The Popular Front () was an alliance of French left-wing movements, including the communist French Communist Party (PCF), the socialist French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) and the progressive Radical-Socialist Republican Party, during the interwar period. Three months after the victory of the Spanish Popular Front, the Popular Front won the May 1936 legislative election, leading to the formation of a government first headed by SFIO leader Léon Blum and exclusively composed of republican and SFIO ministers.

Blum's government implemented various social reforms. The workers' movement welcomed this electoral victory by launching a general strike in May–June 1936, resulting in the negotiation of the Matignon Agreements, one of the cornerstones of social rights in France. All employees were assured a two-week paid vacation, and the rights of unions were strengthened. The socialist movement's euphoria was apparent in SFIO member Marceau Pivert's "Tout est possible!" (Everything is possible). However, the economy continued to stall, with 1938 production still not having recovered to 1929 levels, and higher wages had been neutralized by inflation. Businessmen took their funds overseas. Blum was forced to stop his reforms and devalue the franc. With the French Senate controlled by conservatives, Blum fell out of power in June 1937. The presidency of the cabinet was then taken over by Camille Chautemps, a Radical-Socialist, but Blum came back as President of the Council in March 1938, before being succeeded by Édouard Daladier, another Radical-Socialist, the next month. The Popular Front dissolved itself in autumn 1938, confronted by internal dissensions related to the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), opposition of the right-wing, and the persistent effects of the Great Depression.

After one year of major activity, it lost its spirit by June 1937 and could only temporize as the European crisis worsened. The Socialists were forced out; only the Radical-Socialists and smaller left-republican parties were left. It failed to live up to the expectations of the left. The workers obtained major new rights, but their 48 percent increase in wages was offset by a 46 percent rise in prices. Unemployment remained high, and overall industrial production was stagnant. Industry had great difficulty adjusting to the imposition of a 40-hour workweek, which caused serious disruptions while France was desperately trying to catch up with Germany in military production. France joined other nations and bitterly disappointed many French leftists in refusing to help the Spanish Republicans in the Spanish Civil War, partly because the right threatened another civil war in France itself.

Background

There are various reasons for the formation of the Popular Front and its subsequent electoral victory, including the economic crisis caused by the Great Depression, which affected France starting in 1931, financial scandals and the instability of the Chamber of Deputies elected in 1932 that had weakened the ruling parties, the rise of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany, the growth of violent far-right leagues in France and in general of fascist-related parties and organisations (Marcel Bucard's Mouvement franciste, which was subsidised by Italian leader Benito Mussolini, Neo-Socialism etc.)

The elections of 1932 had resulted in a victory for the two largest parties of the left, the Marxist SFIO and the Radical-Socialist PRRRS, as well as several smaller parties ideologically close to Radicalism (an electoral pact known as the Cartel des Gauches); the Communist Party had run on its own, accusing the Socialists of social-fascism and opposing the subsequent centre-left governments. However, major differences between the SFIO and PRRRS prevented them from forming a cabinet together, as all had expected, leaving France governed by a series of short-lived cabinets formed exclusively of the six Radical parties.

The Socialist Party reliably granted its confidence to these cabinets but fundamentally disagreed with their budget cuts, and the various small liberal centre-right parties who agreed with the budget cuts refused to support centre-left governments in which they were not represented. With government paralyzed, tensions grew greater and greater both between the different parties in parliament and within public opinion. The tensions finally erupted into the infamous 6 February 1934 crisis in which massive riots by authoritarian paramilitary leagues caused the collapse of the Cartel. The Radical-Socialists and other republican centre-left parties accepted entry into a government dominated by the centre-right (the liberal conservative Democratic Alliance) and hard right (the Catholic conservative Republican Federation). The support by extreme-right paramilitaries for the National Unity government alarmed the left, which feared that plans to reform the constitution would lead to the abandonment of parliamentary government for an authoritarian regime, as had recently occurred in other European democracies.

The idea of a "Popular Front" therefore came simultaneously from three directions:

 The frustration felt by many moderate Socialists and left-wing Radical-Socialists at the collapse of their previous attempts at government and an increasing desire to rebuilt that coalition on a stronger basis to combat the economic crisis of the Great Depression
 The left-wing view that the 6 February 1934 riots had represented a deliberate attempt by the French far right for a coup d'état against the Republic
 The Comintern's alarm at the increased popularity of fascist and authoritarian right-wing regimes in Europe, and decision to abandon its hostile position towards social-democracy and parliamentarianism (see Third Period) in favour of the "Popular Front" position. This advocated an alliance with the social-democrats and authentically democratic middle-class republicans against the greater threat of the far-right.

Thus, antifascism became the order of the day for a growing number of Communists, Socialists and Republicans as a result of a convergence of influences: the collapse of the centre-left coalition of 1932, the fear of the consequences of the 1934 riots and the broader European policy of the Comintern. Maurice Thorez, secretary general of the SFIC, was the first to call for the formation of a "Popular Front", first in the party press organ L'Humanité in 1934 and then in the Chamber of Deputies. The Radical-Socialists were at the time the largest party in the Chamber, and had often been the dominant party of government during the second half of the Third Republic.

Beside the three main left-wing parties, Radical-Socialists, SFIO and PCF, the Popular Front was supported by several other parties and associations.

These included several civil society organisations, chief among whom were:

 The Confédération générale du travail (CGT) or General Confederation of Labour, a syndicalist trade-union confederation distinct from the Socialist and Communist parties;
 The Ligue des droits de l'homme (LDH) or League of Human Rights, a civil rights watchdog formed during the Dreyfus Affair;
 The Movement Against War and Fascism, a left-wing anti-war association that fell within the Communist sphere of influence;
 The Comité de vigilance des intellectuels antifascistes (CVIA) or Vigilance Committee of Antifascist Intellectuals, a watchdog created in 1934 to organise resistance against a far-right takeover of the democratic regime.

The Communist, Socialist and Radical-Socialist parties were also joined by several smaller parties, mostly formed by dissidents who in previous years had exited the main three parties:

 The Socialist Republican Union (USR), a social-democratic republican party led by Paul Ramadier, Marcel Déat and Joseph Paul-Boncour. This had been formed by the fusion of the SFIO's right-wing with the left-wing of the middle-class republicans;
 The Party of Proletarian Unity (PUP), a dissident Leninist party created in 1930 and opposed both to social democracy and to the Third International;
 The Frontist Party (PF), a small anti-fascist splinter of the Radical-Socialist Party formed by Gaston Bergery in 1933;
 The Parti radical-socialiste Camille Pelletan (PRS-CP), a small anti-fascist splinter of the Radical-Socialist Party formed in May 1934 by Gabriel Cudenet;
 The Parti de la Jeune République (PJR) or Young Republic party, a small Catholic anti-war party formed by Marc Sangnier;

May 1936 elections and the formation of the Blum government

The Popular Front won the general election of 3 May 1936, with 386 seats out of 608. For the first time, the Socialists won more seats than the Radical-Socialists, and the Socialist leader, Léon Blum, became the first Socialist Prime Minister of France and the first Jew to hold that office. The first Popular Front cabinet consisted of 20 Socialists, 13 Radical-Socialists and two Socialist Republicans (there were no Communist Ministers) and, for the first time, included three women (who were then not able to vote in France).

The members of the Popular Front parties too small to form their own parliamentary grouping (the PUP, PF, PRS-CP and PJR) joined with several independents to sit together as the Independent Left (Gauche indépendante) parliamentary caucus.

In government

Labor laws
Through the 1936 Matignon Accords, the Popular Front government introduced new labor laws that did the following:
 created the right to strike
 created collective bargaining
 enacted the law mandating 12 days (two weeks) of paid annual leave for workers
 enacted the law limiting the working week to 40 hours; Overtime was prohibited
 raised workers' wages (15% for the lowest-paid and 7% for the relatively well-paid)
 stipulated that employers would recognise shop stewards
 ensured that there would be no retaliation against strikers

The government sought to carry out its reforms as rapidly as possible. On 11 June, the Chamber of Deputies voted for the forty-hour workweek, the restoration of civil servants' salaries, and two weeks' paid holidays, by a majority of 528 to 7. The Senate voted in favour of these laws within a week.

Domestic reforms
The Blum administration democratised the Bank of France by enabling all shareholders to attend meetings and set up a new council with more representation from government. By mid-August the parliament had passed:
 the creation of a national Office du blé (Grain Board or Wheat Office, through which the government helped to market agricultural produce at fair prices for farmers) to stabilise prices and curb speculation
 the nationalisation of the arms industries
 loans to small and medium-sized industries
 the raising of the compulsory school-leaving age to 14 years
 measures against illicit price rises
 a major public works program

The legislative pace of the Popular Front government meant that before parliament went into recess, it had passed 133 laws within the space of 73 days.

Other measures carried out by the Popular Front government improved the pay, pensions, allowances, and taxes of public-sector workers and ex-servicemen. The 1920 sales tax, opposed by the Left as a tax on consumers, was abolished and replaced by a production tax, which was considered to be a tax on the producer instead of the consumer. The government also made some administrative changes to the civil service, such as a new director-general for the Paris police and a new governor for the Bank of France. In addition, a secretariat for sports and leisure was established, and opportunities for the children of workers and peasants in secondary education were increased. In 1937, careers guidance classes (classes d'orientation) were established in some lycées as a means of helping pupils to make a better choice of their subsequent course of secondary schooling. Secondary education was made free to all pupils; previously, it had been closed to the poor, who were unable to afford to pay tuition.

In aviation, a decree in December 1936 established a psycho-physiological service for military aviation "with the task of centralising the study of the adaptation of the human system to the optimum utilisation of aeronautical material." A Decree of 12 July 1936 extended compensation to cover diseases contracted in sewers, skin diseases due to the action of cement, dermatitis due to the action of trichloronaphthaline (acne), and cutaneous and nasal ulceration from potassium bichromate. An Act of August 1936 extended to workers in general supplementary allowances that had previously been confined to workers injured in accidents prior to 9 January 1927. An order dealing with rescue equipment in mines was issued on 19 August 1936, followed by two orders concerning packing and caving on 25 February 1937. In relation to maritime transport, a Decree of 3 March 1937 issued instructions concerning safety. A decree of 18 June 1937 promulgated the Convention "concerning the marking of the weight on heavy packages transported by vessels which was adopted by the International Labour Conference at Geneva in 1929".

