 2013 and also wins Max Femina Miss Fashion Icon.
November Pageant Training Course for Ponds Femina Miss India 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Goa 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Kolkata 2013, Femina Miss India Bangalore 2013, Femina Miss India Indore 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Delhi 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Chandigarh 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Pune 2014, I am She 2013, Gladrags Megamodel 2012/2013 and Gladrags Mrs. India 2012/2013
Urvashi Rautela groomed and coached by The Tiara wins I am She Miss India Universe 2012 and ' I am Photogenic". Dipna Patel trained by The Tiara wins 3rd Runners up at IAM SHE Miss Universe India and the subtitle I am Fit. Gunjan Tyagi wins 2nd Runner Up at Gladrags South Mrs. India 2012. She will go on to participate in the Mrs. India All India in Mumbai later this year.
17 Winners in 14 Years! A Winner Every Year at The Tiara Pageant Training Studio
1. Winner of Young Turk 1998 Sandip Soparrkar , Ace Choreographer, Ballroom dance teacher,
2. Femina Miss India Earth 2002 Gauhar Khan,
3. Femina Miss India Universe 2005 Amrita Thapar
4. Femina Miss India World 2009 Pooja Chopra,
5.Gladrags Megamodel 2009 and Femina Miss India East 2011 and Bollywood Diva 2011 Ankita Mohapatra
6.Mr. India Earth 2009, Mann Sukhija
7.Miss India Intercontinental 2009 Sonia Jain
8. Femina Miss India International 2010 Neha Hinge
9.Gladrags Megamodel 2010 Arshina Trivedi
10.Femina Miss India South 2011 Shweta Dolli
11.Gladrags Manhunt 2011 First Runner Up Maitraya Kotecha
12.Miss Tourism Queen International of the year 2011 Urvashi Rautela
13.Miss India Worldwide 2011 1st Runner Up Anvita Sudarshan
14.Femina Style Diva 2011 Dipna Patel
15.Femina Miss India Earth 2012 Prachi
16.Mrs. India International 2012, 1st Runners Up Reet Sahu
17.Urvashi Rautela I am She Miss Universe India 2012.
ELIGIBILITY
If you are participating in:
Femina Miss India: Height 5.6” upwards, Age: 18 to 25
I am She: Height 5.6 upwards, Age: 18 to 27
Gladrags Mrs India Height 5.3 upwards, Age: 20 to 50
Gladrags Megamodel: 5.3” Upwards Age: 17 to 27
November 5th to December 10th 2012(Course Fee Rs 25,000)
Monday to Friday
To ensure that you have your seat please pay the booking amount of Rs 5000 which is an advance fee. This fee is non-refundable and non-transferable to another batch in another month. The remaining 20,000 has to be paid on the first day of class, For the hostel please call Mr. Anil Shinde 9822282817 .Meetings are only by appointment.
The Tiara is located only in Pune, we have no branches.
Course Details
• Filling up Forms and Registration Help
• Developing a Pageant Strategy
• Pageant & Ramp Walk
• Personality & Grooming
• Posture & Poise.
• Camera Facing Techniques & Portfolio Assistance ( Professional Portfolio Not Included)
• Public Speaking &Voice Modulation
• Modeling Technique & Body Language
• Making a Positive First Impression
• Wardrobe Analysis & Customized Wardrobe Assistance
• Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Assistance
. Confidence Building
• Mental Preparation
• Question Handling (Preliminary Round, Prejudging, On Stage and One-on-One)
• Personalize your answers so that you sound original
• Connecting with the Judges and Handling the Stage
• Platform Development
Don't be dismayed if you find that we are at Pune. You deserve the help of a Pageant professional; don't let location stand in the way of your dream. Assistance with accommodation provided. Limited seats. Reserve your spot now!
The Tiara,
Tel: +919823156193
ritika.ramtri@gmail.com
Priya D’Silva a winner all the way, trained by The Tiara makes it to Top 5 of Pond's Femina Miss India Pune 2013 and also wins Max Femina Miss Fashion Icon.
November Pageant Training Course for Ponds Femina Miss India 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Goa 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Kolkata 2013, Femina Miss India Bangalore 2013, Femina Miss India Indore 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Delhi 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Chandigarh 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Pune 2014, I am She 2013, Gladrags Megamodel 2012/2013 and Gladrags Mrs. India 2012/2013
Urvashi Rautela groomed and coached by The Tiara wins I am She Miss India Universe 2012 and ' I am Photogenic". Dipna Patel trained by The Tiara wins 3rd Runners up at IAM SHE Miss Universe India and the subtitle I am Fit. Gunjan Tyagi wins 2nd Runner Up at Gladrags South Mrs. India 2012. She will go on to participate in the Mrs. India All India in Mumbai later this year.
17 Winners in 14 Years! A Winner Every Year at The Tiara Pageant Training Studio
1. Winner of Young Turk 1998 Sandip Soparrkar , Ace Choreographer, Ballroom dance teacher,
2. Femina Miss India Earth 2002 Gauhar Khan,
3. Femina Miss India Universe 2005 Amrita Thapar
4. Femina Miss India World 2009 Pooja Chopra,
5.Gladrags Megamodel 2009 and Femina Miss India East 2011 and Bollywood Diva 2011 Ankita Mohapatra
6.Mr. India Earth 2009, Mann Sukhija
7.Miss India Intercontinental 2009 Sonia Jain
8. Femina Miss India International 2010 Neha Hinge
9.Gladrags Megamodel 2010 Arshina Trivedi
10.Femina Miss India South 2011 Shweta Dolli
11.Gladrags Manhunt 2011 First Runner Up Maitraya Kotecha
12.Miss Tourism Queen International of the year 2011 Urvashi Rautela
13.Miss India Worldwide 2011 1st Runner Up Anvita Sudarshan
14.Femina Style Diva 2011 Dipna Patel
15.Femina Miss India Earth 2012 Prachi
16.Mrs. India International 2012, 1st Runners Up Reet Sahu
17.Urvashi Rautela I am She Miss Universe India 2012.
ELIGIBILITY
If you are participating in:
Femina Miss India: Height 5.6” upwards, Age: 18 to 25
I am She: Height 5.6 upwards, Age: 18 to 27
Gladrags Mrs India Height 5.3 upwards, Age: 20 to 50
Gladrags Megamodel: 5.3” Upwards Age: 17 to 27
November 5th to December 10th 2012(Course Fee Rs 25,000)
Monday to Friday
To ensure that you have your seat please pay the booking amount of Rs 5000 which is an advance fee. This fee is non-refundable and non-transferable to another batch in another month. The remaining 20,000 has to be paid on the first day of class, For the hostel please call Mr. Anil Shinde 9822282817 .Meetings are only by appointment.
The Tiara is located only in Pune, we have no branches.
Course Details
• Filling up Forms and Registration Help
• Developing a Pageant Strategy
• Pageant & Ramp Walk
• Personality & Grooming
• Posture & Poise.
• Camera Facing Techniques & Portfolio Assistance ( Professional Portfolio Not Included)
• Public Speaking &Voice Modulation
• Modeling Technique & Body Language
• Making a Positive First Impression
• Wardrobe Analysis & Customized Wardrobe Assistance
• Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Assistance
. Confidence Building
• Mental Preparation
• Question Handling (Preliminary Round, Prejudging, On Stage and One-on-One)
• Personalize your answers so that you sound original
• Connecting with the Judges and Handling the Stage
• Platform Development
Don't be dismayed if you find that we are at Pune. You deserve the help of a Pageant professional; don't let location stand in the way of your dream. Assistance with accommodation provided. Limited seats. Reserve your spot now!
The Tiara,
Tel: +919823156193
ritika.ramtri@gmail.com
This is a device which scatters light with sound.
Really.
They used to be in all laser printers that utilized HeNe lases before diodes became inexpensive and reliable. This means one can occasionally catch them on eBay for cheap. You can use them to switch beams on and off at MHz rates (ampltiude modulation), shift a laser frequency by several dozen MHz (frequency modulation) or deflect a laser beam by a controlled angle (acousto-optic deflection).
Free download under CC Attribution (CC BY 2.0). Please credit the artist and rawpixel.com
Hu Zhengyan (c. 1584-1674) was a Chinese traditional painter, calligrapher, seal carver and publisher during the transition of the Ming and Qing dynasties. He produced China’s first printed publication in color, and was famous for his incredible techniques achieving gradation and modulation of shades in woodblock prints.
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: rawpixel
Here's a photo of the new Dreamboat, actually three Dreamboats, which are now in-stock.
"The dreamboat is a dual chaotic oscillator with 2x cv inputs, a gate output with adjustable threshold, and two sets of x and y outputs. There are two oscillator sections to the module, the top half is an audio rate chaotic oscillator and the lower half outputs lfo rate signals. With its five outputs, the Dreamboat allows you to connect to plenty of modules all at once, allowing all kinds of modulation and listening possibilities."
See our webpage for more details.
LINK: www.analoguehaven.com/snazzyfx/dreamboat/ .
The Dreamboat is Snazzy FX's first Eurorack module but several more are already planned.
Still Life with Plaster cast, Bottle and vase with peony on chinese bench.
18 x 20
Oil on Linen
Impressed by the title? Very creative I know haha. Making some progress at the studio slowly but surely. The left half is beginning to develop more modulations in value and hue and right is trying to catch up. The colour relationships for the whole composition are relatively stabilized at this point and will remain somewhat the same. As always the structural drawing is continually being pushed to further accuracy to reality, but for now I'm keeping things simplified as it approaches a more complex finish. This is twenty-something hours in. About halfway.
please visit
for more details
Sansui Solid State Quadraphonic Synthesizer 1
Specifications
Year circa 70s
Form Four-channel synthesizer
Input sensitivity/impedance Rated input: 130mV / 50kohm (2ch)
The minimum input: 90mV (2ch)
Tapes monitor 2ch:130mV /, 50kohm
4ch: 775mV / 50kohm
Output voltage
Output power (0VU) Low output:130mV(4ch)
High output:430mV(4ch)
Maximum output Low output:1V(4ch)
High output:3.5V(4ch)
Sound-recording output 130mV(2ch)
775mV(4ch)
Frequency characteristic Front: 20Hz-20kHz±1dB
Rear Solo: -10dB (10kHz)
Concert hall 1:20Hz-20kHz+1 -2 dB
Concert hall 2: The right of +6dB (50Hz), left +6dB (10kHz)
Surround: +6dB (50Hz)
Synthesizer circuitry An SANSUI QS matrix scheme, a PE
Rear channel phase modulation A maximum of 180 degrees (based on 10kHz and an SANSUI PE)
The semiconductor used Transistor: 20 pieces
IC: Eight pieces
Diode: 12 pieces
Zener diode: One piece
Supply voltage AC100V, 50Hz/60Hz
Dimensions Width 395x height 127x depth of 278mm
Weight 5.5kg
Phase III : Fully Active 4 x way crossover
- Bass JBL 2205a - PR15, 220l enclosure . Active crossover 20-160hz /18db.
