Prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Counterfeit medicinal drugs include those with less or none of the stated active ingredients, with added, sometimes hazardous, adulterants, substituted ingredients, completely misrepresented, or sold with a false brand name. Otherwise, legitimate drugs that have passed their date of expiry are sometimes remarked with false dates. Low-quality counterfeit medication may cause any of several dangerous health consequences, including side effects or allergic reactions, in addition to their obvious lack of efficacy due to having less or none of their active ingredients.  Since counterfeiting is difficult to detect, investigate, quantify, or stop, the quantity of counterfeit medication is difficult to determine. In 2003, the World Health Organization cited estimates that the annual earnings from substandard and/or counterfeit drugs were over US$32 billion.  The considerable difference between the cost of manufacturing counterfeit medication and price counterfeiters charge is a lucrative incentive. Fake antibiotics with a low concentration of the active ingredients can do damage worldwide by stimulating the development of drug resistance in surviving bacteria. Courses of antibiotic treatment which are not completed can be dangerous or even life-threatening. If a low-potency counterfeit drug is involved, completion of a course of treatment cannot be fully effective. Counterfeit drugs have even been known to have been involved in clinical drug trials.  Several technologies may prove helpful in combating the counterfeit drug problem. An example is radio frequency identification, which uses electronic devices to track and identify items, such as pharmaceutical products, by assigning individual serial numbers to the containers holding each product. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working towards an electronic pedigree (ePedigree) system to track drugs from factory to pharmacy. This technology may prevent the diversion or counterfeiting of drugs by allowing wholesalers and pharmacists to determine the identity and dosage of individual products. Some techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-Ray diffraction (EDXRD) can be used to discover counterfeit drugs while still inside their packaging.

China.

The State Food and Drug Administration is not responsible for regulating pharmaceutical ingredients manufactured and exported by chemical companies. This regulatory lack, which has resulted in considerable international news coverage unfavorable to China, has been known for a decade, but failure of Chinese regulatory agencies to cooperate has prevented improvement. On May 6, 2005, the Chinese press agency Xinhua reported that the World Health Organization had established Rapid Alert System, the world's first web-based system for tracking the activities of drug counterfeiters, in light of the increasing severity of the problem of counterfeit drugs.

India.

“If I have to follow U.S. standards in inspecting facilities supplying to the Indian market,” G. N. Singh, India’s top drug regulator, said in a recent interview with an Indian newspaper, “we will have to shut almost all of those.”  According to Outsourcing Pharma in 2012, 75% of counterfeit drugs supplied worldwide had some origins in India, followed by 7% from Egypt and 6% from China.  The Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO), the drug regulatory authority of India conducted a nationwide survey in 2009 and announced that of "24,000 samples [that] were collected from all over India and tested. It was found that only 11 samples or 0.046% were spurious." In 2017 a similar survey found 3.16% of the medicines sampled were substandard and 0.0245% were fake. Those more commonly prescribed are probably more often faked.  Industry body ASSOCHAM wrote in the paper “Fake and Counterfeit Drugs In India –Booming Biz” that fake drugs constitute US$4.25 billion of the total US$14–17 billion of domestic drug market. Around 25% of India's drugs are fake, counterfeit or substandard. If the fake drugs market grows at the current rate of 25%, it will cross US$10 billion mark by 2017. Trade in fake drugs is driven caused by lack of adequate regulations, shortage of drug inspectors and a lack of lab facilities to check the purity of drugs. Other key factors include storage of spurious drugs by chemists, weaknesses in drug distribution system, lack of awareness among consumers and lack of law enforcement.

Pakistan.

The 2012 Pakistan fake medicine crisis revealed the scale of production of counterfeit medications in Pakistan. Over 100 heart patients died after administration of adulterated drugs by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology. Pakistan did not have any regulatory enforcement on production of medicines until this crisis occurred. In response to the crisis, a regulatory body was finally set up in February 2012.

United States.

The United States has a growing problem with counterfeit drugs. In 2012, tainted steroids killed 11 people near Boston and sickened another 100. In another case, vials of the cancer medicine Avastin were found to contain no active ingredients. The vials were sourced in Turkey, shipped to Switzerland, then Denmark, finally to the United Kingdom from which they were exported to U.S. wholesale distributors. The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. wholesale distributor was hired by Canada Drugs, which also owns CanadaDrugs.com, a retail pharmacy website that sells prescription medication internationally, with a focus on the American market. In 2007-08, 149 Americans died from a contaminated blood thinner called Heparin that was legally imported into the United States. Investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, the Albers Medical investigation is the most prolific example to date. On August 21, 2005, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri issued a press release announcing that three businesses and eleven individuals were indicted for their involvement in a $42 million conspiracy to sell counterfeit, smuggled and misbranded Lipitor and other drugs and for participating in a conspiracy to sell stolen drugs. As part of this investigation, FDA initiated a recall of more than 18 million Lipitor tablets, which ranks as the largest recall in the history of criminal investigations of counterfeit medications. Participants in this scheme conspired to purchase and sell counterfeit, misbranded and illegally imported drugs. Foreign versions of Lipitor and Celebrex were smuggled into the U.S. from South America and re-sold after being re-packaged to conceal the true origin of the drugs. Counterfeit Lipitor also was manufactured in South America and then smuggled into the U.S. where it was co-mingled with the genuine foreign Lipitor and sold in the U.S. In addition, participants conspired to buy, sell and traffic almost eight million dollars worth of stolen Glaxo Smith Kline and Roche drugs, using fake pedigrees to launder the drugs and thereby concealing that they were stolen. There also were charges related to the sale of counterfeit Procrit, as well as counterfeit and misbranded Serostim and Neupogen. Procrit is an injectable drug used in the treatment of anemia and Neupogen is an injectable drug used by cancer patients to stimulate the production of white blood cells in order to decrease the incidence of infections.  The FDA held a Congressional hearing in 2005 to review the situation. The U.S. is an especially attractive market for counterfeiters because 40% of worldwide annual prescription drug sales were made in the United States in 2007. In 2011, a "PROTECT IP Act" was proposed to deter advertising.  Between 2002 and 2010, drug imports to the U.S. more than doubled, with 80% of drugs' active ingredients imported, now accounting for 40% of finished medicines.  U.S. residents at greatest risk of exposure to counterfeit products through personal prescription drug importation are age greater than 45 years, residing in the south or west regions of the U.S., Hispanic ethnicity, college educated, poor or near poor poverty status, lacking U.S. citizenship, traveling to developing countries, lacking health insurance, managing high family out-of-pocket medical costs, having trouble finding a healthcare provider, self-reporting fair or poor health status, filling a prescription on the Internet, and using online chat groups to learn about health. Recent evidence suggests that provision of health insurance coverage may effectively reduce importation and the subsequent risk of exposure to counterfeit medicines, especially among particular subpopulations.

Africa.

Fake antimalarial medication has been threatening efforts to control malaria in Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2011, 64% of Nigeria's imported antimalarial drugs were fake. Nigeria is Africa's largest drugs market, and over 70% of its drugs are imported from India and China, considered the "biggest source of fakes.". Lately, Tramadol, a powerful and addictive opioid, has become a major problem. A huge black market has emerged, and an increasing number of addicts overdose and die.

United Kingdom.

The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) are responsible for the regulation of prescription medication in the UK. Trafficking of counterfeit medication into the UK has become a growing problem, with ever increasing numbers of illicit drugs confiscated at the UK border. A large portion of the medication coming into the UK constitutes erectile dysfunction medication smuggled from abroad, one of the most popular of which is Kamagra (Sildenafil Citrate). To help combat the issue of counterfeit drugs, the European Union directive on false medicines was published on January 2, 2013. This came into effect on February 9th 2019 and requires UK licensed medicine to have a unique identifier (UI) and an anti tamper device on each pack of medication. In addition, every Pharmacy dispensing the medication is required to check the anti tamper device and update the FMD online system every time a pack has been issued.

Anticounterfeit platforms.

In 2007, the world's first free-to-access anticounterfeit platform was established in the West African country of Ghana. The platform, dubbed mPedigree, relies on existing GSM networks in that country to provide pharmaceutical consumers and patients with the means to verify whether their purchased medicines are from the original source through a free two-way SMS message, provided the manufacturer of the relevant medication has subscribed to a special scheme. Still in trial stages, the implementers of the platform announced in 2009 that they are in partnership with Ghana's Ministry of Health and the country's specialized agency responsible for drug safety, the Food and Drugs Board, to move the platform from pilot to full-deployment stage. A similar service is being rolled out in India.  In 2010, NAFDAC in Nigeria launched an SMS-based anticounterfeiting platform using technology from Sproxil. That system was also adopted by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in February 2011. In April 2011, CNN published a video highlighting Sproxil's solution in the fight against counterfeit drugs in Nigeria. In July 2011, Kenya's Pharmacy and Poisons Board also adopted text message-based anticounterfeiting systems and endorsed the Sproxil solution. In early 2012 it was announced that more than one million people in Africa had checked their medicines using the text-message based verification service developed by Sproxil.  An ePedigree is another important system for the automatic detection of counterfeit drugs. States such as California are increasingly requiring pharmaceutical companies to generate and store ePedigrees for each product they handle. On January 5, 2007 EPCglobal ratified the Pedigree Standard as an international standard that specifies an XML description of the life history of a product across an arbitrarily complex supply chain.

