weaving spiders come not here

[shenoma]

weaving spiders come not here

Bohemian
Bohemian - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bohemians are the people of Bohemia, in the Czech Republic, inhabitants of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, located in the modern day Czech Republic. The ancient Kingdom of Bohemia was absorbed into the Habsburg Empire after 1527 and came under the control of Vienna.

The name "Bohemia" derives from the Latin term for the Celtic tribe inhabiting that area, the Boii, who were called Boiohaemum in the early Middle Ages. The word "Bohemians" was never used by the local Czech (Slavic) population. In Czech, the region since the early Middle Ages has been called only Čechy ("Bohemia") or Království české ("Kingdom of Bohemia"), and its mainly Czech-speaking inhabitants were called Čechové (in modern Czech Češi).

In other European vernaculars and in Latin (as Bohemi), the word "Bohemian" or a derivate was used to designate all inhabitants of Bohemia. If the Czech ethnic origin was to be stressed, combinations like "Bohemian of Bohemian language" (Čech českého jazyka), "a real Bohemian" (pravý Čech) etc. were used.

It was not until the 19th century that other European languages began to use the word "Czechs" (in English – Tschechen in German, Tchèques in French) in a deliberate (and successful) attempt to distinguish between Bohemian Slavs and other inhabitants of Bohemia (mostly Germans). Currently, "Bohemians" is still used when there is need to distinguish between inhabitants of the western part of the Czech Republic (Bohemia), and the eastern (Moravia) or the north-eastern part (Silesia).

The term "Bohemian" as related to Bohemianism – i.e. describing the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities – has little or nothing to do with the above, though, often leading to confusion.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1334/1403734031_a265c86adb.jpg?v=0

bohemian
http://www.answers.com/topic/bohemian
A person with artistic or literary interests who disregards conventional standards of behavior.


Bohemian

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bohemian
Bo*he"mi*an\, n. 1. A native of Bohemia.

2. The language of the Czechs (the ancient inhabitants of Bohemia), the richest and most developed of the dialects of the Slavic family.

3. A restless vagabond; -- originally, an idle stroller or gypsy (as in France) thought to have come from Bohemia; in later times often applied to an adventurer in art or literature, of irregular, unconventional habits, questionable tastes, or free morals. [Modern]

Note: In this sense from the French boh['e]mien, a gypsy; also, a person of irregular habits.

She was of a wild, roving nature, inherited from father and mother, who were both Bohemians by taste and circumstances. --Thackeray.


Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Habsburg Monarchy coat of arms post 1780

The Habsburg Monarchy (or Habsburg Empire) covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg (1278-1780), and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine (since 1780), between 1526 and 1867/1918. The capital was mainly Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611,[1] when the capital was Prague. The monarchy from 1804 to 1867 is usually referred to as the "Austrian Empire" and from 1867 to 1918 as "Austria-Hungary". In some contexts, the term "Habsburg Empire" might also refer to extended Habsburg family possessions once ruled solely by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, or to the Spanish Empire ruled by the senior Spanish branch of the house.

The Habsburg family originated with the Habsburg Castle in modern Switzerland and after 1278 came to rule in Austria (the Habsburg Hereditary Lands). The Habsburg family grew to European prominence with the marriage and adoption treaty by Emperor Maximilian I at the First Congress of Vienna in 1515 and the subsequent death of adopted Louis II (King of Bohemia and Hungary and Croatia) in 1526.[1] Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, the younger brother of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, was elected the next King of Bohemia, Croatia and Hungary following the death of Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia, in a battle against the Turks at Mohács. From this point the Monarchy grew to a size where at times, it ruled more than half of Europe.

* Grand Duchy of Salzburg (only after 1805);

# The Lands of the Bohemian Crown – initially consisting of the five lands: Kingdom of Bohemia, March of Moravia, Silesia, and Upper and Lower Lusatia. Bohemian Diet (Czech: zemský sněm) elected Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor as king in 1526.

* Lusatia was ceded to Saxony in 1635.
* Most of Silesia was conquered by Prussia in 1740–1742 and the remnants which stayed under Habsburg sovereignty were ruled as Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia (Austrian Silesia).

House of Habsburg
House of Habsburg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Principal roles

Their principal roles were as:

* German Kings (1273-1291, 1298-1308, 1314-1330, 1438-1740, 1745-1806), mostly also as
* Holy Roman Emperors
* Rulers of Austria (as Dukes 1282–1453, Archdukes)
* Kings of Bohemia (1306–1307, 1437–1439, 1453–1457, 1526–1918),
* Kings of Hungary (1437–1439, 1445–1457, 1526–1918),
* Kings of Spain (1516–1700),
* Kings of Portugal (1580–1640),
* Kings of Galicia and Lodomeria (1772–1918), and
* Grand Princes of Transylvania (1690–1867).

Other crowns held briefly by the House included:

* King-consort of England (1554–1558)
* Queens consort of Portugal and the Algarve (1518-1521, 1525-1557, 1708-1750)
* Emperor of Mexico (1864-1867)

Numerous other titles were attached to the crowns listed above.


Habsburg-Lorraine today (non main line)

The House is still very prominent in Europe, with many members living in America and even as far afield as Southern Africa. The Habsburg art of marriage lead to countless morganatic marriages creating many demi lines of the House, such as those of Habsburg-Snyder, Habsburg-Rogers, and Habsburg-Lorena. Little is known of these families today as they have since their morganatic origins lost touch with the main line. The Southern African branch was a child of colonialism, taking full advantage of European Colonial interests in Africa.

Tuscan Duchy and Salzburg decendents-

The members of this family bear the titles Archduke (Archduchess) of Austria, Prince (Princess) of Hungary, Prince (Princess) of Tuscany (Imperial and Royal Highness). Descendants of morganatic marriages, except those granted specific titles such as the Princes von Altenburg, generally bear the title "Graf (Gräfin) von Habsburg-[Lothringen]", or at least the surname "Habsburg".

Czech lands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Lands of the Bohemian Crown)

Lands of the Bohemian Crown - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Bohemia, Moravia, Austrian Silesia - 1892, then part of Austria-Hungary
Bohemia and Moravia-Silesia within Czechoslovakia in 1928

The "Czech lands" (Czech: České země) is an auxiliary term used mainly to describe the combination of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia. Today, those three historic provinces compose the Czech Republic. The Czech lands had been settled by the Celts until the turn of the Era, later by Germanic tribes until the beginning of 6th century and then by Slavic people. Germans have lived in the area since the 14th century (and in some areas from the 12th century) alongside the Slavs.

The term "Czech lands" has been used to describe different things by different people. Some sources use the term to mean any territory under the Bohemian crown. This would include territories like Lusatia (now in Germany) and the balance of Silesia, all of which were ruled from Prague at one time. Most Czech historical texts use the term in this manner when discussing the Middle Ages. Other sources use the term to refer only to the core Czech areas of Bohemia, Moravia and the former Austrian Silesia. For many topics, a distinction between the two definitions is not necessary, as the Czech lands have been more-or-less co-extensive with the modern-day Czech Republic since the eighteenth century.

