Conceptual problems.

Although this pragmatic definition is usable for most everyday purposes, specialists often use more complex models for information quality. Most information system practitioners use the term synonymously with data quality. However, as many academics make a distinction between data and information, some will insist on a distinction between data quality and information quality. This distinction would be akin to the distinction between syntax and semantics where for example, the semantic value of "one" could be expressed in different syntaxes like 00001; 1.0000; 01.0; or 1. Thus a data difference may not necessarily represent poor information quality.  Information quality assurance is the process to guarantee confidence that particular information meets some context specific quality requirements. It has been suggested, however, that higher the quality the greater will be the confidence in meeting more general, less specific contexts.

Dimensions and metrics of information quality.

"Information quality" is a measure of the value which the information provides to the user of that information. "Quality" is often perceived as subjective and the quality of information can then vary among users and among uses of the information. Nevertheless, a high degree of quality increases its objectivity or at least the intersubjectivity. Accuracy can be seen as just one element of IQ but, depending upon how it is defined, can also be seen as encompassing many other dimensions of quality.  If not, it is perceived that often there is a trade-off between accuracy and other dimensions, aspects or elements of the information determining its suitability for any given tasks. Wang and Strong propose a list of dimensions or elements used in assessing Information Quality is:  Other authors propose similar but different lists of dimensions for analysis, and emphasize measurement and reporting as information quality metrics. Larry English prefers the term "characteristics" to dimensions. In fact, a considerable amount of information quality research involves investigating and describing various categories of desirable attributes (or dimensions) of data. Research has recently shown the huge diversity of terms and classification structures used.  While information as a distinct term has various ambiguous definitions, there's one which is more general, such as "description of events". While the occurrences being described cannot be subjectively evaluated for quality, since they're very much autonomous events in space and time, their description can—since it possesses a garnishment attribute, unavoidably attached by the medium which carried the information, from the initial moment of the occurrences being described.  In an attempt to deal with this natural phenomenon, qualified professionals primarily representing the researchers' guild, have at one point or another identified particular metrics for information quality. They could also be described as 'quality traits' of information, since they're not so easily quantified, but rather subjectively identified on an individual basis.  Authority refers to the expertise or recognized official status of a source. Consider the reputation of the author and publisher. When working with legal or government information, consider whether the source is the official provider of the information. Verifiability refers to the ability of a reader to verify the validity of the information irrespective of how authoritative the source is. To verify the facts is part of the duty of care of the journalistic deontology, as well as, where possible, to provide the sources of information so that they can be verified  Scope of coverage refers to the extent to which a source explores a topic. Consider time periods, geography or jurisdiction and coverage of related or narrower topics.  Composition and organization has to do with the ability of the information source to present its particular message in a coherent, logically sequential manner.  Objectivity is the bias or opinion expressed when a writer interprets or analyze facts. Consider the use of persuasive language, the source’s presentation of other viewpoints, its reason for providing the information and advertising.  Validity of some information has to do with the degree of obvious truthfulness which the information carries  As much as ‘uniqueness’ of a given piece of information is intuitive in meaning, it also significantly implies not only the originating point of the information but also the manner in which it is presented and thus the perception which it conjures. The essence of any piece of information we process consists to a large extent of those two elements.  Timeliness refers to information that is current at the time of publication. Consider publication, creation and revision dates. Beware of Web site scripting that automatically reflects the current day’s date on a page. Means that documented methods are capable of being used on the same data set to achieve a consistent result.

Information quality conferences.

A number of major conferences relevant to information quality are held annually:

Information quality (IQ) is the quality of the content of information systems. It is often pragmatically defined as: "The fitness for use of the information provided.". IQ frameworks also provides a tangible approach to assess and measure DQ/IQ in a robust and rigorous manner.


Geology.

The Mieminger Mountains lie in a particularly interesting region from a geological standpoint. Between the peaks of the Sonnenspitze, Wetterstein and Daniel, three geological units meet that, during the course of mountain building, were piled on top of one another as nappes and today are adjacent to one together. The Mieminger Mountains are located in one of these stacks: the Inn Valley or Inntal Stack. Almost all the rocks in the Mieminger range were formed at one stage on the seabed and consist of limestone and its derivative, dolomite. In addition there are sandstones, argillites, hornfels, carbonate breccias (rauhwackes) and volcanic tuffs.  In relation to the total age of the Earth, which is about 4,500 million years, the rocks of the Mieminger Mountains come mainly from two relatively small windows of time. One of these began about 250 million years ago and ended 130 million years ago (during the Triassic and Jurassic Periods), whilst the second window is the last 10,000 years since the end of the Würm glaciation (part of the Cenozoic). There are no older rocks that predate those from in the first window, and the more recent ones have been eroded by wind, weather and water since the Alpine orogeny about 35 million years ago.

Mesozoic Era.

The mountains' geological history began in tropical climes, on the edge of a broad and shallow sea: the Alpine Tethys. To begin with, material was deposited that had been washed into the sea from the land; then the sea level rose and limestone-forming organisms began to populate it. Marine deposits that were near the shore, made of limestones, dolomitic rocks and breccias, are still layered in places in a narrow strip of land between Langlehn and Igelskar (Reichenhall Strata). Because they weather relatively easily, they form cols ("Scharte") and "Törle" like the "Biberwierer Scharte" or the "Tajatörl".  During the next time period, a thick sequence of dark limestones was formed - the Alpine muschelkalks - which, when struck, often smell slightly of bitumen and are striking because of their uneven, irregular surface layers. Irregularly shaped, dark brown to black hornfels nodules ("Knauern") and greenish tuffs occur in these limestones that indicate the presence of nearby Stromboli-like volcanoes. This sequence arose from a shallow, oxygen-rich marine environment, in which reefs and basins alternated with one another. Some time afterwards the Partnach Strata were formed that are especially attractive in the "Schwärz" between the "Marienbergspitzen" and "Wampertem Schrofen". They consist of light-coloured limestone interbedded with argillites.  Next, reefs began to develop in the shallow waters of the sea, in which small coralline algae (haptophytes) and corals lived. Their dead, limy skeletons form the most important rock: Wetterstein limestone. This mostly bright white and weather-resistant limestone contrasts strongly with the other rocks. It forms the striking summits of the Mieminger and Wetterstein Mountains, not least the Sonnenspitze, Igelskopf and Zugspitze. Because Wetterstein limestone contains few plant nutrients, its scree and talus slopes are largely unvegetated and this tends to characterise the scene above the tree line.  A feature of Wetterstein limestone is silver-containing lead and zinc ore. These were mined at Silberleithe and in the rest of the Mieminger Mountains. The Triassic Period in the Mieminger Chain ends with Wetterstein limestone and is then followed by the Jurassic whose deposits are of less importance. They were largely carried off in the course of the millions of years and only still exist in a few sheltered sites or underground.

Alpine Orogeny.

At the time of their deposition the rocks of the Northern Limestone Alps were located several hundred kilometres south of their present position. About 35 million years ago, tectonic forces, that are still active today, began to push these geological units northwards. At that time several kilometres of rock and several hundred metres of water lay on top of the rocks visible today. As a result there was a massive overlapping pressure that prevented the formations underneath from breaking up as they were pushed together.  As a result of the compressional forces, thrust faulting occurred piling the rock layers up into nappes ("Gesteinsdecken"). For example, the steep slopes falling away from the Mieminger Mountains into the Ehrwald Basin or the Leutasch River are the front of such a nappe, also called the Inn Valley Stack ("Inntaldecke"). At the same time the rocks were uplifted. Taken together these processes are referred to as orogeny or mountain building.

Ice ages.

The relatively recent deposits in the up to 70 metre deep moors are predominantly gravels, shingles, clay, humus and peat; the latter even being used at one time near Lermoos for the lead-zinc smelter of the Silberleithen cooperative ("Gewerkschaft"). The finishing touches to the mountains and valleys took place during the Würm glaciation. The ice sheet of the Loisach Glacier was about 1,000 metres thick and, after the ice had melted about 10,000 years ago, it left behind that typical feature of ice age terrain: moraines. The remnants of the ice sheet in the mountains formed classic cirques, in which the last moraines of the glacier have survived.  The major change to the landscape since the last ice age was the Fern Pass landslide that filled the valley between Biberwier and Nassereith to a depth of 200 metres. Since then the scenery has changed very little. Occasionally there are rock avalanches, landslides or mudflows. Water, ice and wind continue to attack the rocks, transporting their debris down the mountain torrents into the valleys and reminding us that these geological processes continue today.

Neighbouring ranges.

The Mieminger Chain borders on the following other mountain ranges of the Alps:  In the "AVE", the Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps, published in 1984, the Mieminger and Wetterstein ranges are shown as a single unit.

Boundaries.