In October 1936, the government ratified a League of Nations Convention dating back to October 1933, which granted Nansen refugees "travel and identity documents that afforded them protection against arbitrary refoulement and expulsion." The Walter-Paulin Law of March 1937 set standards for apprenticeship teachers and set up a corps of salaried inspectors, while a decree of June 1937 decided on the "creation of the workshop schools, close to schools [...] that should awaken the skills and curiosity of students, open up more to life school work, let them know about the local history and geography." In June 1937, holiday camps ('colonies') received a nationwide public statute through their first comprehensive state regulation.

An act of 26 August 1936 that amended the social insurance scheme for commerce and industry raised the maximum daily maternity benefit from 18 to 22 francs, and an order of 13 February 1937 prescribed a special sound signal for road-rail coaches. Improvements were made in unemployment allowances, and an Act of August 1936 increased the rate of pensions and allowances payable to miners and their dependents. In August 1936, regulations extending the provisions of the Family Allowances Act to agriculture were signed into law. A decree was introduced that same month for the inspection of farm dwellings, and at the beginning of January 1937, an Advisory Committee on Rents was appointed by decree. To promote profit-sharing, an Act of January 1937 (that regulated the working of the State mines, the Alsatian potash mines, and the potash industry), provided that 10% of the net yield of the undertaking "must be set aside, to be used, at least to the extent of one half, to enable the staff to share in the profits of the industry."

Blum persuaded the workers to accept pay raises and go back to work, ending the massive wave of strikes that disrupted production in 1936. Wages increased sharply, in two years the national average was up 48 percent. However inflation also rose 46%. The imposition of the 40-hour week proved highly inefficient, as industry had a difficult time adjusting to it. At the end of 40 hours, a shop or small factory had to shut down or replace its best workers; unions refused to compromise on this issue. The limitation was ended by the Radicals in 1938. The economic confusion hindered the rearmament effort; the rapid growth of German armaments alarmed Blum. He launched a major program to speed up arms production. The cost forced the abandonment of the social reform programs that the Popular Front had counted heavily on.

Far right
Blum dissolved the far-right fascist leagues. In turn, the Popular Front was actively fought by right-wing and far-right movements, which often used antisemitic slurs against Blum and other Jewish ministers. The Cagoule far-right group even staged bombings to disrupt the government.

Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936 and deeply divided the government, which tried to remain neutral. The French left massively supported the Republican government in Madrid, and the right mostly supported the Nationalist insurgents, some even threatening to bring the war to France. Blum's cabinet was also deeply divided. Fear of the war spreading to France was one factor that made him decide on a policy of non-intervention. He collaborated with Britain and 25 other countries to formalize an agreement against sending any munitions or volunteer soldiers to Spain.

The air minister defied the cabinet and secretly sold warplanes to Madrid. Jackson concludes that the French government "was virtually paralyzed by the menace of Civil War at home, the German danger abroad, and the weakness of her own defenses." The Republicans in Spain found themselves increasingly on the defensive, and over 500,000 political refugees crossed the border into France, where they lived for years in refugee camps.

Collapse
After 1937, the precarious coalition went into its death throes with rising extremism on left and right, as well as bitter recriminations. The economy remained stagnant, and French policy became helpless in the face of rapid growth of the German threat.

By 1938, the Radicals had taken control and forced the Socialists out of the cabinet. In late 1938, the Communists broke with the coalition by voting against the Munich agreement, in which the Popular Front had joined with the British by handing over part of Czechoslovakia to Germany. The government denounced the Communists as warmongers, who provoked large-scale strikes in late 1938. The Radical government crushed the Communists and fired over 800,000 workers. In effect, the Radical Party stood alone.

Cultural policies
Radical cultural ideas came to the fore in the era of the Popular Front and often were explicitly supported by the governments, as in the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne.

An "art for the masses" movement flourished, led by efforts of three of the most influential art magazines to legitimize a visual imagery: Cahiers d'art, Minotaure, and Verve. The prevailing leftist anti-capitalist discourse against social inequality was a feature of the Popular Front cultural policy.

The government proposed a draft law concerning intellectual property right, based on a new philosophy that did not consider the author as an "owner" (propriétaire) but as an "intellectual worker" (travailleur intellectuel). However, the draft failed to pass.

New communist positions
The new cross-class coalition of the Popular Front forced the Communists to accept some bourgeois cultural norms that they had long ridiculed. These included patriotism, the veterans' sacrifice, the honor of being an army officer, the prestige of the bourgeois, and the leadership of the Socialist Party and the parliamentary Republic. Above all, the Communists portrayed themselves as French nationalists. Young Communists dressed in costumes from the revolutionary period and the scholars glorified the Jacobins as heroic predecessors.

The Communists in the 1920s saw the need to mobilize young women but saw them as auxiliaries to male organizations. The 1930s had a new model of a separate-but-equal role for women. The party set up the Union des Jeunes Filles de France (UJFF) to appeal to young working women through publications and activities that were geared to their interests. The party discarded its original notions of Communist femininity and female political activism as a gender-neutral revolutionary. It issued a new model more attuned to the mood of the late 1930s and one more acceptable to the middle class elements of the Popular Front. It now portrayed the ideal young Communist woman as a paragon of moral probity with her commitment to marriage and motherhood and gender-specific public activism.

Sports and leisure
With the 1936 Matignon Accords, the working class gained the right to two weeks' vacation a year for the first time. This signaled the beginning of tourism in France. Although beach resorts had long existed, they had been restricted to the upper class. Tens of thousands of families who had never seen the sea before now played in the waves, and Léo Langrange arranged around 500,000 discounted rail trips and hotel accommodation on a massive scale. However, the Popular Front's policy on leisure was limited to the enactment of the two-week vacation. While this measure was thought of as a response to workers' alienation, the Popular Front gave Lagrange (SFIO), named Under-Secretary for Sports and the organisation of Leisure, responsibility for organizing the use this leisure time with priority to sports.

The fascist conception and use of sport as a means to an end contrasted with the SFIO's official stance, which had ridiculed sports as a bourgeois and reactionary activity. However, confronted with an increasing possibility of war with Nazi Germany and affected by the scientific racist theories of the time, which were common beyond the fascist parties, the SFIO began to change its ideas concerning sports during the Popular Front, because its social reforms permitted to the workers' to participate in such leisure activities and also because of the increasing risks of a confrontation with Nazi Germany, particularly after the March 1936 remilitarization of the Rhineland. That new sign of German's revisionism towards the conditions of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles violated the 1925 Locarno Treaties, which had been reaffirmed in 1935 by France, Britain and Italy, allied in the Stresa Front. That led parts of the SFIO in supporting a conception of sport used as a training field for future conscription and, eventually, war.

The complex situation did not stop Lagrange from holding fast to an ethical conception of sports that rejected fascist militarism and indoctrination, scientific racist theories and the professionalisation of sports, which he opposed as an elitist conception that ignored the main popular aspect of sport. He considered that sport should aim for the fulfilment of the personality of the individual. Thus, Lagrange stated, "It cannot be a question in a democratic country of militarizing the distractions and the pleasures of the masses and of transforming the joy skillfully distributed into a means of not thinking." Léo Lagrange further declared in 1936:

"Our simple and human goal is to allow the masses of French youth to find in the practice of sport, joy and health and to build an organization of the leisure activities so that the workers can find relaxation and a reward to their hard labour."

Langrange also explained:

"We want to make our youth healthy and happy. Hitler has been very clever at that sort of thing, and there is no reason why a democratic government should not do the same."

Thus, as shown by the hierarchy of the ministers, which placed the sub-secretary of sport under the authority of the Minister of Public Health, sport was considered above all as a public health issue. From this principle, it was only one step to relating sport to the "degeneration of the race" and other scientific racist theories. It was done by Georges Barthélémy, deputy of the SFIO, who declared that sports contributed to the "improvement of relations between capital and labour, henceforth to the elimination of the concept of class struggle" and that they were a "means to prevent the moral and physical degeneration of the race."

Such corporatist conceptions had led to the neo-socialist movement, whose members had been excluded from the SFIO on 5 November 1933. However, scientific racist positions were upheld inside the SFIO and the Radical-Socialist Party, who supported colonialism and found in this discourse a perfect ideological alibi to justify colonial rule. After all, Georges Vacher de Lapouge (1854–1936), a leading theorist of scientific racism, had been a SFIO member, although he was strongly opposed to the "Teachers' Republic" (République des instituteurs) and its meritocratic ideal of individual advancement and fulfillment through education, a Republican ideal founded on the philosophy of the Enlightenment.

1936 Olympic Games

The International Olympic Committee chose Berlin over Barcelona for the 1936 Olympic Games. In protest against holding the event in a fascist country, the Spanish Popular Front, decided to organize rival games in Barcelona, under the name People's Olympiad. Blum's government at first decided to take part in it, on insistence from the PCF, but the games were never held because the Spanish Civil War broke out.

Léo Lagrange played a major role in the co-organisation of the People's Olympiad. The trials for these Olympiads proceeded on 4 July 1936 in the Pershing stadium in Paris. Through their club, the FSGT, or individually, 1,200 French athletes were registered with these anti-fascist Olympiads.

However, Blum finally decided not to vote for the funds to pay the athletes' expenses. A PCF deputy declared: "Going to Berlin is making oneself an accomplice of the torturers...." Nevertheless, on 9 July, when the whole of the French right wing voted for the participation of France in the Olympic Games of Berlin, the left wing (PCF included) abstained. The motion passed, and France participated at Berlin.

1937 Million Franc Race

In 1937, the Popular Front organized the Million Franc Race to induce automobile manufacturers to develop race cars capable of competing with the German Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union racers of the time, which were backed by the Nazi government as part of its sports policy. Hired by Delahaye, René Dreyfus beat Jean-Pierre Wimille, who ran for Bugatti. Wimille would later take part in the Resistance. The next year, Dreyfus succeeded in overwhelming the legendary Rudolf Caracciola, and his  Silver Arrow at the Pau Grand Prix, becoming a national hero.

Colonial policy

The Popular Front initiated the 1936 Blum-Viollette proposal, which was supposed to grant French citizenship to a minority of Algerian Muslims. Opposed both by colons and by Messali Hadj's pro-independence party, the project was never submitted to the National Assembly's vote and was abandoned.

Legacy
Many historians judge the Popular Front to be a failure in terms of economics, foreign policy and long-term stability. "Disappointment and failure," says Jackson, "was the legacy of the Popular Front." Philippe Bernard and Henri Dubief concluded, "The Front Populaire came to grief through its own economic ineffectiveness and because of external pressures over which it had no control." There is general agreement that at first it created enormous excitement and expectation on the left, but in the end, it failed to live up to its promise. There is also general agreement, that the Popular Front provided a set of lessons and even an inspiration for the future. It began a process of government intervention into economic affairs that grew rapidly during the Vichy and postwar regimes into the modern French welfare state.