Illicit drugs.

Illegal drugs can be counterfeited easily because no standards or regulations govern them or their packaging though some examples of illegal drugs are sold under "brand names" to indicate certain standards or dosage levels were being adhered to, as in the case of 1960s-era LSD, which was sold with patterns or logos printed on blotter paper. These illegal "brands" can also be counterfeited by drug dealers who want to be able to sell their products at higher prices.  Counterfeit illegal and recreational drugs range from products which do not contain any active ingredients, as in cases where lactose powder is sold as heroin, or dried herbs such as oregano are sold as cannabis, to cases where the active ingredients are "cut" with a diluent (as in cases where cocaine is mixed with lactose powder), and cases where the claimed active ingredients are substituted by something cheaper ("e.g.", when methamphetamine is sold as cocaine).  The use of diluents in illegal drugs reduces the potency of the drugs and makes it hard for users to determine the appropriate dosage level. Diluents include "foodstuffs (flour and baby milk formula), sugars (glucose, lactose, maltose, and mannitol), and inorganic materials such as powder." The diluents used often depend on the way drug purchasers consume particular drugs. Drug dealers selling heroin to users who inject dilute the drug with different products from dealers selling to users who smoke or insufflate the drug; diluents which can easily form a solution with water for injecting heroin can be problematic for users who are sniffing the powder. When cocaine is mixed with diluents for the purpose of injection, the "...diluents can produce serious abscesses and pain if the user misses the vein and injects into muscle tissue." "Diluents and adulterants are often added to No. 3 heroin", including sugar, quinine, barbital and caffeine, some of which "can cause serious side effects." Dr. Hirsch, the New York Medical Examiner, claimed that buying illegal drugs is "... like playing Russian roulette," because "there is no way of knowing just what a heroin dealer has slipped into the packets." In some cases, if a dealer does not take the time to dilute the drug with lactose or other fillers, a "very potent blend of heroin" is sold, which can lead to overdoses.  Claims that illegal drugs are routinely cut with substances such as rat poison and crushed glass, often cited in antidrug pamphlets, are largely unsubstantiated.  Some countries, cities and organizations deploy drug checking services in order to improve the ability of users to make a more accurate risk assessment.

Packaging.

Custom package seals, authentication labels, holograms, and security printing, can be valued parts of an entire security system. They help verify that enclosed drugs are what the package says they are. Drug counterfeiters, however, often work with package counterfeiters, some of whom can be sophisticated. No packaging system is completely secure.

A counterfeit medication or a counterfeit drug is a medication or pharmaceutical item which is produced and sold with the intent to deceptively represent its origin, authenticity or effectiveness. A counterfeit drug may contain inappropriate quantities of active ingredients, or none, may be improperly processed within the body ("e.g.", absorption by the body), may contain ingredients that are not on the label (which may or may not be harmful), or may be supplied with inaccurate or fake packaging and labeling, as is the case with homeopathic products. Counterfeit drugs are related to pharma fraud. Drug manufacturers and distributors are increasingly investing in countermeasures, such as traceability and authentication technologies, to try to minimise the impact of counterfeit drugs. Antibiotics with insufficient quantities of an active ingredient add to the problem of antibiotic resistance. Legitimate, correctly labeled, low-cost generic drugs are not counterfeit or fake (although they can be counterfeited), but can be caught up in anticounterfeiting enforcement measures. In that respect, a debate is raging as to whether "counterfeit products [are] first and foremost a threat to human health and safety or [whether] provoking anxiety [is] just a clever way for wealthy nations to create sympathy for increased protection of their intellectual property rights". Generic drugs are subject to normal regulations in countries where they are manufactured and sold.

Eine Medikamentenfälschung oder Arzneimittelfälschung ist ein Produkt, das vorsätzlich und in betrügerischer Absicht falsch gekennzeichnet wurde – hinsichtlich seiner Identität, seiner Inhaltsstoffe und/oder seiner Herkunft. Sowohl Markenprodukte als auch Generika können betroffen sein. Zudem versteht man unter „Arzneimittelfälschung“ auch das Fälschen eines Arzneimittels, d. h. die betrügerische Vertauschung eines teuren Arzneimittels mit einem billigen (im Mittelalter lateinisch als "sophisticatio", seltener mit "adulterare" bezeichnet).


Early life.

Lowe was born in Hayfield, Derbyshire, the only child of “Big” Arthur (1888–1971) and Mary Annie “Nan” Lowe (née Ford, 1885–1981). His father worked for a railway company and was in charge of moving theatrical touring companies around Northern England and the Midlands, using special trains. The younger Arthur went to Chapel Street Junior School in Chapel Street, Levenshulme, Manchester.  His original intention was to join the Merchant Navy but this was thwarted by his poor eyesight. Working at an aircraft factory, he joined the British Army on the eve of the Second World War but not before experiencing his first brush with acting, by working as a stage hand at the Manchester Palace of Varieties. Lowe served in the Middle East with the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry and took part in shows put on for the troops. At the end of the war he was discharged from the army, having served as a radar technician in the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers reaching the rank of Sergeant.

Early career.

Lowe made his debut at the Manchester Repertory Theatre in 1945, where he was paid £5 per week for twice-nightly performances. He worked with various repertory companies around the country and became known for his character roles, which included parts in the West End musicals "Call Me Madam," "Pal Joey" and "The Pajama Game". An early brief film role was as a reporter for "Tit-Bits" magazine, near the end of "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (1949). Lowe married Joan Cooper (1922–1989) on 10 January 1948. They had met in 1945 when she was his leading lady at the Manchester Repertory Theatre and they remained together until his death. Their son, Stephen Lowe, was born on 23 January 1953.  By the 1960s, Lowe had made the transition to television and landed a regular role as draper/lay preacher Leonard Swindley in the northern soap opera "Coronation Street" (1960–65). His character became sufficiently popular with viewers for him to appear in the spin-off series, "Pardon the Expression" (1966) and its sequel "Turn Out the Lights" (1967). Leonard Swindley was not a role Lowe relished and he longed to move on. During the months he was not playing Swindley, he remained busy on stage or making one-off guest appearances in other TV series such as "Z-Cars" (1962) and "The Avengers" (1967).

Stardom.

In 1968, Lowe was cast in his best remembered role, as Captain Mainwaring in the BBC sitcom "Dad's Army" (1968–1977). His colleagues on the show later remarked that the role resembled him: pompous and bumbling. Lowe had a clause written into his contract, specifying that he would never have to lose his trousers. He also played Mainwaring's drunken brother Barry Mainwaring, in the 1975 Christmas episode "My Brother and I". Lowe and his character also surfaced in a radio version of "Dad's Army", a stage play and a feature-length film released in 1971. While "Dad's Army" was not in production, Lowe appeared in plays at the National Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre. In 1968 Lowe was invited by Laurence Olivier to act at the National Theatre at the Old Vic and appeared in Somerset Maugham's "Home and Beauty" in 1968 and later "The Tempest" in 1974 with John Gielgud.  He also had prominent parts in several films directed by Lindsay Anderson, including "if..." (1968) and "O Lucky Man!" (1973). His other film roles during this period included Spike Milligan's surreal "The Bed Sitting Room" (1969), in which he mutates into a parrot, a drunken butler in "The Ruling Class" (1972) with Peter O'Toole and "Theatre of Blood" (1973), a horror film starring Vincent Price, with Lowe as a critic murdered by the deranged actor played by Price.  On television he appeared twice as a guest performer on "The Morecambe and Wise Show" (1971 and 1977), alongside Richard Briers in a series of Ben Travers farces for the BBC, as the pompous Dr Maxwell in the ITV comedy "Doctor at Large" (1971) and as Redvers Bodkin, a snooty, old-fashioned butler, in the short-lived sitcom "The Last of the Baskets" (1971–72). Between 1971 and 1973 Lowe joined "Dad's Army" colleague Ian Lavender, on the BBC radio comedy "Parsley Sidings" and played Mr Micawber in a BBC television serial of "David Copperfield" (1974). He employed a multitude of voices on the BBC animated television series "Mr. Men" (1974), in which he was the narrator in addition to voicing all the characters.  In 1972 Lowe also recorded the novelty songs "How I Won The War" and "My Little Girl, My Little Boy".  While touring at coastal theatres with his wife, Lowe used his distinctive 1885 former steam yacht "Amazon" as a floating base. He bought "Amazon" as a houseboat in 1968 but realised her potential and took her back to sea in 1971; this unique vessel is still operating in the Mediterranean. The ship had a bar with a semicircular notch cut halfway along, to enable both the portly figure of Lowe and his wife to serve behind the bar at the same time, acting as hosts during the parties they threw on board.  In an interview for a "Dad's Army" retrospective on BBC television in 2010, Lowe's co-star, Clive Dunn, described him sitting at the bar in the evenings when they were filming on location, consuming a drink which Lowe named 'Amazon' after his yacht. Dunn described the drink as comprising "gin and ginger ale, with a single slice of cucumber".