[shenoma]

Bohemian Grove
http://www.rotten.com/library/conspiracy/bohemian-grove/
The Bohemian Club was founded, according to its PR people, in 1872 by "five newspapermen, a Shakespearean actor, a vintner and a local merchant" from San Francisco. The male bonding funfest at the Grove itself began in 1879, near the Russian River. It wasn't long before this yearly custom became an annual tradition which has continued for over 120 years. Members enjoy opera, literature, and music. That's all. Nothing else to see here, no photos please, leave the premises now, THANK YOU.


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2238/2376367478_cf98aaba4d.jpg?v=0
SPIDERS
http://www.luckymojo.com/spider.html
It may be hard for arachniphobes to believe that spiders ever bring good luck, but this early 20th century good luck postcard proves they do.

Further evidence comes from "The Mascot Book" by Elizabeth Villiers, published in England in 1923. According to Villiers, the spider "was popular with the Romans, who had a favourite mascot in the shape of a precious stone upon which a spider was engraved. Also they were fond of carrying little spiders of gold or silver, or any of the fortunate metals, to bring good luck in anything to do with trade."

Spiders have always meant good luck to professional weavers and spinners, for obvious reasons, but corroboration of the spider's financial symbolism is provided by a bas relief on outside of the The Bohemian Club building in San Francisco. The club was founded in the 19th century as a place for local businessmen to set aside "Dull Care" and engage in theatrical and sexual "Hi-Jinks," so the image -- of a spider and the words "weaving spiders come not here" -- warns members to leave their financial schemes outside the precincts.

Why is the spider supposed to bring good luck in money matters? I think it is because the spider in its web is believed to attract its prey; thus the spider amulet is believed to attract money to the bearer. In short, Europeans seem to have used spider amulets in the same way that African-Americans use a pair of magnetic lodestones to "draw" money or Mexicans use horseshoe amulets accompanied by pictures of San Martin Caballero as symbolic "horseshoe magnets" to attract money. (Notable styles of Mexican money-magnets include small horseshoe package amulets, El Secreto de la Virtuosa Herradura wall hangings, and the unusual Snow Globe Pyramid of Luck.)

Like many other beliefs centered in animal lore, the "luckiness" attached to the spider has diminished during this century, probably because urbanization has rendered our environs virtually free of species other than human beings. Still, some money-magic does yet adhere to the spider, even among the computer-using classes.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/BohemianClubOwl2.jpg

[shenoma]

Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kingdom of Bohemia (Czech: České království; German: Königreich Böhmen; Latin: Regnum Bohemiae) was a country in Central Europe. It was formally established in 1212 by the Golden Bull of Sicily issued by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, by promoting the Duchy of Bohemia to the kingdom status, although some former rulers of Bohemia enjoyed a non-hereditary royal title. The Kingdom was a de-facto independent member of the Holy Roman Empire, later a part of the Austrian Empire and was dissolved in 1918 with the fall of Austria-Hungary when the last king of Bohemia, Charles III, abdicated. The national assembly then deposed the Habsburg-Lothringen dynasty and proclaimed the Czechoslovak Republic.

The Kingdom of Bohemia was part of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, together with:

* The March of Moravia, acquired by Bohemian rulers after the 955 Battle of Lechfeld, lost in 999 to Kingdom of Poland and reconquered by Břetislav I in 1019/1029 (uncertain dating);
* The Duchy of Austria in 1251, the Duchy of Styria in 1261, the Egerland in 1266, the Duchy of Carinthia with the March of Carniola and the Windic March in 1269 and the March of Friuli in 1272, all acquired by Ottokar II Přemysl and lost in the 1278 Battle on the Marchfeld;
* Upper Lusatia, incorporated by Jan Lucemburský in 1319 (Bautzen) and 1329 (Görlitz) and Lower Lusatia (Margraviate of Lusatia), acquired by Charles IV from Otto V, Duke of Bavaria in 1367. Ferdinand II lost Lusatia to the Electorate of Saxony with the 1635 Peace of Prague;
* The Duchies of Silesia, acquired by the 1335 Treaty of Trencsén between Jan Lucemburský and King Casimir III of Poland. Maria Theresa lost Silesia in 1742 to King Frederick II of Prussia, with the exception of Austrian Silesia;
* The northern part of the Upper Palatinate ("New Bohemia"), incorporated by Charles IV in 1355. Charles' son Václav lost the Upper Palatinate in 1400 to King Rupert of Germany;
* The Margraviate of Brandenburg, acquired by Charles IV from Duke Otto V of Bavaria in 1373. Charles' son Zikmund lost Brandenburg in 1415 to Frederick of Hohenzollern.

During the reign of the last Přemyslids and the succeeding House of Luxembourg, especially after the accession of Charles IV, the issue of the Golden Bull of 1356 and the acquisition of the Brandenburg Electorate, the Bohemian Kingdom was the most powerful state of the Holy Roman Empire[citation needed]. Thus the Lands of the Bohemian Crown were not part of the Imperial Circles as established by the 1500 Imperial Reform.

The current Czech Republic still uses some symbols of the Kingdom of Bohemia: a two-tailed lion in its coat-of-arms and the royal castle as the president's office.

[shenoma]

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-symbolism-owl.html
Animal Symbolism
of the Owl
he animal symbolism of owl deals with:

* Wisdom
* Mystery
* Transition
* Messages
* Intelligence
* Mysticism
* Protection
* Secrets

The owl is sacred to the Greek goddess of learning, Athena and is even depicted on some Greco-Roman currency as a symbol of status, intelligence and of course, wealth.

In ancient Egyptian, Celtic, and Hindu cultures the symbolic meaning of owl revolved around guardianship of the underworlds, and a protection of the dead.

In this light the owl was ruler of the night and seer of souls. A misunderstanding of this necessary relationship gave the owl some negative associations with death.

It should be clear that the owl was honored as the keeper of spirits who had passed from one plane to another. Often myth indicates the owl accompanying a spirit to the underworld - winging it's newly freed soul from the physical world into the realm of spirit.

Native Americans associated the meaning of owl with wisdom, foresight, and keeper of sacred knowledge. This may largely be due to the fact that the owl is a great foreteller of weather conditions. Also its ability to see at night is legend among the Native Americans, and this attribute would be invoked during ceremonies when an oracle of secret knowledge was required.

Similarly, West African and Aboriginal Australian cultures viewed the owl as a messenger of secrets, kin to sorcerers, as well as companions to seers, mystics and medicine people.

During medieval times in western and central Europe it was fabled that owls were actually priestesses (witches) and wizards in disguise. To this day the owl is considered a witch's familiar (an animal soul-spirit linked to a spiritual person via a unique, communicative bond).

