Predecessors.

"Pif" has its origins in "Le Jeune Patriote", a youth magazine published by French Communists during the German occupation of France during World War II. It was published illegally from January 1942 but became legal from 1944. In 1945 it was renamed "Vaillant, Le Jeune Patriote".<ref name="V/P-1945"></ref> In 1946 its title was shortened to "Vaillant", with the tag, ""le journal le plus captivant"" ("The Most Captivating Magazine"). For the April issue of 1965, the title was changed to "Vaillant, le journal de Pif", due to the popularity of its character "Pif", a dog character created by José Cabrero Arnal. Until 1969, "Vaillant" had, like its competitors, serialized some stories over several issues, but the magazine in this incarnation ended with issue number 1238 on February 23, 1969.<ref name="V/P-1969"></ref>

Publication history.

"Pif Gadget" started again as a weekly magazine with issue number 1, released on February 24, 1969, but retained the old number relative to "Vaillant". The magazine was called "Pif et son gadget surprise" for the first few months. The "gadget" was a 'free gift' toy with each issue, including "Pifises" (brine shrimp in stasis, which readers could raise as minuscule pets - known in English as sea monkeys).  The cover of "Pif Gadget" had the strapline "Tout en récits complets" (all in complete stories) indicating that all the none of the comic strips were serialized over multiple issues.  Its featured comics included:  Documentary filmmaker Fredric Lean created a series based on 'Docteur Justice' for French TV network M6.  "Pif Gadget"'s record print run was one million copies, first on April 6, 1970, and again in September 1971. This set a record for a European comic strip that still stands. The paper also benefited from being able to reach the newly industrialized countries, and was one of the select few Western magazines allowed to be sold behind the Iron Curtain due to its left-wing credentials. It went into rapid decline at the same time as the Soviet Union faded, with content thinning and stories extended over several issues. Its last major feature was during the bicentennial of the French Revolution in 1989. The original version was last printed in February 1993.  "Pif Gadget" was revived as a monthly magazine in July 2004 under the aegis of Pif Editions, with runs of approximately 100,000 units. Saddled with about 4 million euros of debt, the 6-person company went into receivership ("redressement judiciaire") in March 2007 and was wound up ("liquidation judiciaire") on January 15, 2009. The last issue was published in November 2008.  It has been relaunched in 2015 as a quarterly named "Super Pif".

Similar comics.

Pif inspired similar comics in other countries including "Yps" in Germany and "Jippo" in Scandinavia.

Pif Gadget was a French comic magazine for children that ran from 1969 to 1993 and 2004 to 2009. Its readership peaked in the early 1970s.

Pif Gadget byl francouzský komiksový časopis pro mládež, vydávaný jako týdeník (od února 1969 do února 1993), po obnovení pak znovu už jen jako měsíčník (červenec 2004-listopad 2008).


Plot.

Mike (Channing Tatum) has big plans for a business of his own but pays his bills through a series of odd jobs, most notably performing as the star stripper at Xquisite Strip Club in Tampa, a club owned by Dallas (Matthew McConaughey), who has dreams of creating an "empire" of strip clubs.  Mike soon meets 19-year-old Adam (Alex Pettyfer), a recent college dropout looking for a construction job. Mike takes Adam under his wing and encourages him to begin stripping at Xquisite. Mike is introduced to Adam's sister Brooke (Cody Horn). Despite his on-and-off relationship with a woman named Joanna (Olivia Munn), Mike finds himself attracted to Brooke and promises to look after Adam.  Adam falls further into the excessive lifestyle of the Xquisite dancers, using drugs and having sexual encounters with many clients. When Dallas announces he has a plan to move their act to Miami, Mike confides in Brooke that he is tiring of the lifestyle and wants to get a small business loan to pursue his dream of opening a custom furniture business. The bank declines his loan application and Mike realizes that he has to stay in the business to continue to pay his bills. Mike later attends a hurricane party at Dallas' house, where Adam becomes part of a scheme created by Tobias (Gabriel Iglesias), Xquisite's DJ, to sell drugs to Xquisite's clients, and is eventually given a package of ecstasy. Adam begins using drugs regularly, and Mike notices more of Adam's reckless behavior, to the chagrin of Brooke, who is relying on Mike to protect him.  A few days later, Mike and Adam perform for a private party at a sorority house where Adam brings the package of drugs with him. At the party, Adam gives a young woman an ecstasy pill, causing a brawl between Adam and the woman's boyfriend. Mike and Adam are forced to flee without the drugs, which Adam says were worth $1,000. They also do not collect their payment, which infuriates Dallas. After the next night's show, Mike and Adam take drugs and go to a club. Adam vomits and passes out; Brooke finds him on Mike's floor the next morning. Brooke angrily confronts Mike about his lifestyle, and ends her friendship with him. Tobias and his suppliers break into Mike's house looking for Adam, revealing that the drugs were actually worth $10,000. Mike gives up most of his life savings to pay Adam's debt in full.  Later, before the dancers' final performance at Xquisite, Mike decides he has had enough. Knowing that Dallas has no loyalty to any of them and is driven by greed, Mike leaves the club through the back. After realizing Mike is not coming back, Dallas promotes Adam to replace Mike as lead dancer. Mike drives to Brooke's apartment and tells her he has quit stripping. She has learned what he did for Adam, and she invites him to join her for breakfast. She playfully asks what they can do until morning, and then kisses him.

Production.

Development.

"Magic Mike" is directed by Steven Soderbergh based on a screenplay by Reid Carolin, who is also one of the film's producers. The screenplay is in part inspired by Channing Tatum's experiences as a stripper in Tampa, Florida, when he was 18 years old. Tatum said that he wanted to capture the atmosphere and energy of his past as a stripper, but that the film is fictional, which allowed them to create their own scenarios. The project, announced in April 2011 was co-financed by Soderbergh and Tatum. In 2010, Tatum told an Australian newspaper that he would like to make a movie about his experiences as a stripper, saying, "I've already got the director picked out. I'd like Nicolas Refn, who did the film "Bronson", to do it because he's insane for it." Refn initially agreed on doing the film because Tatum and he were going to do another movie together. However, since that project did not get off the ground and due to his busy schedule, Tatum, who was then working with Soderbergh on "Haywire," brought him the idea. After Soderbergh cast Tatum and Pettyfer in the lead roles, Carolin spent time revising the screenplay. He wrote the first draft in a month. Soderbergh suggested showing two points of view in the film: seeing through the eyes of young Adam and of his mentor Mike.  The dance numbers were choreographed by Alison Faulk, while Christopher Peterson was in charge of the costumes design and Frankie Pine supervised the music. Over the film, several dance numbers were performed. Music producer Jack Rayner created a special dubstep version of the song "It's Raining Men" sung by Countré Black for the dance sequence that features the ensemble for the first time together without The Kid. For that sequence, Peterson chose to use spray glitter on the umbrellas and raincoats to give them a wet effect. The Kid's first strip did not purposely have any choreography and it was Pettyfer's idea to show his bottom. Before doing his moves, Pettyfer did not know the song that was going to be played which ended up being Madonna's "Like a Virgin" performed by Nashville recording artist Chris Mitchell. The five-stripper group performed the song "Sound Off (The Duckworth Chant)" with lyric changes on the military-themed number. The scene during which Mike and Adam arrive at a sorority house dressed as cops was not in the original script but was Peterson's idea. Music supervisor Pine initially planned to use Kid Rock's "Cowboy" for the cowboy-themed number featuring The Kid. When it was not possible, she chose Big & Rich's "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" instead. Knowing Tatum's dance skills, Faulk gave him the permission to freestyle for Mike's last solo dance on the dubstep song "Calypso" by Excision and Datsik. McConaughey who had no stripping scene in the original script requested to have one which became the last dance number during which he first sings "Ladies of Tampa" and then strips. The song was written in three hours by music supervisor Frankie Pine, Matthew McConaughey and Martin Blasick, McConaughey's guitar coach. The thongs were made by company Pistol Pete.

Casting.

On August 16, 2011, it was reported that Matthew McConaughey had landed a role in the film. He was the first person cast, aside from Tatum. McConaughey revealed that Soderbergh called him to offer him the role of Dallas. After Soderbergh pitched him the story, McConaughey laughed and in 10 minutes he accepted the role. It was the second time he accepted a role over the phone; the first time was for a Richard Linklater film. Commenting on the role, the actor said: "I knew that I was just going to be able to fly. It was really fun to play someone so committed, in many ways." Joe Manganiello accepted the role of Big Dick Richie after talking to "What to Expect When You're Expecting" co-star Chris Rock who convinced him to do it. Cody Horn gave her insight on how she got the part of Brooke:  The cast visited a strip club to see what this world was like and the dance routines and to get information on the backstage life. To prepare for the role, McConaughey went in a Los Angeles strip mall to get used to regular waxing. Matt Bomer had to put on about 15 pounds for his part. Adam Rodriguez went through a cardio and weights training.

Filming.

Principal photography commenced in Playa del Rey, Los Angeles in September 2011 and concluded in Tampa by late October. The scenes that took place in the fictional club Xquisite were filmed in Studio City, Los Angeles. Locations in Florida included the Fort Desoto Bridge, the Dunedin coast, the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa, Ybor City, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, and Tierra Verde. Soderbergh chose to shoot the entirety of the film with a double straw camera filter, except the interior of the club.

Music.

The soundtrack was released on June 28, 2012, through WaterTower Music. Other songs featured in the film include Cobra Starship's "#1Nite", Sean Paul's "Got 2 Luv U", and Ginuwine's "Pony".

Release.

Warner Bros. Pictures acquired US distribution rights to the independently produced film on October 27, 2011. "Magic Mike" was first screened at the Los Angeles Film Festival as the closing film on June 24, 2012, and was widely released on June 29, 2012, in the United States.

Marketing.