- Mid Bass Fish Horns - TAD TM 1201h 12" drivers - Active crossover 160hz/6db - 1200hz/12db.
Sicomin epoxy & mica pearlescent coating.
Central antiresonant phase plug DIY made from a Perrier Plastic bottle armed plaster coupound filled, Sicomin epoxy with anti-slip surf board powder & mica pearlescent coating.
- Mid High JBL 2450 j - Truextent beryllium diaphragms - Aart Biradial horns - Active crossover 1200hz/12db - 5000hz/12db.
- High BMS 4540nd & Arai A-10K horn massive billet oak - Active crossover 5000Hz/18db - 30 000Hz/Flat.
- Electronic crossover Pioneer D23 fully restored (all new caps : Silmic II, Muse, Black Gate & Mundorf).
- Mc Intosh MC 2255 caps & lamps fully restored for Bass.
- Mc Intosh MC 2255 caps & lamps fully restored for MidBass.
- Hiraga 15w le monstre regulated power supply for MidHigh & High left chanel.
- Hiraga 15w le monstre regulated power supply for MidHigh & High right chanel.
Modulation cables : AudioQuest Sky
Speaker cables :
Bass : 16AWG solid core silver teflon insulated.
MidBass : AQ WildWood.
MidHigh & High : DIY solid OCC solid core pure silver 18,20,22,24AWG cotton insulated, AQ configuration with 72v Dbs.
Many thanks to :
- Mr Dominique Petoin for his Audio Website & his help :
- Mr Ruichi Arai designer of High Frequencies Horns :
November Pageant Training Course for Ponds Femina Miss India 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Goa 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Kolkata 2013, Femina Miss India Bangalore 2013, Femina Miss India Indore 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Delhi 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Chandigarh 2013, Ponds Femina Miss India Pune 2014, I am She 2013, Gladrags Megamodel 2012/2013 and Gladrags Mrs. India 2012/2013
Urvashi Rautela groomed and coached by The Tiara wins I am She Miss India Universe 2012 and ' I am Photogenic". Dipna Patel trained by The Tiara wins 3rd Runners up at IAM SHE Miss Universe India and the subtitle I am Fit. Gunjan Tyagi wins 2nd Runner Up at Gladrags South Mrs. India 2012. She will go on to participate in the Mrs. India All India in Mumbai later this year.
17 Winners in 14 Years! A Winner Every Year at The Tiara Pageant Training Studio
1. Winner of Young Turk 1998 Sandip Soparrkar , Ace Choreographer, Ballroom dance teacher,
2. Femina Miss India Earth 2002 Gauhar Khan,
3. Femina Miss India Universe 2005 Amrita Thapar
4. Femina Miss India World 2009 Pooja Chopra,
5.Gladrags Megamodel 2009 and Femina Miss India East 2011 and Bollywood Diva 2011 Ankita Mohapatra
6.Mr. India Earth 2009, Mann Sukhija
7.Miss India Intercontinental 2009 Sonia Jain
8. Femina Miss India International 2010 Neha Hinge
9.Gladrags Megamodel 2010 Arshina Trivedi
10.Femina Miss India South 2011 Shweta Dolli
11.Gladrags Manhunt 2011 First Runner Up Maitraya Kotecha
12.Miss Tourism Queen International of the year 2011 Urvashi Rautela
13.Miss India Worldwide 2011 1st Runner Up Anvita Sudarshan
14.Femina Style Diva 2011 Dipna Patel
15.Femina Miss India Earth 2012 Prachi
16.Mrs. India International 2012, 1st Runners Up Reet Sahu
17.Urvashi Rautela I am She Miss Universe India 2012.
ELIGIBILITY
If you are participating in:
Femina Miss India: Height 5.6” upwards, Age: 18 to 25
I am She: Height 5.6 upwards, Age: 18 to 27
Gladrags Mrs India Height 5.3 upwards, Age: 20 to 50
Gladrags Megamodel: 5.3” Upwards Age: 17 to 27
November 5th to December 10th 2012(Course Fee Rs 25,000)
Monday to Friday
To ensure that you have your seat please pay the booking amount of Rs 5000 which is an advance fee. This fee is non-refundable and non-transferable to another batch in another month. The remaining 20,000 has to be paid on the first day of class, For the hostel please call Mr. Anil Shinde 9822282817 .Meetings are only by appointment.
The Tiara is located only in Pune, we have no branches.
Course Details
• Filling up Forms and Registration Help
• Developing a Pageant Strategy
• Pageant & Ramp Walk
• Personality & Grooming
• Posture & Poise.
• Camera Facing Techniques & Portfolio Assistance ( Professional Portfolio Not Included)
• Public Speaking &Voice Modulation
• Modeling Technique & Body Language
• Making a Positive First Impression
• Wardrobe Analysis & Customized Wardrobe Assistance
• Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Assistance
. Confidence Building
• Mental Preparation
• Question Handling (Preliminary Round, Prejudging, On Stage and One-on-One)
• Personalize your answers so that you sound original
• Connecting with the Judges and Handling the Stage
• Platform Development
Don't be dismayed if you find that we are at Pune. You deserve the help of a Pageant professional; don't let location stand in the way of your dream. Assistance with accommodation provided. Limited seats. Reserve your spot now!
The Tiara,
Tel: +919823156193
ritika.ramtri@gmail.com
Having owned the 2008 Kona Sutra for ten months, and just completed the first chain/cassette replacement, I thought it was about time for a long term review, to give other people an idea of what living with the Sutra has been like. My previous post explains why I chose the Sutra - I came up with what I thought was an impossibly eclectic list of requirements from a bicycle, and the Sutra ticked every single box.
Here's some specs, for the statophiles out there: Frame size C54cm Frame tubing Dedacciai COM 12.5 Butted Cromoly Fork Kona P2 700c TB Disc w/Lowrider Headset TH Crankarms FSA Gossamer MegaExo Chainrings 30/39/50 B/B FSA MegaExo Pedals Shimano PD-M520 SPD - Silver Chain Shimano HG53 --> Shimano HG93 XT Freewheel Shimano Deore (11-32, 9 Spd) --> Shimano XT M760 (11-32, 9spd) F/D Shimano Tiagra Triple R/D Shimano XT Shadow Shifters Shimano Bar-Con Handlebar FSA RD30 0S Stem FSA OS-190LX Grips Velo Wrap with Gel Brakes Avid BB7 Road Disc Brake Levers Shimano BLR-600 Front Hub Shimano M525 Disc Rear Hub Shimano M525 Disc Spokes DT Stainless 14g Tires Continental Contact 700 x 32C --> Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x38c Rims Mavic A 317 Disc Saddle Selle Italia XO SE --> Brooks B17 Seatpost FSA SL-280 Seat Clamp Kona Clamp Rear Rack Tubus Logo Panniers Bikebins Computer Sigma DTS 1606 L Fenders SKS Chromoplastic
My primary (i.e. 99% of the time) use of the Sutra has been for commuting. I have covered over 2700 miles (4500km) in the time I have owned it. My commuting route through London is pretty tough on bikes - the roads south of the Thames are awful and full of potholes, through the City there is broken glass all over the place, and further north of the river there are speedbumps everywhere. When I first got the Sutra she was wearing Continental Contact tyres, and they were pretty poor for commuting. They punctured easily and transmitted the bumpiness of the road right up into my forearms. Not much fun. After one puncture too many I replaced the tyres with Schwalbe Marathon Pluses, in their largest diameter, and the difference was marked. The increased volume of air provides a lot more cushioning for the arms, and I have not had a single puncture yet, despite having pulled 6mm long pieces of glass out of the tyre surfaces. The tyres are relatively heavy, but then so is the rest of the bike, and extra weight makes you stronger!
The original rear rack was pretty flimsy, and it did not allow the attachment of the Bikebin panniers I bought to try and add some rigidity. I ended up having to angle grind chunks out of the rack to fit the panniers, which can't have improved their structural integrity. After a month of experiencing the odd sensation of the bike wagging its tail whenever I stood up to pedal hard, I bit the bullet and upgraded the rack to a Tubus Logo. It was a tight fit with the rear disc brake, but the difference was immense. Gone was the sensation of a jelly-like bike, to be replaced by a sensation of rigid stability. Whilst the rack was expensive, it made all the difference, and I would highly recommend it.
Speaking of the brakes, they have saved my life on more than one occasion, usually when a Taxi decides to perform an emergency stop to pick up a fare. The brakes stop consistently in all conditions, and so far I have not had to replace the pads, althoguh I think it will be time to do it soon. Not bad considering I have travelled almost five thousand kilometres in all weathers in the stop-start conditions of London. I was concerned that the brakes might be too powerful, but the modulation provided by the levers and the flex in the arm of the brake means that whilst the power is there if necessary, you have a lot of control over it. There is some disc drag, but this is owing more to my laziness than the brakes themselves, and seems to have little impact on cruising speeds.
Using the bike in all conditions has been excellent. The all-over fenders (something I have never fitted to a bike previously) really keep the rain off and eliminate spray from the road. I had to saw a bit of the front fender off to fit it over the larger tyres, and a little bit off the rear for the same reason, but after the modification they have been flawless.
I had heard reports of spokes snapping, and nothing happened to me until recently, when I noticed a detached spoke whilst replacing the rear cassette. I had no idea how long the spoke had been damaged for, and replaced it myself. The rear wheel is slightly askew, but it does not foul on anything, which is good considering the small tolerance between it and the fender. To be fair, I have been jumping off kerbs and sometimes it is impossible to miss a massive hole in the road when you are in busy traffic. An upgrade I am considering is a stronger rear wheel, although it is not pressingly urgent.
The ride of the bike is super smooth, and certainly not anything like the road bikes I am used to. I use my other road bike for triathlons, and whilst it is a lot more nimble, it is much less comfortable. The Sutra is comfortable all day long, owing in no small part to the Brooks B17 saddle, which took about two thousand miles to properly break in! It was worth it though - sitting on the bike is like sitting in an armchair (albeit a very odd armchair, but an armchair nonetheless). I tend to cruise at about 20mph on her, and my 10.5 mile commute to work takes about 37 minutes. I have started seeking out hills in preparation for some touring of Wales, and the sutra certainly loves to climb. The aggressive, mountain-bike-like frame geometry no doubt assists in this, and is confidence inspiring when climbing and descending. The bar-con shifters were a novelty for me, but they make a lot of sense, especially if replacement shifters were needed on a tour. There are even bosses on the downtube to fit truly old-school shifters in an emergency.
