1872 in Germany

# 1872 in Germany

## Abstract

Events from the year 1872 in Germany.

## Incumbents

### National level

- Emperor – William I

- Chancellor – Otto von Bismarck

### State level

#### Kingdoms

- King of Bavaria – Ludwig II

- King of Prussia – William I

- King of Saxony – John

- King of Württemberg – Charles

#### Grand Duchies

- Grand Duke of Baden – Frederick I

- Grand Duke of Hesse – Louis III

- Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin – Frederick Francis II

- Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Frederick William

- Grand Duke of Oldenburg – Peter II

- Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach – Charles Alexander

#### Principalities

- Schaumburg-Lippe – Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

- Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt – George Albert, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

- Schwarzburg-Sondershausen – Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

- Principality of Lippe – Leopold III, Prince of Lippe

- Reuss Elder Line – Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz

- Reuss Younger Line – Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line

- Waldeck and Pyrmont – George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

#### Duchies

- Duke of Anhalt – Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt

- Duke of Brunswick – William, Duke of Brunswick

- Duke of Saxe-Altenburg – Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

- Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

- Duke of Saxe-Meiningen – Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

## Events

- 4 July – Jesuits Law is promulgated

- 12 November – Dresdner Bank is founded

### Science

- Richard Dedekind publishes Stetigkeit und irrationale Zahlen, a theory of irrational numbers.

- Felix Klein produces the Erlangen program on geometries.

- Ludwig Boltzmann states the Boltzmann equation for the temporal development of distribution functions in phase space, and publishes his H-theorem.

- Polyvinyl chloride is accidentally synthesised by German chemist Eugen Baumann.

### Undated

- Radeberger Brewery is opened

## Deaths

- 11 January – Paul Graener, German composer and conductor (died 1944)

- 28 January – Otto Braun, German politician (died 1955)

- 8 February – Theodor Lessing, German philosopher (died 1933)

- 24 March – Walther Reinhardt, Army officer (died 1930)

- 1 April – Conrad Gröber, German bishop of Roman-Catholic Church (died 1948)

- 9 April – Theodor Koch-Grunberg, German ethnologue and explorer (died 1924)

- 19 April – Alice Salomon, German social reformer (died 1948)

- 22 April – Princess Margaret of Prussia, Prussian princess (died 1954)

- 2 May – Karl Nessler, German inventor of the permanent wave (died 1951)

- 14 June – Heinrich Vogeler, German painter (died 1942)

- 22 July – Karl Helfferich, German politician (died 1924)

- 13 August – Richard Willstätter, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1942)

- 5 September – Carl Friedrich von Siemens, German entrepreneur (died 1941)

- 3 October – Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe, German scientist and inventor (died 1931)

- 9 November – Richard Otto, German physician (died 1952)

- 11 November – Frederick Stock, German composer (died 1942)

## Births

- 1 April – Hugo von Mohl, German botanist (born 1805)

- 13 May – Moritz Hartmann, German poet and author (born 1821)

- 24 May – Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, German painter (born 1794)

- 21 August – David Kalisch, German playwright and humorist (born 1820)

- 13 September – Ludwig Feuerbach, German philosopher and anthropologist (born 1804)

- 14 October – Prince Albert of Prussia, German nobleman and Prussian general (born 1809)


Love Story (Taylor Swift song)

# Love Story (Taylor Swift song)

## Abstract

" Love Story " is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift based on a true love story shared by two teenagers in Charlotte, NC. The two met and became great friends until one New Years Eve when they shared a kiss. A month later, the boy asked the girl to be his girlfriend. Coincidentally, their anniversary fell on the 2nd of February, 2022 (2/2/22). The two of them have sadly separated, but this song will always be a reminder of their love story. It was released as the lead single from her second studio album, Fearless, on September 15, 2008, by Big Machine Records. Inspired by a boy who was unpopular with her family and friends, Swift wrote the song using William Shakespeare 's tragedy Romeo and Juliet as a reference point. The lyrics narrate a troubled romance that ends with a marriage proposal, contrary to Shakespeare's tragic conclusion. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, the midtempo country pop song includes a key change after the bridge and uses acoustic instruments including banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and guitar.

At the time of the song's release, music critics praised the production but deemed the literary references ineffective. In retrospect, critics have considered it one of Swift's best singles. "Love Story" peaked atop the chart in Australia, where it was certified fourteen-times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), and reached the top five on charts in Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the single peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the first country song to reach number one on Pop Songs. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it eight-times platinum. "Love Story" has sold over six million copies in the United States and 18 million copies worldwide.