[shenoma]

The statue of pallas Athena in front of Parliament Building, Vienna, Austria.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Vienna_Pallas_closeup.jpg/344px-Vienna_Pallas_closeup.jpg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d6/Douriscup_83d40m_Athene_aegisWingedLionessOwl_pyth onVomitsJason_fleeceInTree_Vatican.jpg

Classical Greek pottery decoration showing Athene with the Python regurgitating Jason; the golden fleece hangs in a tree; Athene is shown wearing her aegis bearing the Gorgon and a helmet bearing a winged lioness and is holding an owl and her spear - Red-figured cup by Douris, c. 480-470 BC - Cerveteri (Etruria) - Vatican Museum



Athena - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
She appears attended by an owl, often accompanied by the goddess of victory, Nike, whom in established icons she offers upon her extended hand. Athena wears a breastplate of either goatskin or snake skin called the Aegis, which later myths say her father, Zeus, gave to her,[3] although in other older cultural contexts she already carries this association.

[shenoma]

The Age of Aries (The Arian Age)

Astrological age - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Symbol for Aries:

The zodiacal signs:

* the vernal equinox (northern hemisphere) is occurring in Aries;

Timeframes

* Zodiacal 30 degrees:

* Heindel-Rosicrucian based interpretation: began in ca. 1658 BC and ended in ca. AD 498
* Neil Mann interpretation: began in ca. 2150 BCE and ended in ca. AD 1.

* Constellation boundary year:

* Shephard Simpson interpretation: began ca. 1875 BC to ca. 100 BC

Overview "The Age of War, Fire and the Ram"
Historical similarities Aries represents a Fire symbol as well as bold actions, a lot of these behaviors can be seen during any age. However, the themes emphasised during this age relate to courage, initiative, war & adventure. Nations during this age such as the expanding empires of China, Persia, Greece and Rome, are often cited as examples of the archetypes of Aries in action. Also the Aries constellation shows a ram running. This could correspond with the sacrifice of Abraham's Ram. While the number of names containing the sound of the ram during this period is noted: Ra (Sun God), Ram, Rama, Brahman, Brahma, Abram, Abraham, Amon Ra, and Ramesses I.[dubious – discuss] The battering ram was employed by the Assyrians, Greeks and Romans with great success during this time.[dubious – discuss] (The symbol of Mars, the planetary ruler of Aries, evokes this interpretation.)

Aries is associated with the metal iron, and iron ore was for the first time smelted and worked into iron swords in Anatolia during the early phase of this era, replacing the heavier, softer-metalled, duller-edged bronze swords of the previous Taurus Age.

Traits of Aries such as 'initiative' may suggest the explosion of originality in the development of social aspects, sciences and arts in regions such as Ancient Greece but at the same time traits such as 'Impulsivity' may be attributed to the various Wars of the time.

Religious similarities The Age of Aries ushered in efforts to replace polytheism with monotheism. The earliest known attempt was by the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, who, in about 1350 BC, decreed the Sun God Aten to be the supreme deity, apparently in reaction to his earlier lack of inclusion in religious rites by his family. After his death, however, power reverted to the original polytheistic priests, who re-established the old religion. Speculation (including that of Freud) has it that later, during the reign of Ramesses II, Moses was influenced by rumour of Akhenaten's revolutionary idea, and grasped the idea of a single supreme God, Who especially favoured His people, as an inspirational mechanism that best suited his people held in bondage. The symbol of Aries can be seen as representing the power of multiple gods streaming down into a single god-head.

Moses (born circa 16th–13th Century BC; 7 Adar 2368 - 7 Adar 2488 in the Hebrew calendar), an early Biblical Hebrew religious leader, lawgiver, prophet, and military leader, condemns his own people upon finding them worshiping a 'golden calf' (a symbol of the previous Age of Taurus and of the worship of the bull deity) after coming down Mount Sinai. These events may have occurred during the Age of Aries (see also Dating the Exodus overview).
See also:

* Mithraism
* The Mithraic Question and Precession

[bowtiedaddy]

Thanks for posting all of that. :) I've been poking around at that stuff myself... very interesting indeed, isn't it?

[darketernal]

Interesting read. My father is Bohemian.

[shenoma]

I believe and know for a fact there are different groups waging war against each other for power, just like in ancient days. We honestly don't know what goes on behind close doors. The entire club is about using the energy of the Goddess for themselves and at the same time suppressing the living embodiment of Her down, wo(man).

Things never really do change all of that much. I got all of that by looking up one word. The bloodlines go back to Persia, we know next to nothing about it. Never taught about other empires outside the western mindframe.

I have no real fear of the nwo because the chinese are only pretending to go along with them. They have their own source of power. The battle lines had been drawn thousand of years ago. Us westerns are so stuck in our worldview we can't imagine other group of non-white men having real power.

If the western power brokers could had taken over the world, they would had done it by now.

[shenoma]

http://www.terrorism-illuminati.com/book/illuminati.html

The Illuminati
The Shabbatean Frankists
Shabbetai Zevi

Shabbetai Zevi

A new order would be formed within Freemasonry, a secret society within a secret society, founded by members of a Jewish family, the Rothschilds, who were affiliated with a development of Lurianic Kabbalah headed by false messiah known as Shabbetai Zevi. According to Gershom Scholem, the foremost authority on the Kabbalah, the Shabbatean movement was “the largest and most momentous messianic movement in Jewish History” since the destruction of Jerusalem. In 1666, Shabbetai Zevi, followed by his prophet, Nathan of Gaza, proclaiming himself the promised Messiah of Judaism. Zevi succeeded in rallying a large following, involving nearly half of the Jewish population of the world, including the Jews of Palestine, Egypt, and Eastern and Western Europe. The movement was shattered however, when, forced by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire to choose martyrdom or conversion, Zevi chose conversion to Islam.

Nathan became a Roman Catholic, and the movement largely collapsed, though some followed Zevi into conversion, and there is down to the present time an Islamic sect in Turkey that follows his teachings, known as the “Doenmeh”, who profess Islam only outwardly, while adhering to a mixture of traditional and heretical Judaism in secret.[1]

The Shabbatean heresy, which until that time had survived in secret circles akin to something of a Masonic organization, reemerged definitely through the Jewish sect of the Frankists.[2] They were also known as the Zoharists, or the Illuminated, or, in Podolia, from where they originated, as Shabbatean Zevists, for their allegiance to the false messiah of the preceding century. The leader of the Zoharists was Jacob Frank, originally named Jacob Leibowicz, who regarded himself as a reincarnation of Zevi.
Jacob Frank

Jacob Frank

Frank, who rejected the Talmud in favour of the Zohar, maintained that certain elect individuals are exempt from the moral law. The Shabbateans believed that in the Messianic age, the laws of the Torah were no longer valid, and all that had been formerly prohibited was now permitted, or even mandatory. This included all the prohibited sexual unions and incest. Therefore, their practices, which included orgiastic, sexually promiscuous rites, led the Jewish community to brand them as heretics.