The weight of the bike was a shock initially - weighing in at 15kgs without the accessories, she weighs significantly more than my Specialized Hardrock mountain bike, which is saying something! Over time I have become accustomed to the weight, and now it feels normal. The main advantage of this is that when I ride anything else, it feels super light and goes very rapidly. This makes this bike an ideal training steed.
In conclusion, I have found a lot to love about the Kona Sutra - she's tough, strong and surprisingly fast. There were some niggles about fitting add-ons, but they were all easy to overcome, and the result has been a reliable bike that I think will keep delivering for years.
Captured 26 Nov 2021, 21:39 hrs ET, Springfield, VA, USA. Bortle 7 skies, Stellarvue SV80/9D doublet achromat refractor at f/5.68 (eff. fl 454mm), Orion Atlas AZ/EQ-G Pro mount. Mallincam DS10C camera, bin 1, exposure 120 seconds, gain 20, live stack of 20 subframes, dark and flat frames subtracted. Optolong LeNhance filter, UV/IR cut filter. Reprocessed in Siril and Photoshop on 14 June 2023.
Clouds: partly cloudy
Seeing: good
Transparency: good
Moon phase: 67%
FOV: 2.16 x 1.62 degrees before cropping.
Resolution: 2.1 arcsec/pixel.
Orientation: Up is Southwest.
Appearance: Dim nebulosity, adjacent bright star Gamma Cassiopeia. IC 59 is at 7 o'clock and IC 63 is at 10 o'clock.
From Stellarium:
IC 59 (a.k.a. Gamma Cas Nebula, LBN 620) is a reflection nebula. Magnitude +13.3, size 10 x 5 arcmin.
IC 63 (a.k.a. Ghost of Cassiopeia, LBN 622) is an HII region excited by Gamma Cas. Magnitude +13.3, size 10 x 3 arcmin.
From Wikipedia:
Gamma Cassiopeiae, Latinized from γ Cassiopeiae, is a star at the center of the distinctive "W" asterism in the northern circumpolar constellation of Cassiopeia. Although it is a fairly bright star with an apparent visual magnitude that varies from 1.6 to 3.0, it has no traditional Arabic or Latin name. It sometimes goes by the informal name Navi.
Gamma Cassiopeiae is a Be star, a variable star, and a binary star system. Based upon parallax measurements made by the Hipparcos satellite, it is located at a distance of roughly 550 light-years from Earth.
Gamma Cassiopeiae is an eruptive variable star, whose apparent magnitude changes irregularly between +1.6 and +3.0. It is the prototype of the class of Gamma Cassiopeiae variable stars. In the late 1930s it underwent what is described as a shell episode and the brightness increased to above magnitude +2.0, then dropped rapidly to +3.4. It has since been gradually brightening back to around +2.2. At maximum intensity, γ Cassiopeiae outshines both α Cassiopeiae (magnitude +2.25) and β Cassiopeiae (magnitude +2.3).
Gamma Cassiopeiae is a rapidly spinning star with a projected rotational velocity of 472 km s−1, giving it a pronounced equatorial bulge. When combined with the star's high luminosity, the result is the ejection of matter that forms a hot circumstellar disk of gas. The emissions and brightness variations are apparently caused by this "decretion disk".
The spectrum of this massive star matches a stellar classification of B0.5 IVe. A luminosity class of IV identifies it as a subgiant star that has reached a stage of its evolution where it is exhausting the supply of hydrogen in its core region and transforming into a giant star. The 'e' suffix is used for stars that show emission lines of hydrogen in the spectrum, caused in this case by the circumstellar disk. This places it among a category known as Be stars; in fact, the first such star ever to be so designated. It has 17 times the Sun's mass and is radiating as much energy as 34,000 Suns. At this rate of emission, the star has reached the end of its life as a late O-type main sequence star after a relatively brief 8 million years. The outer atmosphere has an intense effective temperature of 25,000 K, which is causing it to glow with a blue-white hue.
Gamma Cassiopeiae is the prototype of a small group of stellar sources of X-ray radiation that is about 10 times stronger than emitted from other B or Be stars. The character of the X-ray spectrum is Be thermal, possibly emitted from plasmas of temperatures up to least ten million kelvins, and shows very short term and long-term cycles. Historically, it has been held that these X-rays might be excited by matter originating from the star, from a hot wind or a disk around the star, accreting onto the surface of a degenerate companion, such as a white dwarf or neutron star. However, there are difficulties with either of these hypotheses. For example, it is not clear that enough matter can be accreted by a white dwarf, at the distance of the purported secondary star implied by the orbital period, sufficient to power an X-ray emission of nearly 1033 erg/s or 100 YW. A neutron star could easily power this X-ray flux, but X-ray emission from neutron stars is known to be non-thermal, and thus in apparent variance with the spectral properties.
Evidence suggests that the X-rays may be associated with the Be star itself or caused by some complex interaction between the star and surrounding decretion disk. One line of evidence is that the X-ray production is known to vary on both short and long time scales with respect to various UV line and continuum changes associated with a B star or with circumstellar matter close to the star. Moreover, the X-ray emissions exhibit long-term cycles that correlate with the light curves in the visible wavelengths.
Gamma Cassiopeiae exhibits characteristics consistent with a strong disordered magnetic field. No field can be measured directly from the Zeeman effect because of the star's rotation-broadened spectral lines. Instead, the presence of this field is inferred from a robust periodic signal of 1.21 days that suggests a magnetic field rooted on the rotating star's surface. The star's UV and optical spectral lines show ripples moving from blue to red over several hours, which indicates clouds of matter being held frozen over the star's surface by strong magnetic fields. This evidence suggests that a magnetic field from the star is interacting with the decretion disk, resulting in the X-ray emission. A disk dynamo has been advanced as a mechanism to explain this modulation of the X-rays. However, difficulties remain with this mechanism, among which is that there are no disk dynamos known to exist in other stars, rendering this behavior more difficult to analyze.
Gamma Cassiopeiae has two faint optical companions, listed in double star catalogues as components B and C. Star B is about 2 arc seconds distant and magnitude 11, and has a similar space velocity to the bright primary. Component C is magnitude 13, nearly an arc second distant.
Gamma Cassiopeiae A, the bright primary, is itself a spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of about 203.5 days and an eccentricity alternately reported as 0.26 and "near zero." The mass of the companion is believed to be about that of the Sun, but its nature is unclear. It has been proposed that it is a degenerate star or a hot helium star, but it seems unlikely that it is a normal star. Therefore, it is likely to be more evolved than the primary and to have transferred mass to it during an earlier stage of evolution.
The Chinese name Tsih, "the whip" (Chinese: 策; pinyin: cè), is commonly associated with this star. The name however originally referred to Kappa Cassiopeiae, and Gamma Cassiopeiae was just one of four horses pulling the chariot of legendary charioteer Wangliang. This representation was later changed to make Gamma the whip.
The star was used as an easily identifiable navigational reference point during space missions and American astronaut Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom nicknamed the star Navi after his own middle name spelled backwards.
The PSS-480 is another great FM home synthesizer with adjustable Attack, Decay, Frequency, Feedback, Modulation, and Volume, and 5 banks for storing your favorite settings. Effects include Vibrato, Sustain, Reverb, Portamento, and Duet. This synth has MIDI in and out, as well as programmable drummer, 5 song memory for both chords and melody, and a feature-packed Auto Accompaniment with intro, ending, 3 fill-ins, and Orchestration controls for Rhythm, Bass, Chord, and Orchestra. There are 100 PCM Styles and 100 FM Voices. There are hours and hours of fun to be had exploring all of the features of this little instrument! And the sound quality is actually very good for what it is.
This steampunk or Victorian necklace started with a bit of Victorian ceiling tin with a pebbled pattern. I shaped it to resemble a honeycomb section before riveting on the over-sized bee. The bee was previously treated to a patina to create the color modulations. He appears to be holding an antique watch works wearing its own time-induced patina. A retaining ring was riveted behind the bee and fishing gear was added to provide movement in the piece. All this steamy delight hangs from an 18" section of chain that once supported a pendulum in a cuckoo clock. I am a trained, if somewhat buggy, silversmith and have built this piece to last.
Having owned the 2008 Kona Sutra for ten months, and just completed the first chain/cassette replacement, I thought it was about time for a long term review, to give other people an idea of what living with the Sutra has been like. My previous post explains why I chose the Sutra - I came up with what I thought was an impossibly eclectic list of requirements from a bicycle, and the Sutra ticked every single box.
Here's some specs, for the statophiles out there: Frame size C54cm Frame tubing Dedacciai COM 12.5 Butted Cromoly Fork Kona P2 700c TB Disc w/Lowrider Headset TH Crankarms FSA Gossamer MegaExo Chainrings 30/39/50 B/B FSA MegaExo Pedals Shimano PD-M520 SPD - Silver Chain Shimano HG53 --> Shimano HG93 XT Freewheel Shimano Deore (11-32, 9 Spd) --> Shimano XT M760 (11-32, 9spd) F/D Shimano Tiagra Triple R/D Shimano XT Shadow Shifters Shimano Bar-Con Handlebar FSA RD30 0S Stem FSA OS-190LX Grips Velo Wrap with Gel Brakes Avid BB7 Road Disc Brake Levers Shimano BLR-600 Front Hub Shimano M525 Disc Rear Hub Shimano M525 Disc Spokes DT Stainless 14g Tires Continental Contact 700 x 32C --> Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x38c Rims Mavic A 317 Disc Saddle Selle Italia XO SE --> Brooks B17 Seatpost FSA SL-280 Seat Clamp Kona Clamp Rear Rack Tubus Logo Panniers Bikebins Computer Sigma DTS 1606 L Fenders SKS Chromoplastic
My primary (i.e. 99% of the time) use of the Sutra has been for commuting. I have covered over 2700 miles (4500km) in the time I have owned it. My commuting route through London is pretty tough on bikes - the roads south of the Thames are awful and full of potholes, through the City there is broken glass all over the place, and further north of the river there are speedbumps everywhere. When I first got the Sutra she was wearing Continental Contact tyres, and they were pretty poor for commuting. They punctured easily and transmitted the bumpiness of the road right up into my forearms. Not much fun. After one puncture too many I replaced the tyres with Schwalbe Marathon Pluses, in their largest diameter, and the difference was marked. The increased volume of air provides a lot more cushioning for the arms, and I have not had a single puncture yet, despite having pulled 6mm long pieces of glass out of the tyre surfaces. The tyres are relatively heavy, but then so is the rest of the bike, and extra weight makes you stronger!