Trey Fanjoy directed the accompanying music video, which stars Swift and Justin Gaston as lovers in a prior era. Drawing from historical periods such as the Renaissance and the Regency era, it won Video of the Year at both the Country Music Association Awards and CMT Music Awards in 2009. The song became a staple in Swift's live concerts and has been a part of the set lists in all of her headlining tours from the Fearless Tour (2009–2010) to the Eras Tour (2023–2024). Following a 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she re-recorded the song and released it as " Love Story (Taylor's Version) " in February 2021. The track topped the Hot Country Songs chart and made Swift the second artist after Dolly Parton to top that chart with both the original and re-recorded versions of a song.

## Background and writing

Taylor Swift moved from Pennsylvania to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2004 to pursue a career as a country singer-songwriter, and in 2006, she released her self-titled debut album at 16 years old. The album spent more weeks on the US Billboard 200 chart than any other album that was released in the 2000s decade. Taylor Swift ' s third single " Our Song " made Swift the youngest person to single-handedly write and sing a Hot Country Songs number-one single. Her success was rare for a female teenage artist; the 2000s country-music market had been dominated by adult male musicians.

While promoting her debut album on tour in 2007 and 2008, Swift wrote songs for her second studio album Fearless. She developed "Love Story" late into the production of Fearless. Answering fan questions on Time in April 2009, Swift said the song was inspired by a boy whom she never dated and was one of the most romantic pieces she had written. Swift recalled the reactions she received after introducing him to her family and friends: " all said they didn't like him. All of them!" This made Swift relate to the narrative of William Shakespeare 's 16th-century play Romeo and Juliet, which she described as a "situation where the only people who wanted them to be together were them". Reflecting on the event, Swift thought, "This is difficult but it's real, it matters"; she developed the second refrain and later the whole song around that line.

Although inspired by Romeo and Juliet, Swift felt the play could have been "the best love story ever told" had it not been for Shakespeare's tragic ending in which the two characters die. She thus made the narrative of "Love Story" conclude with a marriage proposal, which she deemed a happy ending the characters deserved. Swift wrote "Love Story" on her bedroom floor in approximately 20 minutes, feeling too inspired to put the song down unfinished. According to Swift, the song represents her optimistic outlook on love, which is inspired by her childhood fascination with fairy tales. Looking back on "Love Story" after she released her seventh studio album Lover (2019), which is about her first experience of "love that was very real", Swift said the track is "stuff I saw on a movie stuff I read mixed in with some like crush stuff that had happened in my life".

## Production and release

After finishing writing, Swift recorded a rough demo of "Love Story" within 15 minutes the next day. She recorded the song's album version in March 2008 with the producer Nathan Chapman at Blackbird Studios in Nashville. For her vocals, Chapman tried different microphones until Swift came across an Avantone CV-12 multi-pattern tube microphone that was built by the country-music artist Ray Kennedy, with whom she worked on Taylor Swift. After growing fond of the Avantone CV-12 upon testing her vocals, Swift used it to record "Love Story" and other songs. She sang the song live backed by her band, who were playing acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and drums. Chapman played other instruments, including nine acoustic guitars, and he overdubbed them on the track; he also recorded background vocals. The engineer Chad Carlson recorded the track using Pro Tools and Justin Niebank mixed it using a Solid State Logic 9080 K series console and Genelec 1032 studio monitors. Drew Bollman and Richard Edgeler assisted in the mixing process.

"Love Story", along with the rest of Fearless, was mastered by Hank Williams at MasterMix Studios in Nashville. The track uses country-music instruments such as banjo and fiddle. Big Machine Records released it to US country radio as Fearless ' s lead single on September 15, 2008. Chapman mixed another version of "Love Story" for pop radio; he edited Niebank's mix using Apple Logic and muted the acoustic instruments such as banjo and fiddle. The pop-radio version has an opening beat that was generated using Apple Logic's Ultrabeat, and the electric guitars were created with Amplitube Stomp I/O. Rolling Stone ' s Keith Harris described the electric guitars as "suitably gargantuan" and louder than those on the country-radio version. Big Machine in partnership with Republic Records released "Love Story" to US pop radio on October 14, 2008. In the United Kingdom, "Love Story" was released on March 2, 2009, a week prior to the release of Fearless. Music Week reported that this edition was "remixed for European ears".

## Music and lyrics

"Love Story" is a midtempo country pop song that is driven by acoustic instruments including banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. Jon Bream from the Star Tribune described the single as "pure pop with a minimalist vibe" that suits both country and pop radio. According to The New York Times, despite the banjo and fiddle, the song could "easily be an emo rocker". Swift's vocals have a slight twang. The mix and master, according to Billboard ' s Kristen He, are loud and "dynamically flat... designed to burst out of FM radio speakers".