Charles Sowerwine argues that the Popular Front was above all a coalition against fascism, and it succeeded in blocking the arrival of fascism in France until 1940. He adds that it "failed to make the great changes its supporters anticipated and left many ordinary French people deeply disillusioned."

The reasons for the failure continue to be debated. Many historians blame Blum for being too timid and thereby dissolving the revolutionary fervor of the workers. MacMillan says that Blum "Lacked the inner convictions that he was the man to resolve the country's problems by bold and imaginative leadership," leading him to avoid a showdown with the financial powers, and forfeiting the support of the working class.

Other scholars blame the complex coalition of Socialist and Radicals, who never really agreed on labor policy. Others point to the Communists, who refused to turn the general strike into a revolution, as well as their refusal to join the government. From the perspective of the far left, "The failure of the Popular Front government was the failure of the parliamentary system," says Allen Douglas.

Economic historians point to numerous bad financial and economic policies, such as delayed devaluation of the franc, which made French exports uncompetitive. Economists especially consider the bad effects of the 40-hour week, which made overtime illegal, forcing employers to choose whether stop work or to replace their best workers with inferior and inexperienced workers when 40 hours had been reached. More generally, the argument is made that France could not afford the labor reforms in the face of poor economic conditions, the fears of the business community, and the threat of Nazi Germany. The forty hour week was particularly problematic in light of German weapons production - France was trying to compete with a nation which not only had a larger population but one which was working fifty to sixty hour work weeks. The limits on working hours particularly limited aircraft production, weakening French aviation and thus encouraging concessions at the Munich Agreement.

Composition of Léon Blum's government (June 1936 – June 1937)

 "SFIO" refers to membership to the French Section of the Workers' International, while RAD refers to membership to the Radical-Socialist Party. The French Communist Party (PCF) restricted itself to a "support without participation" of the government (meaning it took part to the parliamentary majority but did not have any ministers). The Popular Front government coincides with its leadership by Léon Blum, from 5 June 1936 to 21 June 1937.
 Léon Blum (SFIO), President of the Council
 Édouard Daladier (RAD), Vice-President of the Council and Minister of War and of National Defence
Camille Chautemps (RAD) – Minister of State
Paul Faure (SFIO) – Minister of State
Maurice Viollette (USR) – Minister of State
Yvon Delbos (RAD), Minister of Foreign Affairs
Roger Salengro (SFIO), Minister of Interior
Vincent Auriol (SFIO), Minister of Finances
Charles Spinasse (SFIO), Minister of National Economy
Marc Rucart (RAD), Minister of Justice
Jean-Baptiste Lebas (SFIO), Minister of Labour
Alphonse Gasnier-Duparc – Minister of Marine
Pierre Cot (RAD) – Minister of Air
Jean Zay (RAD) – Minister of National Education
Albert Rivière (SFIO) – Minister of Pensions
Georges Monnet (RAD) – Minister of Agriculture
Marius Moutet (SFIO) – Minister of Colonies
Albert Bedouce (SFIO) – Minister of Public Works
Henri Sellier (SFIO) – Minister of Public Health
Robert Jardillier (SFIO) – Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones (PTT)
Paul Bastid (RAD) – Minister of Commerce
Léo Lagrange (SFIO), Under-Secretary of State for Leisure and Sports (under the authority of the Minister of Public Health)
On 18 November 1936, Marx Dormoy (SFIO) replaced Roger Salengro at the Interior, following the latter's suicide.

See also

French Left
Matignon Agreements (1936)
Popular Front (Senegal)

References

Further reading
 Andrew, Dudley and Steven Ungar. Popular Front Paris and the Poetics of Culture (Harvard UP, 2005).
 Auboin, Roger. "The Blum Experiment," International Affairs (1937) 16#4 pp. 499–517 in JSTOR
 , new scholarly biography online review
 Brower, Daniel. The New Jacobins: The French Communist Party and the Popular Front (1968)
 Bulaitis, John. Communism in Rural France: French Agricultural Workers and the Popular Front (London, IB Tauris, 2008).
 Codding Jr., George A., and William Safranby. Ideology and Politics: The Socialist Party of France (1979)
 Colton, Joel. "Léon Blum and the French Socialists as a government party." Journal of Politics 15#4 (1953): 517–543. in JSTOR
 Colton, Joel. Leon Blum: Humanist in Politics (1987), scholarly biography  excerpt and text search
 Colton, Joel. "Politics and Economics in the 1930s: The Balance Sheets of the 'Blum New Deal'." in From the Ancien Regime to the Popular Front, edited by Charles K. Warner (1969), pp 181–208.
 Dalby, Louise Elliott. Leon Blum: Evolution of a Socialist (1963) online
 Fenby, Jonathan. "The Republic of Broken Dreams" History Toda (Nov 2016) 66#11 pp 27–31; Popular history.
 Fitch, Mattie Amanda. "The People, the Workers, and the Nation: Contested Cultural Politics in the French Popular Front" (PhD dissertation, Yale University, 2015).
 Greene, Nathanael. The French Socialist Party in the Popular Front Era (1969)
 Gruber, Helmut. Leon Blum, French Socialism, and the Popular Front: A Case of Internal Contradictions (1986).
 Halperin, S. William. "Léon Blum and contemporary French socialism." Journal of Modern History (1946): 241–250. in JSTOR
 Jackson, Julian T., Popular Front in France: Defending Democracy 1934–1938 (Cambridge University Press, 1988)
 Jordan, Nicole. "Léon Blum and Czechoslovakia, 1936–1938." French History 5#1 (1991): 48–73. doi: 10.1093/fh/5.1.48
 Jordan, Nicole. The Popular Front and Central Europe: The Dilemmas of French Impotence 1918-1940 (Cambridge University Press, 2002)
 Lacouture, Jean. Leon Blum (English edition 1982) online
 Larmour, Peter. The French Radical Party in the 1930s (1964)
 Marcus, John T. French Socialism in the Crisis Years, 1933–1936: Fascism and the French Left (1958) online
 Mitzman, Arthur. "The French Working Class and the Blum Government (1936–37)." International Review of Social History 9#3 (1964) pp: 363–390.
 Nord, Philip. France's New Deal: From the Thirties to the Postwar Era (Princeton UP, 2012).
 Torigian, Michael. "The End of the Popular Front: The Paris Metal Strike of Spring 1938," French History (1999) 13#4 pp 464–491.
 Wall, Irwin M. "Teaching the Popular Front," History Teacher, May 1987, Vol. 20 Issue 3, pp 361–378 in JSTOR
 Wall, Irwin M. "The Resignation of the First Popular Front Government of Leon Blum, June 1937." French Historical Studies (1970): 538–554. in JSTOR
 Wardhaugh, Jessica. "Fighting for the Unknown Soldier: The Contested Territory of the French Nation in 1934–1938," Modern and Contemporary France (2007) 15#2 pp 185–201.
 Wardhaugh, Jessica. In Pursuit of the People: Political Culture in France, 1934-9 (Springer, 2008).
 Weber, Eugen. The Hollow Years: France in the 1930s (1996) esp pp 147–81

External links
"The Popular Front: A Brief but Crucial Period in History", interview with Henri Malberg, translated from "Front populaire : une période brève, mais capitale", originally published on 18 April 2006 in L'Humanité

History of the French Communist Party
French Section of the Workers' International
Political parties established in 1936
French Third Republic
Politics of France
Socialist parties in France
Defunct political party alliances in France
Popular fronts
Political parties disestablished in 1938
Anti-fascist organizations

Popular Front (France)


Truncated regression models are a class of models in which the sample has been truncated for certain ranges of the dependent variable. That means observations with values in the dependent variable below or above certain thresholds are systematically excluded from the sample. Therefore, whole observations are missing, so that neither the dependent nor the independent variable is known. This is in contrast to censored regression models where only the value of the dependent variable is clustered at a lower threshold, an upper threshold, or both, while the value for independent variables is available.

Sample truncation is a pervasive issue in quantitative social sciences when using observational data, and consequently the development of suitable estimation techniques has long been of interest in econometrics and related disciplines. In the 1970s, James Heckman noted the similarity between truncated and otherwise non-randomly selected samples, and developed the Heckman correction.

Estimation of truncated regression models is usually done via parametric maximum likelihood method. More recently, various semi-parametric and non-parametric generalisation were proposed in the literature, e.g., based on the local least squares approach or the local maximum likelihood approach, which are kernel based methods.

See also
Censored regression model
Sampling bias
Truncated distribution

References

Further reading

Actuarial science
Single-equation methods (econometrics)
Regression models
Mathematical and quantitative methods (economics)

Truncated regression model


In computer programming, cohesion refers to the degree to which the elements inside a module belong together. In one sense, it is a measure of the strength of relationship between the methods and data of a class and some unifying purpose or concept served by that class. In another sense, it is a measure of the strength of relationship between the class's methods and data themselves.

Cohesion is an ordinal type of measurement and is usually described as "high cohesion" or "low cohesion". Modules with high cohesion tend to be preferable, because high cohesion is associated with several desirable traits of software including robustness, reliability, reusability, and understandability. In contrast, low cohesion is associated with undesirable traits such as being difficult to maintain, test, reuse, or even understand.

Cohesion is often contrasted with coupling. High cohesion often correlates with loose coupling, and vice versa. The software metrics of coupling and cohesion were invented by Larry Constantine in the late 1960s as part of Structured Design, based on characteristics of "good" programming practices that reduced maintenance and modification costs. Structured Design, cohesion and coupling were published in the article Stevens, Myers & Constantine (1974) and the book Yourdon & Constantine (1979); the latter two subsequently became standard terms in software engineering.

High cohesion

In object-oriented programming, if the methods that serve a class tend to be similar in many aspects, then the class is said to have high cohesion. In a highly cohesive system, code readability and reusability is increased, while complexity is kept manageable.

Cohesion is increased if:
The functionalities embedded in a class, accessed through its methods, have much in common.
Methods carry out a small number of related activities, by avoiding coarsely grained or unrelated sets of data.
Related methods are in the same source file or otherwise grouped together; for example, in separate files but in the same sub-directory/folder.

Advantages of high cohesion (or "strong cohesion") are:
Reduced module complexity (they are simpler, having fewer operations).
Increased system maintainability, because logical changes in the domain affect fewer modules, and because changes in one module require fewer changes in other modules.
Increased module reusability, because application developers will find the component they need more easily among the cohesive set of operations provided by the module.