Later career.

When "Dad's Army" ended in 1977, Lowe remained in demand, taking starring roles in television comedies such as "Bless Me, Father" with Daniel Abineri (1978–1981), as the mischievous Catholic priest Father Charles Clement Duddleswell and in "Potter" (1979–80) as the busybody Redvers Potter. By now he was making many television commercials, but his later stage career mainly involved touring the provinces, appearing in plays and pantomimes with his wife, Joan.  In 1981 he reprised his role as Captain Mainwaring for the pilot episode of "It Sticks Out Half a Mile", a radio sequel to "Dad's Army". At Christmas 1981 Lowe appeared in pantomime with his wife. His last film role was in Lindsay Anderson's "Britannia Hospital" (1982). In January 1982 Richard Burton had his private aeroplane fly Lowe to film a cameo role in the television series "Wagner", his last screen performance.

Death.

Like his wife, Lowe suffered from alcoholism. In his final years, Lowe's alcoholism worsened and he was reduced to acting in pantomimes and touring theatre productions. Graham Lord's biography recalls that by 1979, Lowe was suffering from major health problems but continued to drink increasing amounts of alcohol, sometimes passing out on stage or at dinner. He was also a heavy smoker and his weight ballooned. Lowe had long suffered from narcolepsy. On 14 April 1982, Lowe gave a live televised interview on "Pebble Mill at One". Later the same day, he collapsed from the onset of a stroke in his dressing room at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, before a performance of "Home at Seven", in which he appeared with his wife Joan. He died in hospital early the following morning, aged 66.  He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at Sutton Coldfield Crematorium, following a sparsely attended funeral. Joan did not attend as she refused to miss a performance of "Home at Seven" and was appearing in Belfast at the time. A memorial service was held in May 1982 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, attended by his family, former colleagues and many friends. His last sitcom,, with Lowe as a boys' preparatory school master, was shown during July and August 1982.  Tom Cole wrote in the "Radio Times": "There are few actors who charmed viewers both young and old with such ease, and fewer still who could be trusted with the task of bringing classic literary characters like Charles Pooter and A.J. Wentworth to life." His national acclaim continued well after his death, with a statue of Lowe erected in the town of Thetford, where most of the location work for "Dad's Army" was filmed. Lowe was respected and admired among colleagues, including Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud. His sudden death received a large number of tributes. Speaking in 2002 Paul Scofield described Lowe as "a rare talent" and a "seriously brilliant actor".  After his death Arthur Lowe received many tributes from British actors. John Inman described Lowe as "a great actor" and John Le Mesurier did the same. Similar tributes were made by Jimmy Perry, who described him as "a very kind man and would go out of his way to help actors less fortunate than himself. His rich comic genius will be sadly missed". Clive Dunn referred to Lowe as one of the greatest "comic actors" he had ever worked with. Graham Lord wrote, in his 2003 biography, that "almost every actor who worked with Arthur considered him to be outstanding".

Memorials.

In December 2007, plans were unveiled for a statue of Lowe to be erected in Thetford, Norfolk, where the outside scenes for "Dad's Army" were filmed. The statue was unveiled on 19 June 2010, by the writers of the series, Jimmy Perry and David Croft. The star has also had two blue plaques unveiled, one at Maida Vale and one at his birthplace in Hayfield, Derbyshire.

Further reading.

Two biographies of Arthur Lowe have been published: "Arthur Lowe – Dad's Memory" by his son Stephen, which was issued in 1997; and more recently, "Arthur Lowe" by Graham Lord in 2002. In 2000, "The Unforgettable Arthur Lowe" was part of "The Unforgettable" series of TV biographies of comedy performers.

Arthur Lowe (22 September 1915 – 15 April 1982) was a British actor. His acting career spanned nearly forty years, including starring roles in numerous theatre and television productions. He played Captain Mainwaring in the British sitcom "Dad's Army" from 1968 until 1977, was nominated for seven BAFTAs and became one of the most recognised faces on television.

Arthur Lowe (* 22. September 1915 in Hayfield, Derbyshire, England; † 15. April 1982 in Birmingham, England) war ein britischer Film- und Theaterschauspieler. Er stieg in erster Linie durch seine Rolle als Captain George Mainwaring in der britischen Sitcom "Dad’s Army", die er über neun Jahre verkörperte, zu einer nationalen Größe auf.


Plot.

The film begins in Nanking during late 1937, where German businessman John Rabe, director of the local Siemens subsidiary, and his wife Dora have resided for almost thirty years. The thought of transferring management to his successor Fliess and returning to Berlin is a substantial professional setback for him. During the farewell ball in his honor, Nanking is bombarded by planes of the Japanese air forces. Rabe opens the company gate and saves the panicked civilians.  While the fires are being put out the next morning and the damages are inspected, the remaining foreigners in the city discuss what they can do in the face of the threat. Dr. Rosen, a German Embassy Attache of partly Jewish descent, reports about Shanghai where a safety zone was established for civilians. His suggestion of a similar zone is warmly supported by his superior, Ambassador Trautmann, and Valérie Dupres, director of the International Girls College. John Rabe is nominated as the chairman of the international committee, since he is a German "ally" of the Japanese. The committee meets, though with the initial reluctance of Dr. Robert O. Wilson, the American head doctor of a local hospital, who harbors ideological antipathy towards the German "Nazi" Rabe. The next day, Rabe sends his wife back to Germany. Tragically, the ship is bombed, and the passengers on board are killed, presumably including his wife.  Meanwhile, Japanese forces have captured many National Revolutionary Army soldiers during a battle outside of Nanking. Nanking is then brutally overrun. John Rabe and the international committee however manage to have the Nanking Safety Zone recognized by the Japanese authorities. Hundreds of thousands seek refuge; more than anticipated and overstretching the committee's resources. Further atrocities follow, and every member of the committee tries their best to keep these innocent people safe. Mme. Dupres stoutly refuses to give up the Chinese soldiers hidden in the attic of the Girls College. Under all the stress, Dr. Wilson and Rabe become friends, drinking, singing, and playing the piano together. The committee celebrates Christmas. Some packages have made it to them from the outside world. Rabe even gets an unmarked one. It is a Gugelhupf cake. Rabe faints as he realizes that his wife must have sent him this, his favorite cake, as a secret message that she is safe and well. His friends rush to his aid. Dr. Wilson discovers that Rabe is diabetic and has run out of insulin. The doctor manages then to procure some vital insulin from the Japanese authorities.  Life, and survival, become more desperate in the new year. Rabe offers his last savings to buy supplies. As Japanese troops march up to the gates of the zone, Chinese civilians form human shields together with the international committee. Japanese tanks are brought into position as well, but before a shot can be fired, the horn of a steamboat signals the return of Western diplomats and journalists.  The film ends with Rabe making his farewells. Carrying a small suitcase, he is escorted by a troupe of Japanese through the ruins of Nanking to the harbor. There he is recognized and cheered by the Chinese. Finally, he is reunited with his wife on the pier.  Most major characters are historically accurate. However, Rabe's important fellow Nanking Safety Zone committee member Minnie Vautrin, actual director of the Ginling Girls College, is substituted by a fictive French Lady Valérie Dupres of an "International Girls College".

Production.

Florian Gallenberger stated that although working with the Chinese censorship authorities was protracted, it was not impossible. The resulting film was deemed satisfactory. International Sino-Japanese politics was a more erratic interference. At one point concern about good relations because of a major gas exploration joint-venture caused production to be halted. When a Japanese school book was published without the inclusion of the Nanking Massacre however, the go-ahead was given again.

Awards.

The film picked up over seven German Film Awards nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Gallenberger), Best Actor (Tukur) and Best Supporting Actor (for Buscemi, one of the few times that a Lola nomination has been given to a non-German citizen – Buscemi is American). It won the awards for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. Lead actor Ulrich Tukur also won the 2009 Bavarian Film Awards for Best Actor.

Reception.

Japan.

In Japan, none of the major film companies were willing to watch the screening. Florian Gallenberger also confirmed those difficulties. The director was asked by one potential Japanese film distributor if they could remove all footage of Prince Asaka, who was commander of the Japanese forces in its final assault on Nanking, but the distributor refused. Asaka was the presiding officer under which the order to "kill all captives" was issued, thus providing official sanction for the Nanking Massacre.  The film, which did not have a theatrical release in Japan and was one of several made commemorating the 70th anniversary of the events of Nanjing, met with vociferous opposition from right-wing nationalists in Japan who even released a number of Japanese films claiming that the Nanking Massacre never occurred.  The film finally was shown in Japan on 17 May 2014 by the Film Festival for Preserving the Historical Facts of Nanjing ().

United States.

