text:
Talk:Quebec Liberal Party

Untitled
Need to develop history - particularly origins as parti rouges and role in the Quiet Revolution.

OK, now we need more info on the Liberals between confederation and Lesage Formeruser-83 23:25, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Relation with Liberal Party of Canada
The article states that the PLQ has no official relation with the LPC. What kind of relation is there? Does the PLQ participate in federal elections? The election results only lists the Liberal Party of Canada. Does the LPC participate in Quebec provincial elections? Gangulf 10:55, 22 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * I think the article's statement is correct. Their is no official relationship between the PLQ and the LPC. There is no sharing of executives, the organizations do not send delegates to each other's conventions, etc.  If I recall correctly, the old PC Party granted automatic delegateships for conventions to PC provincial politicians (MLAs, MPPs, and MHAs). I do not expect that the LPC would do that for PLQ MNAs. The LPC does not run in Quebec elections, and the PLQ does not run in federal elections, but nor do they officially support each other at election time. Unofficially, most PLQ supporters would probably vote LPC in federal elections, and vice versa, but this is not always the case.  I think that many PLQ types worked for the Mulroney Tories during that era.Kevintoronto 13:20, 22 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * Thanks, so it seems that the relation is similar to the relation between PQ and BQ. How does that work for the other provincial Liberal parties. Gangulf 13:36, 22 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * Until 1964 the Fédération Libérale du Québec (constituting the PLQ) was part of the Fédération Libérale du Canada (LPC), meaning that it was not an autonomous party. Since then there have been no official ties between the LPC and the PLQ, but other ties, as stated above do persist. Tremblay 17:10, 22 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * From what I read, the ties with the PLQ were severed by the PLC because of the overt nationalism of the Quiet Revolution, as lead by Lesage and the PLQ. We cannot forget about the PLQ that it has been a very changing party, not only on nationalism, but also on left-right politics.

 * Honoré Mercier was quite nationalist (he even called the party Parti National) and seemed to have become independentist at the end of his life. Godbout did have a soft stance on the subject but did speak of a public consultation for an equal union between Quebec and Canada, something that was reminded by René Lévesque when he presented the 1980 referendum question. Lesage was nationalist (he did have plans for a special status, something that did not materialize) also and Lesage's PLQ had many sympathizers of independentism, like René Lévesque or Yves Michaud (many of those would leave for the new Parti Québécois). Robert Bourassa's politics were somehow close to nationalism but were more pragmatic. Also, one wonders if he would have pushed as much for the "distinct society" status if he had not seen it as a way to block the Parti Québécois' ideals. The post-1995 and Charest era now has the PLQ sterile about any national recognition. One reason of this progressive shift towards national "indifference" might be the departure of the left-wing nationalists towards the PQ and later the same thing with the right-wing nationalists to the ADQ. It's the same with left-right politics. From its social-democratic 60's, the PLQ went to the Bourassa centrism to the present right-wing Charest neoliberalism.

 * The "flexibile" nature of the party is visible in the logo evolution, actually... If you notice, the party symbol has often changed with no opposition (the present one has been adopted only in 2003, for the election). The Parti Québécois, a party with much more stable ideals, itself has only changed once, and only slightly (the bar of the Q is now larger and shorter; I believe it changed in the 80's). You can imagine the contestation if the logo was changed without warning! ;) --Liberlogos 21:10, 22 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Title of the article on Quebec Liberals
Given that most articles on political parties in Quebec have a french title (Parti Québécois, Action démocratique du Québec and so on), I think we should move the article "Liberal Party of Quebec" back to "Parti libéral du Québec", with all english titles point to it.

However, if there is a consensus on keeping the article under an english title, then it should be moved to "Quebec Liberal Party" (with all other titles pointing to it), which is the official english name of the Liberals in Quebec. --Mattcliche 01:33, Jul 28, 2004 (UTC) "There seems to be a general prefeence to name all political parties in Wikipedia by there English names. I do not see a reason not to do that with Quebc parties. Gangulf 05:28, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * This is a sticky question. I think that using the English name for the PLQ makes sense because it has an English name, and its English name is what is commonly used. The PQ, UN and others, do not seem to have English names, except in old textbooks where the term "National Union" is used, but that sounds really funny now, doesn't it? So it makes sense to use their French names instead of translating them. I've never seen a successful translation of Parti Quebecois. The Equality Party should also be under the English name because that is what is used in English. I don't think that English speakers would ever call it the Parti e'galite' even though they would talk about Action de'mocratique. There are my deux cents. Kevintoronto 13:25, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * I am aware it is a sticky country in a bilingual country like Canada. On the other hand, parties in Germany, Switzerland and even Russia, are not listed under their original names, but under translations of their names. So all the texts I have updated, I stick to that convention. I do not think I will change other Quebec parties, but I really think they should also be listed with English translations of their names. Since there is an official English translation of the PLQ, I would now prefer to move the page to Quebec Liberal Party. Gangulf 13:50, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * Actually, it seems that a significant number of "non english" political parties are listed under their original names on the english Wikipedia (obviously, for english speaking countries, there's no question about it ;-)). Here are some examples (as of July 28, 2004):
 * * Groen! (Belgium)
 * * Socialistische Partij - Anders (Belgium)
 * * Vivant (Belgium)
 * * Khmer Rouge (Cambodia)
 * * Det Radikale Venstre (Denmark)
 * * Enhedslisten (Denmark)
 * * Kristendemokraterne (Denmark)
 * * Socialdemokraterne (Denmark)
 * * Vihreä Liitto (Finland)
 * * Les Verts (France)
 * * Synaspismos (Greece)
 * * Partido Liberal de Honduras (Honduras)
 * * Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithy (India)
 * * Samajwadi Party (India)
 * * Sinn Féin (Ireland)
 * * Ha-Yerukim (Israel)
 * * Likud (Israel)
 * * Democrazia Cristiana (Italy)
 * * Tautas Partija (Latvia)
 * * Déi Lénk (Luxembourg)
 * * Christen-Democratisch Appèl (Netherlands)
 * * De Groenen (Netherlands)
 * * GroenLinks (Netherlands)
 * * Partij van de Arbeid (Netherlands)
 * * Socialistische Partij (Netherlands)
 * * Det norske Arbeiderparti (Norway)
 * * Fremskrittspartiet (Norway)
 * * Høyre (Norway)
 * * Kristelig Folkeparti (Norway)
 * * Sosialistisk Venstreparti (Norway)
 * * Zieloni (Poland)
 * * Yabloko (Russia)
 * * Partito Comunista Sammarinese (San Marino)
 * * Esquerra Unida i Alternativa (Spain)
 * * Kristdemokraterna (Sweden)
 * * Miljöpartiet de Gröna (Sweden)
 * * Moderata samlingspartiet (Sweden)
 * * Socialdemokratiska arbetarpartiet (Sweden)
 * * Vänsterpartiet (Sweden)
 * * Kuomintang (Taiwan)

 * For some countries (especially in Scandinavia and Benelux), articles on political parties with the title in the original language are the rule, not the exception. It is also the case for articles on Quebec political parties, where most titles are in french (anyway, most political parties, ancient or current, have no english title at all). In that context, I think we should stick with "Parti libéral du Québec" and other french titles (except for the cases specified by Kevintoronto).--Mattcliche 03:27, Jul 29, 2004 (UTC)

I rest my case. I thought there was a convention. There seems not to be one, so why should I impose an English name. So if somebody could restore the French title. Generally, I would suggest a convention to name a party either in the original language or in an English translation and at the same time hevaing a redirect page from the other option to the chosen option. Gangulf 07:26, 29 Jul 2004 (UTC)

November 16 edits
I've reverted all of the edits today because they violate Wikipedia's policy on a neutral point of view (NPOV). The anonymous editor should acquaint him/herself with Wikipedia's policies. Kevintoronto

Lots of vandalism
I reverted about two weeks worth of vandalism; however I'm not sufficiently knowledgeable of Quebecois politics to be sure this article is in an accurate state. Someone who knows the subject should review. --EngineerScotty 21:40, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

Requested move

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the . Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

PAGE MOVED to Quebec Liberal Party per discussion below. -GTBacchus(talk) 02:21, 11 March 2007 (UTC) Parti libéral du Québec → Liberal Party of Quebec —  English whenever possible, and here English is possible. --Checco 09:57, 28 February 2007 (UTC) – discussion added by Sig Pig  |SEND - OVER  23:36, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Survey

 * Add  # Support   or   # Oppose   on a new line in the appropriate section followed by a brief explanation, then sign your opinion using ~ .  Please remember that this survey is not a vote, and please provide an explanation for your recommendation.