While in principle a module can have perfect cohesion by only consisting of a single, atomic element – having a single function, for example – in practice complex tasks are not expressible by a single, simple element. Thus a single-element module has an element that either is too complicated, in order to accomplish a task, or is too narrow, and thus tightly coupled to other modules. Thus cohesion is balanced with both unit complexity and coupling.

Types of cohesion
Cohesion is a qualitative measure, meaning that the source code to be measured is examined using a rubric to determine a classification. Cohesion types, from the worst to the best, are as follows:

Coincidental cohesion (worst) Coincidental cohesion is when parts of a module are grouped arbitrarily; the only relationship between the parts is that they have been grouped together (e.g., a "Utilities" class). Example:
/*
Groups: The function definitions
Parts: The terms on each function
*/
Module A {
  /*
  Implementation of r(x) = 5x + 3
  There is no particular reason to group functions in this way,
  so the module is said to have Coincidental Cohesion.
  */
  r(x) = a(x) + b(x)
  a(x) = 2x + 1
  b(x) = 3x + 2
}

Logical cohesion Logical cohesion is when parts of a module are grouped because they are logically categorized to do the same thing even though they are different by nature (e.g., grouping all mouse and keyboard input handling routines or bundling all models, views, and controllers in separate folders in an MVC pattern).

Temporal cohesion Temporal cohesion is when parts of a module are grouped by when they are processed - the parts are processed at a particular time in program execution (e.g., a function which is called after catching an exception which closes open files, creates an error log, and notifies the user).

Procedural cohesion Procedural cohesion is when parts of a module are grouped because they always follow a certain sequence of execution (e.g., a function which checks file permissions and then opens the file).

Communicational/informational cohesion Communicational cohesion is when parts of a module are grouped because they operate on the same data (e.g., a module which operates on the same record of information).

Sequential cohesion Sequential cohesion is when parts of a module are grouped because the output from one part is the input to another part like an assembly line (e.g., a function which reads data from a file and processes the data).

Functional cohesion (best) Functional cohesion is when parts of a module are grouped because they all contribute to a single well-defined task of the module (e.g., Lexical analysis of an XML string). Example:
/*
Groups: The function definitions
Parts: The terms on each function
*/
Module A {
  /*
  Implementation of arithmetic operations
  This module is said to have functional cohesion because
  there is an intention to group simple arithmetic operations
  on it.
  */
  a(x, y) = x + y
  b(x, y) = x * y
}

Module B {
  /*
  Module B: Implements r(x) = 5x + 3
  This module can be said to have atomic cohesion. The whole
  system (with Modules A and B as parts) can also be said to have functional
  cohesion, because its parts both have specific separate purposes.
  */
  r(x) = [Module A].a([Module A].b(5, x), 3)
}

Perfect cohesion (atomic) Example.
/*
Groups: The function definitions
Parts: The terms on each function
*/
Module A {
  /*
  Implementation of r(x) = 2x + 1 + 3x + 2
  It's said to have perfect cohesion because it cannot be reduced any more than that.
  */
  r(x) = 5x + 3
}

Although cohesion is a ranking type of scale, the ranks do not indicate a steady progression of improved cohesion. Studies by various people including Larry Constantine, Edward Yourdon, and Steve McConnell indicate that the first two types of cohesion are inferior; communicational and sequential cohesion are very good; and functional cohesion is superior.

See also
 Coupling (computer science)
 List of object-oriented programming terms
 Static code analysis

References

External links
 Definitions of Cohesion metrics
 Cohesion metrics
 Measuring Cohesion in Python

Software architecture
Software metrics
Programming principles

Cohesion (computer science)


Auryn (; stylized as AURYN) was a 5-member British-Spanish boy band founded in 2009. Signed to Warner Music, they sang in English and Spanish.

Members
The band is made up of five members that appeared previously on various talent show series in Spain. Various members of the band have taken part at different occasions in contests like Factor X, Veo Veo, La Batalla de los Coros and at Junior Eurovision Song Contest qualifications. Dani Fernández represented Spain in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2006.

Blas Cantó and Dani Fernández have studied trumpet and piano at musical conservatories / schools. Carlos Marco has studied vocal techniques at "Escuela Orfeo" in Alicante. Álvaro Gango has taken part in gospel and classical choirs and has worked as actor and David Lafuente has learned in musical bands.
 Blas Cantó Moreno (born in Ricote, Murcia, 26 October 1991)
 Daniel Fernández Delgado (born in Alcázar de San Juan, Ciudad Real, 11 December 1991)
 Alvaro Garcia-Gango Guijarro (born in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid on 2 October 1989)
 David Martin Lafuente (born in Pinos Puente, Granada on 3 May 1988)
 Carlos Perez Marco (born in Alicante, 4 February on 1991)

Destino Eurovisión 2011

Auryn  gained great popularity particularly after they took part in Destino Eurovisión, the selection process to represent Spain in Eurovision Song Contest 2011 reaching the final 3. In Heat 1 held on 28 January 2011, where contestants needed to perform an earlier Eurovision song, they sang a cover of "Fly on the Wings of Love" from the Olsen Brothers (the Eurovision 2000 winner for Denmark). They qualified to the next round by televoting. In the semi-final round held on 11 February 2011, contestants had to pick another Eurovision classic, they sang "Eres tú" originally by Mocedades that finished runner-up in Eurovision 1973 for Spain. They qualified by a decision of the jury to the Finals where they were one of the Top 3, the other acts being Lucía Pérez and Melissa. Each act had to sing three original songs, with the jury picking one original song from each artist. Auryn sang "Evangeline", "El sol brillará" and "Volver". The latter was picked as their final song. Eventually, the Spanish qualifying entry for Eurovision 2011 went to Lucía Pérez and her song "Que me quiten lo bailao".

Career
When the band was formed in 2009, they first gained attention through their online postings on YouTube including covers for Rihanna's "Umbrella" and Los Secretos' "Déjame". That was followed by an appearance on Destino Eurovisión 2011 (see above) where they finished in the Final 3, but failed to qualify for Eurovision 2011.

Based on the popularity they achieved, the band released their first single "Breathe in the Light" later in 2011 as well as their debut album Endless Road 7058 in 2012 both reaching the top 10 of the singles and album chart respectively. It won the "Best New Album" award at Televisión Española (TVE). Also spawning three top 10 singles, their follow-up album is Anti-Heroes was released in 2013 and went straight to number one on the album chart and has been certified platinum. Their third album "Circus Avenue" was preceded by the group's first number one single "Puppeteer" and reached number one on the album chart where it stayed for 5 consecutive weeks. The group released their fourth album "Ghost Town" in December 2015, seven months before going on hiatus.

Origin of the name
The band's name refers to the fictional talisman AURYN from Michael Ende book The Neverending Story, being two mythological serpents, symmetrical, that bite at each other's tails. The popular charm, when worn, allegedly gives the wearer the opportunity to fulfill all his wishes. Since the original word AURYN always appears in the book in all capitals, the band insists on naming its album titles in all capitals as well.

Solo projects
As the band went into hiatus in 2016, various members of the band launched solo projects. Blas Cantó signed to Warner Music Spain and released his debut solo single "In Your Bed". They officially announced the breakup on 28 July 2016.

Discography
Studio albums

Singles

Other releases
 2011: "Volver" (Destino Eurovisión 2011)
 2011: "Evangeline" (Destino Eurovisión 2011)
 2011: "El sol brillará" (Destino Eurovisión 2011)

CD/DVDs
 2012: Endless Road, 7058
 2013: Anti-Heroes
 2014: Circus Avenue

Awards and nominations

References

External links

 YouTube

Spanish musical groups
Spanish boy bands
English-language singers from Spain
MTV Europe Music Award winners

Auryn


Larry Peccatiello (born December 21, 1935) is a former American football coach. He was an assistant coach with the Washington Redskins from 1981 to 1993.  For most of that time, he was the defensive coordinator, either alone or sharing it with Richie Petitbon.  He was Petitbon's defensive coordinator during his lone season as head coach in 1993.

After Petitbon was fired after the 1993 season, incoming coach Norv Turner jettisoned the remaining staff.  From 1994 to 1996, he was defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals under head coach Dave Shula.  When Shula was fired following the 1996 season, incoming coach Bruce Coslet jettisoned the remaining staff.

From 1997 to 2001, he served in the same role for the Detroit Lions, after which he retired.  He was first hired by Lions head coach Bobby Ross, and also served under Gary Moeller when Ross resigned during the 2000 season.

One achievement Peccatiello is particularly proud of was his 1983 season with Washington, where he led the defense to 61 takeaways.

Peccatiello earned three Super Bowl rings during his time with the Redskins. In 2010, Peccatiello was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Additionally, Peccatiello has been inducted into the Newark, New Jersey Hall of Fame, as well as The College of William & Mary Hall of Fame. In 2022, Peccatiello was one of 10 inductees to "Washington's Greatest" in honor of the 90th Anniversary of the team.

Coaching timeline
1958–1968 College of William & Mary - DC
1969–1970 United States Naval Academy - DC
1971 Rice University - DC
1972–1975 Houston Oilers - LB
1976–1980 Seattle Seahawks - LB/DC
1981–1984 Washington Redskins - LB/Co-DC
1985–1993 Washington Redskins - DC
1994–1996 Cincinnati Bengals - DC
1997–2000 Detroit Lions - DC

References

1935 births
Living people
Cincinnati Bengals coaches
Detroit Lions coaches
Houston Oilers coaches
Navy Midshipmen football coaches
Rice Owls football coaches
Seattle Seahawks coaches
Sportspeople from Newark, New Jersey
Washington Redskins coaches
William & Mary Tribe football coaches
William & Mary Tribe football players
National Football League defensive coordinators
Players of American football from Newark, New Jersey

Larry Peccatiello


The Day She Paid is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Rex Ingram and starring Francelia Billington, Charles Clary, and Harry von Meter.

Plot
Set in Manhattan, New York, Marion Buckley receives a marriage proposal from Warren Rogers, a wealthy department store owner. Warren Rogers, however, is a widower with two daughters and has not taken the opportunity to remarry until now. However, Marion Buckley is very hesitant in accepting the marriage proposal, due to the fact that she had an affair with her employer, Leon Kessler and had promised to marry her. But after confronting Kessler with the news of the marriage proposal, he relents and promises to say nothing of the affair. Buckley and Rogers go on to get married, living happily together, until one day Kessler comes to visit, not to expose Buckley about the affair, but rather to ask for Rogers for his daughter, Ardath's, hand in marriage. Unsuspecting of anything, Rogers agrees to the marriage proposal, but in an effort to save Ardath from Kessler, hinting at an abusive relationship previously, Marion intervenes and tells Roger about the affair between the two. This enrages Rogers causing him to throw out Buckley stating that "sowing one's wild oats" is all right for a man, but not for a woman" . After this conflict, Marion decides to become a newspaper reporter in New York City where she encounters Kessler and learns that he is still chasing after Ardath, who is visiting New York with Rogers. In an attempt to save her from Kessler once again, Marion offers herself to him in exchange for him to leave Ardath alone for good. This conversation is heard through the door by Warren, and leads to him not only violently attack Kessler, but also take Marion back home, seemingly forgiving her.