"John Rabe" received a 'fresh' rating of 75% based on 24 positive published reviews out of 32, at the aggregated film review website Rotten Tomatoes, and a 77% audience approval rating based on over 640 votes at the same site.  The film, which has been compared to "Schindler's List", also met with a favourable reception from "The New York Times".

John Rabe (released in the United Kingdom as City of War: The Story of John Rabe) is a 2009 German-Chinese-French biopictorial film directed by Florian Gallenberger and starring Ulrich Tukur, Daniel Brühl and Steve Buscemi.

John Rabe ist ein Spielfilm des deutschen Regisseurs Florian Gallenberger aus dem Jahr 2009. Das Filmdrama basiert auf der wahren Geschichte des „Schindlers von China“, John Rabe, der 1937 in der chinesischen Hauptstadt Nanjing über 250.000 Menschen gerettet hat. Der für 18 Millionen Euro produzierte Film wurde auf der Berlinale 2009 uraufgeführt und lief 2009 mit geringem Erfolg in den Kinos. Eine lange Fernsehfassung wurde erstmals im Oktober 2011 im ZDF ausgestrahlt.


Athens campus.

The museum's primary home is in the Benakis' house opposite the National Garden on Queen Sofias Avenue and owes its existence to the generosity of Antonis Benakis, whose family lived in Alexandria, Egypt.  In 1931, the Benakis donated the family's house in Athens and their collection of more than 37,000 Islamic and Byzantine objects. More than 9,000 artifacts were added by the 1970s, which spurred donations from other sources. Benakis remained active in the museum until his death in 1954.  Under the directorship of Angelos Delivorrias, the museum added more than 60,000 objects, books and documents, some of which were purchased and others donated. Delivorrias opts to focus on displaying donated items in order to encourage public participation and strengthen the community's ties to the museum. The museum also focuses on the fact that Greek history does not begin and end with specific events but rather exists along a continuum that continues today.  Parts of the museum's collections have travelled worldwide, including Canada in 2008, the United States in 1959 in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution and in 2005, an Ancient Greek solid gold drinking cup left Greece for the first time and traveled to the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and the Melbourne Immigration Museum in Melbourne, Australia.

2000 re-opening.

In 2000, the Benaki Museum reopened following a $20 million renovation and restoration of the building, which was damaged in an earthquake. The renovation allowed it to become the only museum in Greece that brings visitors through all ages of Greek culture and history. It is also unique in that it does not focus on nationalism but rather recognizes and celebrates the foreign influences on Greek culture.  Although the museum's director, Angelos Delivorrias, came up with the idea to refocus the museum and its exhibits in 1973, more than 25 years passed before he was able to make this a new reality. This reality involved moving the museum's collections of Islamic Art and Chinese porcelain with painting to other locations so that the main museum in Athens would focus solely on Greece.

Satellite museums.

Over the years the museum has been further endowed by various donors, and it now includes the seaside Kouloura Mansion in Palaio Phaliro, which houses the Toy Museum, the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art in the Kerameikos district, the Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas Gallery in downtown Athens, the Benaki Museum Pireos street Annex (138 Pireos street) and the Penelope Delta House in Kifissia, which houses the Historical Archive Collection.

Benaki Museum of Islamic Art.

As part of the museum's re-focusing on Greek culture, its Islamic collection was moved to a new home in 2004 in time for the Athens Olympics. The new museum also has new galleries for temporary traveling exhibits.  The Islamic art collections of the Benaki Museum are housed in a complex of neo-classical buildings located in the historical centre of Athens, in the Kerameikos district. Major archaeological sites located in the same area include the grounds of the ancient Agora (currently undergoing development), the Doric temple of Hephaestus (the "Theseio") and the Museum of the ancient Kerameikos necropolis (cemetery). This complex of buildings at the corner of Agion Asomaton and Dipylou streets, was donated to the Museum by the late Lambros Eftaxias, who in his later years served as Honorary President of the Museum Board of Trustees.  Inaugurated on 27 July 2004, the museum occupies more than 1,000 square meters of remodeled space showcasing: ceramics, pottery, metalwork, gold, woodcarvings, glasswork and textiles, bone carvings, inscribed funerary steles, arms and armor. The museum's collection is said to rank among the most important worldwide and includes masterpieces from India, Persia, Mesopotamia, the Middle East, Arabia, Egypt, North Africa, Sicily, Spain and Asia Minor. Covering Islamic art from the 7th through the 19th centuries, it has a rich collection of Ottoman art from the Empire's peak in the 16th century.

The Benaki Museum, established and endowed in 1930 by Antonis Benakis in memory of his father Emmanuel Benakis, is housed in the Benakis family mansion in downtown Athens, Greece. The museum houses Greek works of art from the prehistorical to the modern times, an extensive collection of Asian art, hosts periodic exhibitions and maintains a state-of-the-art restoration and conservation workshop. Although the museum initially housed a collection that included Islamic art, Chinese porcelain and exhibits on toys, its 2000 re-opening led to the creation of satellite museums that focused on specific collections, allowing the main museum to focus on Greek culture over the span of the country's history.

Das Benaki-Museum in der griechischen Hauptstadt Athen ist das größte private Museum Griechenlands. Es ist das einzige Museum in Griechenland, das die Besucher durch alle Epochen der griechischen Kultur und Geschichte führt. Es beherbergt Werke der griechischen Kunst aus vorgeschichtlicher Zeit bis zur Gegenwart sowie eine umfangreiche Sammlung asiatischer Kunst. Ferner finden regelmäßige Ausstellungen statt.


Career.

The Heart Throbs formed in 1986, initially by Rose Carlotti and Stephen Ward, both college students, who recruited Rose's sister Rachel DeFreitas and Mark Side. Rose and Rachel are sisters of the late Echo & the Bunnymen drummer Pete DeFreitas. The band released their first single in mid-1987 on Marc Riley's In-Tape label. They were then signed by Rough Trade, for whom they released two singles, both hits on the UK Independent Chart. After two further singles on their own label, Profumo (a reference to John Profumo), the Heart Throbs were signed by the UK label One Little Indian Records. Guitarist Alan Barclay a.k.a Alan Borgia joined at this time, allowing original guitarist Ward to move to keyboards. Their first album, "Cleopatra Grip", was distributed in the US by Elektra Records, after which they were signed by A&M Records, who released "Jubilee Twist" in the US. After disappointing sales, however, A&M elected not to distribute their third and final album, "Vertical Smile". The first and third albums were named after euphemisms for female genitalia, while the jubilee twist is a martial combat technique for attacking the male genitalia.  The Heart Throbs' single "Dreamtime" reached a peak position of number 2 on the "Billboard" Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1990, and their single "She's in a Trance" reached number 21 in the same year.  Following the "Cleopatra Grip" tour, the rhythm section left the band, and were replaced by Noko (ex-Luxuria) on bass and Steve Monti (ex-Blockheads) on drums. By the third album, the band had switched to a third rhythm section of Colleen Browne on bass (formerly of the Parachute Men, who later joined Pale Saints) and Steve Beswick on drums.  After the Heart Throbs split up in 1993, Rose Carlotti and Steve Beswick formed the group Angora, who then changed their name to Tom Patrol before eventually disbanding.

Members.

The initial lineup was:  Other members:

The Heart Throbs were an indie rock band from Reading, England. They released three albums on the One Little Indian label before splitting up in 1993.

The Heart Throbs war eine Alternative-Rock-Band aus Reading, England, welche Anfang der 1990er Jahre drei Langspielplatten veröffentlichte. Man ordnete die Band in die Genres Dreampop, Shoegazing oder Blonde-Pop ein, neben gleichzeitig aktiven ähnlichen Bands wie The Primitives, The Darling Buds und Lush. Als großer Einfluss der Band gelten The Smiths.


Biography.

Genealogy.

Dontsova was born on June 7, 1952 in Moscow in the family of Mosconcert director Tamara Stepanovna Nowacki (14 April 1917 - 11 March 2008), and a little-known Soviet writer (1929 OGPU) Arkady Nikolaevich Vassiliev (16 March 1907 - August 1972). Agrippina's father came from a working-class family. His grandfather Nikolay Vasiliev worked at a textile factory, grandmother (after whom Agrippina got its name) served as a day laborer. Before the birth of Agrippina, they broke up. At the time of the birth girl`s parents divorced, according to the documents the father had been married to the journalist of the newspaper "Pravda" Faina Borisovna. By that time, he was married to Galina Nikolaevnaso Agrippina has a half-sister Isolde, who is older 20 years.  From her mother`s side Agrippina has Polish and Cossack origin. Her maternal grandfather Stephen Nowacki was a Polish communist, who, along with his brother Jacek was one of the associates of Felix Dzerzhinsky. Grandmother Athanasius Shabanov from Kislovodsk was from a wealthy family. They, being married, moved to Moscow in 1916. In 1937, Stephen was arrested charged in case of Tukhachevsky and he died in one of the camps, allegedly under the Annunciation (later was posthumously rehabilitated). Anticipating arrest, Stefan divorced his wife, Tamara and his daughter were safe.

Childhood.