The original rear rack was pretty flimsy, and it did not allow the attachment of the Bikebin panniers I bought to try and add some rigidity. I ended up having to angle grind chunks out of the rack to fit the panniers, which can't have improved their structural integrity. After a month of experiencing the odd sensation of the bike wagging its tail whenever I stood up to pedal hard, I bit the bullet and upgraded the rack to a Tubus Logo. It was a tight fit with the rear disc brake, but the difference was immense. Gone was the sensation of a jelly-like bike, to be replaced by a sensation of rigid stability. Whilst the rack was expensive, it made all the difference, and I would highly recommend it.
Speaking of the brakes, they have saved my life on more than one occasion, usually when a Taxi decides to perform an emergency stop to pick up a fare. The brakes stop consistently in all conditions, and so far I have not had to replace the pads, althoguh I think it will be time to do it soon. Not bad considering I have travelled almost five thousand kilometres in all weathers in the stop-start conditions of London. I was concerned that the brakes might be too powerful, but the modulation provided by the levers and the flex in the arm of the brake means that whilst the power is there if necessary, you have a lot of control over it. There is some disc drag, but this is owing more to my laziness than the brakes themselves, and seems to have little impact on cruising speeds.
Using the bike in all conditions has been excellent. The all-over fenders (something I have never fitted to a bike previously) really keep the rain off and eliminate spray from the road. I had to saw a bit of the front fender off to fit it over the larger tyres, and a little bit off the rear for the same reason, but after the modification they have been flawless.
I had heard reports of spokes snapping, and nothing happened to me until recently, when I noticed a detached spoke whilst replacing the rear cassette. I had no idea how long the spoke had been damaged for, and replaced it myself. The rear wheel is slightly askew, but it does not foul on anything, which is good considering the small tolerance between it and the fender. To be fair, I have been jumping off kerbs and sometimes it is impossible to miss a massive hole in the road when you are in busy traffic. An upgrade I am considering is a stronger rear wheel, although it is not pressingly urgent.
The ride of the bike is super smooth, and certainly not anything like the road bikes I am used to. I use my other road bike for triathlons, and whilst it is a lot more nimble, it is much less comfortable. The Sutra is comfortable all day long, owing in no small part to the Brooks B17 saddle, which took about two thousand miles to properly break in! It was worth it though - sitting on the bike is like sitting in an armchair (albeit a very odd armchair, but an armchair nonetheless). I tend to cruise at about 20mph on her, and my 10.5 mile commute to work takes about 37 minutes. I have started seeking out hills in preparation for some touring of Wales, and the sutra certainly loves to climb. The aggressive, mountain-bike-like frame geometry no doubt assists in this, and is confidence inspiring when climbing and descending. The bar-con shifters were a novelty for me, but they make a lot of sense, especially if replacement shifters were needed on a tour. There are even bosses on the downtube to fit truly old-school shifters in an emergency.
The weight of the bike was a shock initially - weighing in at 15kgs without the accessories, she weighs significantly more than my Specialized Hardrock mountain bike, which is saying something! Over time I have become accustomed to the weight, and now it feels normal. The main advantage of this is that when I ride anything else, it feels super light and goes very rapidly. This makes this bike an ideal training steed.
In conclusion, I have found a lot to love about the Kona Sutra - she's tough, strong and surprisingly fast. There were some niggles about fitting add-ons, but they were all easy to overcome, and the result has been a reliable bike that I think will keep delivering for years.
Armor Modeling Volume 5 by Kevin Townsend features the Tamiya 1/48 Matilda II and a kit bash of the Tamiya and Bandai Panzer II kits. Covers complete interior detailing of the Panzer
Sold by Lafayette Radio on Liberty Avenue in "downtown" Jamaica, Queens County, New York. Built from a kit before I was 12. While most of the students were involved with sports, fighting, or stealing hubcaps me and a few of my friends were preteen turbo nerds. We would ride our bicycles the 10 miles into Jamaica and buy electronics parts. Or go to Mineola and buy surplus military equipment and take it home (still in the original wood crate) balanced on the bicycle seat. Or go into lower Manhattan (Cortlandt Street or Canal Street), load up on surplus electronics, and drag it home at rush hour in the subway and then a bus. Hated having to take a bus into downtown Hempstead every week for allergy shots until i found a surplus store near the bus terminal.
While basically an AM (amplitude modulation) receiver, it could also be coaxed to decode SSB (single side band) using the built-in BFO (beat frequency oscillator) and FM (frequency modulation) by using "slope detection".
Never got murdered - only attacked once on the way to Jamaica for going into a "candy store" that had only a few packs of gum on a card table near the entrance with a partition with lots of phones ringing in the back. Located near Belmont Park Race Track - the locals knew better than to go in. This was before legalized OTB (off track betting) - gambling on horse races was big business.
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)
For more than a thousand years, has the Prague Castle been an important symbol of the Czech state. Founded in the 9th century, it became the permanent seat of the Czech rulers and, most recently, also of the Presidents. One of the largest castle complexes in the world consists of palaces, offices, churches and fortification buildings, gardens and picturesque corners. The castle covers an area of 45 hectares. The unique view to the Prague Castle is one of the most amazing panorama views in the world.
Prague Castle is the most important folk-cultural and historical monument, and is the symbol of the more than one thousand years of development of the Czech and all-Czech states. It is a monumental symbol of the palace, church, fortification, official and residential buildings which represent very valuable monuments, included in all style epochs. It covers an area of 45 hectares, was the seat of the Bohemian princes, kings and emperors, and since the Republic was founded in 1918, it was also the residence of the presidents. Since 1962, the Prague Castle has been known for its archaeological discoveries.
History
The initial phases of the Prague Castle are connected with the first historically documented Přemyslid Bořivoj (Bořivoj I (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbɔr̝ɪvɔj], Latin: Borzivogius, c. 852 – c. 889) was the first historically documented Duke of Bohemia from about 870 and progenitor of the Přemyslid dynasty.] The Duchy of Bohemia was at those times subordinated to Great Moravia.). This one transferred in the 80s of the 9th century his original seat from Levý Hradec to the place where on the raised spot above the river Vltava/Moldau already existed a Slavic castle and was very well situated.
The first princely palace apparently only consisted of wood. The first stone building and the oldest Christian sanctuary was the Virgin Mary Church. Its remains have been found between the Second Courtyard and the Bastion garden (original name of the garden: Na Baště). This Bořivoj church was soon reconstructed by the prince Spytihněv I, who was buried here in 915. The second church in the castle was the St. George Basilica founded by Prince Vratislaus I. The next Přemyslide, Prince Wenceslas (Saint), the third sanctuary - the St Veit Rotunda - in the twenties of the 10th century nearby had built which in the 11th century by Prince Spytihnev II was transformed into a huge basilica.
In 973, when the bishopric was established in Prague, the castle was not only the seat of the head of state, but also the seat of the Prague bishop, the highest representative of the church. At the same time arose the first monastery in Bohemia at St. George's basilica.
In the 10th century the castle occupied an area of about 6 ha. In the Romanesque epoch the former fortress, especially after the year 1135 thanks to Soběslaus I, as the stony princely palace and the new masonry fortified with some towers were erected, was turned into a fortified medieval castle. Of the towers is the eastern blacktower best preserved.
Very significantly the Gothic period in the appearance of Prague Castle intervened, most of all Charles IV (1346 - 1378), who, with his father, John of Luxemburg (1310 - 1346), obtained from the pope the promotion of the Prague bishopric to the archbishopric and laid the foundations for the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral. Under Charles IV, the castle for the first time was turned into the imperial residence. Charles IV the defense of the Prague Castle had consolidated, the Royal Palace with the Chapel of All Saints he rebuilt generously. The roofs he had covered with gilded plates, which were the foundation for the binding of words "Golden Prague". Since 1382, Bohemian rulers ceased to occupy the Prague Castle for more than 100 years. The royal court was moved to the place of today's Community hall and back to the Prague castle it came only in 1483 under Wladislaus from the Jagiellonian dynasty.
Although the ruler already in 1490 moved to Ofen (Buda), he had the Prague castle renovated in the late Gothic style under the supervision of Benedikt Ried. He was the master builder of the magnificent Vladislav Hall, the largest secular vaulted room of the then Europe, with which the first Renaissance signs came to Prague. He carried out major construction works, including the construction of a new masonry, the defensive towers and the expansion of the Royal Palace. At his time, the Gothic died away and a new architectural style, the Renaissance, gradually prevailed.
The direct influence of the Italian art on the new style was most frequently observed in Prague under the reign of Ferdinand I (von Habsburg) and after his departure from Prague under the influence of the governor Ferdinand of Tyrol. At that time, the medieval castle was converted into a comfortable Renaissance castle with gardens. The typical Italian architecture of the Royal Pleasure palace arose in the northern King's garden.
For a large building activity in 1541 contributed a fire devastating the castle objects as well as the surrounding area quite a lot. Within the framework of the restoration, both the housing estates and the church buildings were rebuilt. Under the reign of the first Habsburgs, nobility palaces were added to the castle grounds (for example, the Pernstein Palace - later Lobkowicz Palace, Rosenberg Palace and others). Horse stable buildings were built in the north-west.
Under the reign of the Emperor Rudolph II (1576 - 1611), the Renaissance and Mannerism transformation of the castle, which for the second time became the center of the empire, and especially the center of European culture and science, reached its peak. On the second courtyard, new rooms were built for the collections of Rudolph - the new (now Spanish) hall and the Rudolph gallery. Also arose the connection tract between the northwestern and the southwestern part of the castle. Just here the famous Kunstkammer (Art chamber) and other rooms for Rudolph's collective activities were located. Additionally further horse stable properties were built for his rare Spanish horses. During the Rudolph times also the foundation stone of the famous Golden Alley was laid. Laboratories of the Rudolph-Alchymists were supposed to have been in the Powder tower above the Hirschgraben (Deer's ditch). The castle suffered again considerable damages when it was occupied by the Saxon army in 1631 and by the Swedes in 1648 not only was occupied but also plundered. After the Thirty Years' War, the Habsburgs did not care too much about the Prague royal seat.