Cast
 Francelia Billington as Marion Buckley
 Charles Clary as Warren Rogers
 Harry von Meter as Leon Kessler
 Lillian Rich as Ardath
 Nancy Caswell as Betty
 Marcel Drageauson as Modiste Assistant
 Miss DuPont
 Alice Terry

References

Bibliography
 Leonhard Gmür. Rex Ingram: Hollywood's Rebel of the Silver Screen. 2013.
"AFI CATALOG OF FEATURE FILMS." AFI, https://catalog.afi.com/Film/17313-THE-DAYSHEPAID?sid=8c54cd8f-67cf-47ad-98ec-9340d9ab9b39&sr=14.666971&cp=1&pos=0.
"The Day She Paid." IMDb, IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0010056/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl.

External links

The Day She Paid AFI Catalog

1919 films
1919 drama films
1910s English-language films
American silent feature films
Silent American drama films
Films directed by Rex Ingram
American black-and-white films
Universal Pictures films
Films based on works by Fannie Hurst
1910s American films

The Day She Paid


Bukit Dinding is a forested hill with published height of 291m in Kuala Lumpur sitting in between Setiawangsa and Wangsa Maju.
There are variation of heights in different records where according to Google Earth (2022), the height of Bukit Dinding is 302m, but acccording to Kuala Lumpur Slope Information System (KULSIS), it is 311m.

"Bukit Dinding" in Malay language means "The Wall Hill" - referring to its steep, extreme gradients. The hill also behaves as a "wall" separating 2 suburbs of Wangsa Maju and Setiawangsa. For the locals, this hill is often described as the last remaining green lung between these highly dense suburbs. The hill has close proximity to Highland Tower and Bukit Antarabangsa, which are parts of the main Titiwangsa Range – infamous for their beauty as well as their notorious landslides.

Geology
Bukit Dinding was a hill range encompassing smaller hills including those now known as Bukit Wangsamas, Bukit TM, Bukit Setiawangsa and Bukit Wangsa Kecil before it became the Hawthorden Estate.

The geological formation of Bukit Dinding was mapped as the oldest formation of the Kuala Lumpur area. This formation is called the "Dinding Schist" – is estimated to be 3400m thick, and consists of quartz-mica schist and quartzite with subsidiary actinolite, diopside and epidote schist and schistose conglomerate (Gobbett, 1965). In other words, it means coarse grained metamorphic rock which consists of layers of different minerals and can be split into thin irregular plates – making it unstable.

Ancient Lineaments and Faults existed on the hill range as a watershed to two KL rivers; Sg. Gombak and Sg. Klang. Groundwater used to be captured, stored in these ancient intersection lineaments and then transmitted downhill by linear lineaments to the rivers and faults in the area. The catchment has 2 faults and hot springs near the faults i.e. Setapak hot spring and Wangsa Maju Hot Springs.

In the 1900s, this hill range was converted into partly mining, and a large rubber estate, terraced and irrigated for rubber trees plantation .

Geological academicians recognize the Dinding Schist and the hot springs as geological heritages that are precious and worth preserving.

Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna
The forest consists of both Primary and Secondary vegetation. Being previously part of the Hawthornden Rubber Estate, there are many old rubber trees and their saplings, Acacia, Atrocarpus species (Sukun and Terap), Leucaena species and Alstonia augustifolia (Pulai). The Primary vegetation has yet to be studied and revealed.

The Black Bat Flower is indigenous in Bukit Dinding. It is a species known to be rare in the wild and it cannot be cultivated easily because it can survive only under specific environmental conditions. Black bat flower is listed as endangered plant in many countries.

There are many species of snakes, lizards, civet cats, monkeys and wild boars among the animals that inhabit Bukit Dinding often encroaching the surrounding housing areas.

There are numerous types of bird including the woodpeckers, but mostly these have not been professionally identified.

Activities and attractions

Downhill cycling
Bukit Dinding has become popular among cyclists for its steep drops. The tarmac pathway built for the Telekom Tower is a convenience, enabling shuttled service of bicycles to the peak. At least 5 loops of forest trails have been made by volunteer cycling groups.

Popular event: Bukit Dinding Downhill (BDDH) Race by Scarfox

On 24–25 February 2018, Bukit Dinding Race 2.0 by Scarfox had attracted over 210 participations from 8 countries including America, France, Singapore and Vietnam.

Within three years, their event participation had increased by twofold.

BDDH 1.0 was held on 25-26 December 2015

BDDH 2.0 was held on 24-25 February 2018

BDDH 3.0 was held on 2–3 March 2019

BDDH 4.0 was held on 6–8 March 2020

BDDH 5.0 is to be held on 4-5 March 2023

Hiking / trail running / jungle trekking
Hikers and trail runners are daily visitors of Bukit Dinding. The number of hikers increased during the Malaysia Movement Control Order (MCO) in 2021. The hill is the only open space getaway and workout opportunity for residents nearby. Using the main trek, every loop would be a good 5KM walk ascending and descending the hill. Those with intentions to train for tougher climb such as Mount Kinabalu, also use Bukit Dinding as their training ground – it is a common benchmark that if one could complete 3 loops of the main trail, he/she has achieved a good level of fitness – ready for their Kinabalu climb.

Popular event: Bukit Dinding Challenge (BDC)

Bukit Dinding Challenge is an annual tournament where participants would compete through 12-hours endurance running from 6.30am - 6.30pm

BDC 1.0: 8 October 2017

BDC 2.0: 3 December 2018

BDC 3.0: 4-5th February 2023

Streams of water
In an interview with Sinar Harian on 20th November 2014, Harun Mohd Amin, president of Pertubuhan Suara Setiawangsa, a local resident association, claimed that until the 1960s, there used to be a waterfall here. It is believed that the waterfall must have been plugged and redirected to drainages.

In recent times, there are multiple small streams of water seen by hikers at all sides of the hill.

History

1870: A Battle Location of the Klang War (1867-1874)

In 1870, the surroundings of Bukit Dinding became the location of one of the battles fought in the Klang War / Selangor Civil War between Raja Abdullah, the administrator of the Klang Valley (led by Tengku Kudin and Yap Ah Loy), and Raja Mahadi, the claimant of that position (led by Syed Mashhor and Chong Chong). The full account of the battle in Bukit Dinding area is quoted here: "Mashhor himself made his way to Chong Chong's camp near Batu Ampat, and suggested an immediate counter-attack, before Ah Loy's men could consolidate their position. Chong Chong agreed with the proposal and that night led a force estimated at about 1,000 men towards Ulu Klang. Mashhor is said to have followed him with an equal force, but advancing by a different route. There is actually only one direct line of approach from Ampang to Ulu Klang, that is up the river valley. It seems probable that Mashhor took this course (he had just retreated along it), while Chong Chong made his way round through the present Gonggang and Hawthornden Estates, to the west of Bukit Dinding. In the meantime Hiu Fatt and Tung Khoon had returned to their improvised camp at Ulu Klang. During the night they were woken by sounds of firearms and shouting, and discovered Mashhor's force in front of their position. They immediately gave orders for a direct attack to be made on the enemy. While it was in progress Chong Chong's men came up from the rear, presumably along the north flank of Bukit Dinding and down the valley of the Sungei Gisir. The Capitan China's men were thus trapped between two larger units of the enemy. Fortunately Ah Loy had decided that evening to re-inforce his troops at Ulu Klang, and had sent Chung Piang out to them with 400 men. These arrived in the middle of the conflict, and presumably in the rear of Chong Chong's encircling force. After a long struggle, in which the Capitans' losses amounted to over 40 killed and 100 wounded, Chong Chong was forced to retreat to his stockade at Ampang, "after sustaining a heavy loss".."

1883: The Gonggang Mines

In 1883, tin mining activities flourished in a place called "Gonggang" located southwest of Bukit Dinding (around Jalan Jelatek - Kampung Datok Keramat - Setiawangsa area today). The mining areas expanded until further upstream of Sungai Bunus (around Wangsa Maju area today). This was conveyed by surveyor Mr. M'Carthy to the Superintendent of Public Works Department, Kuala Lumpur, Mr. H. F. Bellamy, when proposing a continuation of an existing road to connect to the upstream mines. Meanwhile, coffee plantations were being opened on a large scale in the same area, since the 1880s. However up until early 20th century, mining activities continued in the Gonggang area, and along Sungai Klang at the south and east side of Bukit Dinding.

1888 (October): Opening of Hawthornden Estate

In October 1888, an estate in "Ulu Gonggang", located at Batu 5 Jalan Pahang Kuala Lumpur (north of Gonggang mining areas) was opened by J. A. Toynbee, late manager of Weld's Hill Estate under Messrs. Hill and Rathborne. It is possible that this estate expanded to Batu 6 Jalan Pahang, and named "Hawthornden Estate". It later expanded further to the east/southeast, until eventually covering most of Bukit Dinding.

1965 (September): Development of Part of Hawthornden Estate

In 3rd September 1965, the federal government announced plans for a new township in Wardieburn Estate, which includes a small part of Hawthornden Estate. This was most likely in Taman Bunga Raya area today. It was the earliest development in these areas, which did not expand further inland towards Bukit Dinding until the 1980s.

1983: Hawthornden Estate New Township

In 1983, four rubber plantations went through compulsory government acquisition under the then-young Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir. The land acquisition was exercised to tackle the urbanization problem of that era – squatters and insufficient housing for migration of people from the rural area to Kuala Lumpur:
 Ladang Hawthornden
 Ladang Gonggang
 Ladang Kent
 Ladang Wardieburn.

All four plantations were then reclassified and rezoned as "residential lands" - these parcels of lands are then sold to developers.

The vast plantation area - then converted to suburbs - was named Wangsa Maju, the shortened version of Titiwangsa Maju.

One of the plantations – Hawthornden Rubber Estate Company, owned by famous Loke Yew – included plots of lands of the BUKIT DINDING we know today.  All of the estates were rezoned as residential, including this plots of land on the hill.