After the arrest of Stephen, Athanasius Tamara were evicted in the barracks on Skakovaya street, and the first few years Agrippina lived there. The parents decided to get married in February 1953 when Athanasius received notification from which it followed that a month later with her daughter and granddaughter evicted from Moscow, so Arkady decided to go with them. The registration was on a memorable day March 6, and after learning about the death of Joseph Stalin, delayed marriage. They officially married only in 1959, when Agrippina was supposed to go to school.  In 1954, the barracks were settled out, and Agrippina with her grandmother moved into a room in a communal apartment on Kirov Street. Parents could not live with them because of the small living room area and lived in an apartment in Arcadia Lavrushinsky Lane, which he shared with Viktor Shklovsky, but again, because of the small size there could not settle down four. Agrippina was reunited with her parents only in 1957, when they moved to a new building near the station Airport.  Since early childhood parents were trying to teach Agrippina music and literature. For a start she was taken to music school and there the headmistress, having listened to the girl, said that "for the first time faced with such a case, when the bear came not on the ear, and sat on her head entirely and sits there until now." Then Athanasius and Tamara, as a music fan themselves, began to take Agrippina to the conservatory, theater, opera and ballet. In her autobiography Dontsova recalls that, due to the complete lack of musical ear, all this has imposed on her only sadness.  At school, Agrippina, according to her, did not enjoy a special prestige among classmates. She was very good at the humanities and foreign languages, but she was very bad at the mathematical sciences. Even before she went to school, she had two governesses. One was an ethnic German woman, the second - a Frenchwoman, and that is why the two did not speak Russian. So before going to school Agrippina learned to speak German and French well. However, she was more successful in learning German when in 1964 went with her father to Germany (for unknown reasons, one Arcadiy`s book was chosen to publish outside the Eastern Bloc),she brought a bunch of detectives, that is why many detective classics - Dick Francis, Rex Stout, Georgette Heyer, James Hadley Chase - Agrippina first read in German.  Due to the fact that her father was a writer, Agrippina all summer vacation spent in Peredelkino. She was a very close friend with Valentin Kataev granddaughter and also she made friends with Korney Chukovsky.

Life.

She graduated from the MSU Faculty of Journalism, then she worked as a journalist. During a serious illness she took up writing detective novels, which have become very popular. She is fluent in German and French (she studied at a French language school).

Family.

Twice divorced, married for the third time in 1983 with Alexander Ivanovich Dontsov. The husband Alexander has is a son from a previous marriage - Dmitriy Dontsov (born in 1973.).  Darya has two children: a son Arkadiy ( born 1972) from her first marriage (a criminal case was filed in 2009 against him) and the daughter Maria Dontsova born in the 3rd marriage (1986). In 2013, Maria Dontsova, graduated from the Moscow State University named after MV Lomonosov Moscow State University with a degree in "Psychology", married Yuri Subbotin (IT-programmer). December 29, 2015, Maria and Yuri gave birth to son Michael - grandson of Daria Dontsova.  The son Arcadiy has a son - Nikita (grandson of the writer).  Half-sister - Isolde Arkadevna, is a wife of party leader VN Yagodkina.

Social work.

In 1998, the writer was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent several operations and chemotherapy (as the writer says, the book "The wife of my husband," she wrote during one of the courses of "chemistry", sitting on a stool in the bathroom next to the toilet), but won her disease.  Now Daria Dontsova is actively helping other women to go through this ordeal. In 2008, Daria Dontsova became Ambassador of the charitable program of Avon «Together Against Breast Cancer".  Dontsova appeals to all women who are in a similar life situation, with an appeal not to give up: "With oncology is possible to fight and to live quite comfortably. If you said "oncology", it does not mean that the next station is "crematorium" ".  In 2012. Vladimir Putin included her in the composition of the Public Television Council.

Activity.

Dontsova novels are divided into six cycles, the protagonists of which have similarities with the author (according to the traits of character, told in one of her interview).  Darya Vasileva is a rich woman living in the suburban village Lozhkina with her family and animals. She makes friends with the police colonel Alexander Degtyarev. She has two children - a son Arcadiy and a daughter Masha. In the past, Dasha was married several times, worked as a teacher of the French language in the Moscow university, receiving little money. She lived with her family in a small apartment in Medvedkovo on the outskirts of Moscow. This character is the closest to the author. Her main hobby is pets. At home her character has got a lot of cats and dogs, one of them a pug named Huchik. There were several candidates for the husbands: Nazar, Yarik and Burdiuk. For some time she was dating with all of them at the same time. That is why in the book "The mistress of an Egyptian mummy" she has earned a bad name. She chose Burdiuk, but after his infidelity left him. She became a well known TV presenter. She has her own small "skeleton in the closet" - at a young age she brought to suicide Roitberg Andrew (he was in a manic-depressive state, and because of that Daria can not be a killer). In the book "Six acres for Robinson" she had to become a plasterer Darya Vasiliev, because she needs people to think that a lover of private investigation is becoming a victim of the killer-poisoner. In this book, Dasha met with Professor Felix Manevinym, whom she continues to meet in next three books - "Fingers Chinese fan", "Honey journey the three of us" and " Miss Marple private dance." Shegets calls with threats over the last books. In the book "Samovar with champagne" Manevina and Daria are getting married.  The heroine of another series, Evlampiya Romanova (born in 1963) in the past - Yefrosinya Romanova, late child and the long-awaited daughter of Soviet general-scientist and opera singer, graduated from the Conservatory Harp, once married, after the divorce changed her name, and learned to cook.Lampa (Light) opened her own detective agency, where she worked as a private detective, making friends with the police Major Vladimir Kostin. According to the plot she got: the cat Semiramis and Pingvu, the cat Claus, pugs Ada, Mulia, Plusha, Fenya, Kapa and two other dogs Staffordshire Terrier Rachel and mongrel Ramika, hamsters Kesha, Petya, Leonardo and toad Gertrude. He adopts a girl Lisa and educates Kirill (friend Kate`s son, who went with the eldest son and his wife to America to work). Later, she married Max Wolf and acquired two pugs: Moussya and black Zefirku. Also she has a mother in-law Capitolina, boutiques owner in Russia and the United States. In the last book she and her husband adopted two children: a boy Ego and a girl Kisa.  Viola Tarakanova (born 1965). She gets knowledge of the German language from the writer. The heroine was married to Major Oleg Kuprin, an investigator from Petrovka, 38, but divorced, worked as a tutor of German, wrote detective stories under the pseudonym Arina Violova. Vilka (Fork) is indifferent to animals.The cats Cleopatra and Sonny, the dog Diushka live in her apartment. Also Viola a friend friend Tamara, who lived with her, along with her daughter and a husband. But they terribly quarreled and now live separately. She had a lover Yuri Shumakov, but after his betrayal, they broke up. After the murder of lawyer Lityagina staged by FSB she lived in the guise of Violetta Taranova. After that she dated Konstatin Fokine (Franklin). But because of his marriage to Vlade Karelina they broke up to. But soon it turned out that he was married to Vlade by force. In the last book a billionaire Ivan Zaretsky proposed her. In the book "The horror on the wings of night"she left Constantine by Zaretsky request.  Ivan Podushkin is the son of a Soviet writer who works as a secretary at a private investigator Eleanor. He is a polite man of high moral principles. Slim and tall. Smart, intelligent, educated. A bit hesitant. Trusting, and can be fooled. He takes care of 60-65 years mom who considers herself a young and beautiful woman of 35 years (in the penultimate book, she marries a rich tycoon who likes her strange behavior and this duty devolved upon them). Nicoletta is a little bit unbalanced, screaming for her - the need of the body, like a habit to call his son "Wawa" and trying to marry off his on some questionable lady. Podushkin - an inveterate bachelor. He was not lucky with women, with none of them, he could not marry (though small intrigues enough and usually it suits him). Some consider poor Ivan Pavlovich a gay, but he is not (almost in every book he meets a woman or tries to seduce one of his skeletons in the closet - the memory of the red Riga prostitute, which he and a friend " captured "hard cured syphilis). Other (as it is not a spender and intellectual) believe him to be redneck and boring, although almost everyone uses Ivan Pavlovich.He has got friendly relations with Major MIA Max Voronov. As a result life made him the head of the traveling circus. But in the book "Laughter and sin of Ivan Tsarevich," we can see - Ivan Pavlovich returned to its owner and is ready to fulfill her every wish again. But it is a cruel hoax that rigged Eleanor.  Tatiana Sergeeva is a dark-haired owner of a full figure, intelligent and well-read, graduated from the philological faculty of teacher training, the widow (in the recent past), worked as a teacher of Russian language and literature. Married to the former actor Aristarchus Babulkinym (nicknamed Gri), an employee of the secret group along with Tanya. She has friendly relations with the colleague - inveterate hacker nicknamed Korobok (Box). Soon Tanya's husband leaves her going somewhere with Martha Karz. Tatiana`s life is not getting better, but in the book "Foie gras from an ax," she becomes the head of the operative group. In the book "A hippo`s dream come true" she decides to find her husband Gris, although earlier she did not take any attempts.  Stepanida Kozlova (born 1990) is the sixth book of Daria Series. Fourth year student of the Pedagogical Institute, studies the specialty "teacher of Russian language and literature" (probably a reference to Tatiana Sergeeva). Stepanida lives with her grandmother Isabella Konstantinovna (perhaps a reference to Dasha Vasilyeva), who has the nickname Belka (Squirrel). Stepanida`s parents died in an expedition to Central Asia. Soon Stepanida leaves the institute and gets a job in a company "Buck" as a makeup model. Before the book "Tamer Medusa" she was in love with her boss, Roman Zvyagin, and was considered as a girl of his stepson, who she thought just a friend. After the book "Tamer Medusa" she becomes free and looks for a guy of her dreams. Although the book "Predatory Scarlet Flower" she fell in love with Philip Korsakov, but in the book "Moony disappears at midnight" decides to forget him.