Only Maria Theresia carried out an extensive reconstruction of the Prague Castle from 1755 - 1775 into a representative castle complex. The reason for the massive construction action were war damages, caused by the intense bombing of the castle during war conflicts at the beginning of her reign. The reconstruction was designed by the Viennese architect Nicolo Pacassi, who also planned the first courtyard with the monumental entrance gate. From the time of the Theresian reconstruction stems also the chapel of the Holy Cross on the 2nd castle forecourt and other buildings, especially the noblewomen institute. The south wing he imprinted the uniform monumental late Baroque facade of a representative seat. His plans influenced by Viennese Rococo and French Classicism the builders Anselmo Lurago, Anton Kunz and Anton Haffenecker brought into life.
In the 19th century, the castle fell into ruin, in several objects after the Josephine reforms the army settled. In connection with the stay of Ferdinand I the Good in the castle after his abdication in 1848 and further in connection with the preparation for the coronation of Franz Joseph I in the sixties it came to building modifications of several objects. After 1859, when the community for the completion of St Veit cathedral emerged, began first the repair, and then, under the influence of the architect Joseph Mocker, the work on the actual completion of St Veit's cathedral was started, completed in 1929.
In the years 1920 - 35, carried out extensive regulations of the Prague Castle as the seat of the Czechoslovak President the great Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik, who masterfully combined the valuable historical space with modern civilization claims. His modifications mainly concerned the 1st and 3rd court, the southern gardens of the castle, the fourth forecourt with the Bastion garden as well as numerous interiors. He created e.g. the pillared hall, private rooms of the presidential residence, including the Masaryk workroom. His pupil, Otto Rothmayer, brought to an end the incomplete solutions of some castle interior spaces after the Second World War in comparable quality.
In 1936, Pavel Janák and after him, in 1959, Jaroslav Fragner became castle architect.
After the year of change of 1989, the Prague Castle was opened to the public in many places. During the term of President Havel, at the castle it came to modulations of the interiors and to the expansion of two new entrances into the second courtyard after the project of the creator and designer Bořek Šípek. The puncture through the rampart of the Powder bridge in Hirschgraben was rewarded with a significant prize (Arch. Josef Pleskot). Also interesting is the modern greenhouse of the world-famous architect Eva Jiřičná. The Georgian Square (Jiřské náměstí) was re-paved and modulated. The Mosaic of the Last Judgment was renovated in collaboration with the specialists from the Getti Institute. In 1990, the Prague Castle was solemnly illuminated and this situation lasts from dusk to midnight until today. In the main tourist season, the lighting time even lasts an hour longer until 1 o'clock. The tradition of electric lighting, but on a much smaller scale, began in 1928, when the lamps were installed for the 10th anniversary of the elevation to a Republic. A little bit the present daylight resembles of those from the end of the sixties, but today it is much more detailed and in communist times it was only switched on at solemn occasions. At that time, illuminative days were state holidays or significant day of republic, which, however, did not lack recognition from the communist point of view.
In recent years the reconstruction and renovation work has been developed in many buildings of the castle and a considerable attention has been devoted to the archaeological investigation, which has been going on since 1925 and has brought many insights into the history of the castle. The investigation as well as the renovation of the individual rooms and objects is motivated by the idea of invigorating them as much as possible by making them accessible to the public.
Prager Burg (Pražský hrad)
Die Prager Burg ist seit über tausend Jahren ein bedeutendes Symbol des tschechischen Staates. Gegründet im 9. Jahrhundert wurde sie zum ständigen Sitz der tschechischen Herrscher und zuletzt auch der Präsidenten. Einer der größten Burgkomplexe weltweit setzt sich aus Palästen, Amts-, Kirchen- und Fortifikationsgebäuden, aus Gärten und malerischen Ecken zusammen. Die Burg erstreckt sich auf einer Fläche von 45 Hektar. Der alleinige Blick auf die Prager Burg stellt einen der überwältigendsten Panoramablicke der Welt dar.
Die Prager Burg ist das bedeutendste Volkskultur- und Historiedenkmal, sie ist das Symbol der mehr als eintausendjährigen Entwicklung des böhmischen sowie gesamttschechischen Staats. Es ist ein monumentales Symbol der Palast-, Kirchen-, Fortifikations-, Amts- und Wohngebäude, die sehr wertvolle Denkmäler darstellen, einbezogen auf alle Stilepochen. Sie erstreckt sich auf einer Fläche von 45 ha, war der Sitz der böhmischen Fürsten, Könige und Kaiser und seit der Republikentstehung im Jahre 1918 war sie auch die Residenz der Präsidenten. Seit 1962 steht die Prager Burg mit ihren archäologischen Funden als bekanntester.
Geschichte
Die Anfangszeiten der Prager Burg sind mit dem ersten historisch belegten Přemysliden Bořivoj verbunden. Dieser übertrug in den 80er Jahren des 9. Jahrhunderts seinen ursprünglichen Sitz von Levý Hradec an den Ort, wo auf der erhabenen Stelle über der Moldau eine slawische Burgstätte bereits bestand und sehr gut gelegen war.
Der erste Fürstenpalast bestand offenbar aus Holz. Der erste Steinbau und das älteste christliche Heiligtum war die Jungfrau Maria Kirche. Ihre Reste wurden zwischen dem II. Vorhof und dem Basteigarten (Originalname des Gartens: Na Baště) gefunden. Diese Bořivoj-Kirche wurde durch den hier im Jahre 915 beigesetzten Fürsten Spytihněv I. bald umgebaut. Die zweite Kirche im Burgraum war die vom Fürsten Vratislaus I. gegründete St. Georg Basilika. Der nächste Přemyslide, der Fürst Wenzel (der Heilige), ließ in der Nähe in den 20er Jahren des 10. Jahrhunderts das dritte Heiligtum - die St. Veit Rotunde - bauen, die im 11. Jahrhundert vom Fürsten Spytihněv II. zu einer gewaltigen Basilika umgebaut wurde.
Im Jahre 973, als in Prag das Bistum gegründet wurde, war die Burg nicht nur der Sitz des Staatsoberhaupts, sondern auch der Sitz des Prager Bischofs, des höchsten Repräsentanten der Kirche. Zu demselben Zeitpunkt entstand an der St. Georg Basilika das erste Kloster in Böhmen.
Im 10. Jahrhundert nahm die Burg eine Fläche von ca. 6 ha in Anspruch. In der romanischen Epoche wurde die einstige Burgstätte, insbesondere nach dem Jahr 1135 dank Soběslaus I., als der steinige Fürstenpalast und das neue mit einigen Türmen verstärkte Mauerwerk aufgebaut wurden, zu einer festen mittelalterlichen Burg umgebaut. Von den Türmen ist der östliche Schwarzturm am besten erhalten.
Sehr bedeutend griff ins Aussehen der Prager Burg die Gotikzeit ein, insbesondere Karl IV. (1346 - 1378), der mit seinem Vater Johann von Luxemburg (1310 - 1346) vom Papst die Beförderung des Prager Bistums zum Erzbistum erwirkte und den Grundstein für den Bau der St. Veit Kathedrale legte. Unter Karl IV. wurde die Burg zum ersten Mal zur Kaiserlichen Residenz. Karl IV. ließ die Verschanzung der Prager Burg festigen, den Königspalast mit der Kapelle Aller Heiligen baute er großzügig um. Die Dächer ließ er mit vergoldeten Blechen decken, die das Fundament für die Wörterbindung „Goldenes Prag“ darstellten. Seit 1382 hörten böhmische Herrscher auf, die Prager Burg für mehr als 100 Jahre zu bewohnen. Der Königshof wurde an den Ort des heutigen Gemeindehauses umgezogen und zurück auf die Prager Burg kehrte er erst im Jahre 1483 unter Wladislaus aus der Jagiellonen-Dynastie.
Obwohl der Herrscher bereits 1490 nach Ofen (Buda) umsiedelte, ließ er die Prager Burg im spätgotischen Stil unter der Bauleitung von Benedikt Ried umbauen. Er war der Baumeister des großartigen Wladislaus-Saals, des größten weltlichen gewölbten Raums des damaligen Europas, mit dem die ersten Renaissancezeichen nach Prag kamen. Er führte großartige Bauregelungen einschließlich des Ausbaus eines neuen Mauerwerks, der Wehrtürme und der Erweiterung des Königspalastes durch. Zu seiner Zeit klang die Gotik aus und es setzte sich allmählich ein neuer Baustil durch, die Renaissance.
Der direkte Einfluss der italienischen Kunst des neuen Stils wurde in Prag unter der Regierung von Ferdinand I. (von Habsburg) und nach seinem Weggang von Prag unter der Wirkung des Statthalters Ferdinand von Tirol am meisten beobachtet. Damals wurde die mittelalterliche Burg in ein bequemes Renaissanceschloss mit Gärten umgewandelt. Im nördlichen Königsgarten entstand die typisch italienische Architektur des Königlichen Lustschlosses.
Zu einer großen Bauaktivität trug im Jahre 1541 ein Brand bei, der die Burgobjekte sowie die Umgebung ziemlich viel kaputt machte. Im Rahmen der Wiederherstellung wurden sowohl die Wohnräume als auch die Kirchenobjekte umgebaut. Unter der Regierung der ersten Habsburger kamen ins Burggelände auch Adelspaläste dazu (zum Beispiel der Pernstein-Palast - später Lobkowicz-Palast, Rosenberg-Palast und weitere). Im Nordwesten wurden Pferdestallgebäude erbaut.
Unter der Regierung des Kaisers Rudolph II. (1576 - 1611) erreichte der Renaissance- und Manierismusumbau der Burg, die zum zweiten Mal zum Zentrum des Reiches und insbesondere zum Zentrum der europäischen Kultur und Wissenschaft wurde, seinen Gipfel. Auf dem II. Vorhof wurden neue Räume für die Sammlungen Rudolphs erbaut - der Neue (heute Spanische) Saal und die Rudolph-Galerie. Es entstand auch der Verbindungstrakt zwischen dem Nordwest- und dem Südwestteil der Burg. Eben hier befanden sich die berühmte Kunstkammer und weitere Räume für die Sammeltätigkeit Rudolphs. Es wurden auch weitere Pferdestallobjekte für seine seltenen spanischen Pferde aufgebaut. Während der Rudolph-Zeiten wurde auch der Grundstein der berühmten Goldenen Gasse gelegt. Laboratorien der Rudolph-Alchymisten sollen im Pulverturm über dem Hirschgraben gewesen sein. Die Burg erlitt erneut erhebliche Schäden, als sie 1631 vom sächsischen Heer und 1648 von den Schweden besetzt und ausgeplündert wurde. Nach dem Dreißigjährigen Krieg kümmerten sich die Habsburger um den Prager königlichen Sitz nicht allzu sehr.