Survey - in support of the move

 * 1) Support - with qualification. The name of the party in English is the "Quebec Liberal Party". Move to that title, not a direct transliteration. -- Sig Pig  |SEND - OVER 23:44, 1 March 2007 (UTC)
 * 2) Support - with qualification. The party is legally registered with DGEQ as the Parti libéral du Québec/Quebec Liberal Party . Thus, it should really be moved over to "Quebec Liberal Party", as opposed to "Liberal Party of Quebec". Also, I doubt that many Anglophones will come to the English Wikipedia looking for "Parti libéral du Québec" as opposed to "Quebec Liberal Party", particularly when the party itself uses the latter in all of its English-language communications. SimFan10076 07:00, 2 March 2007 (UTC)
 * 3) Support - with qualification. as above. Jimp 07:05, 2 March 2007 (UTC)
 * 4) Support as I said above. --Checco 20:09, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Discussion

 * Add any additional comments:
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Fair use rationale for Image:Parti libéral du Québec 2003 logo.png
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BetacommandBot 04:47, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Policy
There is very little on policy, and only in the most general terms. I would like to start a section on that. Any objections?Toddsschneider 17:22, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Lpq.PNG
Image:Lpq.PNG is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot 00:27, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

Federal elections
The article doesn't say anything about how the party acts in federal elections. Do they endorse the Liberal Party of Canada or are they completely neutral? --RJFF (talk) 14:17, 2 February 2012 (UTC)
 * The parties are independent of each other. When Jean Charest, a former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister and party leader, became leader of the Quebec Liberals, this was simply a move from federal politics to Quebec politics, not "crossing the floor" as it would have been if he had joined the Liberal Party of Canada. -- 18:51, 2 February 2012 (UTC)
 * So, they don't endorse any federal party? They say "vote whoever you want, we don't care about federal politics"? --RJFF (talk) 21:33, 2 February 2012 (UTC)
 * They don't get involved officially, as a party. As far as I know, individual members can do what they like.  Behind the scenes, it's possible the party might on certain occasions get involved in federal elections, but not necessarily on the side of the federal Liberals.  I vaguely recall occasional informal cooperation between the Quebec Liberal party and the Progressive Conservatives under Mulroney, but am not sure.  Despite the similarity of names, these are two distinct and unrelated parties.  Historically (until the 1950s?) I think there used to be a link between them, but not anymore, not for quite some time. -- P.T. Aufrette (talk) 22:42, 2 February 2012 (UTC)

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title: Talk:Quebec Liberal Party


text: User talk:69.136.26.7

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: User talk:69.136.26.7


text:
Kurt Browning

Kurt Browning, (born June 18, 1966) is a Canadian figure skater, choreographer and commentator. He is the first skater to land a ratified quadruple jump in competition. He is a four-time World Champion and Canadian national champion.

Career
Browning was both Canadian figure skating champion and World Champion four times. He represented Canada in three Winter Olympics, 1988 (finishing 8th overall), 1992 (6th) and 1994 (5th), and earned the privilege of carrying the Canadian flag during the opening ceremonies of the 1994 games in Lillehammer, Norway. Browning's other achievements include three Canadian Professional Championships and three World Professional Championships.

On March 25, 1988, at the 1988 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Browning landed the first ratified quadruple jump, a toe loop in the competition. This accomplishment is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Jozef Sabovčík had previously landed a quad toe loop at the 1986 European Championships which was recognized at the event but then ruled invalid three weeks later. Browning later said, "I remember that there were a few people landing the jump (in practice) long before I did, and by watching them I was inspired to try it myself. After landing it, I certainly expected more skaters to start doing it in competition. I was surprised in the next few years when that really did not happen." Browning is also known for his intricate, fast, often lighthearted footwork. Browning has used percussive pop instrumentals in his programs; for example, he used "Bonzo's Montreux" by Led Zeppelin in 1993. He interpreted the music by punching his fists and frequently running across the ice. The following season he used "St. Louis Blues," wearing a tight black t-shirt, stretch pants, and belt. He also raised his fists "in a biceps-flexing muscle pose" and included humor by emulating laughter with upper body movements, skated in time to descending saxophone notes and by pointing to the audience during his footwork sequence.

One of Browning's iconic programs is "Singin' in the Rain", where he emulates Gene Kelly's dancing in the film. Choreographed by Sandra Bezic and debuted in a CBC-TV special in 1994, this program is still asked to be performed at ice shows after 20 years.

As a commentator, Browning has made frequent appearances since turning professional in 1994. He has been a regular colour commentator for the CBC at major skating events since 2006.

Browning appeared in the 2006 Fox television program Skating with Celebrities. Starting in 2009, he was the co-host of Battle of the Blades.

As a choreographer, he has choreographed programs for many figure skaters including:

 * Jeremy Abbott
 * Kevin Alves
 * Patrick Chan
 * Vaughn Chipeur
 * Marc-André Craig
 * Alissa Czisny
 * Javier Fernández
 * Yuzuru Hanyu
 * Takeshi Honda
 * Brian Joubert
 * Tuğba Karademir
 * Carolina Kostner
 * Takahiko Kozuka
 * Tara Lipinski
 * Evan Lysacek
 * Brandon Mroz
 * Lucinda Ruh
 * Jamie Salé / David Pelletier
 * Yuka Sato
 * Tomáš Verner
 * Yan Han

He also co-directed and choreographed the 2011–12 Stars on Ice tour.

Awards and honors
Browning was awarded with a Lou Marsh Trophy for top Canadian Athlete (in 1990), Lionel Conacher Awards (1990 and 1991), an American Skating World Professional Skater of the Year Award (in 1998), and a Gustav Lussi Award from the Professional Skaters' Association (in 2001).

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada (CM) in 1989.

Browning was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 2000. He was honored with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 2001. He was inducted into World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2006. He received the inaugural ISU Skating Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

Personal life
Browning was born on June 18, 1966, in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. He was raised in Caroline, Alberta.

He married Sonia Rodriguez, a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, on June 30, 1996. Their first son, Gabriel, was born on July 12, 2003, and their second son, Dillon, was born on August 14, 2007. They are now divorced. Browning's home in the Forest Hill area of Toronto suffered a fire on August 18, 2010.

He married Alissa Czisny on August 11, 2022.

Competitive highlights

 * J – junior level, N – novice level

title: Kurt Browning


text:
Siena Cathedral

Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.

It was the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Siena, and from the 15th century that of the Archdiocese of Siena. It is now the seat of the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino.

The cathedral was designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The dome was completed in 1264. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The bell tower has six bells, where the oldest one was cast in 1149. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with the addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius. There are thirty-five statues of prophets and patriarchs grouped around the virgin. The finest Italian artists of that era completed works in the cathedral. These artists were Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Donatello, Pinturicchio, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Bernini.

Early history
The origins of the first structure are obscure and shrouded in legend. There was a 9th-century church with the bishop's palace at the present location. In December 1058 a synod was held in this church resulting in the election of pope Nicholas II and the deposition of the antipope Benedict X.

In 1196, the cathedral masons’ guild, the Opera di Santa Maria, was put in charge of the construction of a new cathedral. Works were started with the north–south transept and it was planned to add the main, larger body of the cathedral later, but this enlargement was never accomplished.

By 1215 there were already daily masses said in the new church. There are records from 1226 onwards of the transport of black and white marble, probably for the construction of the façade and the bell tower. The vaults and the transept were constructed in 1259–1260. In 1259 Manuello di Ranieri and his son Parri carved some wooden choir stalls, which were replaced about 100 years later and have now disappeared. In 1264, Rosso Padellaio was paid for the copper sphere on top of the dome. A second massive addition of the main body of the cathedral was planned in 1339. It would have more than doubled the size of the structure by means of an entirely new nave and two aisles ranged perpendicular to the existing nave and centered on the high altar. The construction was begun under the direction of Giovanni di Agostino, better known as a sculptor. Construction was halted by the Black Death in 1348. Basic errors in the construction were already evident by then, however, and the work was never resumed. The outer walls, remains of this extension, can now be seen to the south of the Duomo. The floor of the uncompleted nave now serves as a parking lot and museum, and, though unfinished, the remains are a testament to Sienese power, ambition, and artistic achievement. One of the walls can be climbed by narrow stairs for a high view of the city.