Scripts for TV series.

"Dasha Vasileva. Lover of private investigation "(together with Victoria Evseeva)  "A lover of private investigation Dasha Vasileva - 2" (together with Victoria Evseeva)  "A lover of private investigation Dasha Vasileva - 3" (jointly with Victoria Evseeva)  "Evlampiya Romanov. The investigation leads amateur "(together with Victoria Evseeva)  "Evlampiya Romanov. The investigation leads amateur - 2 "(together with Victoria Evseeva, Alice and Irina Michabeli Gelos)  "Viola. In the world of criminal passions "(together with Irina Pivovarova (Movie 1) and Catherine Shagalova (movies 2 and 3))  "Viola. In the world of criminal passions-2 "(with Irina Pivovarova and Catherine Shagalova)  "Ivan Podushkin. Gentleman Detective "(Movie 1 - together with Victoria Evseeva, movies 2 and 3 - Anna and Natalia Pavlovskaya Anosova; Season 2 - with Alexei Vinokourov and Victoria Evseeva)

Scripts for radio series.

"Miracles in a saucepan"

Awards.

Winner of the "Writer of the Year" in 2001, 2002, 2003.  Winner of the "Bestseller of the Year" (established by the newspaper "Book Review") in 2002, 2003.  Winner of the trading house "Biblio-Globus" in the nomination "Author of the Year" and "Name of the Year" in 2002.  The winner of the annual open competition "Book of the Year" (for the Press Ministry, Broadcasting and Russian mass media) in the nomination "Bestseller of the Year" in 2003.  March 5, 2003 was laid in honor of the star Daria Series on the literary stars Square in Moscow on Strastnoy Boulevard.  24 June 2005 Darya Dontsova was awarded the Order of Peter the Great public 1st class with ribbon for his great personal contribution and outstanding achievements in literature.  from 2006 to 2015 inclusive in the polls VTsIOM Darya Dontsova recognized "Writer of the Year".

The circulation and the number of published books.

Dontsova by a wide margin in 2015, is the leader among the authors on the adult literature - 117 titles of books and pamphlets total circulation for the year 1968.0 thousand copies [1] In comparison with T. Ustinova published only 72 books and pamphlets whose total circulation is 891.0 thousand. In recent years, circulation of Dontsova books plummeted, so that she has to write more and republish her old detectives. In 2012 Dontsov published 129 books and pamphlets total circulation of 3728.6 thousand copies. [1]. Thus, in three years (2012-2015) the total annual circulation of books Dontsova almost halved, while the number of titles has increased by 19% per year.

Criticism.

It is believed that under the brand Darya Dontsova works not only, in fact, Dontsova, but a whole team of writers- "Ghostwriter". This is due to the fact that just over 180 books were issued for 15 years under the name of creativity Darya Dontsova. For one person to write a number of books physically difficult.  In 2008, 2010 and 2011. writer was accused in plagiarism.

Agrippina Arkadyevna Dontsova (; born 7 June 1952 in Moscow), primarily known as Darya Dontsova () (before marriage known as Vasilyeva) is a Russian writer of detective novels,scriptwriter,TV presenter and member of the Union of Writers of Russia. Winner of a number of literary awards. Over the years, according to official data of the Russian Book Chamber, Dontsova takes the first place in Russia among adult fiction authors on the total annual circulation of books published by it. In 2015, published 117 books and pamphlets total circulation of Dontsova 1968 thousand copies in Russia.

Darja Donzowa (; gebürtige Wasiljewa, russ. Васильева, eigentlich "Agrippina Arkadjewna Donzowa"; * 7. Juni 1952 in Moskau) ist eine russische Krimi-Autorin.


Monastery of San Miguel Arcángel.

The Franciscans founded the monastery of San Miguel Arcángel in 1525, in an area outside of the pre-Hispanic settlement of Huejotzingo. That settlement was located on higher ground, closer to the slopes of Iztaccíhuatl, in what is now known as San Juan Loma. Its early founding makes it one of the oldest monasteries in the Americas, and one of the first four Franciscan monasteries established in New Spain. It was dedicated to the Archangel Michael, who would eventually become the patron of the Spanish settlement of Huejotzingo and is the current patron of the modern municipality.  The current building is the third to have been built on the site. The first was a very modest construction that lasted from 1524 to 1529. In 1529, the Franciscans under Juan de Alameda moved the indigenous settlement to an area next to the monastery. Legend states that it was because the friars were tired of making the climb to the indigenous village for evangelization purposes. It was likely, however, to take advantage of indigenous labor to construct a larger monastery. The first monastery was demolished and a second complex was built in its place between 1529 and 1539. However, this building would not survive either, except for old plans and part of a foundation and walls, which were found during renovation work in 1980. The third and current complex was begun in 1544 and completed in 1570, and built under the direction of Juan de Alameda. Construction ended when Alameda died, and he was buried in the monastery. In the colonial era, it was described as being as luxurious as the church of San Juan de los Reyes in Toledo and one of the most beautiful in Mexico. Since then, the complex has survived a number of earthquakes with little damage. In the 1990s, it became one of fourteen monasteries around the Popocatepetl volcano declared a World Heritage Site. The state of Puebla promotes tourism of the monastery through its "Franciscan Route," which connects it with other 16th-century Franciscan monasteries in Calpan and Cholula.  The basic elements of the complex are the atrium with its corner chapels called "capillas posas," cloister, and main church. It is all constructed on a rectangular platform that measures 14,400m2 and rises six meters above the adjacent land. The complex is isolated from the outside by a thick stone atrium wall topped by merlons. These merlons are repeated on the walls of the church and cloister. These merlons are not the typical European style. Their form is similar to elements found in various pre-Hispanic constructions. The thick walls, merlons and narrow windows made the complex a fortress, not only to protect the monks from hostile native populations initially, but also to provide the local community later with a shelter in case of attack.  The atrium of the monastery faces west, towards the main plaza of the modern city. Between this plaza and the main access there is a small plaza. From this small plaza, one climbs a series of stairs to the atrium gate, which is an arcade of three arches with decorations in relief. The atrium takes up most of the monastery grounds and is rectangular, measuring sixty meters long. The most elaborate feature of the atrium is the four chapels embedded in each of the area's four corners, constructed around 1550. They were used for processions, especially for the storage of the Host for processions, but they were also used as chapels to serve the many indigenous of the area in the 16th century. They are elaborately decorated with the Franciscan coat of arms, cords like those worn by Franciscan monks with tassels and other symbols. This decorative feature can be seen in other parts of the complex as well. In the center of the atrium, on the pathway between the main atrium entrance and the entrance to the church, there is an atrium cross. Most histories of the monastery, but not all, state that this atrium cross is not the original, but rather used to belong to one of the corner chapels. The cross is done in sandstone and imitates two knotty tree trunks, with a crown of thorns at the foot. The monastery also has associated with it a system of aqueducts to bring water here from the Xopanac River. Remnants of it can be seen today.  The architecture of the large church and monastery area is a mix of medieval and Renaissance styles, with Plateresque and Moorish elements standing out. The Plateresque is evident in the large smooth areas with little ornamental work on the facade and north side of the church. This side has a portal decorated with leaves and thistles. The entrance to the church is flanked by tall classical columns, whose capitals support a narrow cornice to form an alfiz. This is decorated with a Franciscan-style cord and seven anagrams in Greek and Latin. Moorish influence is seen in the door arch of the main portal.  The interior has only one nave. There are remnants of frescos on the walls, the best preserved of which show a precession of men in hoods, called "Los encapuchados" (The hooded ones). The main altar is one of the few from the 16th century that remain in Mexico, made by Simon Pereyns. Another unusual feature is the stonework around the door to the sacristy, which forms a crisscross pattern of flowers.  The entrance to the monastery area is on the south side of the complex's facade. It consists of two wide arches supported in the center by a large column. The interior of the cloister retains all of its original architectural elements, and includes the courtyard, fountain, monks’ cells, refectory, kitchen, gardens, and a meditation/prayer room called the "sala de profundis". This room contains the best preserved mural work in the complex, including a depiction of the first twelve Franciscans to arrive in Mexico, headed by Martin de Valencia. This cloister today houses the Museo de Evangelización del ex convento de San Miguel (Evangelization Museum of the former monastery of San Miguel), under the administration of the INAH with Gabiel Maritano Garci as director. It contains a modest collection of artworks and other artifacts from the colonial period such as baptismal fonts and religious paraphernalia as well as displays explaining the evangelization work done by the Franciscans after the Conquest.