The first full-length trailer for "Magic Mike" was released on iTunes on April 18, 2012 with a poster indicating the film's name. The first poster featuring the cast was released on June 1, 2012, along with a new trailer. A second poster followed on June 4, 2012, and a fourth trailer was released on June 13, 2012. To promote the film, Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello and Matt Bomer participated in a photo shoot for "Entertainment Weekly" that came out in the May 25, 2012, issue. On June 3, 2012, Tatum, McConaughey, and Manganiello attended the MTV Movie Awards where they presented the award for Best On-Screen Transformation. During the presentation, Manganiello arrived dressed as a fireman stripper.  The promotional campaign, which originally centered on straight women, also targeted gay men after it had been made clear that there was a strong interest among them. Warner Bros. enlisted entertainment marketing agency the Kartel Group to market the film to gay men. Website AfterElton.com noted that gay men could not connect with the first trailer as the film "was marketed as a romantic comedy" through Tatum and Horn's relationship, but that it changed when the campaign also focused on "the male form part of it [the film]" through a red-band trailer (the fourth one). In June 2012, a "Magic Mike" float was included in the West Hollywood gay pride parade and in other gay pride events such as in New York and in San Francisco.

Box office.

"Magic Mike" proved to be a box office hit, grossing $113,721,571 and $53,500,000 outside North America with a total gross of $167,221,571 worldwide from a modest $7 million budget; it is the top-grossing movie under the Dance genre. On its opening day (June 29, 2012), the film performed better than expected, earning about $19 million including a $2 million midnight run. It finished the weekend at the second spot behind "Ted" with a total of $39,127,170. It was the first time two R-rated films grossed more than $21 million each during a weekend.  On its opening weekend, "Magic Mike" attracted an audience of 73% females, with 43% of the audience being over the age of 35. Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution, said this phenomenon could be compared to "Sex and the City", which had also appealed to large groups of women.  "Magic Mike" was more successful in red states than in blue ones. Ticket sales in St. Louis and Nashville was more than 30% over the average. However ticket sales in New York City was 30% below the average.

Critical response.

"Magic Mike" received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 79%, based on 211 reviews, with an average rating of 6.87/10. The site's critical consensus reads, ""Magic Mike" sensitive direction, smart screenplay, and strong performances allows audiences to have their beefcake and eat it too." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating based reviews from mainstream critics, the film has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 38 critics indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.  The movie also launched Academy Award buzz for Matthew McConaughey as Dallas. However, he was not selected for inclusion among the nominees, which was described as a "snub" by many.

Top ten lists.

"Magic Mike" was listed on many critics' top ten lists.

Home media.

"Magic Mike" was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 23, 2012. Within its first week, 698,497 DVD units were sold, generating revenue of $10,449,515. As of December 23, 2012, DVD sales totaled over 1.9 million units with $26,362,047 in revenue.

Sequel.

In a Twitter Q&A in July 2012, Tatum confirmed work on a sequel: "Yes, yes and yes! We're working on the concept now. We want to flip the script and make it bigger." By March 2014, "Magic Mike" first assistant director Gregory Jacobs had been chosen to direct the sequel, titled "Magic Mike XXL," which began shooting in late 2014. The film was released on July 1, 2015.

Stage musical.

Reid Carolin, who wrote the film, is adapting the film as a stage musical for Broadway.  It was confirmed on 3 June 2018 in the UK on Britain's Got Talent live final that a UK vision on Magic Mike would be put into production and would begin in November 2018. Magic Mike Live London opened at the Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square on 10 November 2018.

Magic Mike is a 2012 American comedy-drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Matthew McConaughey. The plot revolves around Adam, a 19-year-old who enters the world of male stripping, guided by Mike Lane, who has been in the business for six years.

Bez kalhot (v anglickém originále Magic Mike) je americký komediálně-dramatický film z roku 2012 od režiséra Stevena Soderbergha. V hlavních rolích účinkují Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello a Matthew McConaughey. Děj se točí kolem 19letého Adama, který vstoupí do světa mužského striptýzu pod vedením zkušeného Mikea Lanea. Čerpá z vlastních zkušeností herce Channinga Tatuma, který dělal striptéra ještě než nastoupil hereckou dráhu.


History.

In ancient times, Wuwei was called Liangzhou (—the name retained by today's Wuwei's central urban district) and is the eastern terminus of the Hexi Corridor. People began settling here about 5,000 years ago. It was a key link for the Northern Silk Road, and a number of important archaeological finds were uncovered from Wuwei, including ancient copper carts with stone animals. The motifs and types of objects in the Wuwei graves, as well as their earthenware, lacquer, and bronze composition, constitute typical examples of the Han Chinese burial style that can be found all over China. Other graves found along the Hexi Corridor show Xiongnu and other minority influence, which are used to trace regimes such as the Northern Liang. It became an important provincial capital during the Former Han Dynasty as the "Hou Hanshu" makes clear: "In the third year [170 CE], Meng Tuo, the Inspector of Liangzhou (modern Wuwei), sent the Assistant Officer Ren She, commanding five hundred soldiers from Dunhuang. He, with the "Wuji" Major Cao Kuan, and Chief Clerk of the Western Regions, Zhang Yan, brought troops from Yanqi (Karashahr), Qiuci (Kucha), and the Nearer and Further Kingdoms of Jushi (Turfan and Jimasa), altogether numbering more than 30,000, to punish Shule (Kashgar). They attacked the town of Zhenzhong (Arach) but, having stayed for more than forty days without being able to subdue it, they withdrew. Following this, the kings of Shule (Kashgar) killed one another repeatedly and, for its part, the Imperial Government was unable to prevent it." In 121 BC Han emperor Wudi brought his cavalry here to defend the Hexi Corridor against the Xiongnu Huns. His military success allowed him to expand the corridor westward. Its importance as a stop along the Silk Road made it a crossroads of cultures and ethnic groups from all over central Asia. Numerous Buddhist grottoes and temples in the area attest to its role as a path for bringing Buddhism from India and Afghanistan to China.  During the Three Kingdoms period (184-280), Liangzhou was governed by Qiang leader Ma Teng. After the death of Ma Teng, Ma Chao assumed the post and governed the province for a short time before it fell into the hands of Cao Cao, ruler of Wei Kingdom.  Liangzhou was briefly (from 400 to 421) a state during the Sixteen Kingdoms period.  Famous cultural relics from Wuwei include the Galloping Bronze Horse (), Western Xia mausoleums(), Wuwei White Towers Temple (), Tianti Mountain Grotto (), Luoshi(Kumārajīva) Temple (), and the Confucian temple ().

Geography, geology and climate.

Wuwei's geography is dominated by three plateaus, the Loess, Tibetan, and Mongolian. Elevation can be generalized as, the south is higher than the north, with an elevation ranging from above sea-level. Its area is. Average annual temperature is. The climate is cold arid (Köppen "BWk") with precipitation between. Evaporation is from, creating a net loss of water each year. There are 2200–3000 sunlight hours each year and from 85–165 frost free days. Summer temperatures can be in excess of, in the shade are by no means unheard of.  Southwest of Wuwei, there is a thick Tianzhu Formation made of clastics intercalated with sandy shale and shale. Minerals deposits occurring in the vicinity of Wuwei include graphite, iron, titanium, and limestone.  A species of stone loach, "Triplophysa wuweiensis", is named after Wuwei where it was first discovered.

Administration.

1 urban district, 2 counties, 1 autonomous county, 116 towns, and 41 townships

Demographics.

Population 1,815,054. Urban: 509,600 with 38 ethnic groups represented including Han, Hui, Mongol, Tu, Tibetan, etc.

Economy.

Consistent sunlight and fertile soil make agriculture one of Wuwei's biggest industries. Other important industries are textiles, metallurgy, and construction materials. Melons, vegetables, wine and livestock are all major agricultural products. Organic farming is a trend with more land being set aside for “green farming” each year. Land use can be broken down into the following:

Transport.

Wuwei is served by the G30 Lianyungang–Khorgas Expressway and China National Highway 312; the serves trains on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway.

Wuwei () is a prefecture-level city in northwest central Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia, in the southwest, Qinghai. It is centrally located in between three western capital cities, Lanzhou, Xining, and Yinchuan, making it an important business and transportation hub for the region. Because it is positioned along the Hexi Corridor, historically the only route from central China to western China and the rest of Central Asia, many major railroads and national highways pass through Wuwei, nowadays.

Wu-wej () je městská prefektura v Čínské lidové republice. Leží ve střední části provincie Kan-su, má plochu 33 249 km2 a v roce 2010 v ní žilo bezmála dva miliony obyvatel.


Career.

Light-Heavyweight.

Southpaw Mekhontsev won a silver medal in the 2004 Light-heavyweight Russian senior national championships losing to Mikhail Gala in the final and won another silver in 2005 again losing to Gala in the semi-final by 39:26.  The following year in 2006 he won bronze losing to Artur Beterbiyev 41:30 in the semi-final and in 2007 another bronze losing to Evgeni Makarenko.

Change to Heavyweight.

Mekhontsev then moved up to the heavyweight 201 lbs limit division and won the 2008 Russian national championships beating Evgeniy Romanov in the final by a score of 19-5.  At the 2008 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Liverpool he defeated Nasi Hani (Macedonia) INJ RND 4, Stephen Simmons (boxer) (Scotland) 14-1, Petrisor Gananau (Romania) 5-2 and won Gold after defeating Armenia's Tsolak Ananikyan 9-2 in the final. At the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships – Heavyweight he upset Clemente Russo and beat fellow southpaws Oleksandr Usyk in the semifinal and Osmay Acosta in the final.  Mekhontsev successfully defended his title at the 2010 European Amateur Boxing Championships against Denis Poyatsika and Tervel Pulev.

Change to Light-Heavyweight.

For the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships he traded weightclasses with Beterbiyev and dropped to light heavy. He beat Marcus Browne and Oleksandr Hvozdyk but was upset by young Cuban Julio César la Cruz and won Bronze.  At the 2012 Olympics, being 28 years of age, he beat Damien Hooper, Elshod Rasulov, Yamaguchi Falcao in the semifinals and won Gold by defeating Adilbek Niyazymbetov.

Turning professional.

Mekhontsev turned professional in October 2013, signing with boxing promotion company Top Rank, which has also signed up a number of other 2012 olympic medallists.  Mekhontsev made his professional debut on December 7, 2013, dominating and knocking down opponent PJ Cajagas three times before the referee stopped the contest in the third round.