To the south the River Inn forms the boundary of the range from the Niederbach stream near Inzing upstream as far as its confluence with the Gurglbach near Imst. Its western boundary runs along the Gurgltal valley from Imst to Nassereith and over the Fern Pass to Ehrwald. To the north its boundary runs from Ehrwald along the Gaisbach stream and the Ehrwalder Alm into the Gaistal (Leutascher Ache) and continues through Leutasch–Oberweidach and past the Simmelberg to the north to the Drahnbach. The eastern boundary runs along the stream of Drahnbach and over the Seefelder saddle, then downhill along the Niederbach to its confluence with the Inn.  The Fern Pass links the Mieminger range with the Lechtal Alps. The unnamed saddle near the Ehrwalder Alm is the link between the Mieminger Chain and the Wetterstein. The Seefelder saddle links the Mieminger Chain with the Karwendel.

Sub-divisions.

The Alpine Club Guide divides the Mieminger Chain into the following sub-groups:

Peaks.

The 10 highest peaks in the Mieminger Chain are the:  In the Mieminger Mountains there are over 60 named peaks with spot heights. The best known, in order of height, are the:  In the area of the 1,789 m high Marienbergjoch is a ski area.

Tourism.

Huts.

There are three Alpine Club huts in the Mieminger Mountains, only one of which is managed.

Long-distance trails.

The Via Alpina, a cross-border long-distance trail with five sections through the whole Alps, runs through the Mieminger Mountains.  The Red Path ("Rote Weg") of the Via Alpina has two stages running through the range as follows:

The Mieming(er) Range, Mieminger Chain () or Mieminger Mountains ("Mieminger Gebirge"), is a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps in the Eastern Alps. It is located entirely in Austria within the state of Tyrol. This sub-group is somewhat in the shadows of its more famous neighbour, the Wetterstein to the north. Whilst the region around the Coburger Hut and the lakes of Seebensee and Drachensee in the west (Ehrwalder Sonnenspitze and Vorderer Tajakopf with its new "klettersteig" over the Tajakante) and the Hohe Munde in the extreme east receive large numbers of visitors, the less developed central area remains very quiet. The Hohe Munde is also a popular and challenging ski touring destination.


Life.

Ludwig Hirschfeld Mack was born in Frankfurt am Main where he grew up. He attended the Musterschule, a progressive Frankfurt high school for musically gifted children, which still exists today. He was later taught by Hermann Obrist and Wilhelm von Debschitz in Munich, taking art history with Heinrich Woelfflin and Fritz Burger. During the First World War, Ludwig Hirschfeld Mack was an infantry officer.

Bauhaus.

Hirschfeld Mack completed a craftsman apprenticeship at his father's leather factory before studying at the Teaching and Experimental Studios for Applied and Free Art under Hermann Obrist and Wilhelm von Debschitz in Munich in 1912. He then enrolled at the University of Munich and attended lectures in art history by Heinrich Wölfflin and Fritz Burger. In 1919 he went to study at the Art Academy in Stuttgart under Adolf Hölzel (colour theory) and Ida Kerkovius, but later the same year enrolled at the Bauhaus, where he studied under Johannes Itten, Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky, and was apprenticed to Lyonel Feininger in the print workshop, obtaining a Bauhaus graduate diploma in lithography in 1924. Itten planned to offer a course devoted to colour at the Bauhaus, but as he was sacked before it could be taught Hirschfeld Mack delivered the first dedicated course on colour (as an unofficial course) in the winter semester of 1922-23.  He remained at the Bauhaus until 1926 and conducted experiments in light projection, following German sculptor Kurt Schwerdtfeger (1897–1966) in developing the "Farbenlichtspiele" (colour-light play), producing an apparatus that combined moving projections of coloured light through mechanically operable geometric stencils displayed to music created by Ludwig himself. Its first performance was at the Bauhaus Lantern Festival June 21, 1922. Ludwig described the kinetic projection as “fugue-like, strictly structured plays of colour, always derived from a definite colour-form theme.”  In 1963, while visiting Europe, Hirschfeld was invited by the Bauhaus-Archiv, then in Darmstadt, to reconstruct the instrument which was filmed for the archive. The black-and-white film was subsequently lost, but a further recreation was made under the direction and assistance of Hirschfeld-Mack's grandson Kaj Delugan and performances filmed in colour by Corinne Schweizer and Peter Böhm with a musical sound-track

Further teaching.

In 1926, Hirschfeld Mack began teaching art in the Free School in Wickersdorf. In 1929 he was as a teacher of colour and general morphology at the University of Craft and Architecture in Weimar, the school which was established in Weimar after the Bauhaus left in 1925, and reopen in Dessau in 1926. He then became professor at the Pedagogical Academy in Frankfurt (Oder). He taught at the University of Kiel from 1932 until the university was closed by the Nazis in 1933. He moved in 1935 to the Jöde-Schule/Güntherschule in Berlin and taught the construction of simple musical instruments. Hirschfeld Mack had married Elenor Wirth in 1917 and entered the Society of Friends (better-known as Quakers), but because of his part-Jewish heritage fled the Nazis and emigrated to England in 1936.

United Kingdom.

Upon arrival Hirschfeld Mack taught art for the Subsistence Production Society, a Depression-era sustenance program of the Quakers in the Eastern Valley of Monmouthshire in South Wales. Elenor (d.1953) remained in Germany with the two youngest daughters, while his eldest, Margarita, followed him into English exile. His second daughter Ursel (17) committed suicide in Germany in 1937. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, included his work in its Bauhaus retrospective of 1938

Australia.

In 1940 Hirschfeld Mack was deported to Australia as an enemy alien on the ship HMT Dunera, spending time in internment camps in Hay, Orange and Tatura, before being granted Australian citizenship. Imprisonment and the longing for freedom were the theme of his small, stark, poignant relief prints of this period, including the woodcut "Desolation, Internment Camp, Hay" 1941. He was mentor to other internees including Erwin Fabian. His release from detention was secured in April 1942 through the intercession of Dr J.R. Darling, principal of Geelong Church of England Grammar School in Victoria, who appointed Hirschfeld Mack as the Art master. "Dr Hirschfeld", as he was known, and as recorded by one of his pupils the prominent curator David Thomas, was held in high regard students and staff alike, and proved to be an inspirational teacher, consistently propounding the Bauhaus principles of self-knowledge, economy of material and form, and reform of society through art. Hirschfeld introduced the boys to such things as colour-coded guitars and colour 'organs' and in 1965 some of the instruments were donated to the 'Occupational Centre for Mental Handicapped Children' in Geelong.

Recognition.

Hirschfeld was amongst a number of European wartime refugees who contributed to the renewal of Australian Art. As Professor Joseph Burke then Professor of Fine Arts, Melbourne University, notes in 1954: "Among the leaders of this "New Australian" contribution may be mentioned Desiderius Orban (b. 1884), a distinguished painter whose teaching has made a profound mark in Sydney in the post-war years; Dr. Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack, an original member of the Bauhaus staff, a close colleague and friend of Paul Klee, whose work has influenced his own highly original abstract paintings; Sali Herman (b. 1898), and the recent winner of the Blake Prize for religious art, Michael Kmit, from the Ukraine.  Hirschfeld was also a guest lecturer at the University of Melbourne, where he had his first exhibition in Australia in the Rowden White Library in 1946, possibly organised by fellow "Dunera" passenger Franz Philipp, and in the same year his work was included in group exhibitions of the Contemporary Art Society (CAS) in both Sydney and Melbourne during its most radical period under John Reed (art patron). He showed also at the Peter Bray Gallery in Melbourne, in 1953.  In 1949-1950, 1958 and 1964 he visited Europe. When Walter Gropius came to lecture at the Royal Australian Institute of Architects convention in Sydney in 1954 he made a special trip to Geelong Grammar School to visit his former colleague.  In 1955 Hirschfeld married Miss Olive Russell, a leading Quaker whom he had met at Tatura, and teacher of social studies at the Melbourne Church of England Girls Grammar School. In 1957 he retired from Geelong Grammar School and they moved to Ferny Creek, Victoria.  In 1960, Clement Meadmore selected works from Hirschfeld Mack's own collection to curate the first significant exhibition of Bauhaus ideas and work in Australia, "The Bauhaus - Aspects and Influences", at Gallery A in Melbourne (July–August 1961). Included were Hirschfeld Mack's own works and colour-coded musical instruments and proof prints he had made for other Bauhaus artists as well as numbers of works given to him during his period at the Bauhaus. After Hirschfeld Mack's death, Gallery A held a commemorative exhibition of his watercolours.  Ludwig Hirschfeld Mack died on 7 January 1965 at Allambie Heights, a suburb of Sydney.

Publications.