Carnival.

The carnival of Huejotzingo is unlike any other carnival in Mexico or in the world, and it is famous both in Puebla and other parts of the country. The annual event can draw up to 35,000 visitors from both Mexico and abroad, and costs about 2 million pesos to produce. Only about 250,000 comes from the local government, with the rest coming from donations by the local residents. The costumed participants are residents of the municipality and range in age from five to over fifty, and many families have participated for generations. All of the costumes are produced locally, including the "Turkish" shoes (modified running shoes), hand-carved wooden muskets, and elaborately decorated pants, shirts, and other clothing items. Up to 10,000 are in some kind of costume for the event. The firing of the many muskets over the four days can use as much as five tons of gunpowder and there have been accidents which have resulted in injuries and even death. Historically, this carnival has been linked to both the pre-Hispanic festivities related to the god Tlaloc and the "flower wars" of the same epoch. There was a festival dedicated to the rain god, but this was transformed in the colonial period into a festival with masked dancers. Elements of the modern carnival are also said to allude to the wars, in which the objective was not to kill or conquer, but rather to capture warriors for sacrifice. The modern carnival event officially began in 1869 and has been held annually ever since.  Preparations begin in January, with a formal meeting/party on the first Sunday of the year. There is masked dancing to live music. This event is called "desfiguros" (disfigured) or "los viejitos" (the little old ones). Officially, carnival begins on the weekend before Ash Wednesday. Saturday begins with a parade at about four in the afternoon. The organizers of the year's event, called generals, enter the municipal palace to have the municipal president sign a document turning over the main plaza of the town to the "general in chief." Then the other generals hang banners around the center blocks of the city to announce that carnival has begun. For the next four days, people listen and dance to music, set off fireworks and more, but what makes the Huejotzingo carnival different is the reenactment of three elements of the area's history and lore, which occur repeatedly over the course of the event. The first is the kidnapping of the daughter of the Corregidor by Agustín Lorenzo. The second commemorates the Battle of Puebla, and the last depicts the first marriage of Indians by Catholic rite in Latin America.  Agustín Lorenzo was a bandit during the colonial period, whose story has since been romanticized. According to legend, he and the daughter of the Corregidor were in love. At the beginning of this reenactment, the woman who plays the daughter arrives at the municipal palace to climb up to the balcony to be kidnapped. The man playing Lorenzo arrives on horseback to take the woman, climbing up a rope ladder. He descends with the woman, who is already dressed in white. As the couple flees, they are pursued by lawmen also on horseback. Spectators, including those playing French and Mexican soldiers for another reenactment, generally cheer on the bandit and his bride. As those on horses leave, a small hut is burned on the main plaza. This is because it is said that Lorenzo carried the woman away to his hut and the Corregidor ordered it burned. The reenactment ends with the wedding of Lorenzo and the daughter by a priest and Lorenzo becomes an honest man. While this wedding is happening, on the other side of the same plaza, another wedding takes place. This is the reenactment of the first indigenous couple to be wed with Catholic rites in the area. Tradition states it was the first of its kind on the Americas.  The most extensive event is based on the Battle of Puebla, which occurred in the 19th century between French and Mexican troops in this region. For this, the residents of the four principal neighborhoods of the city are divided into four "battalions," each headed by a "general." Over all four days, these battalions, totaling about 2,000 people, participate in mock battles, firing their wooden muskets at each other, which fills the air with gunpowder smoke. During this time, the battalions eat together and even visit the graves of former members who have died. About thirty percent of the participants are women, who are dressed and masked as men. The four battalions divide into two battalions representing the French and two battalions representing the Mexicans. However, the uniforms are not historically accurate. The "French" are costumed as Zouaves and "zapadores", which are based somewhat on French attire, but others dress as "Turks" complete with turbans. The Mexican side are costumed as "serranos," "zacapoaxtlas," and "apaches" (with headdress).  Each participant pays a fee of between 300 and 500 pesos to participate, along with buying the approximately four kilos of gunpowder they will burn over the event. The generals hire the bands that play for the four days, which cost about 60,000 pesos per band over the four days. Participants also put a lot of money into the costumes that they wear. The values of garments worn can be as high as 30,000 pesos, depending on the type of garment (zacapoaxtla, traje serrano, etc.) and the quantity and quality of the adornments. All carry wooden rifles or muskets, which are also decorated.  The zacapoaxtla is a shirt with loose pants made of natural cotton cloth. At the front and back they are adorned with colored stripes which are embroidered often adding sequins, beads and other elements. Added to this are white embroidered hosiery, bags that carry ammunition and/or a pistol holder. It is finished with a leather mask, which has a beard woven from real human hair. The traje serrano consists of a black cotton shirt and pants, with an animal skin around the shoulders, a hat made of palm fronds, and huarache sandals. If worn with a pre-Hispanic headdress and jewelry, it is called a traje de apache. A zapador is an outfit with a shirt, a short blue jacket, and red baggy pants and an embroidered apron-like garment. The wearer also has a hat and a mask with mustache and beard. "Turco" (Turkish) dress consists of a white shirt and pants, with a small blue vest, a turban with a peacock feather, and a mask with a mustache and beard. They can also have silk capes embroidered with the images of Mexican heroes.  The most important day is Tuesday, when activities begin at one or two in the morning, with a gathering of food and drink by the battalions. At around six am, the participants eat the gathered breakfast and then go to the local cemeteries to pay honor to dancers who may have died during the year. At twelve pm, parades and other events take places similar to the days before. At six pm, the battalions are officially "dismissed" and partying until midnight begins.  The Carnival is extremely popular with local children, who are often seen on the streets in costume with miniature rifles. The Sunday after Ash Wednesday is reserved for a "Children’s Carnival" (Carnaval Infantil). In this event, there is strict control over the use of fireworks and gunpowder to protect the children.

Economy.

Overall, the municipality is considered to have a low level of economic marginalization, with about one third of its community considered to have a high or somewhat high level. The major economic activity in Huejotzingo is agriculture, followed by industry. Agriculture, forestry and fishing employ about 39% of the municipality's population. Principal crops include fava and other kinds of beans, wheat, alfalfa, walnuts, and various fruits such as pears, plums, apricots, peaches, and tejocotes. The municipality contains a large number of fruit orchards, and much of the fruit is sold as preserves. Livestock includes dairy and meat cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, horses, and domestic fowl. Deforestation has significantly diminished the forestry industry, and it is minimal. There is a reservoir by the name of San Joaquin and a pond named San Mateo that is stocked with fish. Trout are raised on farms along the Alseseca and Xopana rivers.  About 31% of the population of Huejotzingo is involved in manufacturing, mining, and construction. The traditional industries of the area are the making of alcoholic apple cider and fruit conserves and sweets. Cider has been made in the municipality since 1920, when its production was started by Miguel Ortega y Rojas. There are five major cider production facilities, which produce about a million and a half bottles of the beverage each year. The city used to be surrounded by apple orchards, but the construction of the airport destroyed most of them. Most apples for cider production now come from an area called Salvador El Seco. The municipality has a growing industrial corridor by the name of Quetzalcoatl, along Federal Highway 190 between kilometer marks 74 and 91. It consists of four sections, which are developed as new businesses move in. The first is dedicated to metals, machinery, construction, and food processing. The second and third are still untouched brushland with plans for auto parts manufacturing in the future, and the fourth is primarily for the pharmaceutical industry. Mining is limited to the extraction of clay.  About 28% of the population is involved in tourism, commerce, and services. Most commercial businesses serve local and regional needs, but they also include shops selling the area's signature cider and fruit conserves. The municipality receives a certain amount of tourism principally due to the monastery with its museum and its annual carnival.

History.