Egor Leonidovich Mekhontsev (Егор Леонидович Мехонцев, transliteration "Egor Leonidovich Mechoncev"; born on 14 November 1984 in Asbest, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR) is an Russian professional boxer, who among other achievements won gold at 2012 London Olympics at light heavyweight division.

Jegor Leonidovič Mechoncev () (* 14. listopadu 1984, Asbest, Sovětský svaz) je bývalý ruský profesionální boxer, nastupující v polotěžké váze.


Plot.

Before his wedding to fiancée Laura, Kyle Fisher organizes a bachelor party in a Las Vegas hotel with his friends: Charles Moore, Robert Boyd, brothers Adam and Michael Berkow. Michael pays Tina, a stripper/prostitute, for sex in the bathroom and accidentally kills her. Soon thereafter, a security guard comes to investigate the ruckus and discovers Tina's corpse. In desperation, Boyd stabs the guard to death. Boyd convinces the group to dismember the bodies, bury them in the desert, and never speak of it again.  At the rehearsal dinner, Adam cracks under the pressure, leading to a confrontation with Michael outside, with Adam threatening to turn him over to the police. The fight is broken up and Michael is convinced to leave. While leaving, he turns to ram his Jeep into Adam's beloved minivan. Adam runs in front of his van and is crushed in the collision. In the hospital, Adam whispers something to his wife Lois before dying, as Boyd looks on through a glass window.  Lois demands answers about what happened in Las Vegas when she finds a written confession by Adam. Fisher makes up a story about Adam sleeping with a prostitute. Boyd, suspecting she does not believe them, kills Lois. Later, Boyd calls Fisher and Moore to bring Michael to the house, where he kills him. He concocts a story about a Michael/Lois/Adam love triangle to answer any interrogation by police. After these events and being named beneficiary of Adam and Lois' estate, Fisher breaks down and confesses the story to Laura, who demands that the wedding she has dreamed about proceed as planned.  On the wedding day, Boyd confronts Fisher, demanding the money from Adam's life insurance policy. Fisher refuses and a fight ensues which ends with Laura bludgeoning Boyd. During the ceremony, Fisher and Moore realize that Boyd has the wedding rings. Moore goes to retrieve them, opening a door that knocks Boyd down a stairwell where he dies. Laura demands Fisher bury Boyd's body in the desert and then ensure no loose ends remain by killing Moore. Ultimately, Fisher cannot go through with the act and as he drives home, he loses focus and crashes into an oncoming car.  After the collision, Fisher has had both his legs amputated below the knee and Moore is brain damaged and confined to a motorized wheelchair, leaving Laura to care for all of them in addition to raising Adam's sons. As Laura watches Fisher's futile attempt to control the two boys, she realizes her life and dreams are totally ruined and suffers a nervous breakdown as she runs out of the house and collapses screaming in the street.

Reception.

The film scored a 41% on Rotten Tomatoes from 58 reviews, with the consensus, "Mean-spirited and empty". Roger Ebert wrote that "Very Bad Things" is "not a bad movie, just a reprehensible one". Some critics appreciated the cold-blooded approach, however, Maitland McDonagh of "TV Guide" wrote, "In a world filled with crude movie sitcoms, Berg's bitter, worst-possible-case scenario really does stand alone".

Very Bad Things is a 1998 American black comedy film directed by Peter Berg and starring Cameron Diaz, Jon Favreau, Daniel Stern, Jeremy Piven, Christian Slater, Leland Orser, Kobe Tai and Jeanne Tripplehorn.

Šest pohřbů a jedna svatba (v americkém originále: Very Bad Things) je americká filmová komedie z roku 1998. Režisérem filmu je Peter Berg. Hlavní role ve filmu ztvárnili Christian Slater, Jon Favreau, Cameron Diaz, Daniel Stern a Jeremy Piven.


Early life.

Özbiliz was born on 9 March 1990 in the Bakırköy district of Istanbul, Turkey to Armenian parents. He was named after the Aras River, a body of water in Armenia. His ancestors adopted the surname "Özbiliz", literally meaning "one, who preserves his identity." In the early 1990s, his family emigrated from Turkey to the Netherlands. Five years later, he started playing football for the youth team of HVV Hollandia. When he was eight years old, he joined the youth team of Ajax. While playing for the youth team, Özbiliz received two serious injuries, first tearing a cruciate knee ligament, after which he needed an operation, and then a shoulder injury.

Club career.

AFC Ajax.

Özbiliz is a product of the Ajax youth academy. Prior to moving to Ajax as a youth, he played for HVV Hollandia in his home town of Hoorn where he grew up. At the age of 8, he participated in tryouts for the Amsterdam side, and was chosen to play for Ajax, having represented Ajax on every stage of the youth academy, before making his debut for the A selection in 2010 under then coach Martin Jol. On 24 July 2007, in a friendly match against Argentinean club Independiente, he managed to score three goals within 7 minutes, which turned out to be a personal record.  In February 2009, the "Ajax" Ozbilizom concluded with a contract for two and a half years. In the same year, on 9 June 2009, the attacking midfielder was named "Talent van de Toekomst", which is an award signifying the most talented young player in the team to emerge from De Toekomst ("Ajax training ground"). His performances in the junior team saw him included in the first team for the upcoming 2010–11season.  In November 2010, Aras twice found himself in an application for a match, first in the championship game against PSV Eindhoven, and then in the UEFA Champions League match against the Real Madrid, but he did not come out on the field. The anticipated player's Eredivisie debut took place on 28 November 2010 in a game against the guest VVV-Venlo. On the field, the 20-year-old appeared immediately after the break, replacing the Finnish midfielder Teemu Tainio. Özbiliz seriously enhanced the game on the left side of midfield, adding to the first in the rate of. Ajax won with a score of 0:2, and Aras was praised by Martin Jol. Already in the next league match, on 4 December, Özbiliz left in the starting lineup.  A few days before the UEFA Champions League match with the Italian club A.C. Milan, Özbiliz had a flu, and so he could not make his debut in the main European Cup tournament. By this time, the new acting head coach Frank de Boer was appointed, as Martin Jol resigned before the match with Milan. He returned to the field for the next game of Ajax, which took place on 12 December against the Vitesse Arnhem. It is noteworthy that Aras was out on the field instead of the debutant teammate Lorenzo Ebecilio. On 22 December, Frank de Boer announced a list of players registered for the upcoming KNVB Cup match with AZ. Among the 18 players, Aras was named, but in the starting lineup for the game, he appeared only at the end of the match on the 89th minute after the winning goal by Miralem Sulejmani.  In January 2011, Aras and the team set off for Turkey, where they played two friendly matches – against the German club Hamburger SV and the Turkish club Galatasaray. In both matches, Ozbiliz went in on a second-half substitute.  Aras scored his first league goal on 3 April 2011 in the '80-minute in a 3–0 home win against Heracles Almelo. On 14 April, Aras extended his contract for three more seasons to expire in the summer until 30 June 2014. On 24 February 2012, in a Europa League match against Manchester United, Aras became the first Ajax player to ever score a goal against Manchester United in a European cup match at Old Trafford.

FC Kuban.

On 4 May 2012 press-service of Kuban Krasnodar announced that they were in talks to acquire Özbiliz. However, only on 8 August this transfer was officially announced. Aras was transferred for a sum of €1 million. The contract was signed for four years until 2016.  Aras debuted for Kuban on 20 August 2012 in a match against Alania Vladikavkaz. Aras left in the field for 81 minutes instead of David Tsorayev. On 2 September 2012, he scored his first goal for the Kuban in the 93rd minute in an away game against Dynamo Moscow. In September 2012, in the Russian Premier League, he was scoring twice more in home games: at the 15th of the goal of Spartak Moscow at 63 minutes (final score 2–2) and 29th in the goal of Terek Grozny in 83 minutes, scoring a long-range shot winning the second goal and helping Kuban to a 2–1 victory. On 31 March 2013, Aras scored a swerving, dipping goal from 35 yards away in a match against Spartak Moscow that ended 2–2.

Spartak Moscow.

In July 2013 it was announced that Özbiliz had signed a five-year contract with Spartak Moscow, with Kuban Krasnodar earning €10 million on the transfer fee. 29 August Araz scored his first goal for the club. In May 2014 Özbiliz suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which caused him to have two surgeries. In April 2015 Murat Yakin, then head coach of Spartak, transferred Aras to the reserve team for not being fully fit from the injury, although the player claimed to be 100% fit to play. Later Özbiliz suggested this treatment may be a case of anti-Armenian sentiment by Yakin, ethnic Turk. According to Aras, he's learned of being relegated to the reserve team on the centenary of the Armenian Genocide.

Beşiktaş J.K..

In January 2016 Özbiliz signed a 4.5-year contract with Beşiktaş and went to Rayo Vallecano on loan.

Sheriff Tiraspol (loan).

On 7 February 2018, Sheriff Tiraspol announced the signing of Özbiliz on loan from Beşiktaş. After playing just four games for Sheriff Tiraspol, Özbiliz was recalled by Beşiktaş on 12 June 2018.

Pyunik.

On 31 August, Özbiliz signed for FC Pyunik.

International career.

In mid-May 2010, Aras Özbiliz was invited by the Football Federation of Armenia to take part in the formation of the youth national team of Armenia. In the words of Aras, he's never been to Armenia, but he hopes to gain a spot in the youth team. In the Armenian capital Yerevan, Aras arrived on the evening of 30 May. He immediately started working in Pyunik Yerevan, allowing the head coach of the team Vardan Minasyan to get closely acquainted with him. In training, Özbiliz was also presented with the coach of the Armenian national team, Dane Flemming Serritslev. He noted that the Aras made a good impression, but as of now he cannot play for the national team because he has a problem with his documents.  In early February 2011, the Armenian head coach Minasyan said Özbiliz was going to choose between the teams of Armenia and the Netherlands. To persuade the player to play for Armenia, Vice-President of the Football Federation of Armenia Ashot Manukyan went to the Netherlands to negotiate with Aras. Manukyan, in turn, said that Ozbiliz was in no hurry with his choice of the national team and wanted to gain a foothold in Ajax and then make a final decision, and he was likely to help the Armenian team in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Russia. The Vice-President of the Football Federation of Armenia stressed that the question of citizenship in Armenia for Ozbiliz was no problem and to be resolved by the president of the country's approval.  In late March 2011, the footballer reportedly expressed a desire to play for the Netherlands, as Özbiliz apparently stated he has a chance to progress with the Netherlands and so he chose them. However, these rumors were proven false in early June, when Aras decided to play for Armenia. Aras was quoted as saying, "Netherlands might be a good choice in sporting terms but my heart beats for Armenia. That's why I made this choice." He asked not to be brought for the match with Russia due to the fact that he had little training. In August, Özbiliz was called for a friendly match with Lithuania, which was scheduled for 10 August in Kaunas, but although he was in the starting lineup, he did not get even come off the bench before the match and his participation was in doubt, as the 21-year-old player felt pain in his back. The game ended with the defeat of the Armenian national team 3–0.  In early October 2011, Aras was called to play the match against Armenia and Macedonia, which was held on 7 October. On 4 October 2011, on order of the President Serzh Sargsyan, Aras Ozbilis received Armenian citizenship and became a player of the Armenia national football team. Özbiliz was given from the President of the Football Federation of Armenia Ruben Hayrapetyan an Armenia team T-shirt with the number 23.  On 29 February 2012, Aras debuted for the national team of Armenia during a friendly match with Canada and scored a goal in that same match.