Underneath the choir of the Duomo, a narthex containing important late 13th-century frescoes (probably about 1280) was found and excavated in 1999–2003. The frescoes depict scenes from the Old Testament and the life of Christ. This was part of the entrance of an earlier church. But when the baptistry was built, this under-church was filled with rubble. The narthex is now open to the public.

The belltower has six bells, the oldest one was cast in 1149.

Façade
The façade of Siena Cathedral is one of the most fascinating in all of Italy and certainly one of the most impressive features in Siena. Each of the cardinal points (west, east, north, and south) has its own distinct work; by far the most impressive of these is the west façade. Acting as the main entryway to the Duomo proper, it boasts three portals (see Portal (architecture)); the central one is capped by a bronze-work sun.

Built in two stages and combining elements of French Gothic, Tuscan Romanesque architecture, and Classical architecture, the west façade is a beautiful example of Sienese workmanship. Work began on the lower part around 1284. Built using polychrome marble, the work was overseen by Giovanni Pisano whose work on the Duomo's façade and the pulpit was influenced by his father Nicola Pisano.

The lower portion of the façade is designed from Giovanni's original plans. Built in Tuscan Romanesque style it emphasizes a horizontal unity of the area around the portals at the expense of the vertical bay divisions. The three portals, surmounted by lunettes, are based on Giovanni Pisano's original designs, as are much of the sculpture and orientation surrounding the entrances. The areas around and above the doors, as well as the columns between the portals, are richly decorated with acanthus scrolls, allegorical figures and biblical scenes.

Giovanni Pisano was able to oversee his work until about 1296 when he abruptly left Siena, reportedly over creative differences with the Opera del Duomo, the group that oversaw the construction and maintenance of the Siena cathedrals. Pisano's work on the lower façade was continued under the direction of Camaino di Crescentino, but a number of changes were made to the original plan. These included raising the façade due to the raising of the nave of the church and the installation of a larger rose window based on designs by Duccio di Buoninsegna and commissioned by the city of Siena. Work on the west façade came to an abrupt end in 1317 when the Opera del Duomo redirected all efforts to the east façade.

There is debate as to when work on the upper façade was completed. Most scholars agree that it was finished sometime between 1360 and 1370, though when it began again is not known. The work continued to use Pisano's plans for the façade with some adaptations under the direction of Giovanni di Cecco. Di Cecco preferred more elaborate designs, most likely inspired by the Orvieto Cathedral. The façade needed to be much higher than foreseen as the nave had, once again, been raised.

The changes were probably needed to accommodate the raised nave and di Cecco's more elaborate design scheme, heavily influenced by French Gothic architecture, which caused the apparent division of the upper portion of the cathedral. Most noticeably the pinnacles of the upper portion do not continue from the columns flanking the central portal as they normally would in such cathedrals. Instead, they are substantially offset, resulting in a vertical discontinuity which is uncommon in cathedrals of the time as it can lead to structural weakness. To adjust for this imbalance, the towers on each side of the cathedral were opened by adding windows, reducing the weight they needed to support. The upper portion also features heavy Gothic decoration, a marked contrast to the simple geometric designed common to Tuscan Romanesque architecture.

While most of the sculpture decorating the lower level of the lavish façade was sculpted by Giovanni Pisano and assistant depicting prophets, philosophers and apostles, the more Gothic statuary adorning the upper portion—including the half-length statues of the patriarchs in the niches around the rose window—are works of later, unattributed, sculptors. Almost all the statuary adorning the cathedral today are copies. The originals are kept in the Crypt of the Statues in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.

Three large mosaics on the gables of the façade were made in Venice in 1878. The large central mosaic, the Coronation of the Virgin, is the work of Luigi Mussini. The smaller mosaics on each side, Nativity of Jesus and Presentation of Mary in the Temple, were made by Alessandro Franchi.

The bronze central door is a recent addition to the cathedral, replacing the original wooden one. The large door, known as the Porta della Riconoscenza, was commissioned in 1946 near the end of the German occupation of Siena. Sculpted by Vico Consorti and cast by Enrico Manfrini, the scenes on the door represent the Glorification of the Virgin, Siena's patron saint.

On the left corner pier of the façade is a 14th-century inscription marking the grave of Giovanni Pisano. Next to the façade stands a column with a statue of the Contrade Lupa, a wolf breast-feeding Romulus and Remus. According to local legend Senius and Aschius, sons of Remus and founders of Siena, left Rome with the statue, stolen from the Temple of Apollo in Rome.

Interior

In the interior the pictorial effect of the black and white marble stripes on the walls and columns strikes the eye. Black and white are the colours of the civic coat of arms of Siena. The capitals of the columns in the west bays of the nave are sculpted with allegorical busts and animals. The horizontal molding around the nave and the presbytery contains 172 plaster busts of popes dating from the 15th and 16th centuries starting with St. Peter and ending with Lucius III. The spandrels of the round arches below this cornice exhibit the busts of 36 emperors. The vaulted roof is decorated in blue with golden stars, replacing frescoes on the ceiling, while the formerets (half ribs) and the tiercerons (secondary ribs) are adorned with richly elaborated motifs.

The stained-glass round window in the choir was made in 1288 to the designs of Duccio. It is one of the earliest remaining examples of Italian stained glass. The round stained-glass window in the façade dates from 1549 and represents the Last Supper. It is the work of Pastorino de' Pastorini.

The hexagonal dome is topped with Bernini's gilded lantern, like a golden sun. The trompe-l'œil coffers were painted in blue with golden stars in the late 15th century. The colonnade in the drum is adorned with images and statues of 42 patriarchs and prophets, painted in 1481 by Guidoccio Cozzarelli and Benvenuto di Giovanni. The eight stucco statues in the spandrels beneath the dome were sculpted in 1490 by Ventura di Giuliano and Bastiano di Francesco. Originally they were polychromed, but later, in 1704, gilded.

Next to the first two pillars, there are two fonts, carved by Antonio Federighi in 1462–1463. His basin for the Blessing of Holy Water was later transferred to the chapel of San Giovanni. The marble high altar of the presbytery was built in 1532 by Baldassarre Peruzzi. The enormous bronze ciborium is the work of Vecchietta (1467–1472, originally commissioned for the church of the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala, across the square, and brought to the cathedral in 1506). At the sides of the high altar, the uppermost angels are masterpieces by Francesco di Giorgio Martini (1439–1502).

Against the pillars of the presbytery, there are eight candelabras in the form of angels by Domenico Beccafumi (1548–1550), He also painted the frescoes, representing Saints and Paradise, on the walls in the apse. These were partially repainted in 1912. Behind the main altar is a very large painting Assumption of the Virgin by Bartolomeo Cesi in 1594. The presbytery keeps also the beautiful wooden choir stalls, made between 1363–1397 and extended in the 16th century. Originally there were more than ninety choir stalls, arranged in double rows. The remaining 36 stalls are each crowned by the bust of a saint in a pointed niche. Their backs are decorated with carved panels, the work of Fra’ Giovanni da Verona in 1503.

Pulpit
The pulpit is made of Carrara marble and was sculpted between the end of 1265 and November 1268 by Nicola Pisano and several other artists. This pulpit expresses the northern Gothic style adopted by Pisano, while still showing his classical influences. The whole message of the pulpit is concerned with the doctrine of Salvation and the Last Judgment. In the top level, seven scenes narrate the Life of Christ. The many figures in each scene with their chiaroscuro effect, show a richness of surface, motion, and narrative. On the middle-level statuettes of the Evangelists and Prophets announce the salvation of mankind. The pulpit itself is the earliest remaining work in the cathedral. The staircase dates from 1543 and was built by Bartolomeo Neroni. At the same time, the pulpit was moved from the choir to its present location.