On 9th December 1983, the Master Plan for a new township covering most of Hawthornden Estate, known as "Projek Pusat Pertumbuhan Bandar Baru Ladang Hawthornden", was approved. Since then, development started in the area later known as Wangsa Maju, starting with Section 1 (low-cost apartments), followed by Sections 2, 3, and 4 (mid-range apartments), and Section 5 (terrace houses, apartments, and condominiums). In that plan, part of Bukit Dinding (marked as "R-12") was already gazetted as "Residential Area". However it was not developed and remained as a forested part of the hill until today.

The incidents of notorious landslides of Highland Tower (1993) and Bukit Antarabangsa (2008) had halted slope developments throughout the country. Nevertheless, it is remained unknown why the land plots zoning for slopes of Bukit Dinding (and many other hills in the country) was never rezoned until today.

1983-1995: From Gonggang Estate to Setiawangsa

On 22nd September 1981, a Penang-based developer company, Island & Peninsular (I&P) Group Sdn Bhd took over the ownership of Gonggang Estate. By May 1983, the company's proposed layout plan for the 102-hectare Gonggang Estate site was approved. The scheme comprised well over 6,000 residential units, about 150 shophouses as well as a modern shopping and commercial centre. Building work and house sales by progress payments were planned for the end of the year 1983. Throughout the years 1983-1995, Gonggang Estate, including the foothill and mid-hill areas in the west and south-west side of Bukit Dinding, were developed in stages, and later known as "Taman Setiawangsa". The final phase of the development was the highest part of the area, named "Puncak Setiawangsa", which was completed in 1995.

Development Plans for Bukit Dinding

2008 (15th May): Draft of Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 (KLCP 2020)

Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) displayed the Draft of Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 (KLCP 2020). In the proposed "Environmental Protection Zone" and "Zoning" maps in that draft, most of Bukit Dinding was already planned for residential developments.

2012 (28th December): Puncak Setiawangsa Landslide

On Friday, 28th December 2012, around 10pm, a landslide occurred in Puncak Setiawangsa, the south-west tip of Bukit Dinding. It involved failure of an engineered wall built on a 43-metre high slope in 1989-1991. The catastrophic slope failure was triggered by a rainfall that occurred 2 days prior. In the aftermath of the landslide, a residential house located at the top edge of the slope partly collapsed, and one carriageway of the dual carriageway at the bottom of the slope was closed.

The houses and shop lots at the bottom of the slope were unaffected, but inhabitants of 46 of those houses were temporarily relocated for safety concerns.

2014 (September): Development on East Bukit Dinding

The first development project on the eastern side of Bukit Dinding was started by Kerjaya Prospek Property Sdn Bhd around September 2014. Amid opposition from the local residents, the project pressed on and was soft-launched on 12th August 2017, before finally completing in 2020. The aftermath was ongoing flooding from rain and bad drainage system, damaging homes and cars, and wild animals from the hill (especially snakes) escaping into lower homes in affected areas. The affected residents were Kelumpuk Serindit, Keramat AU, and its surroundings.

2017 (12th May): Fissures in Puncak Setiawangsa

The cliff along Jalan 11/55C, Puncak Setiawangsa, Bukit Setiawangsa (the exact same location of the 2012 landslide) appeared to have fissures measuring half-a-metre.

2017 (July): EIA Approval for Projek Wangsa Maju

The Department of Environment approved the Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA Report for "Projek Wangsa Maju", proposed by Nova Pesona Sdn. Bhd., the company which planned to develop a large portion of the west side of Bukit Dinding, marked as "R-12" in Bandar Baru Ladang Hawthornden Master Plan of 1983. The report identifies Bukit Dinding as a sensitive area, and even though the forest and wildlife within were considered "sparse", the project would still cause wildlife encounters particularly among residents in the east side of Bukit Dinding, and would require assistance from Perhilitan to relocate the wildlife to forests such as Ampang Forest Reserve located further to the east.

2018 (30th October): Gazettement of KLCP 2020

Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 (KLCP 2020) was finally gazetted on 30th October 2018. However, some of the contents were changed from the previous 2008 draft, without proper engagements with the public. As proposed in the 2008 draft, most of Bukit Dinding was planned for residential development. However, the remaining 70-acre portion of Bukit Dinding previously marked as "Public Open Space" was reduced to 50 acres, and labeled as "Taman Rekreasi Bukit Dinding" in the "Hierarchy Public Parks and Open Space" and "Zoning" maps.

2020 (18th February): Draft of Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040 (PSKL 2040)

In Draft of Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040 (PSKL 2040), the borders of the remaining Bukit Dinding remains  unchanged, and labelled as "Neighborhood Park".

Structure Plan & City Plan

Government authorities had approved development of high-rise condominiums and a new township on Bukit Dinding, despite its Environmental Protection Zone (EPZ) status in Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020. Bukit Dinding is a significant miss-out from the Urban Forest category. Tagged as 'Taman Rekreasi Bukit Dinding' through draft stages of KLCP2020, it is now reduced from 70 acres (KLSP2020 depiction) to 50 acres (KLCP2020 & draft KLSP2040 depiction). Meanwhile reality on the ground is that DBKL has yet to create a public park there throughout the 2000–2020 period – it remains to this day as 'vacant land', with Telekom Malaysia being the only institutional presence on the hill. Despite this lack of attention by DBKL, it has attracted a community of regular users, which grew significantly during the COVID-19 RMCO period.

Opposed Developments of New Residentials

On 28th March 2022, Director of the City Development Department, Zulkurnain Hassan, approved the proposal to build 2 blocks of 26-storey condominiums by Nova Pesona Sdn Bhd, as a continuation to the previous plans, supported by the 2017 EIA report. Local residents believed there were no sufficient notification as required by the law, learning of the development only 6 months later.

On 15 September 2022, a meeting Sesi Komunikasi Strategi Sebelum Pembinaan was called by the developer Nova Pesona Sdn Bhd, attended by 125 persons mostly residents of homes around Bukit Dinding. The developer revealed that DBKL had issued them the Development order dated 28 March 2022, with timelines of earthworks to commence at Q4 2022. The residents had openly opposed to the development stating various concerns;  risks of landslide, flood, traffic and compliance concerns.

On 22 September 2022, DBKL warned developer Nova Pesona against starting work on Bukit Dinding despite of their Development Order, until discussion with residents be finalized. DBKL reiterated that no work should be carried out until residents were fully-informed about the development, which had seen huge opposition from residents in the area over safety concerns.

Between 15 and 17 October 2022, four resident associations have lodged police report against the Developer Nova Pesona Sdn Bhd. feeling threatened by the purported development.

On 16 November 2022, during the Townhall event by Friends of Bukit Dinding, five out six election candidates for P118 Setiawangsa showed up, which included incumbent MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Pakatan Harapan), Nurul Fadzilah Kamaluddin (Perikatan Nasional) and Bibi Sunita Sakandar Khan (Pejuang) have signed the pledge to protect Bukit Dinding.

On 14 December 2022, a judicial review was filed by four residential associations and an NGO against DBKL, for granting the Development Order to the Developer (Nova Pesona Sdn Bhd), to construct 2 blocks of high rise condominiums on part of Bukit Dinding. On 20 July 2023, the High Court granted the plaintiffs the Leave to file the Judicial review against the decision of DBKL and have also granted a Stay Order pending the disposal of this suit.

List of Developers / Land Owners of Plots on Bukit Dinding

1. Developer: Kerjaya Prospek Property Sdn Bhd
 Affected Residents: Kelumpuk Serindit, Keramat AU and surrounding
 Status: Kaleidoscope Condominium -  completed in year 2020
 Description: In year 2014, the affected residents had actively protested and objected against the development - but to no avail.
 Aftermath: Ongoing flooding from rain and bad drainage system. Flood water damaged homes and cars. Wild animals from the hill (especially snakes) escaping into lower homes in affected areas.
2. Developer: Memang Jati Sdn Bhd

 Affected Residents: Bukit Wangsamas, Seksyen 5 Wangsa Maju, Puncak Setiawangsa
 Status: Ongoing project (2023)
 Description: In May 2023, when questioned of EIA fulfilment, the Department of Environment confirmed that they had not been consulted by DBKL of the project. Following the confirmation, a meeting was held between the residents and DBKL, where the residents made an official complaint.

3. Developer: Nova Pesona Sdn Bhd
 Land Area: 130 acres
 To be Affected Residents: Seksyen 5 Wangsa Maju, Fairview International School, Sri Kenangan Condominium and surrounding
 Status: DBKL Development Order (D.O.) has been obtained on 28 March 2022, but works put on hold. New EIA requirement by the DOE due to outdated data .

4. Developer: Harmony Properties Sdn Bhd
 Land Area: 33 acres
 To be Affected Residents:  vs Kelumpuk Kenari A, Kelumpuk Kuang C, part of Keramat AU towards Hulu Kelang
 Status: Unknown

5. Developer: Grene Heights Sdn Bhd
 Land Area: 56 acres
 To be Affected Residents: Taman Setiawangsa and surrounding
 Status: Unknown.

6. Developer: MCL Properties Sdn Bhd
 Land Area: 5 acres
 To be Affected Residents: Bukit Wangsamas, Taman Setiawangsa and surrounding
 Status: Unknown

References

Geography of Kuala Lumpur
Nature sites of Malaysia

Bukit Dinding


David L. Bosco is an American journalist, author and academic who writes on the subject of international relations with a focus on the United Nations. Currently, he is a contributing editor at Foreign Policy magazine and associate professor at Indiana University.

Early life

He was born and grew up in Washington, DC, where he attended St. Albans School.  In 1995, Bosco received an A.B. (Bachelor of Arts), magna cum laude, from Harvard College, where he was also the associate editorial chair of The Harvard Crimson.  He earned an M.Phil (Master of Philosophy) in international relations from Cambridge University in 1996. In 2001, Bosco earned a J.D (Juris Doctor), magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

Career

Bosco worked on refugee issues in post-war Bosnia. He began as a volunteer with the American Refugee Committee and then became head of its Sarajevo office.  He later served as deputy director of a joint United Nations/NATO project on repatriating refugees in Sarajevo.
After returning to the United States and while enrolled in Harvard Law School, Bosco interned at NATO Military Headquarters in Mons, Belgium. In 2000, he served as a law clerk in the legal advisor's office of the U.S. State Department.  After graduating from law school, Bosco was a Fulbright Scholar in Santiago, Chile from 2001-2002. He conducted research on criminal justice reform and published a feature article in Legal Affairs.
From 2002-2004 he was an attorney at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. There, he specialized in international arbitration, litigation and antitrust law. From 2004 to 2006, he was senior editor at Foreign Policy magazine. He remains a contributing editor with the magazine and writes its Multilateralist Blog.