Erst Maria Theresia führte in den Jahren 1755 - 1775 einen umfangreichen Umbau der Prager Burg zu einem repräsentativen Schlosskomplex durch. Der Grund für die massive Bauaktion waren Kriegsschäden, verursacht durch die intensive Bombardierung der Burg bei Kriegskonflikten zu Beginn ihrer Regierung. Den Umbau entwarf der Wiener Architekt Nicolo Pacassi, der auch den I. Vorhof mit dem monumentalen Eingangstor projektierte. Aus der Zeit des theresianischen Umbaus stammt auch die Kapelle des Heiligen Kreuzes auf dem II. Burgvorhof und weitere Gebäude, insbesondere die Edeldamenanstalt. Dem Südflügel prägte er die einheitliche monumentale Spätbarockfassade eines Repräsentationssitzes ein. Seine durch das Wiener Rokoko und den französischen Klassizismus beeinflussten Pläne brachten die Baumeister Anselmo Lurago, Anton Kunz und Anton Haffenecker zustande.
Im 19. Jahrhundert verfiel die Burg, in mehreren Objekten ließ sich nach den josephinischen Reformen das Heer nieder. Zu Bauregelungen einiger Objekte kam es im Zusammenhang mit dem Aufenthalt von Ferdinand I. dem Guten auf der Burg nach seiner Abdikation im Jahre 1848 und weiter im Zusammenhang mit der Vorbereitung auf die vorgesehene Krönung von Franz Joseph I. in den 60er Jahren. Nach 1859, als die Gemeinde für die Fertigstellung der St. Veit Kathedrale entstand, begann zuerst die Reparatur und anschließend unter der Wirkung des Architekten Joseph Mocker wurde die Arbeit an der eigentlichen Fertigstellung der St. Veit Kathedrale aufgenommen, abgeschlossen im Jahre 1929.
In den Jahren 1920 - 35 führte ausgedehnte Regelungen der Prager Burg als des Sitzes des tschechoslowakischen Präsidenten der bedeutende slowenische Architekt Josip Plečnik durch, der den wertvollen historischen Raum mit modernen Zivilisationsansprüchen meisterlich zusammenfügte. Seine Regelungen betrafen vor allem den 1. und 3. Vorhof, die Südgärten der Burg, den 4. Vorhof mit dem Basteigarten sowie zahlreiche Innenräume. Er schuf z.B. die Säulenhalle, Privaträume der Präsidentenwohnung einschließlich des Arbeitszimmers Masaryks. Sein Schüler Otto Rothmayer brachte die unvollendeten Lösungen einiger Burginnenräume nach dem 2. Weltkrieg in vergleichbarer Qualität zu Ende.
Im Jahre 1936 ist Pavel Janák und nach ihm seit 1959 Jaroslav Fragner Burgarchitekt geworden.
Nach dem Wendejahr 1989 wurde die Prager Burg an vielen Stellen für die Öffentlichkeit geöffnet. Während der Amtszeit des Präsidenten Havel kam es auf der Burg zu Regelungen der Innenräume und zum Ausbau zweier neuer Eingänge in den 2. Vorhof nach dem Projekt des Bildners und Designers Bořek Šípek. Mit einem bedeutenden Preis wurde der Durchstich durch den Wall der Pulverbrücke im Hirschgraben belohnt (Arch. Josef Pleskot). Interessant ist auch das moderne Gewächshaus der weltberühmten Architektin Eva Jiřičná. Der Georg-Platz (Jiřské náměstí) wurde neu bepflastert und geregelt. In Zusammenarbeit mit den Fachleuten aus dem Getti-Institut wurde die Mosaik „des Letzten Gerichts“ renoviert. Im Jahre 1990 wurde die Prager Burg feierlich beleuchtet und dieser Zustand dauert von der Dämmerung bis zur Mitternacht bis heute. In der touristischen Hauptsaison dauert die Beleuchtungszeit sogar eine Stunde länger, bis 1 Uhr. Die Tradition der elektrischen Beleuchtung, jedoch im viel kleineren Umfang, begann im Jahre 1928, als die Lampen zum 10. Jubiläum der Republikentstehung installiert wurden. Ein wenig ähnelte die heutige feierliche Beleuchtung jener aus dem Ende der 60er Jahren, heute ist sie allerdings viel detaillierter und in den Kommunistenzeiten wurde sie nur bei feierlichen Gelegenheiten angemacht. Beleuchtungswürdige Tage waren damals Staatsfeiertage oder bedeutende Republiktage, denen allerdings aus der kommunistischen Sicht die Anerkennung nicht fehlte.
In den letzten Jahren entwickelte sich die Umbau- bzw. Renovierungstätigkeit in vielen Objekten der Burg und eine erhebliche Aufmerksamkeit wurde der archäologischen Untersuchung gewidmet, die bereits seit 1925 läuft und viele Erkenntnisse über die Burggeschichte brachte. Die Untersuchung sowie die Renovierung der einzelnen Räume und Objekte ist von der Idee motiviert, sie dadurch, dass sie der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht werden, möglichst viel zu beleben.
Today's been a funny one... Modulation of mood all day.
A quiet two-for-one dinner with Feih at the Wesley Anne last night to celebrate my first discernible day of being free turned into rampantly hilarious Scattergories, and more cider was consumed than intended [though by my standards not really that much], leaving me feeling a bit groggy this morning at 4am when I awoke still semi-dressed...
Waking at a more reasonable hour, the raspy throat I've been cultivating the past few days was still hanging about, so I decided to take it easy on the getting out of bed side.
A pleasant call from Melissa to go through more ideas for images for a project I'm working on for her was a better way to start the day, so I decided that was the time to get "up and at 'em".
A quick shower, some email catching up; and a call back to one of the agencies I interviewed at yesterday revealed that the role I'd applied for they didn't feel I had the background for [product-wise]; but coincidentally, as I'd been thinking how much I'd rather take on a short term contract over another full-time permanent position just yet, it turns out they might have some data entry work until Christmas that they would like to interview me for...
So then I took more photos for Melissa, attempted a fairly uninspiring 365 [so uninspiring that I didn't use any of them in the end] and settled in to work on editing the shots I'd taken. Only one of the three images I need came to anything, so feeling raspy of throat and lacklustre of mood I ended up curling up on the couch to turn my brain off for a bit.
That's where All Saints, Crossing Jordan [ironically the last ever episode, considering I've never watched it before] and Stand Off came in. I so rarely watch TV that I don't even bother flicking channels much. I sort of just turn it on and leave it and let it gently numb my mind, then get up and walk away from it once my mind has de-zoned.
I'm sure the myeh-ness will have passed by morning. I hope so, I have too much I need to do...
The Yamaha PSS-380 is a home mini synthesizer with sliders to control Spectrum, Modulation, Attack, Decay, Release, Vibrato, and Volume for each of the 100 preset voices. The sliders are not continously variable, but have 8 positions each. The synthesizer settings cannot be saved. Two voices can be layered. There is also a 3 song memory.
Phase III : Fully Active 4 x way crossover
- Bass JBL 2205a - PR15, 220l enclosure . Active crossover 20-160hz /18db.
- Mid Bass Fish Horns - TAD TM 1201h 12" drivers - Active crossover 160hz/6db - 1200hz/12db.
Sicomin epoxy & mica pearlescent coating.
Central antiresonant phase plug DIY made from a Perrier Plastic bottle armed plaster coupound filled, Sicomin epoxy with anti-slip surf board powder & mica pearlescent coating.
- Mid High JBL 2450 j - Truextent beryllium diaphragms - Aart Biradial horns - Active crossover 1200hz/12db - 5000hz/12db.
- High BMS 4540nd & Arai A-10K horn massive billet oak - Active crossover 5000Hz/18db - 30 000Hz/Flat.
- Electronic crossover Pioneer D23 fully restored (all new caps : Silmic II, Muse, Black Gate & Mundorf).
- Mc Intosh MC 2255 caps & lamps fully restored for Bass.
- Mc Intosh MC 2255 caps & lamps fully restored for MidBass.
- Hiraga 15w le monstre regulated power supply for MidHigh & High left chanel.
- Hiraga 15w le monstre regulated power supply for MidHigh & High right chanel.
Modulation cables : AudioQuest Sky
Speaker cables :
Bass : 16AWG solid core silver teflon insulated.
MidBass : AQ WildWood.
MidHigh & High : DIY solid OCC solid core pure silver 18,20,22,24AWG cotton insulated, AQ configuration with 72v Dbs.
Many thanks to :
- Mr Dominique Petoin for his Audio Website & his help :
- Mr Ruichi Arai designer of High Frequencies Horns :
please visit
for more details
Sansui AU 555 A solid state amplifier Specifications
Year 1970
Output power
Music power (IHF) : 85W (4ohm)
60W (8ohm)
Effective output : 33/33W (4ohm)
25/25W (8ohm)
THD 0.5% or less (Output power)
Cross modulation distortion (SMPTE, 60Hz:7000Hz=4:1) 0.5% or less (Output power)
Power Band Width (IHF) 20Hz - 40000Hz (8ohm)
Frequency characteristic 20Hz - 40000Hz, ±1dB
Channel separation 60dB or more (1kHz, Output power)
A hum and a noise (IHF) 100dB or more
Input sensitivity/impedance 1V (Output power) / 100 kohms or more
Load impedance 4ohm-16ohm
Dumping factor 50 (8-ohm load intensity)
Preamplifier parts
Output voltage Maximum output: 5V
Output power: 1V
THD 0.1 (Output-power voltage) or less
Frequency characteristic 20Hz - 30000Hz, ±1dB
Channel separation (1kHz, Output power) Phono1, 2:45dB or more
Tuner, AUX: 50dB or more
A hum and a noise (IHF) Phono1, 2:70dB or more
Tuner, AUX: 80dB or more
Input sensitivity/impedance (1kHz, Output-power voltage) Phono1, 2:2mV / 50kohm
Tuner: 180mV / 50kohm
AUX: 180mV / 50kohm
Tape Play(Pin): 180mV / 50kohm
Tape Recorder(Din): 180mV / 50kohm
Sound-recording output (1kHz, input voltage) Tape Rec(Pin):180mV
Tape Recorder(Din):30mV
Equalizer Phono:RIAA NF type
Control Bass: 30Hz, ±12dB
Midrange: 1.5kHz, ±5dB
Treble: 15kHz, ±10dB
Loudness: +3dB (10kHz), +8dB (50Hz)
Switchpoint A low filter: 50Hz-8dB
A high filter: 10kHz-7dB
Miscellaneous
Power source 220V, 50Hz/60Hz
Power consumption 130W
Dimensions
Width 395x height 127x depth of 278mm
Weight 8kg
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)
For more than a thousand years, has the Prague Castle been an important symbol of the Czech state. Founded in the 9th century, it became the permanent seat of the Czech rulers and, most recently, also of the Presidents. One of the largest castle complexes in the world consists of palaces, offices, churches and fortification buildings, gardens and picturesque corners. The castle covers an area of 45 hectares. The unique view to the Prague Castle is one of the most amazing panorama views in the world.