He produced an explanatory text of the Farbenlichtspiele in 1923, also an article, "Reflected-Light Compositions..." (1925) In retirement in 1963 he published "The Bauhaus: An Introductory Survey".

The Ludwig Hirschfeld Mack Collection.

The Ludwig Hirschfeld Mack Collection was presented Melbourne University in 1971 and 1980 by Hirschfeld Mack's widow, Olive Hirschfeld. The collection contains over six hundred works by Hirschfeld Mack, including almost three hundred drawings, over two hundred prints, ninety-one watercolours and sixty-nine paintings. In addition the University of Melbourne Archives houses material including correspondence, teaching aids, drawings, photographs and slides.  Olive Hirschfeld also donated a collection of her late husband's paintings, prints and drawings to the [National Gallery of Australia], and a number of his works, many from his internment at nearby Tatura, can be found at the Geelong and Shepparton Regional Art Galleries.

The Hirschfeld-Mack Professorship in Germany and Australia.

In 2008, the Institute of English Philology at the Free University of Berlin (Institut für Englische Philologie der Freien Universität Berlin (FU)) set up a Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack Visiting Chair of Australian Studies The professorship is named after Hirschfeld-Mack, "to stress the interdisciplinary nature of its teachers, their commitment to the role of culture in the public sphere, and the central transcultural German-Australian aspect of the project." The chair is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Australian Embassy in Berlin.  Hirschfeld-Mack professors in Berlin included: Dr. Stephen Muecke, Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Technology Sydney; Dr. Philip Mead, Professor of Australian Literature at the University of Western Australia; Dr. Devleena Ghosh, Associate Professor in Arts and Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney; Dr. Lynn McCredden, Professor of Literary Studies at Deakin University; Dr. Simon During, Australian Professorial Fellow at the University of Queensland; Dr. Anna Haebich, Distinguished Professor of Human Rights Education at Curtin University; Dr. Peter Otto, Professor of English and Theatre at the University of Melbourne;Dr. Chandani Lokuge, Associate Professor in Creative Writing at Monash University; Dr. Verity Burgmann, Professor of Political Science at the University of Melbourne; and Dr. Andrew Milner, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Monash University.  In 2010 DAAD established, in the reverse direction, a Hirschfeld-Mack Visiting Chair for German Studies at the German Department at the University of Western Australia. Through this reciprocal visiting professor program the exchange between the Australian and German higher education system is intensified. The first Hirschfeld-Mack professors in Perth were the Germanists Dr. Matthias N. Lorenz, University of Bielefeld (2010), and Prof. Dr. Sven Kramer, University of Lüneburg (2011).

Ludwig Hirschfeld Mack (11 July 1893, in Frankfurt-am-Main – 7 January 1965, in Allambie Heights, in Sydney) was a German/Australian artist.


Site.

The Verizon Building is located in the Financial District/Tribeca neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan. It occupies an entire city block bounded by West Street to the west, Vesey Street and the World Trade Center to the south, Washington Street to the east, and Barclay Street to the north. Adjacent buildings include 7 World Trade Center to the east and One World Trade Center to the south. The block is parallelogram-shaped, measuring about along West and Washington Streets, along Vesey and Barclay Streets. The total area of the block is.  Prior to the 19th century, the Verizon Building's site was located off the shore of the North River (now Hudson River), but the shore from Vesey Street north to King Street was infilled during the mid-19th century, and docks were constructed west of West Street. A wholesale market called the Washington Market was established on the future Verizon Building block in 1812 or 1813. To support the market and the nearby food businesses, about 35 three- to five-story brick structures were erected on the block. By the time the Verizon Building was erected, the site was located along the shoreline of the Hudson River. In the 1970s, Battery Park City was built on filled land along the shore, severing the Verizon Building from the waterfront.

Design.

The Verizon Building was designed by Ralph Thomas Walker in the Art Deco style, although it was described at the time of its completion as being "Modernistic" or "Modern Perpendicular". The Verizon Building measures tall and contains 32 stories, with mezzanines above the ground, 17th, and 31st stories. The Verizon Building is regarded by architectural critics as being the first Art Deco skyscraper. It was also the first major structure that Walker designed for McKenzie, Voorhees & Gmelin, and as such, was aesthetically distinguished from the firm's previous commissions.  Walker intended the Barclay–Vesey Building to be "as modern as the telephone activity it houses". His design took several elements from Eliel Saarinen's proposal for Chicago's Tribune Tower, as well as from Walker's own entry in the design competition for the Tribune Tower. Such elements included the Verizon Building's setbacks or architectural recessions; its vertical piers; and its pyramidal roof, which had been a defining feature of Walker's Tribune Tower proposal. The Verizon Building's architecture has been compared to San Antonio's Milam Building, the largest pre-stressed concrete and brick office building and the first to have an integrated designed-in air conditioning system. Walker subsequently designed other Art Deco buildings in the New York City area, such as the New Jersey Bell Headquarters Building (1929), 60 Hudson Street (1930), 1 Wall Street (1931), and 32 Avenue of the Americas (1932), as well as telephone buildings in Upstate New York.

Form.

The Verizon Building contains numerous setbacks on its exterior. Though setbacks in New York City skyscrapers were mandated by the 1916 Zoning Resolution in order to allow light and air to reach the streets below, they later became a defining feature of the Art Deco style. The lowest ten floors of the Verizon Building occupy the entire block area. Above the 10th floor, there are setbacks on the north and south facades, as well as narrow and deep light courts to the west and east, creating an "H"-shaped floor plan from the 11th to the 17th floors. There are smaller setbacks at each corner on the 13th floor. The building rises as a tower above the 17th floor, though smaller wings flank the tower's northern and southern facades on the 18th and 19th floors. The rectangular tower is aligned with buildings on Broadway to the east, and so is parallel to Barclay and Vesey Streets.  During the design process, Walker had considered plans for "a series of stacked blocks connected by blunt transitions", though this proposal lacked a unified sense of character. The appearance of unity was later attained through the inclusion of piers on the facade.  The Verizon Building's form was also influenced by its interior use. There were numerous functions that did not necessitate sunlight and could operate using artificial light, such as the central operating system and the mechanical space, which was placed inside the building's core. The office space, conversely, was placed on the exterior walls, so the Verizon Building did not require light courts that were as extensive as in nearby buildings. Also as a result, the base could occupy the entire lot area, with setbacks located on higher levels than in other office buildings.

Facade.

Walker was inspired by Maya architecture in designing the facade. Above the granite base, the exterior is clad with brick in hues of green, gold, and buff, a material that Walker preferred for its texture and color. There is cast-stone ornamentation on the building's upper floors, as well as patterned motifs and limestone decoration on the lower floors; when possible, these features were created using the help of machines. The Verizon Building also contains serrated stone-and-light-brick parapets, which, when combined with the building's vertical piers, give a naturalistic "alpine" look to the setbacks. When taken as a whole, the materials of the facade were intended to give an impression of stability and mass. The facade also serves a protective purpose: the steel frame is enclosed within, heavy masonry in the exterior infill walls. The western and eastern facades of the Verizon Building consist of 19 vertical bays, and the northern and southern facades contain 23 bays.  Walker sought to incorporate a program of ornament to attract the interests of passersby and to temper the building's large mass. For the Barclay–Vesey Building, Walker eschewed traditional motifs, such as egg-and-dart patterns, which he saw as cliched. He wrote that the decorative elements should be "so complicated in its structure as not to be readily comprehended; its framework should be as hidden as the steel structure itself." The ornamental program on the facade was carried out by Ulysses Ricci and John De Cesare. It includes complex foliage; babies and animal heads; and a bell above the door, symbolizing the telephone company. Though Walker characterized the ornamental program as "free and flowing", it was actually rigid and complex. Architectural critic Lewis Mumford stated that the ornamental program at ground level was so extensive that it was "a rock garden".

Base.

The main facades are on West and Washington Streets to the east and west, respectively. At the center of each side, there are large entrance portals that are three bays wide and two stories tall. These portals contain bronze-framed doorways with decorative motifs. Above the doors are bronze screens with vine-and-grape ornamentation; these formerly also contained motifs of bells to represent the New York Telephone Company. The main entrance portals are framed with a decorative limestone lintel depicting a bird and human figures. The limestone friezes above each set of doors depict a bell flanked by a Mongolian and a Native American, which respectively symbolize the Eastern world and the Western world. On the West Street facade, the main entrance portal is flanked on either side by two single-width double-height bays, a triple-width double-height bay, and another single-width double-height bay. These double-height bays contain storefronts. From top to bottom, the storefronts at the base are generally composed of a solid panel, glazed glass, and a decorative transom.  There is an enclosed, arched arcade above the Vesey Street sidewalk on the southern facade, measuring long by wide and tall. There are 12 arches in total; each corresponds to two window bays above, except the westernmost arch, which corresponds to one window bay. The arches are supported by brick piers while the ceilings are composed of Guastavino tiles. The arcade was a compromise design because the city wanted to expand the street during the building's construction, while Walker wanted a larger base. The arcade was called "one of the most comfortable shopping fronts in New York City" when the Barclay–Vesey Building was completed, but because it was so dark, the arcade did not receive too much pedestrian traffic. Nevertheless, numerous enterprises were located in the arcade, including a circulating library. The Vesey Street storefronts were converted to office space by the 2000s.  The north facade also contains storefronts set within double-width, double-height arches. Two of the central arches were converted into rectangular garage openings.