Frank preached a “Religious Myth of Nihilism”. Ultimately, Frank taught his followers that the overthrow and destruction of society was the only thing that could save mankind. Despite the fact that they were all outwardly religious, the Frankists sought “the annihilation of every religion and positive system of belief,” and they dreamed “of a general revolution that would sweep away the past in a single stroke so that the world might be rebuilt.” Of the revolutionary philosophy of the Frankists, Gershom Scholem wrote in Kabbalah and Its Symbolism: “for Frank, anarchic destruction represented all the Luciferian radiance, all the positive tones and overtones, of the word Life.”[3]

Jacob Frank promulgated his nihilistic religion as “the way to Esau” or “Edom”. According to Frank, all the great patriarchs had sought the way to God, but without success. It was therefore necessary to find a new way, which leads to “true life”, which Esau or Edom symbolize as liberation, or man’s nature unbridled by law. In order to achieve this goal, it would be necessary to abolish all laws, but to be accomplished in secret. As the “true believers” had already passed through Judaism and Islam, they ought now also to assume the “religion of Edom”, or Christianity, outwardly, using it to conceal the real core of their belief of Jacob Frank as the true Messiah and the living God.

In 1759, members of the sect converted to Christianity, but nevertheless persisted in heretical ways. As a result, the Inquisition imprisoned Frank in 1760. Freed by the conquering Russians in 1773 though, he eventually settled in Offenbach, Germany, dubbing himself baron. In the period between Frank’s conversion to his death, the community of his followers strengthened their position not only in Poland, but also in the Austrian territories of Moravia and Bohemia. The movement became active in Masonic organizations and began to combine revolutionary Kabbalistic ideas with the philosophical ideals of the Enlightenment. Among Frank’s followers, according to Scholem, some were accepted into the administration and aristocracy of the Habsburgs, “but they preserved a few Frankist traditions and customs, so that a stratum was created in which the boundaries between Judaism and Christianity became blurred, irrespective of whether the members had converted or retained their links with Judaism.”[4]

Many Frankist families kept a miniature of Frank’s daughter Eva, who assumed leadership after him, to be sent to the most prominent households. As describes Gershom Scholem:

The sect’s exclusive organization continued to survive in this period through agents who went from place to place, through secret gatherings and separate religious rites, and through dissemination of a specifically Frankist literature. The “believers” endeavored to marry only among themselves, and a wide network of inter-family relationships was created among the Frankists, even among those who had remained within the Jewish fold. Later Frankism was to a large extent the religion of families who had given their children the appropriate education. The Frankists of Germany, Bohemia, and Moravia usually held secret gatherings in Carlsbad in summer round about the ninth of Av.[5]

The ninth of the month of Av was not only the supposed date of birth of Shabbetai Zevi, but is also known in Judaism as Tisha B’av. In Judaism, Tisha B'Av is the darkest day on the Jewish calendar, commemorating the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, first by the Babylonians, and secondly by the Romans. Also, the ninth of Av, 1492, was the day the Jews were expelled from Spain. The day is observed by Jews as a day of fasting and prayer. However, the Frankists celebrated the day with revel and orgies.

[shenoma]

Casanova in Bohemia : A Novel (Hardcover)

Amazon.com: Casanova in Bohemia : A Novel (9780684868004): Andrei Codrescu: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/418J9EQ0QYL.@@AMEPARAM@@418J9EQ0QYL

Casanova of the French Lottery
Published on June 15, 2009 by Louie Jerome in Gambling
Casanova of the French Lottery

http://quazen.com/games/gambling/casanova-of-the-french-lottery/

Italian lover, Casanova, is not known historically for his business acumen, but he did manage to amass quite a large fortune during his life time.

Italian lothario, Giovanni Giacomo Casanova is not remembered for his organisational abilities. His name is synonymous with romantic liaisons of various types, but he was also the man who set up the first state lottery in France. The 33 year old Casanova promised to raise money for a new French Military Academy and to make it possible to build it, without it costing the French government anything at all.



Casanova: Image via Wikipedia

The system was different to the one we know today, but was very popular in Italy at the time. Gamblers bought a share in one or more of ninety numbers. Then in each draw five numbers were selected and the prize money was divided between all the holders of those numbers.

Casanova: Image via Wikipedia

True to form, Casanova added an unusual twist to the whole thing. He gave each number the name of a deserving young girl and the winning five girls were given 200 francs each.

The first draw was held in April 1758 and 2 million francs were raised. The French government took 60% of it, Casanova kept hold of 20% and the remainder was shared in prizes. A year later there had been 14 lotteries and gambling on them had become a very fashionable thing for the French middle and upper class to do. It also made Casanova very wealthy.

Madame de Pompadour: Image via Wikipedia

His talent with numbers enabled him to hoodwink less well educated society members and he was very able to dupe them out of their money. He claimed to be a Rosicrucian and an Alchemist which helped him to ingratiate him with some of the most prominent people of his era, including Madame de Pompadour and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His company was sought for his alleged knowledge of numerology and he made lots of money from this too.

Jean Jacques Rousseau: Image via Wikipedia

He was then able to move in wealthier circles and make more conquests among the French aristocracy.

The errant lover retired to Bohemia to live on that fortune and take up a position as a librarian, until his death in 1798 at the age of 73. Rumour has it that he died alone, in bed.

[grandsecretary]

A Midsummer-Night’s Dream
by William Shakespeare

Act II. Scene II.
Another Part of the Wood

Enter TITANIA, with her Train.

Titania. Come, now a roundel and a fairy song;
Then, for the third of a minute, hence;
Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds,
Some war with rere-mice for their leathern wings,
To make my small elves coats, and some keep back
The clamorous owl, that nightly hoots, and wonders
At our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep;
Then to your offices, and let me rest.

The Fairies sing.

You spotted snakes with double tongue,
Thorny hedge-hogs, be not seen;
Newts, and blind-worms, do no wrong;
Come not near our fairy queen.

Sing in our sweet lullaby;
Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby:
Never harm,
Nor spell, nor charm,
Come our lovely lady nigh;
So, good night, with lullaby.

Weaving spiders come not here;
Hence, you long-legg’d spinners, hence!
Beetles black, approach not near;
Worm nor snail, do no offence.

[lightgiver]

The octopus has its tentacles all over this forum.

During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.
George Orwell

[grandsecretary]

Great with a light batter, fresh green salad, a small portion of good old fashioned chips, and accompanied by a decent bottle of Pouilly Fumé lightly chilled. I feel better now.

[keystone]

During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.
George Orwell

Mmmm - that one works both ways as well n'est pas?