Mosaic floor
The inlaid marble mosaic floor is one of the most ornate of its kind in Italy, covering the whole floor of the cathedral. This undertaking went on from the 14th to the 16th centuries, and about forty artists made their contribution. The floor consists of 56 panels in different sizes. Most have a rectangular shape, but the later ones in the transept are hexagons or rhombuses. They represent the sibyls, scenes from the Old Testament, allegories and virtues. Most are still in their original state. The earliest scenes were made by a graffito technique: drilling tiny holes and scratching lines in the marble and filling these with bitumen or mineral pitch. In a later stage black, white, green, red, and blue marble intarsia were used. This technique of marble inlay also evolved during the years, finally resulting in a vigorous contrast of light and dark, giving it an almost modern, impressionistic composition.

The uncovered floor can only be seen for a period of six to ten weeks each year, generally including the month of September. The rest of the year, the pavements near the altar are covered, and only some near the entrance may be viewed.

The earliest panel was probably the Wheel of Fortune (Ruota della Fortuna), laid in 1372 (restored in 1864). The She-Wolf of Siena with the emblems of the confederate cities (Lupa senese e simboli delle città alleate) probably dates from 1373 (also restored in 1864). The Four Virtues (Temperanza, Prudenza, Giustizia and Fortezza) and Mercy (Misericordia) date from 1406, as established by a payment made to Marchese d'Adamo and his fellow workers. They were the craftsmen who executed the cartoons of Sienese painters.

The first known artist working on the panels was Domenico di Niccolò dei Cori, who was in charge of the cathedral between 1413 and 1423. We can ascribe to him several panels such as the Story of King David, David the Psalmist, and David and Goliath. His successor as superintendent, Paolo di Martino, completed between 1424 and 1426 the Victory of Joshua and Victory of Samson over the Philistines.

In 1434 the renowned painter Domenico di Bartolo continued with a new panel Emperor Sigismund Enthroned (Imperatore Sigismundo in trono). The Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund was popular in Siena, because he resided there for ten months on his way to Rome for his coronation. Next to this panel, is the composition in 1447 (probably) by Pietro di Tommaso del Minella of the Death of Absolom (Morte di Assalonne).

The next panel dates from 1473: Stories from the Life of Judith and the Liberation of Bethulia (Liberazione di Betulia) (probably) by Urbano da Cortona.

In 1480 Alberto Aringhieri was appointed superintendent of the works. From then on, the mosaic floor scheme began to make serious progress. Between 1481 and 1483 the ten panels of the Sibyls were worked out. A few are ascribed to eminent artists, such as Matteo di Giovanni (The Samian Sibyl), Neroccio di Bartolomeo de' Landi (Hellespontine Sibyl) and Benvenuto di Giovanni (Albunenan Sibyl). The Cumaean, Delphic, Persian and Phrygian Sibyls are from the hand of the obscure German artist Vito di Marco. The Erythraean Sibyl was originally by Antonio Federighi, the Libyan Sibyl by the painter Guidoccio Cozzarelli, but both have been extensively renovated. The large panel in the transept The Slaughter of the Innocents (Strage degli Innocenti) is probably the work of Matteo di Giovanni in 1481. The large panel below, the Expulsion of Herod (Cacciata di Erode), was designed by Benvenuto di Giovanni in 1484–1485. The Story of Fortuna, or Hill of Virtue (Allegoria della Fortuna), by Pinturicchio in 1504, was the last one commissioned by Aringhieri. This panel also gives a depiction of Socrates.

Domenico Beccafumi, the most renowned Sienese artist of his time, worked on cartoons for the floor for thirty years (1518–1547). Half of the thirteen Scenes from the Life of Elijah, in the transept of the cathedral, were designed by him (two hexagons and two rhombuses). The eight-meter long frieze Moses Striking water from the Rock was executed by him in 1525. The bordering panel, Moses on Mount Sinai was laid in 1531. His final contribution was the panel in front of the main altar: the Sacrifice of Isaac (1547).

Works of art
The cathedral's valuable pieces of art including The Feast of Herod by Donatello, and works by Bernini and the young Michelangelo make it an extraordinary museum of Italian sculpture. The Annunciation between St. Ansanus and St. Margaret, a masterwork of Gothic painting by Simone Martini and Lippo Memmi, decorated a side altar of the church until 1799, when it was moved to the Uffizi of Florence.

The funeral monument for cardinal Riccardo Petroni (Siena 1250 - Genoa 1314, a jurisconsult of Pope Boniface VIII) was erected between 1317 and 1318 by the Sienese sculptor Tino di Camaino. He had succeeded his father as the master-builder of the Siena cathedral. The marble monument in the left transept is the earliest example of 14th-century funeral architecture. It is composed of a richly decorated sarcophagus, held aloft on the shoulders of four statues. Above the sarcophagus, two angels draw apart a curtain, revealing the cardinal lying on his deathbed, accompanied by two guardian angels. The monument is crowned by a spired tabernacle with statues of the Madonna and Child, Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

In the pavement, in front of this monument, lies the bronze tombstone of Bishop Giovanni di Bartolomeo Pecci, bishop of Grosseto, made by Donatello in 1427. It shows the dead prelate laid out in a concave bier in highly illusionistic low relief. Looking at it obliquely from the end of the tomb, gives the impression of a three-dimensionality. It was originally located in front of the high altar and moved to the present location in 1506.

The wall tomb of bishop Tommaso Piccolomini del Testa is set above the small door leading to the bell tower. It is the work of the Sienese painter and sculptor Neroccio di Bartolomeo de' Landi in 1483.

The Piccolomini Altarpiece, left of the entrance to the library, is the work of the Lombard sculptor Andrea Bregno in 1483. This altarpiece is remarkable because of the four sculptures in the lower niches, made by the young Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504: Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Gregory (with the help of an assistant) and Saint Pius. On top of the altar is the Madonna and Child, a sculpture (probably) by Jacopo della Quercia.

Many of the Duomo's furnishings, reliquaries, and artwork, have been removed to the adjacent Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. This includes Duccio's Maestà altarpiece, some panels of which are scattered around the world or lost. Duccio's large stained glass window, original to the building, was removed out of precaution during WWII for fear of shattering from bombs or fire. A replica has been installed in the Duomo ever since. The glass depicts a typical Sienese religious subject- three panels of the death, Assumption, and Coronation of Mary, flanked by the city's most important patron saints, Saint Ansanus; Saint Sabinus; Saint Crescentius; and Saint Victor, and in four corners are the Four Evangelists.

Chapel of Saint John the Baptist
The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist is situated in the left transept. At the back of this chapel, amidst the rich renaissance decorations, is the bronze statue of St. John the Baptist by Donatello. In the middle of the chapel is a 15th-century baptismal font. But most impressive in this chapel are the eight frescoes by Pinturicchio, which were commissioned by Alberto Aringhieri and painted between 1504 and 1505. Two of the frescoes were repainted in the 17th century, while a third was completely replaced in 1868. The original paintings in the chapel are: Nativity of John the Baptist, John the Baptist in the desert and John the Baptist preaching. He also painted two portraits: Aringhieri with the cloak of the Order of the Knights of Malta and Kneeling Knight in Armour. These two portraits show us a very detailed background.

The Chigi Chapel
The small Chigi Chapel (or Cappella della Madonna del Voto) is situated in the right transept. It is the last, most luxurious sculptural addition to the Duomo, and was commissioned in 1659 by the Sienese Chigi pope Alexander VII. This circular chapel with a gilded dome was built by the German architect Johann Paul Schor to the baroque designs of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, replacing a 15th-century chapel. At the back of the chapel is the Madonna del Voto (by a follower of Guido da Siena, 13th century), that even today is much venerated and receives each year the homages of the contrade. On the eve of the battle of Montaperti (4 September 1260) against Florence, the city of Siena had dedicated itself to the Madonna. The victory of the Sienese, against all odds, over the much more numerous Florentines was ascribed to her miraculous protection.

Two of the four marble sculptures in the niches, are by Bernini himself: Saint Jerome and Mary Magdalene. The other two are Saint Bernardine (Antonio Raggi) and Saint Catherine of Siena (Ercole Ferrata). The eight marble columns are originally from the Lateran Palace in Rome. The bronze gate at the entrance is by Giovanni Artusi.