Upper stories.

On the second through 32nd floors, the window design is mostly consistent. Most window openings contain three-over-three sash windows, though some openings have been covered with louvered grates, especially in places where there are mechanical or communications equipment. The second-story windows are generally topped by elaborate triangular limestone surrounds that contain carvings of birds, grapes, and vines, except at the corners of the building, where the second-story windows contain lintels and sills with carvings of grapes and vines. The third-story windows also contain sills with grape and vine carvings. The fourth- through 32nd-story windows have plain, undecorated sills and windows. Each window bay is separated by vertical limestone piers.  Above the 28th story especially, there are cast-stone decorative elements. The 30th floor, 31st floor, and 31st-floor mezzanine contains five triple-height arched windows on each facade. Stone piers protrude above the rooftop level, which contains some mechanical equipment.

Features.

In his design for the Verizon Building, Walker believed that the structure should serve "as a machine which had definite functions to perform for the benefit of its occupants." The design scheme for the interior is a continuation of that on the facade, which was a relatively rare stylistic choice of the time, since many contemporary buildings were being designed with modern-styled exteriors and historically-styled interiors. Mumford likened this continuity in interior and exterior design to the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, Henry Hobson Richardson, and Louis Sullivan, which also exhibited such consistency. As with the exterior, there is masonry encasing interior structures. Brick, cinder, concrete, and other masonry materials encase interior steel columns, beams, girders, and other structural elements. Walker also created the interior elements by machine when it was possible.  The interior space covers. The structure was split into two different mechanical sections: the 18th through 32nd floors, and the basements through the 16th floor. The 17th floor housed the mechanical equipment, which was unusual since other buildings' mechanical equipment were usually contained on their roofs or in their basements. There are 26 elevators to transport tenants to upper floors. The second through 16th floors are served by two elevator lobbies, while the 18th through 32nd floors are served by a single elevator lobby.

Lobby.

The lobby runs between the West and Washington Street entrances to the west and east, with a vaulted ceiling. The interior of the lobby includes buff-colored veined marble walls and floors. Toward the center of the lobby, there are two alcoves each on the north and south walls, which lead to the elevator banks. The northern alcoves both contain eight elevators while the southern alcoves both contain four elevators. All of the elevator alcoves contain painted ceilings and ornate bronze fixtures for ventilation and lights. A telephone alcove is also located off the lobby. Since the upper floors' residential overhaul in the 2010s, the western half of the lobby is still used by Verizon, but the eastern half is used as a residents' lounge.  The decoration program of the lobby is also in the Art Deco style. These works were designed by Ricci and De Cesare, and executed by Edgar Williams and Mack, Jenney & Tyler. The elevator doors are framed by bronze surrounds, while the elevator lobbies feature Levanto marble walls. Other doorways leading from the lobby, as well as the fluted pilasters along the lobby's length, are also made of Levanto marble. The doors from the lobby are made of bronze, as are the capitals of the pilasters, which incorporate grape-and-vine motifs.  The lobby features inlaid bronze medallions in the floor, which depict the construction of the telephone system. The medallion on the eastern side depicts a female telephone operator, and that on the western side depicts a lineworker. There are twelve ceiling murals that depict how human communication has progressed, from Aztec runners to the telephone. Nine murals—five at the western entrance and four at the eastern entrance—demonstrate the ancient methods of communication. The three center murals depict modern communication. Bronze chandeliers with complex ornamentation hang from the ceiling over the bronze medallions on the floor. On the ceiling are "angelic figures", which appear to be holding the chandeliers.

Other floors.

The lowest ten floors above the basements were intended for use as office space serving the central telephone offices, and could handle live structural loads of up to, depending on the intended uses of each floor section. The 29th floor included New York Telephone's executive offices, and the 31st floor contained an assembly room that could hold 6,500 workers. When the Barclay–Vesey Building opened, it contained an auditorium at ground level and a gymnasium on the ground floor's mezzanine. There was also a training school for workers.  The stories above the 10th floor have been converted into 157 luxury condominium units. There is a separate lobby for residents on the Barclay Street side, which connects to the original lobby. The penthouse apartment, a duplex unit on the 31st and 32nd floors, covers with a living room, advertised as the largest in the city. The building also contains an wading pool and a lap pool. Other features of the residential portion of the Verizon Building include rooms for wine-tasting and billiards; music practice; a fitness center; a children's playroom; and a residents' lounge.  The Verizon Building has five sub-basement levels, which house communications equipment. At the time of the September 11 attacks, Verizon was using the building as a main telecommunications switching center in Lower Manhattan, handling approximately 200,000 phone lines and 3.6 million data circuits. These circuits traveled as far north as 42nd Street. In emergencies, the 17th floor could provide services to the building's base.

History.

Planning and construction.

Planning.

The New York Telephone Company began to grow rapidly after World War I. An internal review of the organizational structure found that its New York City operations were housed in multiple buildings across the city, and were thus inefficient. The company's president from 1919 to 1924, Howard Ford Thurber, sought to centralize the company's operations into a single large headquarters to "satisfy the present demands and to reasonably anticipate future requirements". In the early 1920s, the New York Telephone Company started acquiring the entire block between West, Barclay, Washington, and Vesey Streets. The site was chosen "because real estate values in that vicinity were much lower" compared to the area around Broadway. The company owned the entire block by 1923, by which it had spent $1.5 million on acquisitions.  In April 1923, the company announced that it intended to build a new headquarters at a projected cost of $11.5 million. The structure was to house 6,000 employees from the company's six central offices, who would work with 120,000 telephones, as well as mechanical equipment to support the company's equipment. The initial design called for a height of, with of office space, and of commercial ground-floor storefronts. In addition, the building would be erected with a steel-and-concrete frame, as well as facade trim made of limestone and buff-colored brick. The building was to be designed by Ralph Walker of Kenzie, Voorhees & Gmelin, who wanted to create a "strong corporate image" for the structure. At the time, construction was expected to be completed in July 1925.  It is likely that Walker started planning the Barclay–Vesey Building in late 1922, while he was still designing the Tribune Building. Walker sought to ensure that the proposed headquarters would comply with the 1916 Zoning Resolution while also being spacious and relatively inexpensive. Accordingly, he created designs for buildings containing 10, 16, 26, 29, 32, 36, and 42 floors. Walker also tested out different architectural styles, such as the Gothic and Italian Renaissance styles, before settling on a "modernistic" Art Deco style. The 32-story proposal, with setbacks at the 10th, 13th, 17th, and 19th floors, was ultimately deemed the most efficient. The blueprints for the 32-story proposal were submitted to the New York City Department of Buildings in June 1923.

Construction.

Foundation work began on June 20, 1923, and since the site was mostly artificial fill with riprap buttressing, water from the Hudson River sometimes leaked through to the foundation. The building's foundation needed to descend to the level of the bedrock, and the earth was described as having a slimy consistency below water level. Since the bedrock was deeper than originally anticipated, this allowed the builders to include five basement levels, rather than four. To keep out the water and slime-like earth, the builders erected a cofferdam with 22 caissons. The builders then laid down permanent steel struts to hold back the cofferdam; not only was this likely the first such use of steel bracing, it saved $30,000 compared to the temporary wood bracing that had been used in previous projects.  During construction, almost 700 workers were employed for the project at any given time; tradesmen, such as plumbers and electricians, worked with concrete and steel contractors in overlapping shifts, in order to reduce delays. The superstructure incorporated of steel across its above-ground and below-ground sections, and the builders used six derricks to lift the girders from the street. Four temporary stairways, each containing 351 steps, were built to facilitate the construction of the upper floors. The floor arches were built starting in October 1924, and on average, one floor was completed per week. New York Telephone's vice president James S. McCulloh placed both the first and the last rivets.  The first employees moved to the Barclay–Vesey Building on February 19, 1926. All construction on the Barclay–Vesey Building was completed by June 1926. However, the New York City Department of Buildings did not declare the building to be completed until April 1927.

20th-century use.