Cheers

[amethyst]

Casanova in Bohemia : A Novel (Hardcover)

http://www.amazon.com/Casanova-Bohemia-Novel-Andrei-Codrescu/dp/0684868008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235568658&sr=1-1

Casanova of the French Lottery
Published on June 15, 2009 by Louie Jerome in Gambling
Casanova of the French Lottery

http://quazen.com/games/gambling/casanova-of-the-french-lottery/

Italian lover, Casanova, is not known historically for his business acumen, but he did manage to amass quite a large fortune during his life time.

Italian lothario, Giovanni Giacomo Casanova is not remembered for his organisational abilities. His name is synonymous with romantic liaisons of various types, but he was also the man who set up the first state lottery in France. The 33 year old Casanova promised to raise money for a new French Military Academy and to make it possible to build it, without it costing the French government anything at all.



Casanova: Image via Wikipedia

The system was different to the one we know today, but was very popular in Italy at the time. Gamblers bought a share in one or more of ninety numbers. Then in each draw five numbers were selected and the prize money was divided between all the holders of those numbers.

Casanova: Image via Wikipedia

True to form, Casanova added an unusual twist to the whole thing. He gave each number the name of a deserving young girl and the winning five girls were given 200 francs each.

The first draw was held in April 1758 and 2 million francs were raised. The French government took 60% of it, Casanova kept hold of 20% and the remainder was shared in prizes. A year later there had been 14 lotteries and gambling on them had become a very fashionable thing for the French middle and upper class to do. It also made Casanova very wealthy.

Madame de Pompadour: Image via Wikipedia

His talent with numbers enabled him to hoodwink less well educated society members and he was very able to dupe them out of their money. He claimed to be a Rosicrucian and an Alchemist which helped him to ingratiate him with some of the most prominent people of his era, including Madame de Pompadour and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His company was sought for his alleged knowledge of numerology and he made lots of money from this too.

Jean Jacques Rousseau: Image via Wikipedia

He was then able to move in wealthier circles and make more conquests among the French aristocracy.

The errant lover retired to Bohemia to live on that fortune and take up a position as a librarian, until his death in 1798 at the age of 73. Rumour has it that he died alone, in bed.

I thought you left.

[lightgiver]

Great with a light batter, fresh green salad, a small portion of good old fashioned chips, and accompanied by a decent bottle of Pouilly Fumé lightly chilled. I feel better now.

The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum - YouTube

Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum - YouTube

This is not your new lodge,or is it?

[keystone]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhqqxaoANcI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aItpjF5vXc

This is not your new lodge,or is it?I think he was taking the piss - but you know that as well as I do!

Cheers

Oh and the links don't show up in your post BTW.

But they do in the quote in my reply. What gives?

[squeakamuffin]

Very very good post shenoma. Kudos.

[grandsecretary]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhqqxaoANcI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aItpjF5vXc

This is not your new lodge,or is it?

No. We seem to be reasonably sane not forgetting the famous quotation from Sigmund Freud when he was asked by a patient, "Am I mad doctor?". Freud replied, "We are all mad, it is a question of degree".

[shenoma]

House of Habsburg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

House of Habsburg or Hapsburg was an important royal house of Europe and is best known as supplying all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1452 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian and Spanish Empire and several other countries. Originally from Switzerland, the dynasty first reigned in Austria, which they ruled for over six centuries. A series of dynastic marriages brought Burgundy, Spain, Bohemia, Hungary and other territories into the inheritance. In the sixteenth century the senior Spanish and junior Austrian branches of the family separated.

As royal houses are by convention determined via the male line, the Spanish branch ended upon the death of Charles II in 1700 and was replaced by the Anjou branch of the House of Bourbon in the person of his great-nephew Philip V. The Austrian branch technically ended in 1780 with the death of Maria Theresa of Austria and was replaced by the Vaudemont branch of the House of Lorraine in the person of her son Joseph II. However, in practice, the new successor house styled itself as Habsburg-Lorraine (Habsburg-Lothringen).


Kings of Bohemia

The kingship of Bohemia was from 1306 a position elected by its nobles. As a result, it was not an automatically inherited position. Until rule of the Ferdinand I Habsburgs didn't gain hereditary accession to the throne and were shifted by other dynasties. Hence, the kings of Bohemia and their ruling dates are listed separately.

[edit] Main line

* Rudolph I, king of Bohemia 1306-1307

[edit] Albertine line: Kings of Bohemia

* Albert, king of Bohemia 1437–1439
* Ladislaus Posthumus, king of Bohemia 1453–1457

[edit] Austrian Habsburgs: Kings of Bohemia

* Ferdinand I, king of Bohemia 1526–1564
* Maximilian I, king of Bohemia 1563–1576
* Rudolph II, king of Bohemia 1572–1611
* Matthias, king of Bohemia 1611–1618
* Ferdinand II, king of Bohemia 1621–1637
* Ferdinand III, king of Bohemia 1625–1657
* Ferdinand IV, king of Bohemia 1647–1654
* Leopold I, king of Bohemia 1655–1705
* Joseph I, king of Bohemia 1687–1711
* Charles II, king of Bohemia 1711–1740

[edit] House of Habsburg-Lorraine, main line: Kings of Bohemia

From the accession of Maria Theresa, the kingship of Bohemia became united with the Austrian possessions.

* Maria Theresa, queen of Bohemia 1743–1780
* Joseph II, king of Bohemia 1780–1790
* Leopold II, king of Bohemia 1790–1792
* Francis, king of Bohemia 1792–1835
* Ferdinand V, king of Bohemia 1835–1848
* Francis Joseph I, king of Bohemia 1848–1916
* Charles III, king of Bohemia 1916–1918

[shenoma]

House of Habsburg-Lorraine, main line: Kings of Bohemia

From the accession of Maria Theresa, the kingship of Bohemia became united with the Austrian possessions.

* Maria Theresa, queen of Bohemia 1743–1780
* Joseph II, king of Bohemia 1780–1790
* Leopold II, king of Bohemia 1790–1792
* Francis, king of Bohemia 1792–1835
* Ferdinand V, king of Bohemia 1835–1848
* Francis Joseph I, king of Bohemia 1848–1916
* Charles III, king of Bohemia 1916–1918


Maria Theresa (13 May 1717 - 29 November 1780) was the Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary (as Maria II Theresa[1][2][3][4][5]), Queen of Bohemia, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and a Holy Roman Empress by marriage to Francis of Lorraine.[6][7] She was technically the last member of the House of Habsburg, succeeded by her son Joseph II of the House of Lorraine, the house itself styled as von Habsburg-Lothringen (of Habsburg-Lorraine).

Maria Theresa helped initiate financial and educational reforms, promoted commerce and the development of agriculture, and reorganized the army, all of which strengthened Austria's resources. Continued conflict with the Kingdom of Prussia led to the Seven Years War, (1756 - 1763), and later to the War of the Bavarian Succession. She became, formally, dowager empress after the death of her husband Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor in 1765 and shared the direction of the Empire on the accession of her son Joseph as emperor in 1765.