Personal life.

Aras was raised in Hoorn, Netherlands and holds both Dutch and Armenian citizenship. He received his Armenian passport on 4 October 2011, as he wanted to represent the Armenian national team, making his debut for Armenia on 29 February 2012 during a friendly match with Canada and scored a goal in that same match.  Aras' sporting idol is Lionel Messi.

Career statistics.

International.

"Statistics accurate as of match played 13 November 2017"

Honours.

Club.

Ajax  Beşiktaş J.K.

Aras Özbiliz (, born 9 March 1990) is an Armenian footballer who plays as a right winger for FC Pyunik and the Armenian national team.

Aras Özbiliz (arménsky Արազ Օզբիլիս; * 9. března 1990, Bakırköy, Istanbul, Turecko) je arménský fotbalista a reprezentant, který působí v ruském klubu FK Spartak Moskva. Hraje na pozici křídelního záložníka. Má arménské a nizozemské občanství.


History.

In the winter of 1905, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie and his wife Hilda Petrie (née Urlin) were conducting a series of archeological excavations in the Sinai Peninsula. During a dig at Serabit el-Khadim, an extremely lucrative turquoise mine used during between the Twelfth and Thirteenth Dynasty and again between the Eighteenth and mid-Twentieth Dynasty, Sir Petrie discovered a series of inscriptions at the site's massive invocative temple to Hathor, as well as some fragmentary inscriptions in the mines themselves. Petrie immediately recognized hieroglyphic characters in the inscriptions, but upon closer inspection realized the language was wholly alphabetic and not the combination of logograms and syllabics as Egyptian language proper. He thus assumed that the script showed a language that the turquoise miners had devised themselves, using linear signs that they had borrowed from hieroglyphics. He published his findings in London the following year.  Ten years later, in 1916, Alan Gardiner, one of the premier Egyptologists of the early and mid-20th century, published his own interpretation of Petrie's findings, arguing that the glyphs appeared to be early versions of the signs used in later Semitic languages such as Phoenician, and was able to assign sound values and reconstructed names to some of the letters by assuming they represented what would later become the common Semitic abjad (one example provided being the character, which Gardiner assigned the ⟨b⟩ sound to, on the grounds that it derived from the Egyptian glyph for 'house', and was very similar to the similarly-shaped Phoenician character,, which is called "bet". The name "bet" itself was commonly thought to derive from the "Semitic" word for 'house', "bayt", providing another layer of support to his thesis.) Using this hypothesis, Gardiner was able to affirm Petrie's hypothesis that the mystery inscriptions were of a religious nature, as his model allowed an often recurring word to be reconstructed as "lbʿlt", meaning "to Ba'alat" or more accurately, "to (the) Lady" — that is, the "lady" Hathor. Likewise, this allowed another recurring word "mʿh<nowiki>b</nowiki>ʿlt" to be translated as "Beloved of (the) Lady", a reading which became very acceptable after the lemma was found carved underneath a hieroglyphic inscription which read "Beloved of Hathor, Lady of Turquoise". Gardiner's hypothesis allowed researchers to connect the letters of the inscriptions to modern Semitic alphabets, and resulted in the inscriptions becoming much more readable, leading to his hypothesis' immediate acceptance.

Epigraphy.

Serabit inscriptions.

The Sinai inscriptions are best known from carved graffiti and votive texts from a mountain in the Sinai called Serabit el-Khadim and its temple to the Egyptian goddess Hathor ("). The mountain contained turquoise mines which were visited by repeated expeditions over 800 years. Many of the workers and officials were from the Nile Delta, and included large numbers of Canaanites (i.e. speakers of an early form of Northwest Semitic ancestral to the Canaanite languages of the Late Bronze Age) who had been allowed to settle the eastern Delta.  Most of the forty or so inscriptions have been found among much more numerous hieratic and hieroglyphic inscriptions, scratched on rocks near and in the turquoise mines and along the roads leading to the temple.  The date of the inscriptions is mostly placed in the 17th or 16th century BC.  Four inscriptions have been found in the temple, on two small human statues and on either side of a small stone sphinx. They are crudely done, suggesting that the workers who made them were illiterate apart from this script.  In 1916, Alan Gardiner, using sound values derived from the alphabet hypothesis, translated a collection of signs as לבעלת'(to the Lady)

Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions.

Only a few inscriptions have been found in Canaan itself, dated to between the 17th and 15th centuries BC. Researchers also claim to have discovered Canaanite snake spells: The passages date from between 2400 to 3000 BC and appear to be written in Proto Sinatic, a direct ancestor of Biblical Hebrew.

Wadi el-Hol inscriptions.

The Wadi el-Hol inscriptions ( "Wādī al-Hawl" 'Ravine of Terror') were carved on the stone sides of an ancient high-desert military and trade road linking Thebes and Abydos, in the heart of literate Egypt. They have been dated to somewhere between 1900 and 1800 BC. They are in a wadi in the Qena bend of the Nile, at approx., among dozens of hieratic and hieroglyphic inscriptions.  The inscriptions are graphically very similar to the Serabit inscriptions, but show a greater hieroglyphic influence, such as a glyph for a man that was apparently not read alphabetically: The first of these ("h") is a figure of celebration [Gardiner A28], whereas the second ("h") is either that of a child [Gardiner A17] or of dancing [Gardiner A32]. If the latter, "h" and "h" may be graphic variants (such as two hieroglyphs both used to write the Canaanite word "hillul" "jubilation") rather than different consonants. Some scholars (Darnell "et al.") think that the רב "rb" at the beginning of Inscription 1 is likely "rebbe" (chief; cognate with "rabbi"); and that the אל "ʾl" at the end of Inscription 2 is likely "ʾel" "god". Brian Colless has published a translation of the text, in which some of the signs are treated as logograms (representing a whole word, not just a single consonant) or rebuses [Antiguo Oriente 8 (2010) 91] [V] "Excellent ("r"["ʾš"]) banquet ("mšt") of the celebration ("h"["illul"]) of ʿAnat for the celebration ("h"["illul"]). We will sacrifice ("ngṯ") to her ("h") an ox ("ʾ") and ("p") a prime ("r[ʾš]") fatling ("mX")." This interpretation fits into the pattern in some of the surrounding Egyptian inscriptions, with celebrations for the goddess Hathor involving inebriation.

Proto-Canaanite.

Proto-Canaanite, also referred to as Proto-Canaan, Old Canaanite, or Canaanite, is the name given to the Proto-Sinaitic script (c. 16th century BC), when found in Canaan.  The term Proto-Canaanite is also used when referring to the ancestor of the Phoenician or Paleo-Hebrew script, respectively, before some cut-off date, typically 1050 BC, with an undefined affinity to Proto-Sinaitic. While no extant inscription in the Phoenician alphabet is older than c. 1050 BC, "Proto-Canaanite" is a term used for the early alphabets as used during the 13th and 12th centuries BC in Phoenicia. However, the Phoenician, Hebrew, and other Canaanite dialects were largely indistinguishable before the 11th century BC. A possible example of "Proto-Canaanite", the inscription on the Ophel pithos, was found in 2012 on a pottery storage jar during the excavations of the south wall of the Temple Mount by Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar in Jerusalem. Inscribed on the pot are some big letters about an inch high, of which only five are complete, and traces of perhaps three additional letters written in Proto-Canaanite script.

History.

The letters of the earliest script used for Semitic languages have been shown to be derived from Egyptian hieroglyphs. In the 19th century, the theory of Egyptian origin competed alongside other theories that the Phoenician script developed from Akkadian cuneiform, Cretan hieroglyphs, the Cypriot syllabary, and Anatolian hieroglyphs. Then the Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions were studied by Alan Gardiner who identified the word "" "Lady" occurring several times in inscriptions, and also attempted to decipher other words. William Albright in the 1950s and 1960s published interpretations of Proto-Sinaitic as the key to show the derivation of the Canaanite alphabet from hieratic, leading to the commonly accepted belief that the language of the inscriptions was Semitic and that the script had a hieratic prototype.  The Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions, along with the contemporary parallels found in Canaan and Wadi el-Hol, are thus hypothesized to show an intermediate step between Egyptian Hieratic and the Phoenician alphabet.  According to the "alphabet theory", the early Semitic proto-alphabet reflected in the Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions would have given rise to both the Ancient South Arabian script and the Proto-Canaanite alphabet by the time of the Late Bronze Age collapse (1200–1150 BCE). Albright hypothesized that only the graphic form of the Proto-Sinaitic characters derive from Egyptian hieroglyphs, because they were given the sound value of the first consonant of the Semitic translation of the hieroglyph (many hieroglyphs had already been used acrophonically in Egyptian).  For example, the hieroglyph for "pr" "house" (a rectangle partially open along one side, "O1" in Gardiner's sign list) was adopted to write Semitic, after the first consonant of "baytu", the Semitic word for "house". According to the alphabet hypothesis, the shapes of the letters would have evolved from Proto-Sinaitic forms into Phoenician forms, but most of the names of the letters would have remained the same.  An alternative hypothesis was recently proposed by Brian Colless (2014), who believes that 18 of the 22 letters of the Phoenician alphabet have counterparts in the Byblos syllabary, and it seems that the proto-alphabet evolved as a simplification of the syllabary, moving from syllabic to consonantal writing, in the style of the Egyptian script (which did not normally indicate vowels); this goes against the Goldwasser hypothesis (2010) that the original alphabet was invented by miners in Sinai.