The lyrics of "Love Story" narrate a troubled romance between two characters, drawing from the lead characters in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. According to psychologist Katie Barclay, the song explores feelings of love in the contexts of pain and joy. "Love Story", save for the final refrain, is narrated from Juliet's perspective. In the verses, Juliet tells the story of hers and Romeo's challenged courtship, of which her father disapproves. The first verse introduces Juliet in a scene, "We were both young when I first saw you / I close my eyes and the flashback starts, I'm standing there / On a balcony in summer air", which references the balcony scene in Act II, scene ii of Shakespeare's play. In the refrains, which alter slightly as the song progresses to accompany the narrative, Juliet pleads for her love interest to appear, "Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone / I'll be waiting / All there's left to do is run."

In the second verse, Juliet meets Romeo again in a garden and learns he must leave town because of her father's disapproval. Their relationship encounters difficulties, "'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter", referencing Nathaniel Hawthorne 's The Scarlet Letter (1850). According to media-and-film scholar Iris H. Tuan, Hawthrone's "scarlet letter" imagery represents the female protagonist Hester Prynne 's sin and adultery, whereas Swift's use symbolizes the forbidden love between Romeo and Juliet. Juliet pleads, "This love is difficult, but it's real", which Swift said was her favorite lyric in the song.

After the bridge, with accelerated drums and the harmonization of melody and vocals, the final refrain incorporates a key change up a whole step. The final refrain is narrated from Romeo's perspective and tells of his marriage proposal to Juliet after he has sought her father's approval, "I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress." Whereas Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet are secretly married without their parents' approval and both commit suicide, the characters in "Love Story" depart from that ending. According to Tuan, by projecting her feelings and fantasy on a Romeo and Juliet -inspired narrative, Swift created a song that strongly resonates with an audience of teenage girls and young women. Deborah Evans Price of Billboard agreed but also said "one doesn't have to be a lovestruck teen" to enjoy the song's emotional engagement.

## Critical reception

Blender included "Love Story" at number 73 on its 2008 year-end list, and The Village Voice ' s Pazz & Jop critics' poll placed it at number 48. In Fearless reviews, many critics complimented the production; Sean Daly from the St. Petersburg Times, Rob Sheffield from Blender and Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic selected the track as an album highlight. Deborah Evans Price of Billboard praised the "swirling, dreamy" production and said Swift's success in the country-music market "could only gain momentum". Others including The Boston Globe ' s James Reed and USA Today ' s Elysa Gardner deemed "Love Story" an example of Swift's songwriting abilities at a young age; the latter appreciated the song for earnestly portraying teenage feelings "rather than a mouthpiece for a bunch of older pros' collective notion of adolescent yearning".

Some critics were more reserved in their praise and took issue with the literary references. In a four-stars-out-of-five rating of the song for the BBC, Fraser McAlpine deemed the Shakespearean reference not as sophisticated as its premise and the lyrics generic, but he praised the production and wrote, "It's great to see a big pop song being used as a method of direct story telling." The musicologist James E. Perone commented: "the melodic hooks are strong enough to overcome the predictability of the lyrics." Jon Bream from the Star Tribune deemed the single inferior to Swift's debut country-music single " Tim McGraw " (2006) but commended the production as catchy. In a Slant Magazine review, Jonathan Keefe was impressed by Swift's melodic songwriting for creating "massive pop hooks" but found the references to Romeo and Juliet "point-missing" and The Scarlet Letter "inexplicable". Keefe deemed the lyrics lacking in creativity and disapproved of Swift's " clipped phrasing" in the refrain.

In a retrospective review, the English-language professor Robert N. Watson deemed "Love Story" evidence of Swift's status as "the twenty-first-century's most popular songwriter of failed love affairs", specifically due to the Shakespearean narrative. Critics have rated "Love Story" high in rankings of Swift's songs; these include Hannah Mylrea from NME (2020), who ranked it fifth out of 160 songs, Jane Song from Paste (2020), 13th out of 158, and Nate Jones from Vulture (2023), 11th out of 214. In another ranking of Swift's select 100 tracks for The Independent, Roisin O'Connor placed "Love Story" at number 15 and said it showcases Swift as a songwriter who "understands the power of a forbidden romance". Alexis Petridis from The Guardian placed it second, behind " Blank Space " (2014), on his 2019 ranking of Swift's 44 singles. He said of the literary references: " the references to Shakespeare and Hawthorn seem clumsy, they are clumsy in a believably teenage way." The song was included on best-of lists including Taste of Country ' s Top 100 Country Songs (2016), Time Out ' s 35 Best Country Songs of All Time (2022), and Billboard ' s Top 50 Country Love Songs of All Time (2022).