New York Telephone originally had four dial telephone exchanges at the Barclay–Vesey Building. Two additional exchanges were activated in 1928, which would be able to serve 125,000 additional subscribers; at the time, Lower Manhattan was one of the busiest telephone districts in the world. During the mid-20th century, office space was gradually removed to make room for additional equipment.  In 1970, the company signed an agreement to move its executive offices to 1095 Avenue of the Americas, a proposed 53-story speculative development near Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan, which would be larger than the existing West Street offices. Two years later, the New York Telephone offices had moved out of the Barclay–Vesey Building, though the switching offices remained. When NYNEX was formed as a result of the breakup of the original AT&T in 1984, the building became NYNEX's headquarters. Improvements in technology resulted in the invention of smaller telephone equipment, leading to an increase in available office space at the Barclay–Vesey Building. By the 1990s, some office workers were moving back into the Barclay–Vesey Building.  The exteriors and ground-floor lobbies of the Barclay–Vesey Building and two other telecommunications buildings were designated city landmarks by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1991. New York Telephone supported the designation, and the company's own media had previously described the building as a "landmark". The Barclay–Vesey Building became the headquarters of Bell Atlantic following Bell Atlantic's 1997 merger with NYNEX. Subsequently, in 2000, the building became Verizon Communications' headquarters after Verizon was formed from the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE.

21st-century use.

Damage and restoration.

At the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Verizon Building was being renovated. The Verizon Building had been adjacent to 7 World Trade Center to the east and the World Trade Center's Twin Towers to the south, and when the three buildings collapsed during the attacks, the south and east facades were severely damaged by falling steel beams. The collapse of the World Trade Center causing partial collapses on some floor slabs close to the windows, though the building as a whole was not in immediate danger of collapse. Debris also sliced water mains, flooding the basements. As a result, underground cable vaults belonging to Verizon, along with other underground utility infrastructure, were heavily damaged from water and debris. The Verizon Building received only moderate damage because its thick-masonry design gave the building added strength. The masonry allowed the structure to absorb much of the energy from debris hitting the building, and damage was restricted mostly to impact points. Although no fires were observed in the Verizon Building, the ground-floor murals were damaged by smoke.  Tishman Realty & Construction, which had been planning work on the building prior to the attacks, did a quick assessment of the building in the days after the attack. William F. Collins AIA Architects was the lead architectural firm working on the restoration, while Tishman Interiors managed the project. The Excalibur Bronze Foundry and Petrillo Stone were hired as specialists to restore the intricate ornamental detail in the facade and in the lobby. Facade restoration involved carving motif designs in the ornamental limestone, and restoring the ceiling murals in the lobby. For the murals in the lobby, hypodermic needles were used to inject acrylic resin to restore the paint and plaster. On the executive office floors, workers restored the barrel-vaulted ceilings, plaster friezes, and other elements. Restoration of the building also involved replacing a corner column; A+ Construction of Rye, New York was responsible for this work. The building's 23 elevators were also upgraded, new fire alarms, building command systems, and chillers installed, and restrooms made accessible to those with disabilities.  Restoration of the building took three years, at a cost of $1.4 billion. "The New York Times" stated that the project would cost "three-quarters of the Chrysler Building's estimated total value." Throughout the restoration, the building continued to serve as a telephone switching center. In 2004, the New York Landmarks Conservancy awarded Tishman Interiors the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award for its restoration work on the Verizon Building. The restoration was complete by late 2005. That December, Verizon announced it would move its offices from 1095 Avenue of the Americas to 140 West Street, where there would be space for 1,500 employees; the operations hub was relocated to Verizon's campus in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. The Verizon Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

Partial sale and residential conversion.

The building was partially flooded by storm surges from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which seeped into the basement levels, took all except one of the elevators out of service, and damaged the lobby murals. The next year, Verizon sold off the top floors to developer Ben Shaoul, the head of Magnum Real Estate. Verizon retained the 28th and 29th floors as well as the ground through 10th stories. In conjunction with this sale, Verizon moved 1,100 employees to Downtown Brooklyn and relocated others to 1095 Avenue of the Americas. To prevent against future flood damage, Verizon installed a storm surge barrier in front of the building.  Following Verizon's sale of the top floors, it was announced that Magnum Real Estate would convert the upper floors to a condominium complex known as 100 Barclay. Shaoul and the CIM Group added 157 units to the Verizon Building, and the condos were first listed for sale in early 2016. However, 100 Barclay's residential units remained largely unoccupied by 2019, leading Magnum Real Estate to reduce the penthouse's asking price from $59 million to $39 million. To fill up the unused units, Magnum Real Estate also started advertising to renters.

Critical reception.

The Barclay–Vesey Building received much positive acclaim when it was completed. New York Telephone dubbed the headquarters "a symbol of service and progress", while Mumford said that the design "expresses the achievements of contemporary American architecture...better than any other skyscraper I have seen." Joseph Pennell called the Barclay–Vesey Building "the most impressive modern building in the world", and Talbot Hamlin predicted it would be "a monument of American progress in architecture." So iconic was the building, it was on the frontispiece of the English version of "Toward an Architecture" by Le Corbusier. These favorable reviews have continued through the 21st century: the 2009 "Guide to New York City Landmarks" described the building as "one of the most significant structures in skyscraper design".  The design received awards from civic groups as well. In February 1927, the Architectural League of New York awarded Walker a gold medal of honor for the design, lauding its "quality of excellence" and saying that "A result has been achieved expressive of a high degree of skill and good taste in both general mass and in interesting detail." That October, the Broadway Association gave the New York Telephone Company an award for the Barclay–Vesey Building, calling it a "contribution to civic advancement."  Praise also focused on specific elements of the Barclay–Vesey Building. The architect Harvey Wiley Corbett said that the ornamental program was "straightforward and appropriate and eminently right". Following the September 11 attacks, Verizon's corporate-real-estate manager praised the Verizon Building's resilience, referring to the building as a "tank".  There were also some negative reviews. In 1991, New York Times architectural writer Phillip Lopate stated that "the corporate publicity aspects of the Barclay–Vesey lobby seem, by today's standards, overdone and kitschy" compared to Walker's later 60 Hudson Street commission, which was austere. Furthermore, though Mumford largely liked the design, he found the base–tower transition and the building's general shape to be an "annoying defect".

The Verizon Building (previously known as the Barclay–Vesey Building and the New York Telephone Company Building) is a 32-story office and residential building at 140 West Street in Lower Manhattan, New York. The Verizon Building was designed in the Art Deco style by Ralph Walker of Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker, and was Walker's first major commission as well as one of the first Art Deco skyscrapers. It occupies the entire block bounded by West Street to the west, Barclay Street to the north, Vesey Street to the south, and Washington Street to the east, abutting the World Trade Center.


Description.

School principals are stewards of learning and managing supervisors of their schools. They provide vision and leadership to all stakeholders in the school and create a safe and peaceful environment to achieve the mission of learning and educating at the highest level. They guide the day to day school business and oversee all activities conducted by the school. They bear the responsibility of all decision making and are accountable for their efforts to elevate the school to the best level of learning achievements for the students, best teaching skills for the teachers and best work environment for support staff.

Role.

While some head teachers still do some teaching themselves, in most larger schools, most of their duties are managerial and pastoral. They are often used to discipline misbehaving students, help organize school sponsored activities and department heads report to them.  In Australia, the head teacher is sometimes in charge of one (in the case of a major subject) or multiple (often in smaller schools) specific departments, such as English, history, maths, science, writing, technology, etc., but maintains full teaching duties and status. They are considered part of the school executive, and often a head teacher position is a stepping-stone into administration.

Assistants.

In larger schools, the principal is assisted by one or more "vice-principals", "assistant principals", "associate principals", or "deputy principals". Their position is secondary to the principal with regard to school governance. Assistant principals generally perform specific duties such as handling student discipline, curriculum, student council or student activities whereas the principal has the ultimate responsibility for the school as a whole (including faculty and staff, physical plant, etc.).

Regional information.

Australia and New Zealand.

In many Australian and New Zealand schools, a headmaster/principal is the head administrator of a school who has been appointed to her/his position by the school board, superintendent, or other body. The principal, often in conjunction with the school board, makes the executive decisions that govern the school, as well as having the authority over the employment (and in some cases firing) of teachers. The principal is often the chief disciplinarian of the students.

United States.

In 1999, there were about 133,000 principals and assistant principals in the United States. In the early decades of public education, the full title was "principal teacher", which accounts for the present day title having an adjectival form, essentially being a shortened version of the original full title. Yet the terms "head(master/mistress)" and "head of school" are still used in older schools.  School principals in the United States are sometimes required to have school administrator licensing, and, often, a master's degree in educational administration.

Impact of school principals.