In his current position at Indiana University, Bosco teaches courses on world politics, international organization, and international law. In 2023, he was named executive associate dean of Indiana University's Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He has also designed and taught courses on the International Criminal Court and the United Nations at American University's Washington College of Law.

Major awards

 2023: Fulbright Research Scholar, Spain
 2008: Next Generation Fellow in the study of international organizations, American Assembly
 2001: Fulbright Scholar, Chile
 2001: Frederick Sheldon Prize
 2000: Derek Bok Teaching Prize at Harvard University

Books

 The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World's Oceans
 Rough Justice, David Bosco (Oxford University Press, 2014).
 Five to Rule Them All, (Oxford University Press, 2009).

Major published articles

 "Course Corrections: The Obama Administration at the United Nations," Hague Journal of Diplomacy 6 (2011), 335-349.
 "The International Criminal Court and Crime Prevention: Byproduct or Conscious Goal?" 19 Michigan State Journal of International Law 163 (2010).
 "The Lost Ambassador," The Washington Post, Outlook Section, April 4, 2010.
 "Military Necessity vs. Moral Principle," The American Scholar, Vol. 77, No. 1, Winter 2008.
 "The Debt Frenzy," [article on sovereign debt lawsuits] Foreign Policy, July/August 2007.

TV appearances and radio broadcasts

Bosco has provided commentary and analysis for CNN International, National Public Radio,  and the Voice of America.

References

Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
American male journalists
St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.) alumni
American foreign policy writers
American male non-fiction writers
American magazine editors
International relations scholars
Harvard Law School alumni
The Harvard Crimson people
Alumni of the University of Cambridge
Harvard College alumni

David Bosco


The Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts theatre in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located on the western side of the University of Florida campus. This facility presents some of the most established and emerging national and international artists on the main stage. In all, the Phillips Center consists of a 1,700-seat proscenium hall and a 200-seat Black Box Theatre.
In 2000, retired Jacksonville surgeon Curtis M. Phillips provided The Barbara J. and Curtis M. Phillips M.D. Endowment Fund to name the performing arts center.

Performances
Since opening its doors in January 1992 with three sold-out performances of Cats, the Phillips Center has hosted performers as diverse as Tony Bennett, Itzhak Perlman, Riverdance, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Ray Charles, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Alison Krauss, Stomp, Yo-Yo Ma, David Sedaris, Bolshoi Ballet, Wynton Marsalis, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and Capitol Steps.  In recent years, the Phillips Center has hosted world premieres and been home to productions of Aeros and the People of the Forest as they mounted new, collaborative works.

See also
University of Florida
Buildings at the University of Florida

External links
 University of Florida Performing Arts
 Virtual tour of the Center for the Performing Arts
 Gainesville Sun info about the facility

1992 establishments in Florida
Buildings at the University of Florida
Performing arts centers in Florida
Theatres completed in 1992
Theatres in Florida
Tourist attractions in Gainesville, Florida
University and college arts centers in the United States
University and college buildings completed in 1932


Pavel Nikolaevich Medvedev (;  in Saint Petersburg – 17 July 1938 in Leningrad) was a Russian literary scholar. He was a professor, social activist, and friend of Mikhail Bakhtin, as well as of Boris Pasternak and Fyodor Sologub. Medvedev held several government posts in education and publishing after the 1917 revolution, publishing a great deal of his own writing on literary, sociological, and linguistic issues. Medvedev was arrested during the 1930s period of purges under the rule of Joseph Stalin, and  "disappeared" shortly after his arrest. He was shot on 17 July 1938.

One of his works, The Formal Method in Literary Scholarship, was believed to be written by his "co-thinker" Bakhtin, using his name to escape censorship. This belief was raised during the 1970s in Russia but developed fully in Clark and Holquist's English biography of Bakhtin of 1984. Now, it is mostly believed that the work was written by Medvedev although influenced by Bakhtin's ideas.

See also
Mikhail Bakhtin
Russian Formalism

References

Bibliography
 Yury P. Medvedev, Daria A. Medvedeva, Pavel Medvedev Gallery of Russian Thinkers... selected Dmitry Olshansky. Translation by David Shepherd.
 The Bakhtin Circle //Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
 Brandist, Craig, The Bakhtin Circle: Philosophy, Culture and Politics London, Sterling, Virginia: Pluto Press, 2002.
 Brandist, Craig, Shepherd, David, and Tihanov, Galin. The Bakhtin Circle: a timeline. In Brandist, Shepherd and Tihanov (eds), The Bakhtin Circle. In the Master's Absence. Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 2004. , pp. 251–275.
 Medvedev, Iu.P., and Medvedeva, D.A. The scholarly legacy of Pavel Medvedev in the light of his dialogue with Bakhtin. In Craig Brandist, David Shepherd and Galin Tihanov (eds), The Bakhtin Circle: In the Master's Absence. Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 2004. , pp. 24–43.
Medvedev, Iu.P., An Encounter that was 'Intended to be' // Dialogism (An International  Journal of Bakhtin Studies). London – N.Y. 2002. Nos. 5&6, pp. 10–20.

1892 births
1938 deaths
Writers from Saint Petersburg
20th-century Russian male writers
20th-century philologists
Soviet literary historians
Soviet male writers
Russian philologists
Russian formalism
Academic staff of Herzen University

Pavel Medvedev (scholar)


Daniel Hünten (1? September 1760, in Treis-Karden – 1 April 1823, in Koblenz) was a German organist, guitarist and composer.

He was baptised on 3 September 1760, probably one to three days after his birth. In 1784 Hünten was engaged as an organist at the court chapel of Prince Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony in Koblenz. He married Anna Weller (1750–1816) in 1786, and in 1788 his position as organist was made permanent.

During the French occupation he worked as an administrator, and from 1798 to 1803 he was the proprietor of a reading lounge with German and French newspapers, and also gave organ and guitar lessons. In 1803, although Catholic, he became the organist at the first Protestant church in Koblenz. In 1808 he was appointed professor of harmony and organ-playing at the newly reopened Normalschule, where he taught the young Henri Herz.

Hünten composed organ sonatas, fughettas and hymns, but few of his compositions survive. The only music by Hünten still regularly heard is a setting of Tauet, Himmel, den Gerechten.

He had four daughters and six sons, one of whom was the successful composer Franz Hünten. Two grandsons were painters: Emil Hünten and Daniel Dienz.

Bibliography
 Gerd Zöllner: Franz Hünten. Sein Leben und Werk. Beiträge zur rheinischen Musikgeschichte 34, Köln 1959 (Diss. Köln), Biogramm von Daniel Hünten S. 13–37.

1760 births
1823 deaths
German composers
German organists
German male organists

Daniel Hünten


Stolen base percentage is a statistic used in baseball.

A player's stolen base percentage (a.k.a. SB%) measures his rate of success in stealing bases. Because stolen bases tend to help a team less than times caught stealing hurt, a player needs to have a high stolen base percentage in order to contribute much value to his team. A commonly used figure is that a player needs to succeed about 2/3 of the time to break even.

With 300 minimum career attempts, Carlos Beltrán currently holds the record for highest Stolen base percentage in the Major Leagues, with .864, with Tim Raines in second, with .847.

Total Baseball developed a statistic related to stolen base percentage called "Stolen Base Runs" or SBR.
(.3 x Stolen Bases) - (.6 x Caught Stealing)
This Total Baseball statistic is aimed at quantifying base-stealing. Numerous statistical studies done by Total Baseball have shown that the break even success rate for steals (the rate at which an attempt to steal is neither helping nor hurting the team in terms of total runs scored) is about 67%. Each successful steal adds approximately .3 runs to a team's total runs scored which is much less than often believed. Therefore, the statistic is meant to estimate the impact of base-stealers, which, other than the elite base-stealers, rarely amounts to more than a few runs per year for each team.

See also

 List of Major League Baseball stolen base records - includes career and season records for stolen base percentage

References

External links
Baseball-Almanac.com

Baseball terminology
Baserunning statistics
Percentages

Stolen base percentage


A manor house of Polish nobility is called dwór or dworek in Polish.

The architectural form of the Polish manor house  evolved around the late Polish Renaissance period and continued until the Second World War, which, together with the  communist takeover of Poland, spelled the end of the nobility in Poland. A 1944 decree nationalized most mansions as property of the nobility; few were adapted to other purposes and many slowly fell into ruin. A vast majority of such mansions remain unused and are slowly deteriorating.

Architectural history
During the times of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Polish nobility built manor houses in the countryside. This was a preferred location for one's residence, as the nobility, following the sarmatism ideology, felt contempt for the cities, even though members of this elite also had residences in a major city or town (but, these were large lateral apartments rather than town houses).

The vast majority of such countryside manors in the beginning were made of wood. They tended to fall into two types: rare palaces of the magnates, and smaller, one-story houses, in which wood was the most common building material. Starting with the Renaissance period, mansions built with masonwork appeared, often designed to enhance their defensive characteristics. Although early on, such mansions were often designed as defensive mini-fortresses, over time - around the baroque period - the defensive function began to disappear.

The smallest ones had 2-4 rooms. Larger ones would have many more, including guest rooms and a chapel. Magnates' palaces would even boast their own opera house. Common furniture included benches, cupboards, tables, beds and small chairs, commonly made from tilia wood. Rarer furniture would include chests and wardrobes. Furniture was often painted (green being the most common color), sometimes engraved and inlaid. Walls were often painted with floral or moral and historical motifs, and decorated with Oriental (Persian, Turkish) or West European (Belgian, Flemish, French) tapestries and rugs, coats of arms, portraits, mirrors, weapons and trophies. Floors were wooden. Ceilings were carved and decorated with various hanging decorations (including candelabras). Windows in the richest mansions would be fitted with Venetian glass, and the rest would use green glass or waxed canvas. Stoves were common. Depending on a family's wealth, they would be made of materials from rough earthenware to porcelain and alabaster.

Early renaissance mansions were based on a rectangular design, with corner chambers (alkierze) and a porch. The roof was a Polish variant of the hip roof (:pl:Łamany dach polski) covered with shakes. In the baroque period, alkierze were replaced by risalits, and mansard roofs appeared. The Classicism period saw porches replaced by porticos with tympanums.

The dwór style design was also popular in the Second Polish Republic (Polish: styl narodowy or styl dworkowy), and is still inspiring some modern Polish manors.