Prague Castle is the most important folk-cultural and historical monument, and is the symbol of the more than one thousand years of development of the Czech and all-Czech states. It is a monumental symbol of the palace, church, fortification, official and residential buildings which represent very valuable monuments, included in all style epochs. It covers an area of 45 hectares, was the seat of the Bohemian princes, kings and emperors, and since the Republic was founded in 1918, it was also the residence of the presidents. Since 1962, the Prague Castle has been known for its archaeological discoveries.
History
The initial phases of the Prague Castle are connected with the first historically documented Přemyslid Bořivoj (Bořivoj I (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbɔr̝ɪvɔj], Latin: Borzivogius, c. 852 – c. 889) was the first historically documented Duke of Bohemia from about 870 and progenitor of the Přemyslid dynasty.] The Duchy of Bohemia was at those times subordinated to Great Moravia.). This one transferred in the 80s of the 9th century his original seat from Levý Hradec to the place where on the raised spot above the river Vltava/Moldau already existed a Slavic castle and was very well situated.
The first princely palace apparently only consisted of wood. The first stone building and the oldest Christian sanctuary was the Virgin Mary Church. Its remains have been found between the Second Courtyard and the Bastion garden (original name of the garden: Na Baště). This Bořivoj church was soon reconstructed by the prince Spytihněv I, who was buried here in 915. The second church in the castle was the St. George Basilica founded by Prince Vratislaus I. The next Přemyslide, Prince Wenceslas (Saint), the third sanctuary - the St Veit Rotunda - in the twenties of the 10th century nearby had built which in the 11th century by Prince Spytihnev II was transformed into a huge basilica.
In 973, when the bishopric was established in Prague, the castle was not only the seat of the head of state, but also the seat of the Prague bishop, the highest representative of the church. At the same time arose the first monastery in Bohemia at St. George's basilica.
In the 10th century the castle occupied an area of about 6 ha. In the Romanesque epoch the former fortress, especially after the year 1135 thanks to Soběslaus I, as the stony princely palace and the new masonry fortified with some towers were erected, was turned into a fortified medieval castle. Of the towers is the eastern blacktower best preserved.
Very significantly the Gothic period in the appearance of Prague Castle intervened, most of all Charles IV (1346 - 1378), who, with his father, John of Luxemburg (1310 - 1346), obtained from the pope the promotion of the Prague bishopric to the archbishopric and laid the foundations for the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral. Under Charles IV, the castle for the first time was turned into the imperial residence. Charles IV the defense of the Prague Castle had consolidated, the Royal Palace with the Chapel of All Saints he rebuilt generously. The roofs he had covered with gilded plates, which were the foundation for the binding of words "Golden Prague". Since 1382, Bohemian rulers ceased to occupy the Prague Castle for more than 100 years. The royal court was moved to the place of today's Community hall and back to the Prague castle it came only in 1483 under Wladislaus from the Jagiellonian dynasty.
Although the ruler already in 1490 moved to Ofen (Buda), he had the Prague castle renovated in the late Gothic style under the supervision of Benedikt Ried. He was the master builder of the magnificent Vladislav Hall, the largest secular vaulted room of the then Europe, with which the first Renaissance signs came to Prague. He carried out major construction works, including the construction of a new masonry, the defensive towers and the expansion of the Royal Palace. At his time, the Gothic died away and a new architectural style, the Renaissance, gradually prevailed.
The direct influence of the Italian art on the new style was most frequently observed in Prague under the reign of Ferdinand I (von Habsburg) and after his departure from Prague under the influence of the governor Ferdinand of Tyrol. At that time, the medieval castle was converted into a comfortable Renaissance castle with gardens. The typical Italian architecture of the Royal Pleasure palace arose in the northern King's garden.
For a large building activity in 1541 contributed a fire devastating the castle objects as well as the surrounding area quite a lot. Within the framework of the restoration, both the housing estates and the church buildings were rebuilt. Under the reign of the first Habsburgs, nobility palaces were added to the castle grounds (for example, the Pernstein Palace - later Lobkowicz Palace, Rosenberg Palace and others). Horse stable buildings were built in the north-west.
Under the reign of the Emperor Rudolph II (1576 - 1611), the Renaissance and Mannerism transformation of the castle, which for the second time became the center of the empire, and especially the center of European culture and science, reached its peak. On the second courtyard, new rooms were built for the collections of Rudolph - the new (now Spanish) hall and the Rudolph gallery. Also arose the connection tract between the northwestern and the southwestern part of the castle. Just here the famous Kunstkammer (Art chamber) and other rooms for Rudolph's collective activities were located. Additionally further horse stable properties were built for his rare Spanish horses. During the Rudolph times also the foundation stone of the famous Golden Alley was laid. Laboratories of the Rudolph-Alchymists were supposed to have been in the Powder tower above the Hirschgraben (Deer's ditch). The castle suffered again considerable damages when it was occupied by the Saxon army in 1631 and by the Swedes in 1648 not only was occupied but also plundered. After the Thirty Years' War, the Habsburgs did not care too much about the Prague royal seat.
Only Maria Theresia carried out an extensive reconstruction of the Prague Castle from 1755 - 1775 into a representative castle complex. The reason for the massive construction action were war damages, caused by the intense bombing of the castle during war conflicts at the beginning of her reign. The reconstruction was designed by the Viennese architect Nicolo Pacassi, who also planned the first courtyard with the monumental entrance gate. From the time of the Theresian reconstruction stems also the chapel of the Holy Cross on the 2nd castle forecourt and other buildings, especially the noblewomen institute. The south wing he imprinted the uniform monumental late Baroque facade of a representative seat. His plans influenced by Viennese Rococo and French Classicism the builders Anselmo Lurago, Anton Kunz and Anton Haffenecker brought into life.
In the 19th century, the castle fell into ruin, in several objects after the Josephine reforms the army settled. In connection with the stay of Ferdinand I the Good in the castle after his abdication in 1848 and further in connection with the preparation for the coronation of Franz Joseph I in the sixties it came to building modifications of several objects. After 1859, when the community for the completion of St Veit cathedral emerged, began first the repair, and then, under the influence of the architect Joseph Mocker, the work on the actual completion of St Veit's cathedral was started, completed in 1929.
In the years 1920 - 35, carried out extensive regulations of the Prague Castle as the seat of the Czechoslovak President the great Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik, who masterfully combined the valuable historical space with modern civilization claims. His modifications mainly concerned the 1st and 3rd court, the southern gardens of the castle, the fourth forecourt with the Bastion garden as well as numerous interiors. He created e.g. the pillared hall, private rooms of the presidential residence, including the Masaryk workroom. His pupil, Otto Rothmayer, brought to an end the incomplete solutions of some castle interior spaces after the Second World War in comparable quality.
In 1936, Pavel Janák and after him, in 1959, Jaroslav Fragner became castle architect.
After the year of change of 1989, the Prague Castle was opened to the public in many places. During the term of President Havel, at the castle it came to modulations of the interiors and to the expansion of two new entrances into the second courtyard after the project of the creator and designer Bořek Šípek. The puncture through the rampart of the Powder bridge in Hirschgraben was rewarded with a significant prize (Arch. Josef Pleskot). Also interesting is the modern greenhouse of the world-famous architect Eva Jiřičná. The Georgian Square (Jiřské náměstí) was re-paved and modulated. The Mosaic of the Last Judgment was renovated in collaboration with the specialists from the Getti Institute. In 1990, the Prague Castle was solemnly illuminated and this situation lasts from dusk to midnight until today. In the main tourist season, the lighting time even lasts an hour longer until 1 o'clock. The tradition of electric lighting, but on a much smaller scale, began in 1928, when the lamps were installed for the 10th anniversary of the elevation to a Republic. A little bit the present daylight resembles of those from the end of the sixties, but today it is much more detailed and in communist times it was only switched on at solemn occasions. At that time, illuminative days were state holidays or significant day of republic, which, however, did not lack recognition from the communist point of view.
In recent years the reconstruction and renovation work has been developed in many buildings of the castle and a considerable attention has been devoted to the archaeological investigation, which has been going on since 1925 and has brought many insights into the history of the castle. The investigation as well as the renovation of the individual rooms and objects is motivated by the idea of invigorating them as much as possible by making them accessible to the public.
Prager Burg (Pražský hrad)
Die Prager Burg ist seit über tausend Jahren ein bedeutendes Symbol des tschechischen Staates. Gegründet im 9. Jahrhundert wurde sie zum ständigen Sitz der tschechischen Herrscher und zuletzt auch der Präsidenten. Einer der größten Burgkomplexe weltweit setzt sich aus Palästen, Amts-, Kirchen- und Fortifikationsgebäuden, aus Gärten und malerischen Ecken zusammen. Die Burg erstreckt sich auf einer Fläche von 45 Hektar. Der alleinige Blick auf die Prager Burg stellt einen der überwältigendsten Panoramablicke der Welt dar.
Die Prager Burg ist das bedeutendste Volkskultur- und Historiedenkmal, sie ist das Symbol der mehr als eintausendjährigen Entwicklung des böhmischen sowie gesamttschechischen Staats. Es ist ein monumentales Symbol der Palast-, Kirchen-, Fortifikations-, Amts- und Wohngebäude, die sehr wertvolle Denkmäler darstellen, einbezogen auf alle Stilepochen. Sie erstreckt sich auf einer Fläche von 45 ha, war der Sitz der böhmischen Fürsten, Könige und Kaiser und seit der Republikentstehung im Jahre 1918 war sie auch die Residenz der Präsidenten. Seit 1962 steht die Prager Burg mit ihren archäologischen Funden als bekanntester.
Geschichte
Die Anfangszeiten der Prager Burg sind mit dem ersten historisch belegten Přemysliden Bořivoj verbunden. Dieser übertrug in den 80er Jahren des 9. Jahrhunderts seinen ursprünglichen Sitz von Levý Hradec an den Ort, wo auf der erhabenen Stelle über der Moldau eine slawische Burgstätte bereits bestand und sehr gut gelegen war.