While there has been considerable anecdotal discussion about the importance of school principals, there has been very little systematic research into their impact on student outcomes. Recent analysis in the United States has examined how the gains in student achievement at a school change after the principal changes. This outcome-based approach to measuring effectiveness of principals is very similar to the value-added modeling that has been applied to the evaluation of teachers. Such research in the state of Texas found that principals have a very large impact on student achievement. Effective school principals have been shown to significantly improve the performance of all students at the school, at least in part through their impacts on selection and retention of good teachers. Ineffective principals have a similarly large negative effect on school performance, suggesting that issues of evaluation are as important for school administrators as they are for teachers. The impact of principals has also been measured in non-traditional ways. Some principals have focused their efforts on creating more inclusive schools for students with disabilities.

A head teacher, headmaster, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school.


Types.

Section III of Article 1 of the ITU Radio Regulations sets out the definitions of some 40 radio services including such services as the fixed service, the mobile service, the land mobile service, the broadcasting service, the standard frequency and time signal service as well as the definition of radio astronomy which is defined as “a service involving the use of radio astronomy”. Note that the radio astronomy service is not a radiocommunication service but simply a service involving the use of radio astronomy.

Sub-sets of services and branches.

Some services are a sub-set of another service. For example, the land mobile service can be thought of as a branch of the mobile service which encompasses the land, maritime and aeronautical mobile services. For many terrestrial radiocommunication communication services, there is a parallel space radiocommunication service e.g., the broadcasting service and the broadcasting-satellite service.  Further sub-sets of some of these internationally defined services are often created at the national level. For example, within the land mobile service, a country may choose to define such services as paging, dispatch two-way radio service, cellular mobile telephone service, trunked mobile radio service, etc. Many of these definitions are based upon the nature of the service being provided rather than the international concept of a radiocommunication service. In other words, the term “service” can be used in these two different ways. No matter what definitions are adopted in a given country, with some specific exceptions which are allowed for in the ITU RRs, the use of the spectrum must fit in with the international definitions of radio services.

Radio communication service or radiocommunication service is according to Article 1.19 of the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU)RR, defined as “a service...involving the transmission, emission and/or reception of radio waves for specific telecommunication purposes”.


History.

Pre-Roman Pfyn.

The oldest traces of a settlement are about west of Pfyn in the former peat bog of "Breitenloo". Located in a depression carved by a lateral moraine of the Thur glacier, it dates from the Neolithic era (4300 BC). The settlement site was discovered during peat cutting in the late 19th century, but subsequently forgotten. During the war years 1940-41 an attempt to drain the bog to increase arable production land, led to its rediscovery. drainage work on arable production was raised again. In the autumn of 1944, an area of approximately was excavated by interned Polish soldiers led by Charles Keller-Tarnuzzer. Due to the topographical conditions, and an exploratory drilling project in 2002, it appears that about 60% of the settlement area has been excavated.  Keller-Tarnuzzer noted that there was the close relationship of the ceramics with the Michelsberg culture of southern Germany, and believed that the Pfyn finds were a Michelsberg settlement. Around 1960 research determined that the Pfyn ceramics were represented an autonomous culture that was related to the Michelsberg culture. Since that time, the Pfyn-Breitenloo site has been regarded as the center of the Pfyn culture. Further explorations in 2002 and 2004 led to a somewhat more nuanced picture of the settlement. This enabled the site to be dated via dendrochronology. The timbers that were used were cut in 3706-3704 BC. and confirm a single development phase. Another Neolithic settlement must have existed some northwest of Breitenloo. However, the few ceramics discovered at that site are also part of the Pfyn culture. That settlement has never been systematically studied and it is believed that the industrial peat extraction during the second World War may have largely destroyed it.  Because of Pfyn's importance as the home of the Pfyn culture and also as the site of a Roman era fort, other archeological discoveries have been largely ignored. For example, a number of Bronze Age artifacts and scattered grave sites were known to exist, but haven't been studied until recently. Recent excavations have discovered a Bronze Age village and traces of a previously unknown Iron Age settlement.

Roman settlement.

The identification of "Ad Fines", which is first mentioned in 280 AD, with Pfyn is undisputed. It is also clear that the place-name refers to the provincial border between the provinces of Raetia, Gallia Belgica and Germania Superior. The course of the Roman road from Oberwinterthur ("Vitudurum") to Frauenfeld through Pfyn and on to Arbon (Arbor Felix) is well known. What remains uncertain, however, is the course of a road to Eschenz (Tasgetium), as well the road towards Gotthard Pass via Irgenhausen Castrum, "Centum Prata" (Kempraten), Obersee–Linth–Walensee. The traces of an imperial settlement almost entirely missing. In addition to references to a farm in the records, some Roman items and parts of a large stone building have been found.  The situation is different for the late-Roman era, where the location of the hill fort outside the town is well known. The hill is now eroded by the Thur and Mühlebach rivers, and has nearly vanished in the south and east. Of the wall, only parts of the north and west still survive. Within the fort many coins and other objects were found that indicate that the fort was occupied Roman soldiers, including mounted troops, from the later 3rd century until the beginning of the 5th century. During this time, the fort connected the rear lines of defense along the Rhine between Arbon and Oberwinterthur (Limes). While nothing is known about the end of the fort, the age of nearby St. Bartholomew's Church indicates that some settlement remained after the fort was abandoned.

Pfyn in the middle ages.

Within the church, a number of medieval graves, have been discovered. The medieval landlord was the Bishop of Constance. In 1414 and 1502 the village received some limited self-government from the local provost. Before 1488 the bailiwick was under the authority of the Ministerialis (unfree knights in the service of a feudal overlord) family of Klingenberg. It was sold in 1488 to Jacob Mötteli. In 1560 the village was acquired by Peter of Gundelfingen, then in 1567 by Count Otto of Eberstein. In 1584 it was bought by Wolf Wambold of Umstadt, and finally in 1614 by the city of Zurich. Under Zurich a Vogt was appointed, who ruled until 1798.  In 1476 a fire destroyed the old town, which had been built on the ruins of the Roman fort. The new village of Pfyn was built northwest of the burned out old city. In 1794-95 the village built a bridge over the Thur river. They were allowed to collect tolls on the bridge until 1850.  St. Bartholomew's Church, which was located within the old Roman fort, was the center of a large Early Middle Ages parish. It included the villages of Felben, Wellhausen, Hüttlingen, Mettendorf, Harenwilen and Eschikofen on the left bank of the Thur and Weiningen, Lanzenneunforn, Gündelhart, Hörhausen, Hörstetten, Dettighofen and Müllheim on the right. After the founding of Reichenau Abbey, Hüttlingen and Müllheim separated from the Pfyn parish. During the Middle Ages, parsonages were established in Felben, Gündelhart and Weiningen, all of which became independent later. In 1155 the Cathedral Chapter of Constance gained rights over the church in Pfyn, including the right to appoint the priest. They invested a canon who would serve as a vicar for Constance. The rights to appoint the church's priest went to the Canton in 1804 and to the parish itself in 1840. In 1528 the Protestant Reformation entered the village and for a short time the village converted. However, the villages belonging to the parish, such as Gündelhart and Hörstetten remained predominantly Catholic. Within 5 years, in 1533, a Catholic priest was again in Pfyn. The church was shared between the two denominations, a situation that remains today.

Geography.

Pfyn has an area,, of. Of this area, or 59.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 30.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 8.0% is settled (buildings or roads), or 1.4% is either rivers or lakes and or 0.6% is unproductive land.  Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.5% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 0.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.3%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.6%. Out of the forested land, 28.8% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 56.3% is used for growing crops, while 3.2% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, and.  The municipality is located in Steckborn District, on the Thur river between Frauenfeld and Steckborn. It consists of the village of Pfyn and the hamlets of Herdern, Lanzenneunforn, Weiningen and Dettighofen.

Demographics.

Pfyn has a population () of, 10.9% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 11.7%. Most of the population () speaks German(93.0%), with Albanian being second most common ( 2.7%) and Italian being third ( 0.8%). , the gender distribution of the population was 50.3% male and 49.7% female. The population was made up of 855 Swiss men (44.4% of the population), and 113 (5.9%) non-Swiss men. There were 860 Swiss women (44.7%), and 96 (5.0%) non-Swiss women. In there were 10 live births to Swiss citizens and 3 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 12 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 2 while the foreign population increased by 3. There was 1 Swiss man, 1 Swiss woman who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 8 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 10 non-Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 28 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 8 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.1%.  The age distribution,, in Pfyn is; 215 children or 11.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 245 teenagers or 12.7% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 230 people or 11.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 255 people or 13.2% are between 30 and 39, 360 people or 18.6% are between 40 and 49, and 275 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 179 people or 9.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 97 people or 5.0% are between 70 and 79, there are 68 people or 3.5% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 9 people or 0.5% who are 90 and older. , there were 687 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. there were 296 single family homes (or 82.9% of the total) out of a total of 357 inhabited buildings. There were 24 two family buildings (6.7%), 14 three family buildings (3.9%) and 23 multi-family buildings (or 6.4%). There were 358 (or 19.8%) persons who were part of a couple without children, and 1,101 (or 61.0%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 94 (or 5.2%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 18 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 4 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 22 who lived in a household made up of unrelated persons, and 22 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing. The vacancy rate for the municipality,, was 3.27%., the construction rate of new housing units was 10 new units per 1000 residents.  In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 49.06% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP (11.56%), the SP (10.39%) and the Green Party (9.69%). In the federal election, a total of 625 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 46.6%.  The historical population is given in the following table:

Heritage sites of national significance.