Maria Theresa criticised many of Joseph's actions but agreed to the First Partition of Poland (1772). A key figure in the power politics of 18th century Europe, Maria Theresa brought unity to the Habsburg Monarchy and was considered one of its most capable rulers. Her 16 children also included Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France, and Holy Roman Emperors Joseph II and Leopold II.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Succession
* 2 Marriage
* 3 Reign
o 3.1 Early years
o 3.2 Influence on Medicine
o 3.3 Civil reforms
* 4 Issue
* 5 Death
* 6 Galleries
o 6.1 Maria Theresa
o 6.2 Children
* 7 Titles from birth to death
o 7.1 Full style
* 8 Names in other languages
* 9 Ancestry
* 10 Titles
* 11 Media portrayals
* 12 References
* 13 External links

[edit] Succession
Maria Theresa at age eleven in 1728
Maria Theresa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was born in Vienna, the oldest daughter of Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, a sister of the wife of unfortunate Tsarevich Alexei of Russia, and Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, whose sole male heir — his son Leopold Johann — died as an infant in 1716.

In 1713 Charles issued the Pragmatic Sanction which guaranteed his daughter the right to succeed to the Austrian throne and inherit his united lands on his death. Charles spent years carefully negotiating with other rulers to remove potential politico-legal objections to a woman inheriting the Habsburg territories, even making strategic concessions of territory. Initially, many Northern European monarchs agreed to the Pragmatic Sanction when it was issued. One of the few not to sign was Frederick the Great of Prussia who, soon after Maria Theresa assumed the throne upon Charles' death on 20 October 1740, began the War of Austrian Succession. Maria Theresa was once engaged to the future Charles III of Spain.

After the Emperor Charles VII, died in 1745, Maria Theresa, because a female and "unfit" for this 500 year old "symbolic" title, obtained the dignity of Holy Roman Emperor for her husband, Francis I, a mere "Duke of Lorraine".

Although she was technically empress consort, aged 28, it is obvious that even then, this legal technicality on account of her sex, was not really very important, and there has always been a wide consensus that Maria Theresa was the de facto ruler of the Empire. Maria Theresa, daughter of Emperor Charles VI, had in fact already begun her rule, aged 23, on the death of her father in 1740 during the War of the Austrian Succession.

Marriage

Maria Theresa had an arranged marriage with the son of a monarch of Eastern Europe but he died after a while in Austria. So Maria regarded herself a widow at the age of five because her betrothed was dead. In 1736 at the age of 19 she was married to Francis of Lorraine, then only Duke of Lorraine . He tended to leave the day to day administration to Maria Theresa.[8] Unlike many monarchs of her time, she married for love. She had 16 children with him, eleven daughters all having the first name "Maria" in honor of the Virgin Mary.[9] and five sons. The youngest daughter was Maria Antonia, better known under her French name, Marie Antoinette, who would be promised in marriage to the future King Louis XVI of France. Countess Lerchenfeld served Maria as governess to several of her children, including Marie Antoinette.

[edit] Reign

[edit] Early years
The coronation of Maria Theresa in St. Martin´s Cathedral.
Maria Theresa, 1762, by Jean-Étienne Liotard

Maria Theresa's father had not given her any training in government, leaving her to learn for herself. Additionally, the army was weak and the treasury depleted as a result of two wars near the end of her father's reign. Maria Theresa was crowned King of Hungary[10] in the St. Martin’s Cathedral in the then-Hungarian royal town and coronation place Pozsony (now Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia) on 25 June 1741.[10] Two years later, she crowned herself King of Bohemia on 12 May 1743.[10]

The War of the Austrian Succession began when Frederick II of Prussia invaded and occupied Silesia. While Bavaria and France also invaded Austria's western territories, it was "Frederick the Great" who became Maria Theresa's primary foe during her reign. Therefore, she focused her internal and external policies towards the defeat of Prussia, which would help her regain the lands which had been taken from Austria. The Anglo-Austrian Alliance proved crucial as Great Britain sent troops and financial subsidies to support the Austrians.

In the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748), France gave the Austrian Netherlands that it conquered back to Maria Theresa. In exchange, Maria Theresa ceded Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla to the Infante Philip of Spain.

After having been defeated in the First, (1742), and Second, (1744 - 1745), Silesian Wars, Maria Theresa began to modernise her realms with the assistance of Friedrich Wilhelm Graf von Haugwitz. She increased the size of the army by 200% and increased taxes in order to guarantee a steady income for the government, and in particular for the military. She centralised the government by combining the Austrian and Bohemian chancelleries, formerly separate, into one administrative office.

Before these changes, justice and administration had been overseen by the same officials- afterwards, she created a supreme court with the sole responsibility of upholding justice in her lands. These reforms strengthened the economy and the state in general.
"The world's most famous coin," the Maria Theresa thaler. The Latin inscription is M[ARIA] THERESIA D[EI] G[RATIA] R[OMANORVM] IMP[ERATRIX] HV[NGARIAE] BO[HEMIAE] REG[INA], or in English, "Maria Theresa, by the Grace of God, Empress of the Romans, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia." This particular piece was struck in Vienna in 1890, although as a widely circulated trade coin production continued into the twentieth century, always with the frozen date of 1780.

Maria Theresa, like the other Habsburgs, was a devout Roman Catholic. She was educated by Jesuits at Mariazell, and in later life lacked the religious cynicism or real indifference of royal contemporaries such as Frederick II of Prussia. Her conservative outlook involved an intolerant view of other faiths. In 1741, she expelled the Jews from Prague. Her political distrust of Great Britain rested in part on her view of the established Church of England, whom she regarded as Protestant heretics.

Maria Theresa dropped Great Britain as an ally on the advice of her state chancellor, Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz, and allied with Russia and France. She established the Theresian Military Academy (the first worldwide) in 1752 and an academy of engineering science in 1754. She also demanded that the University of Vienna be given money to make the medical faculty more efficient.

When she felt her army was strong enough, she prepared an attack on Prussia in 1756. However, it was Frederick II who attacked first, invading Saxony, another ally of Austria, thus initiating the Seven Years' War. The war ended in 1763 when Maria Theresa signed the Treaty of Hubertusburg, recognising Prussian ownership of most of Silesia.

Her husband Francis died two years later. Maria Theresa's devotion to him was so great that she dressed in mourning until her own death 15 years later. During this time, she became more closeted from her people. Her focus changed from attempting to regain Silesia to maintaining the peace. She also recognised Joseph II, her eldest son, as coregent and Emperor in 1765, thus maintaining the imperial Crown in the Habsburg line in accordance with tradition. However, she allowed him only limited powers because she felt that he was too rash and arrogant. This led to tension between her and her son.