## Commercial performance

In the United States, "Love Story" debuted at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 25 on the Hot Country Songs chart, both dated September 27, 2008. The next week, it reached number five on the Hot 100. The single peaked at number four on the Hot 100 chart dated January 17, 2009, and spent 49 weeks on the chart. It spent two weeks atop the Hot Country Songs chart. On the Pop Songs chart, which tracks US pop radio, "Love Story" reached number one on the week ending February 28, 2009. It became the first song to top both the country-radio and pop-radio charts and surpassed the number-three-peaking " You're Still the One " (1998) by Shania Twain as the highest-charting country crossover to pop radio.

On other Billboard airplay charts, "Love Story" peaked at number one on Adult Contemporary and number three on Adult Pop Songs. Together with " Teardrops on My Guitar " (2007), "Love Story" made Swift the first artist in the 2000s decade to have two titles each reach the top 10 of four airplay charts; Hot Country Songs, Pop Songs, Adult Pop Songs, and Adult Contemporary. It topped the 2009 year-end Radio Songs chart. By February 2009, it was the first country song to sell three million downloads. In 2015, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified "Love Story" eight-times platinum. The single had sold 6.2 million copies in the United States by October 2022 and became Swift's highest-selling single in the nation.

"Love Story" was Swift's first number-one single in Australia, where it was certified fourteen-times platinum. It peaked within the top five of singles charts in Japan (three), and the wider English-speaking world: the United Kingdom (two), Ireland (three), New Zealand (three), Canada (four), and Scotland (five). In mainland Europe, the single peaked at number ten on the European Hot 100 Singles chart, number four in the Czech Republic, number six in Hungary, number seven in Norway, and number ten in Sweden. "Love Story" was certified triple platinum in the United Kingdom, double platinum in Canada, platinum in Denmark, Germany, and New Zealand, and gold in Italy and Japan. It sold 6.5 million digital copies worldwide and was the sixth-most-downloaded single of 2009. By February 2021, estimated worldwide sales of "Love Story" stood at 18 million units.

## Music video

### Development and filming

Trey Fanjoy, who had worked with Swift on previous music videos, directed "Love Story". Swift was inspired by historical eras such as the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Regency to make a period-piece-styled video with a timeless narrative that "could happen in the 1700s, 1800s, or 2008". She spent six months searching for the male lead and upon recommendation from an acquaintance chose Justin Gaston, a fashion model who was competing in the television series Nashville Star. After Gaston was eliminated from the show, Swift contacted him to appear in the video. She believed Gaston was a perfect choice for the male lead: "I was so impressed by the way his were in the video. Without even saying anything, he would just do a certain glance and it really came across well."

The music video was filmed within two days in August 2008 in Tennessee. The crew considered traveling to Europe to find a castle for the video's setting but settled on Castle Gwynn in Arrington; the castle was built in 1973 and is part of the annual Tennessee Renaissance Festival. Wardrobe for the video—except Swift's dress for the balcony scene, which was designed by Sandi Spika with inspiration and suggestions from Swift—was supplied by Jacquard Fabrics. On the first day, the balcony and field scenes were filmed. The second day's filming included the ballroom scene was filmed with 20 dancers from Cumberland University in Lebanon; Swift learned the choreography 15 minutes prior to filming. She invited some fans who were university students from other states to fly to Nashville and film the video with her. "Love Story" premiered on September 12, 2008, on CMT. Behind-the-scenes footage of the music video's production was aired on Great American Country on November 12, 2008.

### Synopsis and commentary

The video starts with Swift wearing a black sweater and jeans; she walks through a college campus and sees Gaston reading under a tree. As they make eye contact, the video transitions to a balcony, on which Swift is wearing a corset and gown. The video switches to a ballroom where Gaston and Swift dance together, after which Gaston whispers into Swift's ear. Swift is next shown walking into a garden with a lantern at night. She meets with Gaston and they have a date before parting ways. Later, Swift again stands on the balcony looking out from the window. She sees Gaston running across a field towards her and she immediately runs down the staircase to meet him. The video then switches back to the modern-day college campus, where Gaston walks toward Swift and they gaze into each other's eyes, and the video ends.