The name comes from Nahuatl and means "place of small willows," as the area used to be filled with willow trees growing in area bogs and marshes. Huejotzingo received its coat of arms in 1553 from Carlos V. It shows a silver fortress on a red field, which has a blue flag with the Cross of Jerusalem in gold. There is also a palm tree in gold. On either side of the fortress, there are two lions. Surrounding all of this is a decorative border with five blue stars on a silver background, with the words "Carolus Quintus Hispaniarum Rex" (Latin: Charles V, King of the Spanish).  This area on the slopes of Iztaccíhuatl was settled first by groups of Olmecs and Xicalacas and later by Toltecs and Chichimecas. First were a number of villages, which then coalesced into a dominion. Between the 13th and 14th centuries, this dominion reached its peak, entering into treaties with the Mexica dominions of Tenochtitlan, Tacuba and Texcoco as well as those in Tlaxcala, and with both areas, it entered into the Xochiyaotl or Flower Wars to obtain victims for human sacrifice. According to one story, the lord of Huejotzingo protected both Moctezuma Ilhuicamina and the Nezahualcoyotl, who were being chased by the Tepanecas. When the two became rulers of Tenochtitlan and Texcoco, respectively, they never forgot the favor. The pre-Hispanic Huejotzingo was located on high ground closer to the Iztaccihuatl volcano, possibly because of the ready supply of water and possibly because of its defensible position. The area came under Aztec domination in the 15th century, but the people's relationship with the empire was poor. When the Spanish arrived, they broke Huejotzingo's ties to Tenochtitlan, and the town decided to ally itself with the Spanish against the Aztecs in 1520.  After the Conquest, the area became the encomienda of Diego de Ordaz. A short time later, it came under direct control of the viceroy. The Franciscans established a monastery in 1525, which was one of several early prominent ones along with those in Texcoco and Tlaxcala. The head of this monastery, Juan de Alameda, moved the pre-Hispanic settlement of Huejotzingo, resettling the population around the monastery, the current location of the city. The moved settlement was organized into four neighborhoods, one on each side of the monastery. The first civil construction was the "portales," a commercial area and a government building. A textile industry was also established. The indigenous community protested the annual levy of tribute in 1560. Despite a census of 11,328 indigenous, the Spanish Crown demanded payment equal to a population of 25,000. However, the town lost and was forced to pay. Documentation of the excessive "taxes paid by the 21 districts of Huexotzingo between 1571 and 1577" appears in the 1578 Chavero Codex of Huexotzingo, written in the Nahuatl language.  Much of the area's political history is dominated by caciques and caudillos, who ruled through force and/or political connections, generally stifling the economic growth of the area. The appendage of "de Nieva" was added in 1861 in honor of Ignacio Nieva, who died fighting in the Reform War era in Texmelucan. The cemetery was established in the Barrio del Carmen in 1899.  For most of the 20th century, the municipal presidents came from one party, the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), and two local families, which rejected industrialization and the building of highways. In November 1995, elections for municipal president were held between Jesus Mensus of the PAN party and Miguel Angel Martinez Escobar of the then-nationally ruling PRI party. The PAN candidate received the largest number of votes, but PRI asserted that there were irregularities at eleven polling stations. The state electoral commission nullified the votes at these stations, which then allowed the PRI to win by 28 votes. Mensus supporters then occupied the municipal palace as talks between the two political parties broke down. In May, the PAN and the protests resulted in a reconsideration of the election commission's decision and PAN was declared the winner.

Geography, climate and ecology.

Huejotzingo is located on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada, 25 km northwest from the capital on Highway 150. The geography of the land varies depending on the proximity to the Sierra Nevada. Areas at altitudes under 2,500 masl on the far east side are part of the Valley of Puebla, more specifically the plains of Huejotzingo. Between 2,500 and 3,000 m a.s.l. are the lower slopes of the Sierra Nevada, and above this on the far west side, the territory is part of the mountain chain and the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The east side of the municipality is flat. Heading west, the land begins to rise gradually in the middle of the territory, then the altitude increases sharply on the west end, as it is the foot of the Iztaccíhuatl volcano. Near this volcano, there are a number of other elevations such as Ocotepec, Tepechichipa and Zacatalatla. The steepness of the Iztaccíhuatl volcano makes it prone to rockslides as snowmelt runs down the side, especially from a depression on the side where snow tends to accumulate, called Ayolócotl. Visible along various areas of the volcano are areas devoid of vegetation where rockslides have violently disrupted the ecology.  The municipality belongs to the upper basin of the Atoyac River, one of the most important basins of the state, where the river begins at the border between Mexico State and Puebla on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. Rivers and streams generally cross the area from southwest to northwest, coming from the Sierra Nevada, and all are tributaries of the Atoyac. These include the San Diego, Cuaxupila, Pipinahuac, Alseseca, Achipitzil, Tolimpa, Losa Cipreses, Actiopa, and Xopanac. Some of these rivers and streams have suffered reduced water flow due to deforestation. Today the Xopana River is mostly dry, and filled with garbage in places. Some of the rivers have cut deep ravines and small canyons into the landscape, including the La Manga, Xeniqui, Ocoxaltepec, Xacatiotlapa, Hueyatitla, Tepetla, Coxocoaco, Apitzato, and Hueacaclán. The snowmelt of the volcanos feeds most of these streams and rivers, and water and snow stored in depressions on the mountain allow for river flow during the dry season. In addition, rain and snowmelt feed underground aquifers and freshwater springs.  The climate of the municipality divides into three zones. The lower valley areas have a temperate semi-humid climate with rains in the summer. A somewhat cold and semi-humid climate with rains in the summer predominates at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. On the upper slopes of the volcano, the climate is cold. Similarly, vegetation divides into three zones. The low flat areas are all given over to farmland and urban areas. The foothills area is generally characterized by forests of pine, holm oak, and oyamel, with areas of brush land, but much of this area is being deforested and converted into new farmland. The upper slopes of Iztaccíhuatl are characterized by snowy rocky land with areas of alpine meadow.

The municipality.

The small city of Huejotzingo is the local governing authority for over one hundred other named communities, which cover a territory of 188.91 km2. The municipality is located in the center west of the state, on the border with the State of Mexico. The municipality borders the municipalities of San Salvador el Verde, San Felipe Teotlalcingo, Chautzingo, Domingo Arenas, San Nicolás de los Ranchos, Calpan, Tlaltenango, Juan C. Bonilla, San Martín Texmelucan with the State of Mexico on the west side. Other major communities in the municipality include Santa María Atexcal, San Mateo Capultitlan, San Luis Coyotzingo, Santa María Nepopulaco, San Juan Pancuac, Santa María Tianguistengo, San Miguel Tianguizolco, and Santa Ana Xalmimilulco. There are municipal offices in the following communities: San Juan Pancoac, San Miguel Tianguizolco, San Luis Coyotzingo, Santa Ana Xalmimilulco, San Mateo Capultitlan, Santa Maria Atexcac, Santa Maria Nepopualco, and Santa Maria Tianguistenco.  Festivals include the Feria Regional de Huejotzingo in September, Feria del Santuario de la Preciosa Sangre on the fourth Friday of Lent in Santa Ana Xalmimilulco, and the feasts of the patron saints of the following communities: Santa Ana Xalmimilulco (26 July), San Luis Coyotzingo (19 August), San Mateo Capultitlan (21 September), San Miguel Tianguizolco (29 September), Santa Maria Tianguiztenco (12 May), Santa Maria Nepopualco (5 August), San Juan Pancoac (24 June), and Santa Maria Atexcac (20 January).  Just under 40% of the total municipal population of 59,822 lives in the city proper. Since 1995, the municipality has experienced population growth of about 2.77%. The overwhelming majority are Roman Catholic, with the next largest group, Evangelical/Protestant, accounting for 4.4% of the population. There are a number of Nahua families, with 725 speaking an indigenous language according to the 2005 census.

Education.

The municipally has 25 preschools, 21 primary schools, ten middle schools, and four high-school-level institutions. There is also a CECATI technical and vocational school. There is one major institution of higher education called the Universidad Tecnológica de Huejotzingo, which was established in the community of Santa Ana Xalmimilulco in 1998. The institution primarily offers technology-related degrees in fields such as mechanical engineering, information and communications technologies, administration and evaluation of projects, and textile industry design and production.

Transportation.

The International Airport of Puebla is located in the municipality, 20 minutes by highway from the city of Puebla and an hour from Mexico City. Its official name is the Aeropuerto Internacional de Puebla Hermanos Serdán. Inaugurated in 1985, the airport is one of the newest in Mexico and serves primarily the Puebla and Tehuacán regions. Most flights in and out are domestic with some international service, mostly to the United States. It served 550,000 passengers in 2009. The major airline to operate out of the facility is Volaris. In total there are six that provide service to Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Tijuana along with Houston and Dallas in the U.S. Buses and taxis connect the airport to the city of Puebla, as well as rental cars. There is parking for 230 cars, but no hotel on the premises.

Huejotzingo ( is a small city and municipality located just northwest of the city of Puebla, in central Mexico. The settlement's history dates back to the pre-Hispanic period, when it was a dominion, with its capital a short distance from where the modern settlement is today. Modern Huejotzingo is located where a Franciscan monastery was founded in 1525, and in 1529, the monks moved the indigenous population of Huejotzingo to live around the monastery. Today, Huejotzingo is known for the production of alcoholic apple cider and fruit preserves, as well as its annual carnival. This carnival is distinct as it centers on the re-enactment of several historical and legendary events related to the area. The largest of these is related to the Battle of Puebla, with about 2, 000 residents representing French and Mexican forces that engage in mock battles over four days.

Huejotzingo ist eine Stadt im nordwestlichen Teil des mexikanischen Puebla im breiten Talbecken des Río Atoyac rund 24 km nordwestlich der Hauptstadt Puebla. Der Name kommt als Huexotzinco ("Huexōtzinco") aus dem Nahuatl, ist aus dem Substantiv "huexōtl", Weide, dem Diminutiv-Suffix "-tzin" und dem Lokativsuffix "-co" gebildet und kann als „Kleiner Weidenort“ übersetzt werden.