The "Ad Fines" (a late-Roman fortress), the "Breitenloo" (a prehistoric lake shore settlement) and the shared or ecumenical () church of St. Bartholomäus are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance.  The "Ad Fines" hill is now eroded by the Thur and Mühlebach rivers, and has nearly vanished in the south and east. Of the wall, only parts of the north and west still survive. It was not until the excavations of the 1976, 1980–81 and 1990–92, that the fort was better understood. The walls were about high. A total of six semi-circular towers are known, though location of the gate and the moat are still unknown. Very little is known about the layout and type of buildings that were within the approximately area enclosed by the walls. A sod fountain and the remains of wooden buildings are all that has been found. The castle was also found along with a small, neighboring cemetery. Many coins and other objects found in the cemetery and the rest of the interior indicate that the fort was occupied Roman soldiers, including mounted troops, from the later 3rd century until the beginning of the 5th century.  In 1944, the prehistoric site at "Breitenloo" was excavated and 17 different houses were found. The houses are located along a north–south main street with the gables facing the street. The buildings are almost exclusively built with two naves and have lengths of and widths from. It is striking that several houses of vastly different sizes lay side by side, suggesting perhaps larger homes with smaller farm buildings. The house floors were all built with complex support structures and overlying split boards, which were usually covered with clay. Midden heaps in the soil and partial scorch marks on the support structures suggest that at least some buildings were lifted quite high off the ground.

Economy.

, Pfyn had an unemployment rate of 0.93%., there were 134 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 50 businesses involved in this sector. 343 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 27 businesses in this sector. 216 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 53 businesses in this sector.

Religion.

From the, 521 or 28.9% were Roman Catholic, while 854 or 47.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there was 1 individual who belonged to the Christian Catholic faith there are 12 individuals (or about 0.67% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 118 individuals (or about 6.54% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There were 87 (or about 4.82% of the population) who are Islamic. There are 6 individuals (or about 0.33% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 144 (or about 7.98% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 61 individuals (or about 3.38% of the population) did not answer the question.

Education.

In Pfyn about 78.1% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a "Fachhochschule").  Pfyn is home to the Pfyn primary school district. In the 2008/2009 school year there are 146 students. There are 36 children in the kindergarten, and the average class size is 18 kindergartners. Of the children in kindergarten, 24 or 66.7% are female, 4 or 11.1% are not Swiss citizens and 5 or 13.9% do not speak German natively. The lower and upper primary levels begin at about age 5-6 and lasts for 6 years. There are 55 children in who are at the lower primary level and 55 children in the upper primary level. The average class size in the primary school is 20 students. At the lower primary level, there are 28 children or 50.9% of the total population who are female, 4 or 7.3% are not Swiss citizens and 4 or 7.3% do not speak German natively. In the upper primary level, there are 26 or 47.3% who are female, 9 or 16.4% are not Swiss citizens and 7 or 12.7% do not speak German natively.

Pfyn is a municipality in Frauenfeld District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. Pfyn gives its name to the ancient Pfyn culture, one of several Neolithic cultures in Switzerland which centered on intensive pig farming and trading, dating from c. 3900 BC to c. 3500 BC.


Regions and populations affected.

Between 1922 and the beginning of World War II, the affected people were the German-speaking and Ladin-speaking populations of Trentino-Alto Adige, and Slovenes and Croats in the Julian March. The program was later extended to areas annexed during World War II, affecting Slovenes in the Province of Ljubljana, and Croats in Gorski Kotar and coastal Dalmatia, Greeks in the Ionian islands and, to a lesser extent, to the French- and Arpitan-speaking regions of the western Alps (such as the Aosta valley). On the other hand, the island of Sardinia underwent cultural and linguistic Italianization starting from an earlier period.

Istria, Julian March and Dalmatia.

The former Austrian Littoral (later renamed the Julian March) was occupied by the Italian Army after the Armistice with Austria. Following the annexation of the March by Italy, 400 cultural, sporting (for example Sokol), youth, social and professional Slavic organizations, and libraries ("reading rooms"), three political parties, 31 newspapers and journals, and 300 co-operatives and financial institutions had been forbidden, and specifically so later with the Law on Associations (1925), the Law on Public Demonstrations (1926) and the Law on Public Order (1926), the closure of the classical lyceum in Pazin, of the high school in Volosko (1918), the closure of the 488 Slovene and Croat primary schools followed.  The period of violent persecution of Slovenes in Trieste began with riots in 13 April 1920, which were organized as a retaliation for the assault on the Italian occupying troops by the local Croatian population in the 11 July Split incident. Many Slovene-owned shops and buildings were destroyed during the riots, which culminated in the burning down of the "Narodni dom" ("National House"), the community hall of the Triestine Slovenes, by a group of Italian Fascists, led by Francesco Giunta. Benito Mussolini praised this action as a "masterpiece of the Triestine fascism". Two years later he became prime minister of Italy.  In September 1920, Mussolini said:  This expressed a common Fascist opinion against the Croatian and Slovene minority in the Julian March.  Italian teachers were assigned to schools and the use of Croatian and Slovene languages in the administration and in the courts restricted. After March 1923 these languages were prohibited in administration, and after October 1925 in law courts, as well. In 1923, in the context of the organic school reform prepared by the fascist minister Giovanni Gentile, teaching in languages different from Italian was abolished. In the Julian March this meant the end of teaching in Croatian and Slovenian. Some 500 Slovene teachers, nearly half of all Slovene teachers in the Littoral region, were moved by the Italians from the area, to the interior of Italy, while Italian teachers were sent to teach Slovene children Italian. However, in Šušnjevica (it: Valdarsa) the use of Istro-Rumanian language was allowed after 1923.  In 1926, claiming that it was restoring surnames to their original Italian form, the Italian government announced the Italianization of German, Slovene and Croat surnames. In the Province of Trieste alone, 3,000 surnames were modified and 60,000 people had their surnames amended to an Italian-sounding form. First or given names were also Italianized.  Slovene and Croat societies and sporting and cultural associations had to cease every activity in line with a decision of provincial Fascist secretaries dated 12 June 1927. On a specific order from the prefect of Trieste on 19 November 1928, the "Edinost" political society was also dissolved. Croat and Slovene financial co-operatives in Istria, which at first were absorbed by the Pula or Trieste savings banks, were gradually liquidated.  In 1927, Giuseppe Cobolli Gigli, the minister for public works in fascist Italy, wrote in "Gerarchia" magazine, a Fascist publication, that "The Istrian muse named as Foibe those places suitable for burial of enemies of the national [Italian] characteristics of Istria".  The Slovene militant anti-Fascist organization TIGR emerged in 1927. It co-ordinated the Slovene resistance against Fascist Italy until its dismantlement by the Fascist secret police in 1941. At the time, some TIGR ex-members joined the Slovene Partisans.  As a result of the repression, more than 100,000 Slovenes and Croats emigrated from Italian territory between the two world wars, the vast majority to Yugoslavia. Among the notable Slovene émigrés from Trieste were the writers Vladimir Bartol and Josip Ribičič, the legal theorist Boris Furlan, and the architect Viktor Sulčič.  World War II war crimes During World War II Italy attacked Yugoslavia, and occupied large portions of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia, directly annexing Ljubljana Province, Gorski Kotar and Central Dalmatia along with most Croatian islands. In Dalmatia the Italian government made stringent efforts to Italianize the region. Italian occupying forces were accused of committing war crimes in order to transform occupied territories into ethnic Italian territories.  The Italian government sent tens-of-thousands of Slavic citizens, among them many women and children, to Italian concentration camps, such as Rab concentration camp, Gonars, Monigo, Renicci, Molat, Zlarin, Mamula, etc. From Ljubljana Province alone, historians estimate the Italians sent 25,000 to 40,000 Slovenes to concentration camps, which represents 8-12% of the total population. Thousands died in the camps, including hundreds of children. Survivors received no compensation from Italy after the war.  Mario Roatta was the commander of the Italian 2nd Army in Yugoslavia. To suppress the mounting resistance led by the Slovene partisans, he adopted tactics of "summary executions, hostage-taking, reprisals, internments and the burning of houses and villages." After the war the Yugoslav government sought unsuccessfully to have him extradited for war crimes from Spain, where he was protected by Francisco Franco.