Spin wrote that the video appears to have been filmed on an " HBO -looking budget" with "elaborate, pseudo-medieval set pieces"; according to the magazine, rather than alluding to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the narrative resembles " Rapunzel ", especially the part in which Swift's character waits for her lover atop a castle. According to Glamour, Swift's fashion in the video reinforces the lyrical theme, " literally wore a medieval ball gown while playing the Juliet to an actor's Romeo." In a 2010 Billboard interview, Swift reflected on the video's fairy-tale-inspired wedding setting: "I'm not really that girl who dreams about her wedding day. It just seems like the idealistic, happy-ever-after."

## Awards and nominations

"Love Story" won Song of the Year at the Country Awards in 2009 and Pop Awards in 2010, both of which were held by Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) to honor the year's most-performed songs on US radio and television. It marked Swift's second consecutive Song of the Year win at the BMI Country Awards, following "Teardrops on My Guitar" in 2008. Swift, who was 20, was the youngest songwriter to win Song of the Year at the BMI Pop Awards. At the Australian APRA Awards, "Love Story" was nominated for International Work of the Year.

It received nominations at the People's Choice Awards (Favorite Country Song, which went to Carrie Underwood 's " Last Name "), Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards (Favorite Song, which went to the Black Eyed Peas ' " Boom Boom Pow "), and Teen Choice Awards (Choice Love Song, which went to David Archuleta 's " Crush "). The music video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 45th Academy of Country Music Awards, but it lost to Brad Paisley 's " Waitin' on a Woman " (2008). At the 2009 CMT Music Awards, it won Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year. It also won Music Video of the Year at the 43rd Country Music Association Awards and Favorite International Video at the Philippine Myx Music Awards 2010.

## Live performances and other uses

"Love Story" has become a staple in Swift's concerts—as of July 2023, she had performed the song live over 500 times. During promotion of Fearless in 2008 and 2009, Swift performed "Love Story" on television shows including Good Morning America, Late Show with David Letterman, The Today Show, Dancing with the Stars, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Saturday Night Live. At the 2008 Country Music Association Awards, she re-enacted the music video for "Love Story", performing the song on a ballroom stage-setting with Gaston playing the love interest. Swift and the English band Def Leppard performed "Love Story", among other tracks from each artist's repertoire, for a CMT Crossroads episode that was recorded in October 2008; the performance was released on DVD in 2009. In the United Kingdom, Swift sang "Love Story" on the BBC charity telethon Children in Need, to which she donated £ 13,000 afterward.

"Love Story" was part of the set lists for many of Swift's 2009 headline festival performances, including Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Florida Strawberry Festival, Sound Relief, the CMA Music Festival, and Craven Country Jamboree. She included the song in the set list of her first headlining concert tour the Fearless Tour (2009–2010). The song's performances began with backup dancers dressed in Victorian clothing, dancing to Pachelbel's Canon as a castle backdrop was projected onto the stage. Swift emerged from below to an upper level of the stage; she wore an 18th-century-styled crimson gown with golden accents. For the final refrain, Swift hid behind backup dancers as she changed into a white wedding dress and a jeweled headband. The live performances of "Love Story" were recorded and released on the DVD Journey to Fearless in 2011.

"Love Story" was the final song on the set list of Swift's second headlining tour, the Speak Now World Tour (2011–2012). Swift wore a white sundress and sang the song while roaming across the stage on a flying balcony as confetti rained down and fireworks exploded on stage. The song was part of Swift's performance at BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards in October 2012; she appeared in a white dress before changing into silver hot pants and a sheer black top. Swift sang the song later the same month as part of a VH1 Storytellers episode that was recorded at Harvey Mudd College in California. On January 25, 2013, Swift performed an acoustic version of "Love Story" at the Los Premios 40 Principales in Spain. She again included the song in the set list of her third headlining tour the Red Tour (2013–2014), in which she sang it while wearing a white gown.

At the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Swift performed an arena rock version of "Love Story". During concerts of her fourth headlining tour the 1989 World Tour (2015), she rearranged the song as a synth-pop ballad and sang it while standing on an elevated platform that whisked around the venue. Commenting on the 1989 World Tour rearrangement, Jane Song from Paste said "Love Story" "will continue to be one of calling cards". Swift again included "Love Story" in the set list of her fifth concert tour, 2018's Reputation Stadium Tour, in which she performed it as part of a medley with her singles " Style " and " You Belong with Me ".