Piccolomini Library
Adjoining the cathedral is the Piccolomini Library, housing precious illuminated choir books and frescoes painted by the Umbrian Bernardino di Betto, called Pinturicchio, probably based on designs by Raphael.

The frescoes tell the story of the life of Siena's favorite son, cardinal Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who eventually became Pope Pius II. He was the uncle of cardinal Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini (then archbishop of Siena and the future pope Pius III), who commissioned this library in 1492 as a repository of the books and the manuscript collection of his uncle. The ceiling is covered with painted panels of mythological subjects. They were executed between 1502 and 1503 by Pinturicchio and his assistants.

The entrance is a finely carved marble monument with two openings with round arches, executed in 1497 by Lorenzo di Mariano. It contains a round relief of St. John the Evangelist (probably) by Giovanni di Stefano and, below the altar, a polychrome Pietà by the sculptor Alberto di Betto da Assisi in 1421. Above this marble monument is a fresco of the Papal Coronation of Pius III by Pinturicchio in 1504.

In the middle of the library is the famous statue Three Graces, a Roman copy of a Greek original.

Pinturicchio painted this cycle of frescoes around the library between 1502 and 1507, representing Raphael and himself in several of them. This masterpiece is full of striking detail and vivacious colours. Each scene is explained in Latin by the text below. They depict ten remarkable events from the secular and religious career of pope Pius II, first as a high prelate, then bishop, a cardinal and ultimately pope:

 * Enea Silvio Piccolomini (ESP) leaves for the Council of Basel. The storm scene in the background is a first in western art.
 * ESP, ambassador at the Scottish Court
 * ESP crowned court poet by emperor Frederick III
 * ESP makes an act of submission to Pope Eugene IV
 * ESP, bishop of Siena, presents emperor Frederick III with his bride-to-be Eleanora of Portugal at the Porta Camollia in Siena.
 * ESP receives the cardinal's hat in 1456
 * ESP, enters the Lateran as pontiff in 1458
 * Pius II convokes a Diet of Princes at Mantua to proclaim a new crusade in 1459
 * Pius II canonizes Saint Catherine of Siena in 1461
 * Pius II arrives in Ancona to launch the crusade.

Beneath the frescoes, the psalters of the cathedral's sacristy are on display. These exquisite illuminations by Liberale da Verona and Girolamo da Cremona were executed between 1466 and 1478 and later carried on by other Sienese illuminators.

Baptistry
Unlike Florence or Pisa, Siena did not build a separate baptistry. The baptistry is located underneath the eastern bays of the choir of the Duomo. The construction of the interior was largely performed under Camaino di Crescentino and was completed about 1325. The main attraction is the hexagonal baptismal font, containing sculptures by Donatello, Jacopo della Quercia and others.

Also at this level under the Duomo is a crypt excavated beginning in 1999, which contains relics of Siena's key patron saints and frescoes from the 12th and 13th centuries. A small glass-covered opening in the floor of the left transept peers down into it. The crypt can be accessed by visitors with a ticket like the rest of the complex.

title: Siena Cathedral


text:
Wayne Coyne

Wayne Michael Coyne (born January 13, 1961) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, theremin player and songwriter for the band the Flaming Lips.

Early life
Coyne was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, the son of Thomas Coyne and Dolores "Dolly" Jackson. The fifth of six children of an Irish Catholic family, Coyne moved with his family from Pittsburgh's Troy Hill neighborhood to Oklahoma in early 1961. Coyne grew up in Oklahoma City. Coyne preferred listening to music and playing pickup football. He, his sister, and his brothers dubbed themselves "The Fearless Freaks" for their brutal backyard football games. Tommy Coyne, Coyne's older brother, described the games as a "semi-civilized gang fight."

In 1977, while in high school, Coyne began working as a fry cook for a Long John Silver's restaurant in Oklahoma City. During his second year of employment, there was a rash of robberies in Oklahoma City. The restaurant was robbed and Coyne and other employees were held at gunpoint and forced to lie on the ground. Coyne was certain he was going to die. The assistant manager could not open the restaurant's safe, however, and the robbers eventually fled the scene. Coyne believes "this is really how you die...one minute you're just cooking up someone's order of French fries and the next minute you're laying on the floor and they blow your brains out. There's no music, there's no significance, it's just random." Coyne continued working at Long John Silver's until 1990.

With the Flaming Lips

Coyne formed the Flaming Lips in 1983 with brother Mark singing lead, Michael Ivins on bass guitar, and Richard English on drums. Mark later left the band and Wayne assumed vocal duties. Wayne is the only constant member of the band since its founding. According to allmusic.com Coyne "became the primary singer and songwriter" of the band. According to an article in the September 16th, 1993 issue of Rolling Stone Mark and Wayne Coyne came up with the name "The Flaming Lips" as a reference to a rumor of a high school classmate who contracted genital herpes after receiving cunnilingus from a partner with active cold sores. Wayne remarked on this unsubstantiated claim:"When Mark and I were in, I think it was Junior Year in High School, there was a rumor about this girl who got herpes from this guy at a party. He went down on her with a cold sore. I don't think we knew the girl, and I'm not sure if she even existed, you know how kids just spread bullshit. But when we were thinking of band names one night over a pack of Schlitz and some left-handed cigarettes and remembered how we joked that they both had 'Flaming Lips' and it just stuck."During large-crowd festival performances, Coyne makes his entrance by descending from an alien mother ship (a nod to Parliament-Funkadelic ) in a bubble and floats across the audience. Coyne has also been known to pour fake blood down his face via a hidden tube during live shows. Coyne does this to pay homage to a famous picture of Miles Davis who, after a performance, had blood on his suit because a police officer had beaten him during the show.

Flaming Lips concerts also feature confetti cannons, lasers, laser pointers, images projected on to a screen, dozens of large balloons, a stage filled with dancers dressed as aliens, yetis, the gloves etc. Before performing, Coyne can be seen helping the stage crew. Their performances have been likened to psychedelic experiences rather than simply music shows, a tradition that goes back to the band's formation.

Experimental art
In 1996 and 1997, Coyne developed "The Parking Lot Experiments," where forty different tapes were distributed. The band instructed forty cars to start the tapes at the same time, resulting in a surround sound. Over 1,000 people gathered in a parking lot for this experiment.

The parking lot experiments led to the experimental album Zaireeka, which is made up of four stereo tracks, each on four different CDs. The four CDs are meant to be played simultaneously in order to hear the complete tracks. Coyne believes Zaireeka embraces "...a kind of anarchy in art. It was like an art happening – you have to bring four sound systems together. Sometimes you get great synchronicity; other times, it sounds haphazard. You get to hear music in a whole new way."

At the New Year's Eve Freakout in Oklahoma City on January 1, 2010, Coyne instructed the audience to set their cell phone alarms for 12:55 a.m. When the alarms went off, the alarm sounds were drowned out by cheering. Coyne remarked that "someone has a loud fucking iPhone."

In October 2010, Coyne created a screen print using his own blood. The poster commemorated The Flaming Lips' appearance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. It has a picture of a skull drawn in a Wes Wilson style. Coyne printed it using his blood collected in a vial. The frontman stated, "We thought it would be silly to use chicken blood or something, they don't need to sacrifice their vital fluids any more than I need to" Livemusic.fm

In February 2017, Coyne debuted an art exhibit at the Waterloo Center for the Arts in Waterloo, Iowa called "Works by Wayne Coyne". The exhibit featured The King's Mouth, a 14-minute light attraction to enter and enjoy.

Directorial debut
Coyne began making his science fiction film, Christmas on Mars, in 2001. It was a low budget project and principal photography was shot on a set in his backyard. The different parts of the spaceship set were built by Coyne.

The film tells the story of the first Christmas on a colonized Mars. In the film, Coyne plays a super-being who is curious about a baby being born on Mars.

Christmas on Mars was shown for the first time at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in a circus tent. The Flaming Lips took the tent on tour, showing the movie after each performance. "The concept was to come up with another one of those midnight movies, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show that I went to see as a teenager, all toked up, before the days of cable."