Der erste Fürstenpalast bestand offenbar aus Holz. Der erste Steinbau und das älteste christliche Heiligtum war die Jungfrau Maria Kirche. Ihre Reste wurden zwischen dem II. Vorhof und dem Basteigarten (Originalname des Gartens: Na Baště) gefunden. Diese Bořivoj-Kirche wurde durch den hier im Jahre 915 beigesetzten Fürsten Spytihněv I. bald umgebaut. Die zweite Kirche im Burgraum war die vom Fürsten Vratislaus I. gegründete St. Georg Basilika. Der nächste Přemyslide, der Fürst Wenzel (der Heilige), ließ in der Nähe in den 20er Jahren des 10. Jahrhunderts das dritte Heiligtum - die St. Veit Rotunde - bauen, die im 11. Jahrhundert vom Fürsten Spytihněv II. zu einer gewaltigen Basilika umgebaut wurde.
Im Jahre 973, als in Prag das Bistum gegründet wurde, war die Burg nicht nur der Sitz des Staatsoberhaupts, sondern auch der Sitz des Prager Bischofs, des höchsten Repräsentanten der Kirche. Zu demselben Zeitpunkt entstand an der St. Georg Basilika das erste Kloster in Böhmen.
Im 10. Jahrhundert nahm die Burg eine Fläche von ca. 6 ha in Anspruch. In der romanischen Epoche wurde die einstige Burgstätte, insbesondere nach dem Jahr 1135 dank Soběslaus I., als der steinige Fürstenpalast und das neue mit einigen Türmen verstärkte Mauerwerk aufgebaut wurden, zu einer festen mittelalterlichen Burg umgebaut. Von den Türmen ist der östliche Schwarzturm am besten erhalten.
Sehr bedeutend griff ins Aussehen der Prager Burg die Gotikzeit ein, insbesondere Karl IV. (1346 - 1378), der mit seinem Vater Johann von Luxemburg (1310 - 1346) vom Papst die Beförderung des Prager Bistums zum Erzbistum erwirkte und den Grundstein für den Bau der St. Veit Kathedrale legte. Unter Karl IV. wurde die Burg zum ersten Mal zur Kaiserlichen Residenz. Karl IV. ließ die Verschanzung der Prager Burg festigen, den Königspalast mit der Kapelle Aller Heiligen baute er großzügig um. Die Dächer ließ er mit vergoldeten Blechen decken, die das Fundament für die Wörterbindung „Goldenes Prag“ darstellten. Seit 1382 hörten böhmische Herrscher auf, die Prager Burg für mehr als 100 Jahre zu bewohnen. Der Königshof wurde an den Ort des heutigen Gemeindehauses umgezogen und zurück auf die Prager Burg kehrte er erst im Jahre 1483 unter Wladislaus aus der Jagiellonen-Dynastie.
Obwohl der Herrscher bereits 1490 nach Ofen (Buda) umsiedelte, ließ er die Prager Burg im spätgotischen Stil unter der Bauleitung von Benedikt Ried umbauen. Er war der Baumeister des großartigen Wladislaus-Saals, des größten weltlichen gewölbten Raums des damaligen Europas, mit dem die ersten Renaissancezeichen nach Prag kamen. Er führte großartige Bauregelungen einschließlich des Ausbaus eines neuen Mauerwerks, der Wehrtürme und der Erweiterung des Königspalastes durch. Zu seiner Zeit klang die Gotik aus und es setzte sich allmählich ein neuer Baustil durch, die Renaissance.
Der direkte Einfluss der italienischen Kunst des neuen Stils wurde in Prag unter der Regierung von Ferdinand I. (von Habsburg) und nach seinem Weggang von Prag unter der Wirkung des Statthalters Ferdinand von Tirol am meisten beobachtet. Damals wurde die mittelalterliche Burg in ein bequemes Renaissanceschloss mit Gärten umgewandelt. Im nördlichen Königsgarten entstand die typisch italienische Architektur des Königlichen Lustschlosses.
Zu einer großen Bauaktivität trug im Jahre 1541 ein Brand bei, der die Burgobjekte sowie die Umgebung ziemlich viel kaputt machte. Im Rahmen der Wiederherstellung wurden sowohl die Wohnräume als auch die Kirchenobjekte umgebaut. Unter der Regierung der ersten Habsburger kamen ins Burggelände auch Adelspaläste dazu (zum Beispiel der Pernstein-Palast - später Lobkowicz-Palast, Rosenberg-Palast und weitere). Im Nordwesten wurden Pferdestallgebäude erbaut.
Unter der Regierung des Kaisers Rudolph II. (1576 - 1611) erreichte der Renaissance- und Manierismusumbau der Burg, die zum zweiten Mal zum Zentrum des Reiches und insbesondere zum Zentrum der europäischen Kultur und Wissenschaft wurde, seinen Gipfel. Auf dem II. Vorhof wurden neue Räume für die Sammlungen Rudolphs erbaut - der Neue (heute Spanische) Saal und die Rudolph-Galerie. Es entstand auch der Verbindungstrakt zwischen dem Nordwest- und dem Südwestteil der Burg. Eben hier befanden sich die berühmte Kunstkammer und weitere Räume für die Sammeltätigkeit Rudolphs. Es wurden auch weitere Pferdestallobjekte für seine seltenen spanischen Pferde aufgebaut. Während der Rudolph-Zeiten wurde auch der Grundstein der berühmten Goldenen Gasse gelegt. Laboratorien der Rudolph-Alchymisten sollen im Pulverturm über dem Hirschgraben gewesen sein. Die Burg erlitt erneut erhebliche Schäden, als sie 1631 vom sächsischen Heer und 1648 von den Schweden besetzt und ausgeplündert wurde. Nach dem Dreißigjährigen Krieg kümmerten sich die Habsburger um den Prager königlichen Sitz nicht allzu sehr.
Erst Maria Theresia führte in den Jahren 1755 - 1775 einen umfangreichen Umbau der Prager Burg zu einem repräsentativen Schlosskomplex durch. Der Grund für die massive Bauaktion waren Kriegsschäden, verursacht durch die intensive Bombardierung der Burg bei Kriegskonflikten zu Beginn ihrer Regierung. Den Umbau entwarf der Wiener Architekt Nicolo Pacassi, der auch den I. Vorhof mit dem monumentalen Eingangstor projektierte. Aus der Zeit des theresianischen Umbaus stammt auch die Kapelle des Heiligen Kreuzes auf dem II. Burgvorhof und weitere Gebäude, insbesondere die Edeldamenanstalt. Dem Südflügel prägte er die einheitliche monumentale Spätbarockfassade eines Repräsentationssitzes ein. Seine durch das Wiener Rokoko und den französischen Klassizismus beeinflussten Pläne brachten die Baumeister Anselmo Lurago, Anton Kunz und Anton Haffenecker zustande.
Im 19. Jahrhundert verfiel die Burg, in mehreren Objekten ließ sich nach den josephinischen Reformen das Heer nieder. Zu Bauregelungen einiger Objekte kam es im Zusammenhang mit dem Aufenthalt von Ferdinand I. dem Guten auf der Burg nach seiner Abdikation im Jahre 1848 und weiter im Zusammenhang mit der Vorbereitung auf die vorgesehene Krönung von Franz Joseph I. in den 60er Jahren. Nach 1859, als die Gemeinde für die Fertigstellung der St. Veit Kathedrale entstand, begann zuerst die Reparatur und anschließend unter der Wirkung des Architekten Joseph Mocker wurde die Arbeit an der eigentlichen Fertigstellung der St. Veit Kathedrale aufgenommen, abgeschlossen im Jahre 1929.
In den Jahren 1920 - 35 führte ausgedehnte Regelungen der Prager Burg als des Sitzes des tschechoslowakischen Präsidenten der bedeutende slowenische Architekt Josip Plečnik durch, der den wertvollen historischen Raum mit modernen Zivilisationsansprüchen meisterlich zusammenfügte. Seine Regelungen betrafen vor allem den 1. und 3. Vorhof, die Südgärten der Burg, den 4. Vorhof mit dem Basteigarten sowie zahlreiche Innenräume. Er schuf z.B. die Säulenhalle, Privaträume der Präsidentenwohnung einschließlich des Arbeitszimmers Masaryks. Sein Schüler Otto Rothmayer brachte die unvollendeten Lösungen einiger Burginnenräume nach dem 2. Weltkrieg in vergleichbarer Qualität zu Ende.
Im Jahre 1936 ist Pavel Janák und nach ihm seit 1959 Jaroslav Fragner Burgarchitekt geworden.
Nach dem Wendejahr 1989 wurde die Prager Burg an vielen Stellen für die Öffentlichkeit geöffnet. Während der Amtszeit des Präsidenten Havel kam es auf der Burg zu Regelungen der Innenräume und zum Ausbau zweier neuer Eingänge in den 2. Vorhof nach dem Projekt des Bildners und Designers Bořek Šípek. Mit einem bedeutenden Preis wurde der Durchstich durch den Wall der Pulverbrücke im Hirschgraben belohnt (Arch. Josef Pleskot). Interessant ist auch das moderne Gewächshaus der weltberühmten Architektin Eva Jiřičná. Der Georg-Platz (Jiřské náměstí) wurde neu bepflastert und geregelt. In Zusammenarbeit mit den Fachleuten aus dem Getti-Institut wurde die Mosaik „des Letzten Gerichts“ renoviert. Im Jahre 1990 wurde die Prager Burg feierlich beleuchtet und dieser Zustand dauert von der Dämmerung bis zur Mitternacht bis heute. In der touristischen Hauptsaison dauert die Beleuchtungszeit sogar eine Stunde länger, bis 1 Uhr. Die Tradition der elektrischen Beleuchtung, jedoch im viel kleineren Umfang, begann im Jahre 1928, als die Lampen zum 10. Jubiläum der Republikentstehung installiert wurden. Ein wenig ähnelte die heutige feierliche Beleuchtung jener aus dem Ende der 60er Jahren, heute ist sie allerdings viel detaillierter und in den Kommunistenzeiten wurde sie nur bei feierlichen Gelegenheiten angemacht. Beleuchtungswürdige Tage waren damals Staatsfeiertage oder bedeutende Republiktage, denen allerdings aus der kommunistischen Sicht die Anerkennung nicht fehlte.
In den letzten Jahren entwickelte sich die Umbau- bzw. Renovierungstätigkeit in vielen Objekten der Burg und eine erhebliche Aufmerksamkeit wurde der archäologischen Untersuchung gewidmet, die bereits seit 1925 läuft und viele Erkenntnisse über die Burggeschichte brachte. Die Untersuchung sowie die Renovierung der einzelnen Räume und Objekte ist von der Idee motiviert, sie dadurch, dass sie der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht werden, möglichst viel zu beleben.