Synopsis.

Below is a table synoptically showing selected Proto-Sinaitic signs and the proposed correspondences with Phoenician letters. Also shown are the sound values, names, and descendants of the Phoenician letters.

Proto-Sinaitic, also referred to as Sinaitic, and Proto-Canaanite (when found in Canaan), is a Middle Bronze Age (Middle Kingdom) script attested in a small corpus of inscriptions found at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, considered the earliest trace of alphabetic writing, and the common ancestor of the Ancient South Arabian script and Phoenician alphabet (and by extension, every other subsequent alphabet).

Protosinajské písmo (také "prasinajské", "starosinajské" nebo jen "sinajské") je písmo střední doby bronzové zachované na velmi malém počtu vzorků v Serabit el-Khadimu na Sinajském poloostrově. Kvůli mimořádné nouzi o protosinajské zápisy víme velice málo jistého o tomto písmu. Protože existovalo současně s egyptskými hieroglyfy, patrně spíše představuje skutečné psaní. Jistá písmena jsou ale převzata z hieroglyfů. Je považováno za předchůdce fénického písma, z něhož pochází prakticky všechny moderní abecedy, respektive písma.


Early life.

Robert James Fitzsimmons was born on 26 May 1863 in Helston, Cornwall, England, the youngest of seven boys and five girls born to James and Jane () Fitzsimmons. Not long before his birth, his parents had moved from his father's native Ireland to Cornwall, where his mother came from, in order for his father to find work as a policeman. Fitzsimmons received his early education at the National school in Helston. In 1873, the family moved again; James, Jane and their youngest five children sailed on the "Adamant" for the 93 day journey to Lyttelton, New Zealand.  They settled in Timaru, a town 147 km (91 miles) south-west of Lyttelton populated mainly by Cornish immigrants, and James Fitzsimmons established a blacksmith's forge in the town. Once Fitzsimmons had completed his education at the Timaru Main School, he took on a range of jobs. He wanted to join the crew of the "Isabella Ridley", and do some service as a sailor, hoping that it would toughen him up for a career in boxing, but the ship was badly damaged in storms while still docked in Timaru. Instead, he took on a range of jobs; as a butcher's delivery boy, a carriage painter, striker at an iron foundry, and a decorator, before becoming an apprentice at his family's blacksmith's forge with his brother Jarrett. His time working in the blacksmith's forge helped to develop his upper body, particularly his arms and shoulders. During his time working in the blacksmith's forge, there are stories that Fitzsimmons was not averse to fighting quarrelsome, often drunk, customers, and it was suggested that this even boosted business, as customers returned to the forge, hoping to see a fight.

Amateur career.

In the early 1880s Jem Mace, an English bare-knuckle boxer, travelled to New Zealand, and Timaru hosted both his boxing school, and the first boxing championships held in New Zealand. Fitzsimmons entered the tournament, and knocked out four opponents on his way to winning the competition. He successfully defended his title in the subsequent competition. During one of these tournament, it is often suggested that Fitzsimmons defeated Herbert Slade, a professional heavyweight boxer who was touring with Mace, but Slade was touted as being undefeated in 1883, and it is possible that it was Slade's brother that Fitzsimmons beat. After these tournaments, Fitzsimmons boxed at least six times in New Zealand, including some bare knuckle bouts, but it is unclear if he received payment for his fights during this time.

Professional career.

Move to Australia.

Boxing record books show Fitzsimmons officially began boxing professionally in 1883, in Australia. He beat Jim Crawford there by getting a knockout in three rounds. Fitzsimmons had his first 28 definite professional fights in Australia, where he lost the Australian Middleweight title to Mick Dooley (rumours spoke of a fixed bout) and where he also won a fight by knockout while on the floor: when Edward Starlight Robins dropped Fitzsimmons to the canvas in round nine of their fight, he also broke his hand and could not continue, therefore the referee declared Fitzsimmons the winner by a knockout.  By this stage, Fitzsimmons had established his own style. He developed a certain movement and caginess from one of the greatest bare-knuckle fighters, Jem Mace. Mace encouraged Fitzsimmons to develop his punching technique, drawing on the enormous power he had gained from blacksmithing. Fitzsimmons delivered short, accurate and occasionally conclusive punches. He soon built up a reputation as by far the hardest puncher in boxing.

Winning the Middleweight title.

Moving on to the United States, Fitzsimmons fought four more times in 1890, winning three and drawing one. Then, on 14 January 1891, in New Orleans, he won his first world title from Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey. Fitzsimmons knocked out Dempsey (from whom the later Jack Dempsey took his name) in the 13th round to become the World Middleweight Champion. Fitzsimmons knocked Dempsey down at least 13 times and by the finish left him in such a pitiable condition that he begged him to quit. Since Dempsey would not do so, Fitzsimmons knocked him out and then carried him to his corner. On 22 July, police broke off his fight with Jim Hall after he had knocked Hall down several times.  Fitzsimmons spent the next two years fighting non-title bouts and exhibitions until giving Hall a chance at the title in 1893. He retained the crown by a knockout in round four. He spent the rest of that year doing exhibitions, and on 2 June, he had scheduled a two-way exhibition where he would demonstrate in public how to hit the boxing bag and then how to box against a real opponent. Reportedly, two freak accidents happened that day: Fitzsimmons hit the bag so hard that it broke, and then his opponent of that day allegedly slipped, getting hit in the head and the boxing exhibition was cancelled.  At a public sparring performance on 16 November 1894 at Jacob's Opera House, Syracuse, New York, Fitzsimmons knocked out sparring partner Con Riordan, who was carried off unconscious and died several hours later. Two months later Fitzsimmons was charged with manslaughter but was acquitted.

Fitzsimmons vs. Sharkey.

After vacating the Middleweight title, Fitzsimmons began campaigning at heavyweight (the light heavyweight division did not exist at that time). On 2 December 1896, the San Francisco Athletic Club sponsored a fight at the Mechanics' Pavilion in San Francisco between Fitzsimmons and Tom Sharkey. Unable to find a referee, they called on former lawman Wyatt Earp. He had officiated 30 or so matches in earlier days, though not under the Marquess of Queensberry rules. The fight may have been the most anticipated fight on American soil that year. Fitzsimmons was favoured to win, and bets flowed heavily his way. Earp entered the ring still armed with his customary Colt.45 and drew a lot of attention when he had to be disarmed. He later said he forgot he was wearing it. Fitzsimmons was taller and quicker than Sharkey and dominated the fight from the opening bell. In the eighth round, Fitzsimmons hit Sharkey with his famed "solar plexus punch," an uppercut under the heart that could render a man temporarily helpless. The punch caught Sharkey, Earp, and most of the crowd by surprise, and Sharkey dropped, clutched his groin, and rolled on the canvas, screamed foul.  Earp stopped the bout, ruling that Fitzsimmons had hit Sharkey when he was down. His ruling was greeted with loud boos and catcalls. Earp based his decision on the Marquess of Queensberry rules, which state in part, "A man on one knee is considered down and if struck is entitled to the stakes." Very few witnessed the foul Earp ruled on. He awarded the decision to Sharkey, who attendants carried out as "...limp as a rag.".

Winning the Heavyweight title.

In 1896, Fitzsimmons won a disputed version of the World Heavyweight Championship in a fight in Langtry, Texas, against the Irish fighter Peter Maher. On 17 March 1897, in Carson City, Nevada, he knocked out American Jim Corbett, generally recognised as the legitimate World Heavyweight Champion (having won the title from John L. Sullivan in 1892) in round 14. This constituted a remarkable achievement, as Jim Corbett, a skilled boxer, weighed one stone 3 pounds (17 lb) more than Fitzsimmons. He out-boxed Fitzsimmons for several rounds, knocked him down in the sixth round and badly damaged his face with his jab, left hook and right hand, but Fitzsimmons kept coming and Corbett began to tire. In the 14th round, Fitzsimmons won the title with his "solar plexus" punch. Corbett collapsed in agony. Fitzsimmons' "solar plexus" punch became legendary, although he himself may never have used the phrase. The entire fight was filmed by Enoch J. Rector and released to cinemas as "The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight", the longest film ever released at the time. Using her maiden name, it was covered by Nellie Verrill Mighels Davis, the first woman to report a prize fight.  Fitzsimmons spent the rest of 1897 and 1898 doing stage tours. In 1899, Fitzsimmons fought James J. Jeffries at the Coney Island Athletic Club near Brooklyn, New York. Most people gave Jeffries little chance, even though at over 15 stones (95 kg) he massively outweighed his opponent and was far younger, but Jeffries lifted the World Heavyweight Championship from Fitzsimmons with an 11th-round knockout.  In June 1901 Fitzsimmons took part in a wrestling match against Gus Ruhlin. He lost and went back to boxing. He then enjoyed legitimate boxing knockouts of leading contenders Ruhlin and Tom Sharkey.  In 1901 he published a book "Physical Culture and Self-Defense" (Philadelphia: D. Biddle). In 1902, he and Jeffries had a rematch, once again with the World Heavyweight Champion at stake. Fitzsimmons battered Jeffries, who suffered horrible punishment. With his nose and cheek bones broken, most would have sympathized with Jeffries had he quit, but he kept going until his enormous strength and youth wore down Bob and he knocked him out cold in round eight.

Winning the Light Heavyweight title.

In November 1903, Fitzsimmons made history by defeating World Light Heavyweight Champion George Gardiner (also known as Gardner) by a decision in 20 rounds, becoming the first boxer to win titles in three weight-divisions.  Soon afterward, he went back to the Heavyweights, where he kept fighting until 1914, with mixed results. In 1907 at age 44, Fitzsimmons fought much younger Jack Johnson, during the time period in which reigning champion James J. Jeffries refused to fight Johnson. The bout between Johnson and Fitzsimmons ended in victory for Johnson with a second round knockout.