See also
 Houses in Poland
 Polish architecture

References

External links

Social history of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

Manor houses of Polish nobility


Ferdinand de Braekeleer (Antwerp, 12 February 1792 – Antwerp, 16 May 1883), sometimes spelled as Ferdinand de Braeckeleer, was a Flemish painter and printmaker. He is known for his paintings of genre scenes, church interiors, historic events, religious scenes, cityscapes, market scenes and market still lifes. He is called 'the Elder' to distinguish him from his son with the same name, who was also a painter.

Life
Ferdinand de Braekeleer was born in a poor family. After his parents died, he was admitted to the school for orphans and children of poor parents established by the prominent Antwerp painter Mattheus Ignatius van Bree in Antwerp in 1807.  At the school, de Brakeleer received artistic training as well as reading classes.  De Bree rewarded good students with money and gifts. De Brakeleer was a good pupil and continued his education at the Royal Academy for Fine Arts of Antwerp where van Bree was also a teacher. He excelled as a pupil and received several prizes in 1809 and 1811.

In 1813 he submitted his work Aeneas saving Anchises from the fire of Troy to the Antwerp Salon.  It was well received and earned him the prize for painting worth 800 francs.  After the establishment of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, which included the territory of present-day Belgium in 1815, he was initially promised a scholarship to study abroad for three years, which was ultimately not granted.  He thus continued his studies in Antwerp and contributed four works to the Antwerp salon of 1816.

Early on, De Braekeleer decided that he wanted to make a living as a painter and he tried out several genres to find out which one would most likely bring him most success.  In addition to historical paintings, he also painted religious paintings, such as St. Sebastian for the Church of Our Lady of the Vineyard in Wijnegem (current location unknown).  He contributed some genre paintings of Antwerp city life to the Antwerp salon of 1819.

His Tobias Restoring his Father's Eye Sight won him the Dutch Prix de Rome in the category of historical paintings in 1819, the year in which the Prix was extended for the first time to the Belgian territory.  This prize provided him with a scholarship that allowed him to study in Italy.  He left for Rome in December 1819 to further his studies. During his stay in Rome his tutor Van Bree visited him and the pair travelled together to several Italian cities, including Naples, Ancona, Firenze, Bologna and Venice. Fascinated by these Italian cities and landscapes, he filled a sketch book with crayon drawings of landscapes and city views, which is currently in the collection of the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels.  By June 1822 he was in Paris from which he sent several of his paintings to Antwerp for the salon of 1822.

After his return to Antwerp, he created works inspired by the old Flemish masters. He painted many historical paintings depicting his country's glorious past, including scenes from the lives of famous Flemish and Dutch painters such as Rubens and Jan Steen. In October 1827, he married Marie-Thérèse Leys, the sister of the budding painter Jan August Hendrik Leys who would study with him. They had eleven children of whom Ferdinand the Younger (1828-1857) and Henri de Braekeleer (1840-1888) followed in their father's footsteps and became painters. His nephew Adriaan Ferdinand de Braekeleer (1818-1904) was also a painter.  In 1830 Belgium declared its independence, which created another opportunity for De Braekeleer to paint various works on Belgium's past. His The citadel of Antwerp after the bombardment of 1832 about the 1832 bombardments of Antwerp by the Dutch army earned him a lot of attention. In 1836 he was appointed the head of the committee responsible for erecting in Antwerp a statue of Rubens. He also supervised the restoration of Rubens' masterpieces the Raising of the Cross and the Deposition (both in the Antwerp Cathedral).

His reputation continued to grow. At the Brussels Salon of 1836, his The Schoolmistress won a silver medal, which he refused (although he collected the prize money) because his other contribution to the Salon, a history painting depicting a scene from the Spanish Fury had not been awarded a prize.  The success of his Celebration of the Third Thursday in Lent at the Children's School and the 50th Wedding Anniversary (both in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium) at the Brussels Salon of 1839 gained him international recognition. He gained official recognition in Belgium and was made a knight of the Order of Leopold. In 1847, he was appointed to the Royal Academy of Belgium. He was the cofounder of the Vereniging van Antwerpse kunstenaars (the 'Association of Antwerp artists') together with Henri Leys, Gustave Wappers, Nicaise de Keyser, Josephus Laurentius Dyckmans and Joseph Lies. He exhibited again at the Antwerp Salon in 1852.  He became a teacher at the Antwerp academy in 1855. He was elected member of the Academy of St. Petersburg in 1861.    He became a curator of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp in 1864.

Ferdinand de Braekeleer was widowed in 1874 and his health declined rapidly. He managed to handle the brush until the end of his life, leaving unfinished a large painting of the Feast of St. Thomas, a subject he had treated many years before for the Belgian King, but his eye and hand were no longer able to serve his thoughts. Surrounded by his daughters, he died in Antwerp on 16 May 1883, at the age of 91.

Work
De Braekeleer is known for his paintings of genre scenes, church interiors, historic events, religious scenes, cityscapes, market scenes and market still lifes. He was also a talented printmaker and etcher who made various prints with genre scenes.  He was appreciated for his talents as a colourist and draughtsman.  He is particularly remembered for his genre paintings steeped in the spirit of the 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings of Jan Steen, van Ostade and David Teniers the Younger. Although his work was left behind by developments in the second half of the 19th century, he played an important role in reviving Belgian painting through the high quality of his genre works and his role as a teacher of the next generation of artists.

Pupils

Besides his sons, he tutored several other artists who became influential, including:

 Louis Antoine Carolus
 Hendrik Joseph Gommarus Carpentero
 Adriaan Ferdinand De Braekeleer
 François Antoine De Bruycker
 Xavier De Cock
 Joseph Dens
 Robert van Eijsden
 Willem Jodocus Mattheus Engelberts
 Leopold Fisoette
 Napoléon François Ghesquière
 Paul Haesaert
 Aloïs Pieter Paul Hunin
 Jacob Jacobs
 Johan Janssens
 Eduard Knudden
 Jan Baptist Lammens
 Jan August Hendrik Leys
 Petrus Marius Molijn
 Florent Mols
 Aimé Pez
 Willem Rikkers
 Louis Somers
 Charles Venneman
 Constant Wauters
 Pierre-Joseph Witdoeck

Selected works
 Aeneas carrying Anchises from the fire of Troy, 1813
 The Healing of Tobit, 1819; current location unknown
 St. Sebastian; current location unknown
 Courtship, current location unknown
 The Oyster Eaters, 1829; current location unknown
 The citadel of Antwerp after the bombardment of 1832; Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp
 Tavern scene with musicians, 1843 based on a work by Adriaen van Ostade
 The Siege of Haarlem; Teylers Museum
 Farmhouse with peasants, drawing. Schlossmuseum Weimar
 Old hunter with young woman, 1867; private collection

References

External links

1792 births
1883 deaths
Painters from Antwerp
Belgian painters
Belgian printmakers
Belgian etchers
Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp) alumni
Prix de Rome (Netherlands) winners

Ferdinand de Braekeleer the Elder


was a town located in Kanzaki District, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, at the western foot of Suzuka Mountains.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 6,194 and a density of 34.17 persons per km². The total area was 181.27 km².

On February 11, 2005, Eigenji, along with the city of Yōkaichi, the town of Gokashō (also from Kanzaki District), and the towns of Aitō and Kotō (both from Echi District), was merged to create the city of Higashiōmi.

The town was named after a famous temple Eigen-ji and it is a key spot for viewing the momiji leaves turn red in the autumn. Mountain villages in east of the town is famous for rare green tea and had been a base of traditional woodworkers since 9th century.

External links
Eigenji Tourist Information Guide

Dissolved municipalities of Shiga Prefecture

Eigenji, Shiga


is a Japanese actor. Matsuda began acting in high school when a girl he had a crush on convinced him to join the theatre club. He later joined the sho-gekijo theatrical troupe Haiyu-Za. Nowadays known for roles such as Kagero in the low-budget films Shinobi: The Law of Shinobi, 2002, and its sequels Shinobi: Runaway, 2005 (not related to the 2005 film Shinobi: Heart Under Blade), Shinobi: Hidden Techniques, and Shinobi: A Way Out. He is probably best known in Japan for numerous roles he has played in the tokusatsu genre: starting with Kamen Rider Hibiki as Zaoumaru Zaitsuhara/Kamen Rider Zanki (as well as related characters: Buddhist monk Kamen Rider Touki in the movie special - a Sengoku-era version of Zanki - and an alternate Zanki from the Hibiki World as depicted in Kamen Rider Decade), and in Kamen Rider Kiva as Jiro/Garulu (who made a cameo appearance in Cho Kamen Rider Den-O & Decade Neo Generations: The Onigashima Warship). He has also appeared in a cameo in the Kamen Rider G special and has a recurring role in the series Garo: Makai Senki. He played the role of Raizo Gabi in Shuriken Sentai Ninninger.

He is most internationally known, however, for his role as the butterfly knife-wielding gangster in Ryuhei Kitamura's pop culture hit film, Versus. He has also lent his voice to the Wii video game Dragon Quest Swords as the hero's father, Baud. He also play the role of Zebra from the series Toriko''.

External links
Official blog

1971 births
Living people
Kamen Rider
People from Ibaraki, Osaka
Japanese male actors

Kenji Matsuda


Alexander (Oleksandr) Khvostenko-Khvostov (; April 4, 1895 – February 16, 1967) was a Russian/Ukrainian/Soviet avant-garde artist (Constructivist), and stage designer.

Biography
Oleksandr Khvostenko-Khvostov was born in the village of Borisovka, now part of the Belgorod Oblast (Russia) on the 17 April (4 April O.S) 1895.

From 1907 to 1917 Alexander studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHZV). In 1917 he became a member of the Moscow Professional Union of Artists in Moscow together with Kazimir Malevich, Aleksandra Ekster, Vadym Meller and Vladimir Tatlin. From 1918 to 1919 he studied in the studio of Aleksandra Ekster in Kiev, Ukraine.

From 1920 to 1921 he designed posters and advertising boards. After 1920 he made numerous designs for ballets and operas in Kharkiv and Kiev, mainly in the Constructivist style.

In 1926 he cooperated in the production of  Prokofiev's Love for the three Oranges (one of his most experimental projects that was not performed) in Kharkiv. In 1927 he participated in the All-Ukrainian Exhibition Ten Years October  together with Alexander Bogomazov, Vadym Meller,  Vladimir Tatlin,  Victor Palmov, Anatol Petrytsky, Mark Epshtein.

Oleksandr Khvostenko-Khvostov died 16 February 1967 in Kiev.

References

Ukrainian male artists
Russian male artists
Ukrainian scenic designers
Modernist theatre
Ukrainian poster artists
Russian poster artists
1895 births
1967 deaths
Ukrainian avant-garde
Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture alumni

Alexander Khvostenko-Khvostov