Ionian Islands.

The cultural remnants of the Venetian period were Mussolini's pretext to incorporate the Ionian Islands into the Kingdom of Italy. Even before the outbreak of World War II and the Greek-Italian 1940-1941 Winter War, Mussolini had expressed his wish to annex the Ionian Islands as an Italian province. After the fall of Greece in early April 1941, the Italians occupied much of the country, including the Ionians. Mussolini informed General Carlo Geloso that the Ionian Islands would form a separate Italian province through a de facto annexation, but the Germans would not approve it. Nevertheless, the Italian authorities continued to prepare the ground for the annexation. Finally, on 22 April 1941, after discussions between the German and Italian rulers, Hitler agreed that Italy could proceed with a de facto annexation of the islands. Thus on 10 August 1941 the islands of Corfu, Cephalonia, Zakynthos, Lefkada and some minor islands were officially annexed by Italy as part of the "Grande Communità del Nuovo Impero Romano" (Great Community of the New Roman Empire). As soon as the fascist governor Piero Parini had installed himself on Corfu he vigorously began a forced Italianization policy that lasted until the end of the war. The islands passed through a phase of Italianization in all areas, from their administration to their economy. Italian was designated the islands' only official language; a new currency, the Ionian drachma, was introduced with the aim to hamper trade with the rest of Greece, which was forbidden by Parini. Transportation with continental Greece was limited; in the courts, judges had to apply Italian law, and schooling followed the educational model of the Italian mainland. Greek administrative officials were replaced by Italian ones, administrative officials of non-Ionic origin were expelled, the local gendarmes were partially replaced by Italian Carabinieri, although Parini initially allowed the Greek judges to continue their work, they were ultimately replaced by an Italian Military Court based in Corfu. The "return to the Venetian order" and the italianization as pursued by Parini were even more drastic than the italianization policies elsewhere, as their aim was a forced and abrupt cessation of all cultural and historical ties with the old mother country. The only newspaper on the islands was the Italian language "Giornale del Popolo". By early 1942 pre-war politicians in the Ionian Islands began to protest Parini's harsh policies. Parini reacted by opening a concentration camp on the island of Paxi, to which two more camps were added on Othonoi and Lazaretto islands. Parini's police troops arrested about 3,500 people, which were imprisoned at these three camps. The Italianization efforts in the Ionian islands ended in September 1943, after the armistice of Cassibile.

South Tyrol.

In 1919, at the time of its annexation, the southern part of Tyrol was inhabited by almost 90% German speakers. In October 1923, the use of the Italian language became mandatory (although not exclusive) on all levels of federal, provincial and local government. Regulations by the fascist authorities required that all kinds of signs and public notices had to be in Italian only. Maps, postcards and other graphic material had to show Italian place names. In September 1925, Italian became the sole permissible language in courts of law. Illegal Katakombenschulen ("Catacomb schools") were set up by the local German-speaking minority to teach children the German language. The government created incentives to encourage immigration of native Italians to the South Tyrol.  Several factors limited the effects of the Italian policy, namely the adverse nature of the territory (mainly mountains and valleys of difficult access), the difficulty for the Italians from southern Italy to adapt to a completely different environment and, later on, the alliance between Germany and Italy. Under the 1939 South Tyrol Option Agreement, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini determined the status of the German people living in the province. They either had to opt for emigration to Germany or stay in Italy and become fully Italianized. Because of the outbreak of World War II, this agreement was never fully implemented and most ethnic Germans remained or returned at the end of the war.  Following World War II, South Tyrol was one of the first regions to be granted autonomy on the ground of the peculiar linguistic situation; any further attempts at Italianization were formerly abandoned. In the 21st century, almost 100 years after the Italian annexation of the region, 64% of the population of South Tyrol speak German as their first and everyday language.

Sardinia.

In 1720, the island of Sardinia became an overseas possession of the Alpine House of Savoy, which at the time already controlled a number of other states in the Italian mainland, most notably Piedmont. The Savoyards imposed the Italian language on Sardinia as part of a wider cultural policy designed to bind the island to the Mainland in such a way as to prevent either future attempts of political separation, based on the language native to the islanders, or curb a renewed interest on the part of Spain. However, it was not until the rise of fascism that Sardinian was actively banned and/or excluded from any residual cultural activities to enforce a thorough shift to Italian. By the end of the second World War, Sardinian had started losing ground to Italian, which became the island's dominant language. Within a few generations Sardinian, as well as Alghero's Catalan dialect, would become a minority language spoken by fewer and fewer Sardinian families, the majority of whom have turned into monolingual and monocultural Italians. Nowadays, the Sardinians «identify with their language to lesser degree than other linguistic minorities in Italy, and instead they seem to identify with Italian to a higher degree than other linguistic minorities in Italy». A 2012 study conducted by the University of Cagliari and Edinburgh found that the interviewees from Sardinia with the strongest sense of Italian identity were also those expressing the most unfavourable opinion towards Sardinian, as well as the promotion of regional autonomy.

Italianization (; ; ; ; ) is the spread of Italian culture and language, either by integration or assimilation. It is also known for a process organized by the Kingdom of Italy to force cultural and ethnic assimilation, primarily, of the native populations living in the former Austro-Hungarian territories that were transferred to Italy after World War I in exchange for Italy having joined the Triple Entente in 1915. This process was conducted during the period of Fascist rule between 1922 and 1943.


History.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound was developed in the Colonial era from crosses of English Foxhounds. Two breeders from Kentucky, John W. Walker, and George Washington Maupin, are given credit for the breed's initial development. The dogs they bred were referred to as Walker Hounds, and were used to hunt raccoons. In the 1800s, a stolen black and tan dog named Tennessee Lead was crossed into the Walker Hound. Tennessee Lead was of unknown origin, but he greatly influenced the Walker. The Walker Coonhound, Treeing, was first recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 1905 as a part of the English Coonhound breed, at the request of breeders. The name was later changed to Treeing Walker Coonhound, and it was fully recognized as a separate breed in 1945. It was recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in January 2012, making it the AKC's 174th recognized breed.

Characteristics.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound may give an impression of a working dog. According to the UKC standard, it may stand 20 to 27 inches high at maturity, with weight in proportion. The common weight range is 50 to 70 pounds, with males being larger than females.  The skull should be broad, with a long muzzle and long, hanging ears. Eyes are dark and have a soft expression. All four legs should be straight when viewed from the front or back, with cat-like, compact feet. In conformation shows, blindness or deafness is a disqualification. The smooth coat is fine and glossy and comes in a tricolor and a bi-color pattern. Tricolor, white with black and tan markings, is preferred, although bi-color dogs, black and white or tan and white, are acceptable.  The Treeing Walker Coonhound has a clear bay on the trail, which should change to a distinct "chop" when treed. Its temperament should be kind but fearless and courageous on the hunt. The Treeing Walker Coonhound is bred primarily for the mouth, looks, and ability. It is first and foremost a hunting dog, although it may be kept as a pet. It is described as affectionate and good with children, but its energy requires an outlet and it must be trained. The Treeing Walker Coonhound lives an average of 12 to 13 years.

Temperament.

Treeing Walker Coonhounds are loving, intelligent, confident, and enjoy interacting with humans. They make good companion dogs for an owner who understands the characteristics of the breed and is willing to work with their in-bred nature as a hunting dog. On the scent, they are tireless, alert, and intense. At home, they are mellow, sensitive lovers of comfort.  Treeing Walker Coonhounds get along well with other dogs and with children. Like most hounds, they are even-tempered and difficult to annoy or drive into aggression towards people or fellow dogs. With training, they will coexist with small animals such as cats, despite their nature as a small-game hunter.

Hunting.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound's strong tracking instincts make it popular as a hunting dog, primarily for raccoons. Hunting solo or in packs of two or more, they are used to track and tree raccoons, bobcats, cougars, and bears. Individual hounds may be adept at catching small rodents such as squirrels, roof rats, opossums, and skunks.  Because of their speed, Treeing Walkers may be used as deer dogs in states where hunting of antlered animals with dogs is legal.  Although the Walker is best known as a coonhound, it is not as cold-nosed as other coonhounds. It is the most popular hound for competition coon hunts, since it will forego an older track for a fresher one, thereby upping the number of raccoons caught in a shorter amount of time.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a breed of hound descended from the English and American Foxhounds. The breed originated in the United States when a dog known as "Tennessee Lead," was crossed into the Walker Hound in the 19th century. The Treeing Walker Coonhound was recognized officially as a breed by the United Kennel Club in 1945 and by the American Kennel Club in 2012.