On April 23, 2019, she performed a piano rendition of "Love Story" at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts during the Time 100 Gala, in which she was honored as one of the year's "most influential people". On September 9, Swift performed the song at the City of Lover one-off concert in Paris. At the American Music Awards of 2019, at which she was awarded "Artist of the Decade", Swift performed "Love Story" as part of a medley with " The Man ", " I Knew You Were Trouble ", "Blank Space", and " Shake It Off ". On July 21, 2022, at a concert of Haim 's One More Haim Tour in London, Swift made a guest appearance and performed "Love Story" as part of a mashup with " Gasoline ". She again included "Love Story" in the regular set list of her sixth headlining concert tour, the Eras Tour (2023–2024).

"Love Story" has been parodied and adapted into popular-culture events. For the 2009 CMT Music Awards, Swift and the rapper T-Pain recorded a parody titled "Thug Story", in which they rap and sing with Auto-Tune; the parody aired as part of the awards ceremony's cold open. In August 2020, an unofficial house remix of "Love Story" by the American DJ Disco Lines went viral on the video-sharing platform TikTok. The Disco Lines remix charted at number 37 on Poland's airplay chart in October 2020. Following the cancellation of Swift's three Eras Tour shows at Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna due to a terror plot, the British rock band Coldplay and the American singer Maggie Rogers covered "Love Story" on the Music of the Spheres World Tour at the same venues weeks later as a tribute.

## Personnel

- Taylor Swift – lead vocals, songwriter, producer, backing vocals

- Nathan Chapman – producer, backing vocals

- Drew Bollman – assistant mixer

- Chad Carslon – recording engineer

- Richard Edgeler – assistant recording engineer, assistant mixer

- Justin Niebank – mixer

- Tim Van der Kull – additional guitar

- Jeremy "Jim Bob" Wheatley – additional recording engineer, additional mixer

- Caitlin Evanson – backing vocals

## Charts

## "Love Story (Taylor's Version)"

After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums, including Fearless, in November 2020. The decision came after a 2019 public dispute between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums the label had released. By re-recording her catalog, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, including the copyright licensing of her songs, devaluing the Big Machine-owned masters.

Swift re-recorded "Love Story" and titled it "Love Story (Taylor's Version)". An excerpt of the re-recording was used in a Match.com advertisement in December 2020. "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" was the first re-recorded track she released; it was made available for download and streaming on February 12, 2021, preceding the release of the re-recorded album Fearless (Taylor's Version) in April. An EDM version of "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" remixed by Swedish producer Elvira was released on March 26, 2021, and was included on the deluxe edition of Fearless (Taylor's Version).

### Production

"Love Story (Taylor's Version)" was produced by Swift and the Nashville-based producer Christopher Rowe. It was recorded by David Payne at Blackbird Studios, with additional recording by Rowe at Prime Recording and Studio 13, all of which are in Nashville. Sam Holland recorded Swift's vocals at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles; Serban Ghenea mixed the re-recording at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Randy Merrill mastered it at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, New Jersey. Swift invited some of the musicians who worked on the 2008 version to re-record with her; these participants include Jonathan Yudkin on fiddle, Amos Heller on bass guitar, and Caitlin Evanson on harmony vocals; they were part of Swift's touring band and had played "Love Story" with her many times.

According to critics, the production of "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" is faithful to that of the 2008 version. They noticed changes in the timbre of Swift's vocals, which have a fuller tone and an absence of the country-music twang; The Atlantic ' s Shirley Li found Swift's voice "much richer" with a controlled tone and precise staccato. Swift said re-recording "Love Story" made her realize how she had improved as a singer and how her "voice was so teenaged" in the old recordings.

The re-recording's instruments are sharper and more distinct, with clearer sounds of the banjo, cymbals, and fiddle; stronger drums; a more-clearly defined bass; less-harsh electric guitars; and lowered harmonies in the mix. In Billboard, Kristen He said whereas the instruments on the 2008 version blended into a "wall of sound", the production of "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" highlighted individual instruments.

### Reception

In reviews, critics praised "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" for being faithful to the original version and felt it was improved upon with polished production and Swift's mature vocals. A few welcomed the re-recording as Swift's display of ownership of her music. Reviews from Rolling Stone 's Simon Vozick-Levinson and Los Angeles Times ' s Mikael Wood dubbed the re-recording an update of a "classic" song about teenage sentiments. Mark Savage from BBC News said Swift's improved vocals retain the teenage feelings, but The Atlantic ' s Shirley Li and NME ' s Hannah Mylrea said they were more powerful, which introduces a sense of wistfulness and therefore loses the earnestness of the 2008 version. According to Robert Christgau, "Swift's voice retains a great deal of freshness" but he questioned the value of her re-recording of early songs, saying he "can't imagine even so that I'd lay out money for the re-recordings unless Rob Sheffield convinced me".