Retirement.

Although Fitzsimmons became a world champion in each of the Middleweight, Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions, historians do "not" consider him the first world Light Heavyweight Champion to become World Heavyweight Champion, because he won the Heavyweight title before winning the Light Heavyweight belt. Michael Spinks counts as the first Light Heavyweight World Champion to win the Heavyweight belt as well. However, Fitzsimmons was the first Middleweight Champion to win the Heavyweight title and the only Heavyweight Champion to drop down and win the Light Heavyweight title. Fitzsimmons and later Henry Armstrong were the only men to win undisputed world championships in three different weight classes.  Fitzsimmons had a final professional record of 66 wins with 59 by knockout, 8 losses, 4 draws, 19 no contests and 2 no decisions (Newspaper Decisions: 2–0–0).  Fitzsimmons's exact record remains unknown, as the boxing world often kept records poorly during his era, but Fitzsimmons said he had had more than 350 fights (which could have involved exaggeration on his part). It's also possible that Bob may have included his many exhibition bouts in his total.

Death and Legacy.

Fitzsimmons died of pneumonia on 22 October 1917 in Chicago, survived by his fourth wife. His grave lies in the Graceland Cemetery, Uptown. Having four wives, a gambling habit and a susceptibility to confidence tricksters, he did not hold on to the money he made.  The statue "Peace" on the Dewey Arch was modelled on Fitzsimmons by the sculptor Daniel Chester French. A statue of Fitzsimmons has also stood in the city centre of Timaru, New Zealand, since 1987. It was commissioned by New Zealand millionaire boxing fan Bob Jones and sculpted by Margriet Windhausen.  The International Boxing Hall of Fame has made Fitzsimmons a member in its "Old Timer" category.  In 2003 "Ring Magazine" named Fitzsimmons number eight of all time among boxing's best punchers.

Personal life.

Fitzsimmons married four times and had six children, four of whom survived infancy.

Robert James "Bob" Fitzsimmons (26 May 1863 – 22 October 1917) was a British professional boxer who was the sport's first three-division world champion. He also achieved fame for beating Gentleman Jim Corbett (the man who beat John L. Sullivan), and he is in "The Guinness Book of World Records" as the lightest heavyweight champion. Nicknamed Ruby Robert and The Freckled Wonder, he took pride in his lack of scars and appeared in the ring wearing heavy woollen underwear to conceal the disparity between his trunk and leg-development.

Robert James "Bob" Fitzsimmons (26. května 1863 – 22. října 1917) byl cornwallský rodák a boxer, který se jako malý chlapec odstěhoval s rodiči na Nový Zéland, který reprezentoval a vstoupil do boxerské historie jako boxer, jenž první dobyl tituly tří váhových kategorií. Také dosáhl slávy, když porazil "Gentlemana" Jima Corbetta, muže, který vyhrál nad famózním Johnem Lawrencem Sullivanem.


History.

The Forty Thieves operated from the Elephant and Castle area of London. They were allied to the Elephant and Castle Mob led by the McDonald brothers. They raided quality stores in the West End of London and ranged all over the country. The gang was also known to masquerade as housemaids for wealthy families before ransacking their homes, often using false references. They were in existence from at least 1873 to the 1950s with some indications that they may have been in existence since the late 18th century. During the early 20th century the gang was led by Alice Diamond, known variously as the Queen of the Forty Thieves and as Diamond Annie and as a friend of Maggie Hill, sister to gangster Billy Hill.  Their heyday was in the interwar period when the gang raided on a large scale not only in the West End of London, but also other major shopping centres across the country. They also forced smaller gangs to pay tribute on what they had stolen and would punish criminals that did not obey their rules. The gang had its own set of rules and demanded loyalty from its members and others in the supply and distribution network. Alice Diamond ruled with absolute authority with the co-operation of Maggie Hill, Gertrude Scully, the Partridge sisters, and many others. Over seventy direct members of the gang operating in the 1920s and 1930s have been identified. Reports that said the gang collapsed when their leaders were jailed for the 1925 Battle of Lambeth are incorrect. The gang was still in existence after World War Two as new family members replaced old hands.  They were often said to be able to meet equal numbers of men in battle and were admired by their male counterparts in the Elephant Gang for their organisation and expertise. One member of the gang, Lilian Goldstein (née Kendall), was known to police as the Bobbed-Haired Bandit, the lover of Elephant Gang associate Ruby Sparks, and a driver on his smash and grab raids.

Methods.

It is unclear how long the gang operated. The earliest mention of the gang in newspapers dates to 1873, but police records from London indicate that female shoplifters were active in the area since the late 18th century. The original gang members wore women's clothing which was modified to include hidden pockets. They could hide their loot in their coats, cummerbunds, muffs, skirts, bloomers, and hats. They raided the large stores of West End of London. Due to the prude-like attitudes of their era of activity, female customers were afforded privacy from the store staff, leaving female shoplifters, such as the Forty Elephants, with the opportunity to escape notice.  The gang stole goods worth thousands of pounds. The female gang members earned enough money to financially support their male spouses. The spouses in question included both idle men who lounged at home, and inmates of the British prison system.  The gang eventually became well-known to the area with the high-class shops which they typically targeted. Their mere presence could cause panic, eliminating the secrecy required for their activities. Their response to this challenge was to expand their activities from London to other British towns, where they were less known. They targeted rural areas and seaside towns.  During the 20th century, the gang modernized their activities. They invested in fast cars (automobiles) to transport their loot, and to use as getaway vehicles which could "outrun the police". Loot was also transferred through the British railway system. The members used trains to travel to a town and deposited their empty suitcases at railway stations. During their return trip, the suitcases were filled with stolen goods.  Besides shoplifting the gang developed sidelines, such as looting houses and blackmailing individuals. Gang members used false reference letters to get hired as maids and then robbed the houses of their employers. They also managed to seduce men into brief affairs, and then blackmailed them with threats of ruining the men's reputations.  By the 1920s, the gang members started imitating the so-called bright young things group whose exploits appeared in the popular press. The gang members led an extravagant and decadent lifestyle, by imitating the exploits of the era's movie stars and flappers. Part of their earnings was used to finance party events and to "spend lavishly" at the clubs, pubs, and restaurants which the gang members frequented.  The gang was particularly territorial of their turf. Other shoplifters who stole from shops on their turf were forced to pay the gang a percentage of their takings. If the intruders refused to pay, the gang arranged beatings and kidnappings of the offenders until the payment was received.  While various gang members were arrested and convicted at times, their prison sentences tended to be short. They could be sentenced to either 12 months of penal labour or 3 years of prison incarceration. Once released, they returned to the gang. Several of the members remained with the gang for a relatively long time. A gang member known as Ada Wellman was initially arrested in 1921. She was still with the gang when arrested for another offence in 1939.  While the gang members often stole clothing items, they typically did not wear the stolen clothes. Their loot was distributed to a network of fences, street market traders, and pawnbrokers. Part of the stolen clothing items were sold to clothing stores, which simply replaced the labels and modified their designs. Some of the fences associated with the gang were also arrested, but could not be convicted. Ada McDonald was arrested as a suspected fence in 1910. She used ledgers of suspect authenticity to convince the authorities that the goods in her possession were the products of legitimate financial transactions. Jane Durrell, another suspected fence, and her common-law-husband Jim Bullock were both placed on trial in 1911. It was a jury trial, and the jury decided that the police evidence against them was insufficient. They were acquitted of the charges and released.

The Forty Elephants or Forty Thieves were an 18th to 20th century all-female London crime syndicate who specialised in shoplifting. This gang was notable for its longevity and skill in avoiding police detection.

Čtyřicet zlodějek (, v anličtině známý i pod názvem "Forty Elephants") byl londýnský zločinecký gang, který tvořily pouze ženy. Organizovaně kradl v obchodních domech, a to zejména oblečení a šperky. Vznikl zřejmě nejpozději na konci 18. století a existoval až do začátku druhé poloviny 20. století. Vrcholu své činnosti dosáhl za vedení Alice Diamondové (1886–1952).


Life and career.

He was born in Chantenay-sur-Loire (today part of Nantes). He studied at École Normale Supérieure from 1926 to 1929. He received his Ph.D. in 1933. In 1934 Leray published an important paper that founded the study of weak solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations. In the same year, he and Juliusz Schauder discovered a topological invariant, now called the Leray–Schauder degree, which they applied to prove the existence of solutions for partial differential equations lacking uniqueness.  From 1938 to 1939 he was professor at the University of Nancy. He did not join the Bourbaki group, although he was close with its founders.  His main work in topology was carried out while he was in a prisoner of war camp in Edelbach, Austria from 1940 to 1945. He concealed his expertise on differential equations, fearing that its connections with applied mathematics could lead him to be asked to do war work.  Leray's work of this period proved seminal to the development of spectral sequences and sheaves. These were subsequently developed by many others, each separately becoming an important tool in homological algebra.  He returned to work on partial differential equations from about 1950.  He was professor at the University of Paris from 1945 to 1947, and then at the Collège de France until 1978.  He was awarded the Malaxa Prize (Romania, 1938), the Grand Prix in mathematical sciences (French Academy of Sciences, 1940), the Feltrinelli Prize (Accademia dei Lincei, 1971), the Wolf Prize in Mathematics (Israel, 1979), and the Lomonosov Gold Medal (Moscow, 1988).

Jean Leray (; 7 November 1906 – 10 November 1998) was a French mathematician, who worked on both partial differential equations and algebraic topology.

Jean Leray (7. listopadu 1906 Chantenay-sur-Loire, Francie – 10. listopadu 1998 La Baule-Escoublac, Francie) byl francouzský matematik. Zabýval se především parciálními diferenciálními rovnicemi a algebraickou topologií. Je nositelem několika vědeckých ocenění, včetně Wolfovy ceny za matematiku, kterou získal v roce 1979.


Club career.

Early years.

Born in Salto, Salto Department, Albín started his career at Club Nacional de Football, where he won two national championships. His strong performances earned him a transfer to Spanish team Getafe CF during the 2006 summer transfer window.

Getafe.