Other projects and appearances

 * Bradley Beesley directed a 2005 film about Coyne and the Flaming Lips, The Fearless Freaks, which features much footage of Coyne's early life, as well as his narration about his experiences in the band.
 * In 2003, Coyne provided vocals on "The Golden Path" by The Chemical Brothers. This track was released on the Singles 93-03 album (CD1, Track 13).
 * In 2005, Coyne recorded "Marching the Hate Machines (Into the Sun)" with the electronic-duo Thievery Corporation on their album The Cosmic Game.
 * On May 24, 2006, a video of Coyne was shown at the graduation ceremony at his old high school, the Classen School of Advanced Studies in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In the video he spoke of not being a high school graduate, working at Long John Silver's, selling marijuana out of his apartment, and the value of life experience.
 * In 2006, Coyne appeared in a Swedish music program called 'Musikministeriet' ('The Ministry of Music'). He was featured in every episode, beginning and ending each one with a few eloquent words about that particular episode's theme, and his opinions about it.
 * On January 1, 2007, Coyne appeared in Pasadena, California's annual Rose Parade on the "Oklahoma Rising" float with members of the Flaming Lips, and other celebrities who claim Oklahoma as their native state, including astronaut John Herrington, 2006 Miss America Jennifer Berry, as well as the creator of "Desperate Housewives", Marc Cherry. It was the state's centennial birthday.
 * Coyne and The Flaming Lips guest starred in an episode of the television show Charmed.
 * Coyne and The Flaming Lips appeared on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, playing at the Peach Pit. They sometimes show the clip at live concerts.
 * Coyne sings on the opening track, "Revenge", of Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse's album with David Lynch, "Dark Night of the Soul".
 * Coyne sings on the track "Colossal Gray Sunshine" of Faultline's album Your Love Means Everything.
 * Coyne contributed several tracks to Kesha's second album, Warrior, including tracks titled "You Control My Heart" and "Past Life." They also worked on Lipsha.
 * On August 16, 2012, Coyne appeared on The Colbert Report for an interview by Stephen Colbert and a performance with the Flaming Lips on the deck of the USS Intrepid as part of "Stephest Colbchella '012: Rocktaugustfest".
 * On March 12, 2013, Coyne appeared on a Virgin Mobile advertisement. In the commercial Coyne attempts to brainwash the viewer into switching mobile phone plans.
 * Coyne appears on the track "The Perfect Life" on Moby's album Innocents released in October 2013.
 * Coyne wrote and illustrated the comic book "The Sun is Sick", which was published in April 2013.

Personal life
Coyne lives on a compound of four houses in the same neighborhood in which he grew up. Each Halloween, Coyne dresses up to scare trick-or-treaters who come to his home. He feels that it is good to scare children, because when they grow older, there are things "that are horribly scary . . . you can't just run away from them or turn on a light and it runs away." Though an atheist, Coyne states: "I wish I did believe in God. It would be a great relief to think, 'God'll take care of it. God'll put gas in the car tomorrow.'"

In 2012 Coyne separated from his common-law wife, J. Michelle Martin-Coyne. In September 2013, Martin-Coyne filed for divorce on the grounds of "irreconcilable incompatibility." The two had no children together and disagree on how long they lived together (Martin-Coyne claiming since 1989, Coyne since 2004).

Coyne began dating Katy Weaver in 2012. The two got engaged in September 2018 and in November 2018 announced they were expecting their first child together. They got married January 5, 2019, in downtown Oklahoma City. In June 2019, Coyne and Weaver welcomed their first child, a son, named Bloom Bobby Coyne. On March 13, 2022, the Coynes announced the arrival of a second son named Rex Roses Coyne.

title: Wayne Coyne


text:
Colonia Dignidad

Colonia Dignidad ('Dignity Colony') was an isolated colony established in post-World War II Chile by emigrant Germans which became notorious for the internment, torture, and murder of dissidents during the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet in the 1970s while under the leadership of German emigrant preacher Paul Schäfer. Colonia Dignidad has been described as a "state within a state". Schäfer and members of the colony were deeply religious and followed the teachings of William Branham. The main legal economic activity of the colony was agriculture; at various periods it also was home to a school, a hospital, two airstrips, a restaurant, and a power station. Colonia Dignidad's longest continuous leader, Paul Schäfer, arrived in the colony in 1961. Schäfer was a fugitive, accused of child molestation in West Germany. The organization he led in Chile was described, alternatively, as a cult or as a group of "harmless eccentrics". The organization was secretive, and the Colonia was surrounded by barbed wire fences, featured a watchtower and searchlights, and was later reported to contain secret weapon caches. External investigations, including efforts by the Chilean government, uncovered a history of criminal activity in the enclave, including child sexual abuse. Reports from Chile's National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation, indicate that a small set of the many individuals abducted by Pinochet's Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional during his rule were held as prisoners at Colonia Dignidad, most of whom were subjected to torture, and often to extrajudicial execution as well. Several members of Colonia's leadership of the time, including Schäfer, were participants in the atrocities.

In 1991, the name of the settlement was changed to Villa Baviera. After Schäfer fled to Argentina in 1996 to escape child molestation charges in Chile, control over residents loosened. Residents of the colony are now free to leave, and the site is open for tourism.

Location
Located in a remote area in the Maule Region of central Chile, Colonia Dignidad was located in the commune of Parral, in a rural area on the north bank of the Perquilauquén River, about 35 km southeast of the town of Parral. The full name of the colony from the 1950s was Sociedad Benefactora y Educacional Dignidad ("Charitable and Educational Society 'Dignity' "). At its largest, Colonia Dignidad was home to some three hundred German and Chilean residents, and covered 137 km2.

History
The first inhabitants of Colonia Dignidad arrived in 1961, brought by German citizen Paul Schäfer. Born in 1921 in the town of Troisdorf, Schäfer's first employment in Germany was as a welfare worker for children in an institution of the local church. He was fired from that post at the end of the 1940s and faced accusations of sexual abuse against children in his care. While these first reports led to his dismissal, no criminal proceedings were initiated.

Schäfer had been following the ministry of William Branham from Germany, and was very excited when Branham made a personal visit to Germany in 1955. Schäfer and other members of his church served as William Branham's personal security detail on his 1955 European tour. One sermon during his visit to Karlsruhe, Germany, left a deep impression on Schäfer. Schäfer claimed to experience a healing in the meeting, and thereafter began to strongly teach some of Branham's key doctrines. Following the 1955 meetings with Branham, Schäfer began to put more of William Branham's doctrines into practice in his group, and began to insist to his followers that they were the "only faithful ones" to William Branham's teachings.

Working as an independent preacher, Schäfer formed a community in Gronau dedicated to working with children at risk. He quickly acquired great influence over his members, who had to perform hard farm work without pay. Shortly thereafter, stories reemerged relating to the earlier allegations of pedophilia against him. As a result, in 1961, Schäfer organized the emigration of several hundred members of their community to Chile.

"Strong ties were forged" between Schäfer, William Branham, and Ewald Frank during Branham's time in Germany. Schäfer may have been influenced to move to Chile by Branham's doomsday prophesies that predicted the imminent destruction of western democracies. Schäfer continued to promote Branham's teaching throughout his life, and many escapees and the current members of Colonia are still affiliated with the teachings of Branham.

Ewald Frank was a key figure in helping Colonia establish its weapons factories by contracting with German arms producers to assist the colony in setting up their operations. Frank also played a role in assisting in the sale and transport of the materials and supplies for the operations in Colonia. When investigations were launched into Colonia in later years, many members of the colony fled back to Germany where they found refuge with Frank. Schäfer maintained connections to Branham until the time of his death in a car accident in 1965.

Allegations against the colony
To the outside world, the colony portrayed itself as a prime example of German efficiency, cleanliness and communal work. The profitable agricultural production and an attached charity hospital helped preserve this image for a long time. The colony had its own press operations which recorded and broadcast videos showing their happy residents amid celebrations and commemorations: men dedicated to farm work, women and girls embroidering or preparing butter. Diplomats at the German embassy ignored reports of the violence and crime and praised it as a “model colony”.

However, Schäfer's propaganda efforts were again and again overshadowed by allegations of people escaping from the colony and obtaining asylum in Germany. The earliest known example was Wolfgang Müller, who fled in 1966 and first exposed the atrocities that occurred within the colony. Müller obtained German citizenship and worked for a newspaper, soon becoming an activist in Germany against the leaders of Colonia Dignidad. He eventually became the president of a foundation dedicated to the support of Schäfer's victims in Chile.