Influence on Medicine

During the reign of Maria Theresa, infant mortality was a big problem in Austria. After calling in a renowned Dutch physician Gerard van Swieten to study the problem, she followed his recommendation and made a decree that autopsies would be mandatory for all hospital deaths in the city of Graz--Austria's second largest city. This law--still in effect today--combined with the relatively stable population of Graz, has resulted in one of the most important and complete autopsy records in the world.[11] [12]

Civil reforms

In the 1760s, smallpox claimed several victims in the imperial family. Maria Theresa was infected and received last rites in 1767, although she recovered. Afterward, Maria Theresa became a strong supporter of inoculation (a predecessor immunisation method to smallpox vaccination), setting a strong example by requiring all of her children to be inoculated.

In the later years of her reign, Maria Theresa focused on reforming laws along the lines of enlightened absolutism, especially to strengthen the economy of the Habsburg territories, especially after the loss of Silesia.

In 1771, she and Joseph II issued the Robot Patent, a reform that regulated a serf's labor payments in her lands, which provided some relief. Other important reforms included outlawing witch-burning and torture, and, for the first time in Austrian history, taking capital punishment off the penal code, as it was replaced with forced labor. It was later reintroduced, but the progressive nature of these reforms remains noted.

In 1772 Maria Theresa founded the Imperial and Royal Academy of Science and Literature in Brussels. Mandatory education was introduced in 1774; the goal was to form an educated class from which civil servants could be recruited.

Another innovation of Maria Theresa's was the decency police which was to patrol everywhere, especially Vienna, and apprehend anyone suspected of doing something that could be deemed indecent (possibly due to her husband's supposed infidelity). Arrested prostitutes, for example, would be sent into villages in the eastern parts of the realm, leading some contemporary writers to note that these villages had 'exceptionally beautiful women' living there.

Death

Maria Theresa died in Vienna in 1780 at the age of 63, possibly of heart failure. She was the only female to rule during the 650-year-long Habsburg dynasty. She is buried in tomb number 56 in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna. Her son Joseph II succeeded her.

[shenoma]

Count Friedrich Wilhelm Graf von Haugwitz (German: Friedrich Wilhelm Graf von Haugwitz) (1700-1765) was Supreme Chancellor of the United Court Chancery and the head of Directorium in publicis et cameralibus under Maria Theresa of Austria. He also served as one of the key advisors in instituting Maria Theresa's reforms. Haugwitz attempted to bring both centralization and economic reform to the Habsburg lands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Wilhelm_Graf_von_Haugwitz
Biography

In this position, Haugwitz presided over the hereditary lands of the Habsburg Monarchy. After 1760, the chancery also dealt in the affairs of Bohemia.[1] The Directorium in publicis et cameralibus became a centralized agency established with the advisement of Haugwitz to deal with matters such as “international administration and taxation, public safety, social welfare, education, church matters, mining and commerce”.[2] It is clear from Maria Theresa’s testament that Haugwitz was one of her most valued advisors. “He was truly sent to me by Providence, for to break the deadlock I needed such a man, honorable, disinterested, without predispositions, and with neither ambition nor hangers-on, who supported what was good because he saw it to be good…”[3]

Haugwitz, as a student of the Austrian cameralist, Wilhelm von Schröder, learned hostility towards the wealthy estates. Haugwitz was also an admirer of the reforms and new administration in the Prussian province of Silesia.[4] He intended to change economic and administrative institutions through compartmentalization of government functions, education, centralization of the economy and provision of economic information to the monarchy.

In terms of compartmentalization, Haugwitz instituted a separation of judicial matters from political and fiscal matters by instituting a new High Court (Oberste Justizstelle). [5] Regional courts functioned directly beneath the Empress with each departmental chief supervising his own affairs.[6]

Haugwitz also focused on another important initiative to bring modern economic thought to students. Maria Theresa had established the Theresianum to train noble children for civil service. Through this institution, Haugwitz planned to bring about economic modernization. To catalyze this modernization and establish Vienna as a place of economic discourse, Haugwitz brought Johann Heinrich Gottlob Justi to Vienna, first to teach German as the language of administration and later to train students according to both German Kameralism and modern economic theories and practices. As both a former soldier in Prussia and a Protestant, Justi was not well-liked in Vienna. Because of this mistrust, Justi lacked the access to pertinent economic data required to execute his theories.[7] Society was also not prepared for modern economic thought because of the traditionally Jesuit nature of scholarship and the division of the Habsburg economy into various regional and local economies.[8]

In 1746, under the direction of Haugwitz, in an attempt to bring about economic centralization, the Directorium was established as a central agency to supervise the lands in the monarchy and make recommendations about economic improvements.[9] In 1749, the government established Representationen und Cammern as local offices of the Directorium chiefly as mechanisms for supervising tax policy.[5]

Because of this economic centralization, Haugwitz provided Emperor Joseph II with an unprecedented amount of information about the economies of the states over which he would reign. As part of Joseph II’s education, he received an extensive overview of the economic makeup of each state. Such a report was unprecedented because it would traditionally have been viewed as an intrusion in the affairs normally reserved to the estates.[10] All of these reforms helped to bring about the eventual peak of mercantilism in the 1760s.[11]

Military reforms complimented Haugwitz’s economic initiatives. Due to his belief in the need for “immediate supremacy of the sovereign over the army, and the maintenance of an adequate body of troops even in time of peace,” Haugwitz contributed to military reform in both funding and the development of a standing army.[12]

To protect the monarchy, Haugwitz recommended a standing army of 108,000 supported by contributions by the estates of 14 million gulden. To avoid the previous issues in estates' withholding of contributions, or the tedious process of frequent appeals to the estates, Haugwitz instituted the Ten Years’ Recess. Under this program, despite the resistance of the estates, the estates would guarantee payment for ten years. This period abolished the previous fluctuations in finances.[13] Previously, when taxes were levied from the estates, the estates disagreed amongst themselves over the amount levied, divided the sum among the various estates, collected taxes from the peasantry, deducted from these taxes and then distributed the remainder to the monarchy. In this reform, Representationen und Cammern collected the taxes in order that the greatest portion of the levy would be distributed to the monarchy.[14]

In addition to these military finance reforms, Haugwitz instituted reforms within the military. A policy quite close to conscription was established. Uniform dress was required of soldiers in order to foster national spirit. Haugwitz advocated the usage of Prussian fighting tactics. A training school was founded to train officers in these tactics.[15]

Despite the large-scale nature and depth of Haugwitz’s reforms, their efficacy was not as great as he had intended. Haugwitz’s attempt to transform the monarchy from a “feudal aristocracy” to a “well-organised-despotism” was incomplete. (Franck p. 190) The superior court system that established local judges, while initially an attempt at both centralization and organization brought about the opposite due to the tremendous autonomy of each departmental chief.[16] Furthermore, the reforms had limited scope, because they were not aimed at nor did they have any effect on Hungary, Transylvania, Austria, the Netherlands, or Lombardy.[17]

The beginning of the Seven Years’ War in 1757 thwarted the development of many of the reforms.[18] In false defense of his failing policies, Haugwitz argued that the reforms “were only for peacetime”. Eventually, Haugwitz’s Directorium was stripped of its military and financial functions and renamed the Bohemian and Austrian Court Chancellery.[19] Most power now became centered in the Council of State headed by Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz. Kaunitz, a historic foe of Haugwitz, replaced him in instituting policies. However, Haugwitz’s policies would have an effect throughout the reign of Maria Theresa and later in the reign of Joseph II.