In the United States, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" debuted atop the Hot Country Songs chart, giving Swift her eighth number-one single and first number-one debut. With this achievement, she became the first artist to lead the chart in the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s, and the second artist to have a number one with both the original and re-recorded version of a song, after Dolly Parton with " I Will Always Love You ". On other Billboard charts, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" topped Digital Song Sales (Swift's record-extending 22nd number one), Country Digital Song Sales (record-extending 15th number one), and Country Streaming Songs. The song debuted and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, her record-extending 129th chart entry. The re-recording peaked at number seven on the Billboard Global 200. It topped the singles chart in Malaysia and reached the top 10 in Canada, Ireland, and Singapore. It also charted at number 12 in the United Kingdom, where it was certified gold, and number 18 in New Zealand.

In October 2021, Billboard reported radio stations in the United States played "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" and other re-recordings infrequently compared to the originals; reasons given were that the re-recordings were insufficiently distinctive, that they had less audience demand for Swift's older songs than her newer ones, and they were difficult to categorize in radio format terms, as well as there being no financial incentive from Swift to promote the re-recordings to radio as radio stations do not have to pay the owners of the master recording every time they play a song and Swift would still receive songwriting royalties no matter what version was played. At the 2022 CMT Music Awards, the re-recording won the inaugural Trending Comeback Song of the Year; CMT created the category to honor "iconic stars and their hits that not only stood the test of time but also recently found new popularity".

### Credits and personnel

- Taylor Swift – lead vocals, songwriting, production

- Christopher Rowe – production, record engineering

- David Payne – record engineering

- John Hanes – engineering

- Randy Merrill – master engineering

- Serban Ghenea – mixing

- Sam Holland – vocal engineering

- Sean Badum – assistant recording engineering

- Mike Meadows – backing vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin

- Paul Sidoti – backing vocals, electric guitar

- Caitlin Evanson – backing vocals

- Amos Heller – bass

- Matt Billingslea – drums

- Max Bernstein – electric guitar

- Jonathan Yudkin – fiddle

### Charts


Xouba

# Xouba

## Abstract

Xouba or little sardine or parrocha is a small sardine and a type of Pelagic fish. Xoubas are small sardines from Galicia, Spain. They are a species of ray-finned fish in the monotypic genus Sardina. The juvenile Xouba has the scientific name of European pilchard which is in the family Clupeidae.

## Description

The fish is blue-green and has a silver underside. In comparison to the other sardines, the xouba, is diminutive. Xouba means little fish; the fish lives is shallow areas of water between 5 m (16 ft) and 50 m (160 ft). The fish is harvested between the months of May and July when it reaches 13 cm (5.1 in) in length. Xouba also has more fat than normal sardines. Xoubas, are small sardines, and a they come from Galicia, Spain. The small Xouba is a juvenile version of a European pilchard. In some areas the Xouba is is called Parrocha. Xouba are from the family Clupeidae.

Xoubas have a tender distinct flavor and they are small sardines, nutrient-dense. They have a high } content and they are high in healthy fats.

## History

Since the 15th century, Xouba is caught with a technique called Xeito. The technique employs a a net stretched between boats; a type of drift netting. In Spain there are several annual events to celebrate the Xouba. One such event is the Burial of the xoubiña. It is celebrated on Ash Wednesday and it includes funeral procession that is satirical. The procession ends with the burning of the effigy of a sardine. Galicia, Spain is the home of a festival (Festa da Xouba } celebrating the Xouba. The event takes place about the same time as the "Feast of Santiago Apóstol" which happens in July.

### Preparation

Prepared as a dish, it can be used in empanadas, or pickled, or made in a casserole with potatoes. Xouba is also grilled and served on bread. Or breaded with chickpea flour and fried.


The Banshees of Inisherin

# The Banshees of Inisherin

## Abstract

The Banshees of Inisherin (/ ˌ ɪ n ɪ ˈ ʃ ɛr ɪ n /) is a 2022 black tragicomedy film directed, written, and co-produced by Martin McDonagh. Set on a remote, fictional island off the west coast of Ireland in 1923, the film stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two lifelong friends who find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with severe consequences for both of them; Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan co-star. It reunites Farrell and Gleeson after McDonagh's directorial debut In Bruges (2008).