In 1967, Schäfer freed another inhabitant of the colony, Heinz Kuhn, who confirmed the allegations previously made by Müller, and provided more information on abuses. However, these first allegations were rejected by politicians and were emphatically denied due to their ties with the management of the Colony in their preparation of the military coup of September 11, 1973, as demonstrated later in Chilean court cases.

In 1988, Georg and Lotti Packmor escaped and testified in a parliamentary hearing in Bonn, Germany, that German citizens were forced to live in the enclave against their will.

Secret detention camp
Before officially moving his organization to Chile, Paul Schäfer requested that the Chilean government exempt him from paying taxes and grant him asylum as long as he helped with gaining political intelligence. The Rettig Commission noted a wealth of information supporting the accusations of the use of the land owned by Colonia Dignidad for detention and torture of political detainees during Pinochet's military dictatorship. Among these sources are spokesmen for the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. The Rettig Commission ultimately based its conclusions on evidence that it examined directly.

In these underground prisons, the captives were tortured in numerous ways, including mutilation from dogs and electric shocks. Some torture victims allege that Schäfer was directly involved in their torture. There is speculation that the extent of Schäfer's involvement with Pinochet has not yet been fully disclosed. Schäfer's 2005 arrest saw more than 500 government files of missing detainees hidden in the ‘bodega de las papas’ (‘potato cellar’ in English). Each of these files contained details of severe human rights violations committed under Schäfer's supervision in collaboration with Pinochet. In the late 1970s, Pinochet allegedly ordered for the mass graves containing hundreds of murdered detainees to be unearthed and for the bodies to be either thrown into the sea or burned.

Claims of German Intelligence Service assistance
Journalist John Dinges has suggested that there was some degree of cooperation between the German Intelligence Service, German arms dealer Gerhard Mertins, and Colonia Dignidad, including creation of bunkers, tunnels, a hospital, and runways for the decentralized production of armaments in modules (parts produced in one place, other parts in another). This subject was proactively hidden, because of the problems experienced at the time associated with Argentina.

Army Base
Because of Colonia Dignidad's close association with the Chilean military and strategic proximity to the Argentina–Chile border, the Colonia served as a base for the Chilean military during the 1978 Beagle conflict between Chile and Argentina. The hospital at Colonia Dignidad also served as a laboratory for the manufacture of weaponized sarin as part of the Pinochet government's Project Andrea.

Democratic transition
Chile turned to democracy in 1990 after 17 years of dictatorship, but Colonia Dignidad remained unchanged. Allegations of abuses and humiliations that occurred inside the colony increased. National and international pressure intensified, but each time the police tried to conduct an investigation at the site they were greeted with a wall of silence. Colonia Dignidad authorities remained powerful and also had allies in the army and among the Chilean far right, who would warn them in advance when the police were preparing to visit the site.

Slowly, Chilean public awareness began to change, creating a growing feeling of resentment towards the place, which many began to perceive as an independent state, or an enclave within Chile.

Life under Schäfer leadership
Before coming to Chile, Schäfer had attempted to start an orphanage in Germany, but two mothers living there accused him of molesting their children, so to escape judicial consequences, he fled to Chile. Schäfer arrived in Chile in 1961 with around 70 followers, and a number of kidnapped children. The colony continued to ‘import’ children from Germany and the surrounding areas until the end of Schäfer's leadership. Colonia Dignidad grew to have about 350 people, around 100 of whom were children. Those on the side of the colony said that it was a harmless organization, but, those against it recounted it as tyrannical in structure, and highly restrictive in terms of interaction between genders and in expression of sexuality, with a reportedly aging population. The perimeter of the colony was made up of barbed wire, searchlights, and a watchtower. Today the colony is not as isolated as it was under Schäfer's leadership; Schäfer made great efforts to keep the colony as isolated as he could. The road to the colony cut through farmland and forest, and brought the traveler to a large barbed-wire fence that was generally heavily protected. Inside, however, the colony seemed fairly normal, though a bit old-fashioned:"The village had modern apartment complexes, two schools, a chapel, several meetinghouses, and a bakery that produced fresh cakes, breads, and cheeses. There were numerous animal stables, two landing strips, at least one airplane, a hydroelectric power station, and mills and factories of various kinds, including a highly profitable gravel mill that supplied raw materials for numerous road-building projects throughout Chile. On the north side of the village was a hospital, where the Germans provided free care to thousands of patients in one of the country’s poorest areas."Schäfer, despite living in Chile for most of his adult life, spoke little Spanish, as only German was spoken inside the colony. He was described as having a very serious demeanor, and rarely smiled, but was considered to be quite charismatic nonetheless. He made great efforts to illustrate Colonia Dignidad as a utopian paradise, seemingly frozen in a time before World War II. In reality, Schäfer ran a fear-based colony where members were barred from interacting with the world outside the community, and a few were armed to protect the community against possible outside attacks. The inhabitants lived under an abnormal authoritarian system, where in addition to minimal contact with the outside, Schäfer ordered the division of families (parents did not talk to their children, or did not know their siblings). It prohibited all kinds of relations, sentimental or conjugal, among adult women and men, and segregated the living quarters of each sex. Schäfer sexually abused children and some were tortured, as is clear from the statements of the German Dr. Gisela Seewald, who admitted the use of electroshock therapy and sedatives that her boss had claimed were placebos. Members were often encouraged to confess to him both their own sins, and the sins of others that they had witnessed. Supposed sinners were often publicly outed and shamed during gathering times and meals. Women were thought to be inherently sinful, plagued by sexuality, thus the justification behind separating the men from the women. Schäfer often dictated forming romantic relationships, as far as saying when to get married and have children. Most of the time, however, conceptions of the family inside the colony were based not on genetics, but on loyalty to Schäfer, who self-identified as ‘The Permanent Uncle.’ When a child was born, it would not stay with its biological parents, but rather be raised by nurses in a group called ‘The Babies.’ Each stage of life was categorized like this, with the following stages being ‘The Wedges’ (up to age 15), ‘The Army of Salvation,’ ‘The Elder Servants’ by age 30, and lastly, by age 50, ‘The Comalos.’ This was done in an effort to give everyone an exact role in the colony's order. Inhabitants lived in groups of about six, and all wore similar German 30s-style clothing. Each person would work 12+ hours a day, receiving no payment, but doing so rather for the sake of Colonia Dignidad.

The colony had a school and hospital in the enclave which offered support to rural families through free education and health services. This would, ultimately, create support in case the colony was attacked. However, there are many cases uncovered in recent years that refer to illegal adoptions of children from families residing in the surrounding areas by the German hierarchy in order to deliver on the promise of free education. Locals around the colony generally knew Colonia Dignidad to be made up of hygienic, hard-working individuals who led a very structured life.

Sexual abuse
In 1996, Schäfer fled child sex abuse charges in Chile, escaping arrest until 2005. The previous year, in his absence, a Chilean court had convicted him of child abuse, together with 26 other cult members. In 2006, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He died in prison of a heart ailment, on 24 April 2010, at the age of 88. At the time of his death, he was still under investigation for the 1985 disappearance of mathematician Boris Weisfeiler, an American citizen who went missing while hiking near Colonia Dignidad.

Torture and murder
During the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, from 1973 to 1990, Colonia Dignidad served as a special torture center. In 1991, Chile's National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation concluded that a number of people apprehended by the DINA were held at Colonia Dignidad, and that some of the colony's residents actively helped the DINA torture some of the captives. Colonia Dignidad's involvement came to light as early as an October 1976 report from the United Nations Ad Hoc Working Group on Chile, as referenced in a March 1977 Amnesty International report, "Disappeared Prisoners in Chile", with the latter report describing the evidence in this way:

"Another DINA detention center described in the [U.N.] document, in which it is alleged that experiments in torture are carried out, is Colonia Dignidad, near the town of Parral…" Prisoners being tortured in the tunnels under Colonia Dignidad were each interrogated to gain an understanding of their personality in order to gauge the appropriate torture technique. These techniques led to a number of afflictions lasting indeterminate periods of time. As many as 100 of the citizens taken to Colonia Dignidad by the DINA were murdered at the colony.