Early in his career the composer Joseph Haydn was briefly in Count Haugwitz's employ, playing the organ both in the Chancellery chapel on Wipplingerstraße and at Haugwitz's private family Chapel of St Anne in his Palais on the Josefstädter Strasse.

[shenoma]

Enlightened absolutism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Enlightened absolutism (also known as benevolent despotism or enlightened despotism) is a form of absolute monarchy or despotism in which rulers were influenced by the Enlightenment. Enlightened monarchs embraced the principles of the Enlightenment, especially its emphasis upon rationality, and applied them to their territories. They tended to allow religious toleration, freedom of speech and the press, and the right to hold private property. Most fostered the arts, sciences, and education.

Enlightened absolutists' beliefs about royal power were often similar to those of absolute monarchs, in that many believed that they had the right to govern by birth and generally refused to grant constitutions, seeing even the most pro-monarchy ones as being an inherent check on their power. The difference between an absolutist and an enlightened absolutist is based on a broad analysis of how far they embraced Enlightenment. In particular, the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II can be said to have fully embraced the enlightened concept of the social contract[citation needed]. In contrast, Empress Catherine II of Russia entirely rejected the concept of the social contract while taking up many ideas of the Enlightenment, for example by being a great patron of the arts in Imperial Russia and incorporating many ideas of enlightened philosophers, especially Montesquieu, in her Nakaz, to a committee meant to revise Russian law.

In effect, the monarchs ruled with the intent of improving the lives of their subjects in order to strengthen or reinforce their authority. For example, the abolition of serfdom in some regions of Europe was achieved by enlightened rulers.[citation needed] In the spirit of enlightened absolutism, Emperor Joseph II said, "Everything for the people, nothing by the people."

Voltaire was a prominent Enlightenment philosopher who felt enlightened despotism was the only real way for society to advance.

However, historians debate the actual implementation of enlightened absolutism. They distinguish between the "enlightenment" of the ruler personally, versus that of his or her regime. For example, Frederick II, "The Great," of Prussia was tutored in the ideas of the French Enlightenment in his youth, and maintained those ideas in his private life as an adult, but in many ways was unable or unwilling to effect enlightened reforms in practice.[1]
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Criticism and debates
* 2 Enlightened absolutists
* 3 See also
* 4 References

[edit] Criticism and debates

One of the things that are considered to make enlightened absolutism unfeasable as a long-term government solution is the dependence on a single, ideal persona. Since the despots are regular people themselves, they are subject to making mistakes. And even if the ruler is outstanding, his death is likely to eventually negate his achievements, since he or she is seldom followed by a ruler of the same quality.

Isaac Asimov, in his SciFi short story "The Evitable Conflict" has speculated on a future where the task of absolute rule is entrusted to very evolved artificial intelligence, which is as close to perfection as possible, while at the same time being practically immortal.

Enlightened absolutism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Enlightened absolutists

* Alexander I of Russia
* Catherine II of Russia
* Charles III of Spain, King of Naples and Sicily
* Gustav III of Sweden
* Frederick II of Prussia
* Frederick VI of Denmark
* Joseph I of Portugal
* Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor of Austria
* Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany
* Maria Theresa of Austria
* Mahmud II (Sultan of Ottoman Empire)
* Michael Obrenovic of Serbia
* Muhammad Ali of Egypt
* Emperor Meiji of Japan
* Napoleon I of France
* Peter I of Russia
* Pedro II of Brazil
* Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III
* Shahu IV of Kolhapur
* William I of the Netherlands

[shenoma]

Dates of emancipation from serfdom in various countries
Serfdom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Bohemia: 1 November 1781 (first step; second step: 1848)

[shenoma]

Saint Wenceslas Riding a Dead Horse

Prague
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-29995119;_ylc=X3oDMTFzbWcyNmZwBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEX3MD MjcxOTQ4MQRzZWMDZnAtdG9kYXltb2QEc2xrA21vbnVtZW50cy 0xMC0xMS0wOQ--
What It Commemorates: Saint Wenceslas, Bohemia’s patron saint.

What Makes It Strange: For almost 100 years—even during the dark days of Communist rule—the grand sculpture of Saint Wenceslas in Prague’s Wenceslas Square has been a source of national pride. But today, even the revered saint isn’t spared from the Czechs’ irreverent senses of humor. Sculptor David Cerny’s parody of the St. Wenceslas statue, hanging in the Lucerna Palace mere yards from the original, is of Wenceslas mounted atop the belly of a dead horse that’s been strung upside down.

[grandsecretary]

And if you look at the Bohemian/Celtic tradition of Fire Ceremonies you will also understand what happens at Bohemia Grove during the "Cremation of Care" ceremony.

Not my scene I might add, but nonetheless, an explanation.

[twilighterheart]

http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp01455/elizabeth-queen-of-bohemia
http://images.npg.org.uk:8080/OCimg/264_325/4/0/mw08140.jpg

Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia

by Robert Peake the Elder
oil on canvas, circa 1610
67 1/2 in. x 38 1/8 in. (1713 mm x 968 mm)
Purchased, 1991
Primary Collection
NPG 6113

Sitter

Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia (1596-1662), Daughter of James I. Sitter associated with 45 portraits.

Artist

Robert Peake the Elder (circa 1551-1619), Portrait and decorative painter. Artist associated with 8 portraits.
http://images.npg.org.uk:8080/OCimg/264_325/4/3/mw07343.jpg
Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia

by Unknown artist
oil on panel, 1613
30 7/8 in. x 24 1/2 in. (784 mm x 622 mm)
Purchased, 1982
Primary Collection
NPG 5529

Sitter

Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia (1596-1662), Daughter of James I. Sitter associated with 45 portraits.

Artist

Unknown artist. Artist associated with 6069 portraits.

This Portrait

Painted at the time of her marriage to Frederick, Elector Palatine, this portrait probably shows Elizabeth in her wedding dress. The royal coat of arms and the heraldic lion and unicorn can be seen on her lace collar. The black arm band is in memory of her brother, Henry, Prince of Wales, who had died the previous year.

Linked Publications

Cooper, Tarnya, Searching for Shakespeare (hardback), 2006 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 2 March - 29 May 2006), p. 170
Cooper, Tarnya, Searching for Shakespeare, 2006 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 2 March - 29 May 2006), p. 170
Ribeiro, Aileen, The Gallery of Fashion, 2000, p. 60
Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004,