In his first season, Albín appeared sparingly (13 La Liga games), but blossomed as first-choice in the following campaign as the Madrid outskirts team reached the quarterfinals in the UEFA Cup, and a mid-table league position. After a coaching change brought Míchel to the club's bench, however, he began appearing less regularly; on 29 November 2008, in a rare start, he scored in a 3–1 home win over Real Madrid.  On 21 April 2009, also against Real Madrid, Albín was struck in the face by Pepe, in the mêlée which resulted after the Portuguese's aggression on Javier Casquero. He continued being used intermittently in the 2010–11 campaign, netting a last-minute winner at home against Villarreal CF on 11 December 2010 but also being sent off for lifting his shirt, in a second bookable offense.

Espanyol.

In mid-April 2011, Getafe agreed to sell Albín to fellow league side RCD Espanyol for €3 million, as his contract was set to expire in June 2012. He spent several months of his first season on the sidelines, nursing a leg injury.  On 4 February 2012, Albín scored his first goal for the Catalans, netting in the 92nd minute for a 3–3 away draw against Athletic Bilbao.

Late career.

On 6 September 2013, Albín signed a one-year contract with FC Petrolul Ploiești in Romania, rejoining former Getafe teammate Cosmin Contra who was now a head coach. He made his debut in Liga I on the 21st, scoring his team's only goal in a 1–1 draw at FC Dinamo București.  Although Albín admitted that Contra played a big role in his transfer at Petrolul, on 31 March 2014 he chose to extend his link by one year, even if at that time the coach had already left. He ended the campaign with 28 matches and ten goals, all competitions comprised.  On 28 August 2014, Albín scored a goal against GNK Dinamo Zagreb in the second leg of the Europa League play-off round. However, his team lost 2–5 on aggregate and failed to progress to the group stage.  On 16 December 2014, as Petrolul faced financial issues which led to insolvency and later bankruptcy, Albín was transferred to Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz of Mexico. He returned to Romania and its top division nearly three years later, joining Dinamo București on a season-long loan with an option to buy in June 2018.  On 18 July 2018, 32-year-old Albín joined Cypriot First Division club AC Omonia.

International career.

Albín represented Uruguay at under-17 and under-20 level.

Style of play.

Albín, who is predominantly left-footed, primarily plays as an attacking midfielder, but can also be deployed as a winger. He was described as a footballer with "great speed and a very good technique" and, during his first spell in Romania, was regarded as one of the best free kick takers in the competition.  Adrian Mutu, who played with him at Petrolul, regarded Albín in 2016 as the best foreigner that the Romanian championship ever had.

Honours.

Club.

Nacional  Getafe  Veracruz

Juan Ángel Albín Leites (born 17 July 1986) is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Defensor Sporting mainly as an attacking midfielder.

Juan Ángel Albín Leites (* 17. července 1986, Salto, Uruguay) je uruguayský fotbalový záložník, který v současnosti hraje za rumunský klub FC Petrolul Ploiești.


Early life.

Kneipp was born in 1821 in Bavaria. His father was a weaver, and Kneipp trained as a weaver until he was 23 when he began training for the priesthood. Matthias Merkle, a priest in Grönenback began instructing him, but Kneipp fell ill with tuberculosis in 1847. Kneipp was so ill that he was visited by a physician around 100 times in each of his last two years of study. While Kneipp was ill, he began reading many books and found his illness described in a book about water cures. In 1850, Kneipp met a student in the Georgianum seminary in Munich that was also ill and shared water cures with him. Both Kneipp and his friend at the Georgianum recovered from their illnesses and with his renewed health Kneipp was able to complete his studies. He was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1852.

History.

Background.

In the 19th century, there was a popular revival in the application of hydrotherapy, instigated around 1829 by Vincent Priessnitz, a peasant farmer in Gräfenberg, then part of the Austrian Empire. This revival was continued by Kneipp, "an able and enthusiastic follower" of Priessnitz, "whose work he took up where Priessnitz left it", after he came across a treatise on the cold water cure. At Worishofen, while serving as the confessor to the monastery, he began offering treatments of hydrotherapy, botanical treatments, exercise and diet to the people who lived in the village. Some of his suggested treatments included "ice cold baths and walking barefoot in the snow" and other "harsh" methodologies. In 1893, M. E. Bottey described Kneipp's water cures as "dangerous in most cases". Worishofen became known as a place with a reputation for spiritual healing. In addition to "peasants", Kneipp's clients also included Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his father, Archduke Karl Ludwig as well as Pope Leo XIII. Others took Kneipp's processes back to their home countries to found alternative therapy spas and colleges.

Hydrotherapy.

Kneipp began developing his healing methods in 1849 after contracting tuberculosis and experimenting with the water treatments developed by Sigmund Hahn. After being ordained in 1852, he continued to experiment with water treatments in his parish. Kneipp began working with the cures developed by Vincenz Priessnitz but developed a more complicated and gentle method. His gentle cures contrast the earlier water cures that he referred to as horse cures for their strenuous nature. Kneipp's treatment of patients also contrasted that of hospital medicine because it was personalized and took into account the patient's individual strengths and weaknesses.  Kneipp's approach comes from his theory that all diseases originate in the circulatory system. This theory is similar to humoral theory. Like those that believed in humoral theory, Kneipp asserted that breathing miasmatic or excessively hot air would lead to disease. While it may deal with one humor instead of four, his theory still asserts that an imbalance in the blood whether it be circulation or foreign matter is the root of disease. Under Kneipp's depiction of disease, water cures work by affecting the blood. They dissolve foreign matter, cleanse the blood of this matter, aid in circulation, and strengthen the body as a whole.

Lifestyle.

In addition to specific cures, Kneipp had prescriptions with regard to food drink and clothing. He believed that food should be dry and simple and should not be spicy. He also believed that people should drink primarily water but also allowed consumption of alcohol in moderation. As for clothing, Kneipp preferred self-spun clothing made of linen or hemp over wool.

Personal Ideology.

Kneipp's approach to medicine was not independent of his Catholic faith. His focus on water and herbs stems from the idea that remedies are naturally provided by God. His emphasis on plain food, drink, and clothing comes from the theory that humans should live in accord with nature. He used scripture as well as references to Roman practice to support the reasoning behind his cure and admitted that his treatments did not fall in line with current scientific understanding. The fact that his treatments were not based in scientific theory did not bother Kneipp because they were seen as able to succeed where scientific medicine could not.  Sebastian Kneipp had a particular dedication to helping the poor and those that physicians can't help. His suffering early in life caused Kneipp to develop a deep sympathy for those less fortunate than him. He turned down many patients that could feasibly recover on their own but claims to have never refused to treat a patient that is poor or untreatable by other methods.

Publications.

Kneipp's book "My Water Cure" was published in 1886 with many subsequent editions, and translated into many languages. He also wrote "Thus Shalt Thou Live", "My Will", and "The Care of Children in Sickness and in Health".

Legacy.

Kneipp expanded the definition of health to include a more holistic view which included mental, social, and spiritual aspects. Toward the end of his life and after his death, various organizations were created to teach his methods. In 1891, he founded Kneipp Bund, an organization that promotes water healing to this day. In America, Kneipp Societies were founded, which, under the influence of Benedict Lust, changed their name to Naturopatic Society of America. Today there are 600 organizations that are a part of Kneipp Worldwide and there are approximately 1000 members of the International Society of Kneipp Physicians. After his death, his treatments became part of mainstream medicine in Germany.  Archduke Josef dedicated his medical atlas to Kneipp. Kneipp's likeness was featured on a stamp. His recipe for whole wheat bread, called Kneippbrød, is the most commonly eaten bread in Norway.

Sebastian Kneipp (17 May 1821, Stephansried, Germany – 17 June 1897, in Bad Wörishofen) was a Bavarian priest and one of the forefathers of the naturopathic medicine movement. He is most commonly associated with the "Kneipp Cure" form of hydrotherapy, the application of water through various methods, temperatures and pressures which he claimed to have therapeutic or healing effects, thus building several hospitals in Bad Wörishofen.

Sebastian Kneipp (17. května 1821, Stephansried, Memmingen, Německo – 17. června 1897, Bad Wörishofen, Německo) byl německý kněz a léčitel, jeden ze zakladatelů přírodní léčby vodou. Jeho jméno nese speciální druh terapie zvaný "Kneippova kúra". V Norsku je znám celozrnný chléb Kneippbrød.


Geography.

The municipality lies at an altitude of 639 metres and covers an area of 19.117 km2. It has a population of about 4,890 people.

Etymology.

Lomnica is thought to stem from Slav word Lom - (rock) quarry, the name Veľká (great) has been added in later records to differentiate it from two other settlements with the same name.

History.

Archeological finds of fortified settlement of Baden culture in the locality Burchbrich are dated to the end of stone and beginning of Bronze Age, more than 4000 years ago. 70 small animal sculptures were found as well as many tools. In the first century BC, the Celts settle here and during Great Moravia period the Slavs arrive. The village was first mentioned in 1257. The original Slav population was outnumbered by German settlers in the Middle Ages. In the upheavals of 1945 the Germans were expelled and now the population is formed by Slovak settlers mainly from Pohorela and region of Gorals and also by Roma ethnic group. The well preserved romano-gothic church of Catherine of Alexandria was built in the 13th century and rebuilt in the 15th century. It has unique gothic wall frescoes discovered in the 1950s. The fresco "King Ladislaus fighting the Cumans" is considered one of the most valuable in Slovakia.

Golf course.

In 2005 had been opened a nine holes golf course and a year later additional nine holes course circuit, so in 2012 has Veľká Lomnica altogether 18 holes course. Before opening is another nine holes circuit. The village is a place of annual golf tournament Charity Golf Cup.

Veľká Lomnica (1808 Welká Lomnica, 1900 Kakaslomnic, 1920 Lomnica, German: "Groß Lomnitz") is a large village and municipality in Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region of north Slovakia.

Veľká Lomnica je obec na Slovensku v okrese Kežmarok. V roce 2013 zde žilo 4 451 obyvatel. První písemná zmínka o obci pochází z roku 1257. Působí zde fotbalový klub FK Veľká Lomnica. Žije tu reprezentant Slovenska v plavaní Jakub Kreta.


History.