There are more than 1,100 desaparecidos (disappeared people) in Chile, some taken to the Colony where they were tortured and killed. One of them is a U.S. citizen, Boris Weisfeiler, a Soviet-born mathematics professor at Pennsylvania State University. Weisfeiler, then 43 years old, vanished while on a hiking trip near the border between Chile and Argentina in the early part of January 1985. It is presumed that Weisfeiler had been kidnapped and taken to the Colony where he was tortured and killed. In 2012, a judge in Chile ordered the arrest of eight former police and army officials over the kidnapping of Weisfeiler during the Pinochet years, citing evidence from declassified US files. In 2016, the case was closed and the men were freed when a judge ruled that Weisfeiler had indeed been abducted, but that it was only a common crime, long past the statute of limitations, instead of a human rights violation.

Member abuse
Some defectors from the colony have portrayed it as a cult in which the leader Paul Schäfer held the ultimate power. They claim that the residents were never allowed to leave the colony, and that they were strictly segregated by gender. Television, telephones and calendars were banned. Residents worked wearing Bavarian peasant garb and sang German folk songs. Sex was banned, with some residents forced to take drugs to reduce their desires. Drugs were also administered as a form of sedation, mostly to young girls, but to males as well. Severe discipline in the forms of beatings and torture was commonplace: Schäfer insisted that discipline was spiritually enriching. One of the first instances of abuse allegations was in 1966 from escapee Wolfgang Müller, who had been sixteen when he came to the colony. He claimed that he was forced into slave labor, received regular harsh beatings, and was molested by Schäfer on multiple occasions. Müller said that former Nazis were part of the colony as well.

Weapons violations
In June and July 2005, Chilean police found two large illegal arms caches in or around the colony. The first, within the colony itself, included three containers with machine guns, automatic rifles, rocket launchers, and large quantities of ammunition, some as many as forty years old but with evidence of recent maintenance. This cache was described as the largest arsenal ever found in private hands in Chile. The second cache, outside a restaurant operated by the colony, included rocket launchers and grenades.

In January 2005, former Chilean secret police operative Michael Townley, then living in the United States under a witness-protection program, acknowledged to agents of Interpol Chile links between DINA and Colonia Dignidad. Townley also revealed information about Colonia Dignidad and the army's Laboratory on Bacteriological Warfare. This last laboratory would have replaced the old DINA laboratory at Vía Naranja de Lo Curro hill, where Townley worked with the chemist Eugenio Berríos. Townley also gave proof of biological experiments, related to the two aforementioned laboratories, on political prisoners at Colonia Dignidad.

Nazi ties
The Central Intelligence Agency and Simon Wiesenthal claim that Josef Mengele, the infamous Nazi concentration camp doctor, known as the "Angel of Death" for his lethal experiments on human subjects was present at the colony. The colony itself rejected the accusation when Wiesenthal published it in 1997 in the Chilean press. The German government states that to this date, there is "no evidence to support or invalidate Wiesenthal's claim or the more general allegation that the Colonia Dignidad or its legal successors was a place of refuge for Nazi criminals.

The Nazi underground in South America was established some time before World War II. Juan Perón provided shelter to some escaped Nazi criminals. Nazi sympathy in South America decreased until Pinochet took power. It was suggested that part of the intense racism, anti-Semitism, and classism in Chile can be attributed to Nazi presence.

The high concentration of Germans in Chile shaped the country's overall attitude towards subjects like education and military. A few of the Germans who immigrated to Chile in the 1960s were former Nazis led by Paul Schäfer. Colonia Dignidad was a “Nazi stronghold protected by the Chilean government[...].” Former members of the SS and Gestapo had the job of demonstrating Nazi torture methods to the secret police of Chile. Many of Schäfer's followers who had Nazi pasts joined him to escape post-World War II war crime investigations. The presence of Colonia Dignidad had an effect on the general political opinion of the surrounding areas, and the government as well because of this, considering the political ties between Colonia Dignidad and the Chilean government.

Legal proceedings
In 2004, a Chilean court convicted Schäfer and 26 other cult members of child abuse. In 2006, Schäfer was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

In early 2011, Hartmut Hopp, considered to be Schäfer's "right-hand-man" at Colonia Dignidad, was placed under house arrest in Chile while awaiting trial for human rights crimes. In May 2011, Hopp fled Chile on board a helicopter, later making his way to Germany. In June 2016, prosecutors in Germany petitioned a court to enforce a 5-year prison sentence that Hopp was sentenced to in absentia in Chile. In May 2019, German prosecutors announced that they had dropped their investigation into Hopp and Reinhard Döring. In January 2020, a lawyer for the victims, Petra Schlagenhauf, lodged a complaint seeking to have the investigation reopened.

Hopp and other alleged accomplices in Schäfer's crimes who were charged and awaiting trial took refuge in Ewald Frank's church in Germany, where they were protected from extradition. Frank is a leader of William Branham's followers in Germany. German protestors picketed in front of Frank's church to protest his actions. The government of Chile banned Ewald Frank from entering the country after finding he had been visiting and holding revival meetings with Schäfer's followers at Colonia. Schäfer's followers speculated to news reporters that Frank and Schäfer had known each other since the 1950s when they were both at Branham's European campaign meetings together.

At the time that Hopp fled Chile, 10 other cult members were out on bail awaiting trial on various charges. Fearing that they would also flee the country, their bail was immediately revoked and they were taken into custody.

In 2010, Chilean authorities opened an investigation into the events occurring in the colony during the 1990s, resulting 19 months later in the Supreme Court issuing a unanimous ruling to prosecute 16 Chilean and German members of the colony. On 28 January 2013, six former leaders of the colony were sentenced to prison, while the remaining 10 were found guilty of lesser crimes and given probationary sentences.

In March 2017, the German Bundestag officially acknowledged the responsibility of Germany and the failure of the German foreign policy regarding the Colonia Dignidad and members of all the parties in the German parliament passed a resolution giving the government a year to come up with plans to investigate the history of the colony, establish a memorial, and offer assistance to victims and family members.

Villa Baviera era
In 1991, the name of the settlement was changed to "Villa Baviera". Residents of the colony are now allowed free ingress and egress, and some study at university. As of 2019 Villa Baviera is operated as a tourist resort, something that has been the subject of controversy from human rights activists.

When the transition of the colony first started, many of the former victims protested in front of the "Villa Baviera", attached photos of the murdered and disappeared on the fence and compared the use of the former torture site to "installing a McDonald's in Auschwitz".

In October 2005, the Chilean government sent a team of coordinators to the colony whose task it was to make sure the inhabitants would be fully integrated into Chilean society. Their main advice was to modernize the estate, so the inhabitants could gain their livelihood within the premises. One of the ideas was to turn the facilities into a "wellness-farm with hot springs and organic yoghurt production".

title: Colonia Dignidad


text:
Fool's errand (disambiguation)

Fool's errand is an English idiom referring to a foolish undertaking or a task certain to fail. It may also refer to:

Books

 * A Fool's Errand, an 1879 novel by Albion W. Tourgée
 * A Fool's Errand, a 1921 book by Jessie Louisa Rickard
 * Fool's Errand (novel), a 2001 novel by Robin Hobb
 * A Fool's Errand, a 2010 collection of poetry by Dermot Healy
 * Fool's Errand, a 2017 book by Scott Horton

Films

 * "A Fool's Errand", a 1927 silent short film from the Krazy Kat film series
 * "A Fool's Errand", a 2003 episode of animated series Funky Cops

Other uses

 * "Do You Really Love Me Too (Fool's Errand)", a 1963 British Top 20 single by Billy Fury
 * The Fool's Errand, a 1987 computer game by Cliff Johnson
 * A brand of snack cracker, popular in the 1980s
 * "Fool's Errand", a song on the Fleet Foxes 2017 album, Crack-Up

title: Fool's errand (disambiguation)


text:
User:Delta G

The measure of free energy.

ΔG°=-RTlnK or ΔG°=ΔH°-TΔS° or ΔG°=∑PRODUCTSΔG°-∑REACTANTSΔG°
 * if ΔG° is negative, then the reaction is spontaneous

title: User:Delta G