Long before Innsbruck became a city, references to an "Amras" or "Omras" appeared in documents dating from the 10th century. This early fortification in what was then the southwest corner of Bavaria was the seat of power of the Counts of Andechs, who became Margraves of Istria and later Dukes of the short-lived Imperial State of Merania from 1180 to 1248. This original fortification was destroyed in 1133 and no traces of it remain, although some of the material from the original structure was later used in the modern building. In 1248, the castle ruins and property passed by inheritance from the Counts of Andechs to Count Albert IV of Tyrol.  The modern Ambras Castle was built by Archduke Ferdinand II (1529–1595), the second son of Emperor Ferdinand I. When he was made provincial sovereign of Tyrol in 1564, Ferdinand II ordered two Italian architects to turn the existing medieval fortress into a Renaissance castle for his untitled wife Philippine Welser (1527–1580), whom he had married in secret. Ferdinand II prepared his family's residence in the Upper Castle, beneath which he constructed one of the most artistically important halls of the late Renaissance—known as the "Spanish Hall" since the nineteenth century. In 1567, Ferdinand II made his entry into Innsbruck, prior to that, he was appointed administrating governor to the Kingdom of Bohemia, taking up residence in Prague in 1547. In 1589, he added an additional building, the "Heldenrüstkammer", west of the Lower Castle for the purpose of housing his collection of "Heroes", the very first systematic presentation of objects in the history of museums. Ambras Castle was used as the residence of Philippine as well as a place for Ferdinand II to house his collection of weapons, suits of armour, portraits, natural objects, as well as rarities and precious objects. Today, the art history museum Schloss Ambras Innsbruck is part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.  Philippine became a popular and beloved figure through her charity and willingness to help others, particularly the common people of Tyrol. Even the nobility brought their petitions to the former commoner. As signs of affection, people addressed their written petitions to "Merciful Miss" or "serene Princess Mrs. Philippine of Austria". After Ferdinand's death in 1595, the second son of Ferdinand and Philippine, Margrave Charles of Burgau, inherited Ambras Castle. With little interest in preserving the castle or its collections, they fell into a state of dilapidation and Charles sold them in 1606 to Emperor Rudolf II. The emperor residing in Prague left his uncle's collection nearly in its entirety at Ambras Castle, as he himself was one of the most important Habsburg collectors. In the following years, Ambras Castle no longer had the status of an official residence and was seldom lived in. Inadequate preservation measures led to the loss of valuable books, manuscripts, and hand sketches, and soon the palace fell largely into disrepair. In the seventeenth century, Emperor Leopold I (1640–1705) had some of the most valuable holdings of the Ambras collections—mostly books and manuscripts—moved to Vienna, where they can still be seen at the Austrian National Library. In 1805, the remaining Ambras collections were threatened by the defeat of Austria by the French Empire. Fortunately, after he recognized the private-law character of the Ambras collection, Napoleon (1769–1821) had it brought to safety in Vienna.  In 1855, Archduke Karl Ludwig, then governor of Tyrol, had the palace remodeled to use as a summer residence. Significant changes were made during this time to the palace and the surrounding park. The Outer Bailey ("Vorschloss") was constructed with an ivy-clad entrance ramp for carriages. The park was redesigned as an English garden. Following Archduke Karl Ludwig's renouncement of his succession rights in 1889, the palace fell once again into ruinous condition. In 1880, it was converted into a museum and subsequently renovated.  In 1919, following the dissolution of the Austria-Hungary Empire, Ambras Castle became the property of the Republic of Austria. In 1950, the Kunsthistorisches Museum took over the administration of the castle and its collections. Throughout the 1970s, a comprehensive restoration took place of the Spanish Hall, the Upper Castle residential quarters, and the inner courtyard. In 1974, the Chamber of Art and Wonders was completed. In 1976, the Habsburg Portrait Gallery covering the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries was completed. In 1981, the Armouries was reopened in the Lower Castle.

Collections.

Schloss Ambras Innsbruck is a federal museum of the Republic of Austria. It is administratively part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna and belongs to the KHM-Museumsverband.  Ferdinand II was one of the most important patrons of the Habsburg family. He founded the notable collections of Ambras and had a museum built for them in the rooms of the "Lower Castle", which was constructed according to the most advanced ideas of his time. The three Armouries and the Chamber of Art and Wonders were designed and used as a museum from the beginning.

Spanish Hall.

The Spanish Hall, built between 1569 and 1572, is one of the most important freestanding halls of the Renaissance. The picturesque lay-out of the long hall is dominated by the 27 full-length portraits of the princely rulers of the Tyrol. Today rather famous classical concerts take place in this hall.

Chamber of Art and Wonders.

The "Chamber of Art and Wonders" of Archduke Ferdinand II is the only Renaissance "Kunstkammer" which can still be seen in its original place. Others had been plundered like the ones in Munich, Prague or Stuttgart, or their character had been changed like in Dresden or Kassel.  In the Chamber of Art and Wonders at Ambras Castle "artificialia", "naturalia", "scientifica", "exotica", and "mirabilia are to be seen:" natural wonders (rare, unique and excellent things of nature) as well as precious objects, scientific items, toys, or luxury items of the time, and so on. In contents the natural and artistic objects represent the programme of the late Renaissance encyclopedic collections. The special thing about the Ambras-collections is, that they are still where they were meant to be seen. Still you can find corals arranged in cabinet-boxes, turnery made of wood or ivory, glass figures, or porcelain and silk paintings which belong to the oldest European collections of Asian, African and American art ("exotica").  Also important works of European artists, like the carved "little death" made of wood by Hans Leinberger can be found, as well as typical "Kunstkammer" - objects like handstones, goblets made of rhinoceros horn, coconut or rock crystal, animals made of bronze, music- and measuring instruments, automats and clocks. A very important part of the collection were portraits of wondrous persons like the hairy people, Vlad Dracula and others.

Armouries.

Archduke Ferdinand II's idea of a museum was a novelty: he "systematically" collected armour from famous personalities of his time. He presented this armour "to the eternal memory" of that persons - mostly military commanders - in the ""Heldenrüstkammer"" (Heroes' Armoury); some on display today still in the original 16th century showcases. His "Rüstkammern" (Armouries) contain very rare examples of arms and armour from the 15th century which originally came from the collections of Emperor Maximilian I and Archduke Sigismund. Armour for tournaments like the German joust or the German course, and the armour of the court's giant Bartlmä Bon, who took part in the tournament in Vienna in 1560, can be seen. The "Leibrüstkammer" (Court Armoury) includes the archduke's private armour and the armour of the court of Innsbruck. Ferdinand's collection of armour was one of the most important of its kind, not only because of the collection idea, but also because of the quality and quantity of his objects. Today, selected objects still illustrate the museum idea in Innsbruck at Ambras Castle, whereas many of the armour is exhibited at the "Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer" (Imperial Armoury) of the Kusthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Upper Castle.

The Upper Castle, the oldest part of Ambras Castle, contains the Habsburg Portrait Gallery. About 300 portraits from the 15th to the 19th century, including King Albrecht II, Emperor Maximilian I, Charles V and Ferdinand I, to the last emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Franz II, a contemporary of Napoleon Bonaparte. Because of the various dynastic relations, the collection also shows members of other European dynasties. The portraits were painted by well-known artists such as Lucas Cranach the Elder, Antonis Mor, Titian, Anthony van Dyck and Diego Velázquez.  The Strasser Collection of Glass is amongst the most important of its kind in the world. Built up by Professor Rudolf Strasser over a period of more than fifty years this collection includes valuable Renaissance and Baroque Period lasses from Europe's most important glass producing regions, for example Venice, Bohemia, Hall, Innsbruck and Silesia. The high quality of the collection is quite comparable with the collection of these epochs in the Corning Museum of Glass.  The Collection of Gothic Sculpture presents objects date from the time of Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519). The main work is the imposing St George altar-piece which was made by Sebold Bocksdorfer commissioned by Maximilian and important for the Habsburg's Order of Saint George.  The Inner Courtyard, decorated between 1564 and 1567 with grisaille painting "al fresco" (grey painting on still-wet plaster), is among the best-preserved examples of fresco from the sixteenth century. The representations of princely virtues and muses, female and male heroes, and diverse heroic acts sought to display the royalty as exemplary. They relate to their commissioner Archduke Ferdinand II, patron of the arts and host of lavish festivities.  In cultural historical terms the Bathing Chambers of Philippine Welser, the only bath of the 16th century completely preserved, is something of a cultural heritage.  The Chapel is dedicated to St. Nicholas. Consecrated for the first time in 1330 and often rebuilt over the centuries, it was finally painted in the 19th century by the Innsbruck painter August Wörndle.

Ambras Castle silver coin.

Ambras Castle is so popular and well known, that it was the subject of one of the best known famous silver collectors' coins: the 10 euro Ambras Castle coin.  On the obverse of the coin there is a general view of the castle to the south of Innsbruck with its Renaissance style gardens forms the central design. On the reverse, three court musicians cross the floor of the Spanish Hall, based on a picture from 1569. This design recalls the court festivals for which Fedinand II had the Spanish Hall specially constructed.

Ambras Castle () is a Renaissance castle and palace located in the hills above Innsbruck, Austria. Ambras Castle is above sea level. Considered one of the most popular tourist attractions of the Tyrol, Ambras Castle was built in the 16th century on the spot of an earlier 10th-century castle, which became the seat of power for the Counts of Andechs. The cultural and historical importance of the castle is closely connected with Archduke Ferdinand II (1529–1595) and served as his family residence from 1567 to 1595. Ferdinand was one of history's most prominent collectors of art. The princely sovereign of Tyrol, son of Emperor Ferdinand I, ordered that the medieval fortress at Ambras be turned into a Renaissance castle as a gift for his wife Philippine Welser. The cultured humanist from the House of Habsburg accommodated his world-famous collections in a museum: The collections, still in the Lower Castle built specifically for that museum purpose, make Castle Ambras Innsbruck the oldest museum in the world.

Ambras je renesanční zámek v kopcích nad tyrolským hlavním zemským centrem Innsbruckem v Rakousku. Zámecký areál se nachází na jihovýchodním okraji města, patří k němu jako jeho připojená obec. Leží v nadmořské výšce 635 metrů nad jižním okrajem innsbrucké městské čtvrti Amras.