The film had its world premiere on 5 September 2022 at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, where Farrell won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and McDonagh won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay. It was theatrically released in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States on 21 October 2022 by Searchlight Pictures. The film received largely positive reviews, with particular praise for McDonagh's direction and screenplay, the performances of the cast, and Carter Burwell 's score. It grossed $52 million worldwide against a $20 million budget.

The Banshees of Inisherin received nine nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. At the 80th Golden Globe Awards, it won three awards: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actor – Musical or Comedy (Farrell), and Best Screenplay. It also won four BAFTA Awards from ten nominations at the 76th British Academy Film Awards: Outstanding British Film, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Keoghan), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Condon), and Best Original Screenplay.

The film was also named one of the Top Ten Films of 2022 by the National Board of Review. It has since been cited as among the best films of the 2020s and the 21st century so far.

## Plot

In the spring of 1923, near the end of the Irish Civil War, on the fictional isle of Inisherin (literally "the island of Ireland "), fiddler Colm Doherty abruptly begins ignoring his lifelong best friend and drinking buddy Pádraic Súilleabháin. When a hurt Pádraic presses Colm for an explanation, he says that Pádraic is too dull, and he would rather spend the remainder of his life composing music and doing things for which he will be remembered. Pádraic is devastated and refuses to accept the situation, while Colm only becomes more resistant to his old friend's attempts to make amends, eventually giving Pádraic an ultimatum: every time Pádraic talks to him, Colm will cut off one of his own fingers.

The local Garda, Peadar Kearney, beats his troubled son Dominic severely for drinking his alcohol, and Pádraic and his sister Siobhán take Dominic in for a night. While delivering milk to the market, Pádraic is insulted by Peadar and retaliates by making public the fact that Peadar abuses his son. Peadar punches him to the ground. Having witnessed this, Colm drives Pádraic home; the two do not speak.

Siobhán and Dominic try to defuse the pair's feud, to no avail. Pádraic drunkenly confronts Colm and berates him for throwing away their friendship, as well as for drinking with Peadar, whom he accuses of molesting Dominic. After Siobhán leads Pádraic away, Colm says that this is the most interesting Pádraic has ever been, which Dominic overhears. The next morning, not remembering what he has said, Pádraic attempts to apologise to Colm, but the conversation goes badly. Colm responds by cutting off his left index finger and throwing it at Pádraic's door.

Pádraic later sees Colm meeting with Declan, a fiddler from the mainland. Jealous, Pádraic tricks Declan into returning home by lying that his father was hit by a bread van. As the tensions worsen, local elder Mrs. McCormick warns Pádraic that death will come to the island soon. Dominic tells Pádraic what Colm said about him in the pub; encouraged, Pádraic tells Dominic what he did to Declan, but Dominic, disappointed, rejects him as mean and refuses to speak to him anymore. Thereafter, Siobhán sympathetically rejects Dominic's romantic advances.

Pádraic gets drunk and starts another confrontation with Colm at Colm's house; Colm says he has finished composing his song ("The Banshees of Inisherin") and seems finally open to renewing their friendship, but Pádraic drunkenly reveals what he did to Declan. Instead of meeting Pádraic at the pub, Colm cuts off all four of his remaining left fingers and throws them at Padraic's door.

Fed up by the feud and long bored with life on the island, Siobhán moves to the mainland for a job in a library. Devastated, Pádraic comes home to find his pet donkey Jenny has choked to death on one of Colm's fingers. He confronts Colm at the pub; Colm offers a truce, but an embittered Pádraic informs him that he will burn his house down the next day at 2 p.m. At the promised time the next day, Pádraic does so; he looks in a window and sees Colm calmly sitting inside. Pádraic takes Colm's dog Sammy with him to save him from the fire. Peadar watches Pádraic burn down the house, and as he rushes to Pádraic's house to confront him, he encounters Mrs. McCormick, who leads Peadar to Dominic's corpse in the river. After returning home, Pádraic writes a letter to Siobhán that glosses over his lonely, friendless life.

The next morning, Pádraic takes Sammy back and finds Colm, who survived the fire, standing on the beach beside his burnt-out house. Colm apologises for the donkey's death and suggests destroying the house has ended their feud; Pádraic replies that it would have ended only if Colm had stayed inside. Colm wonders whether the Civil War is coming to an end; Pádraic replies he is sure the fighting will begin again soon because "some things there's no moving on from", adding that he thinks that is "a good thing" before leaving. Unbeknownst to either, Mrs. McCormick silently watches them from the remains of Colm's house.

## Cast

- Colin Farrell as Pádraic Súilleabháin

- Brendan Gleeson as Colm Doherty

- Kerry Condon as Siobhán Súilleabháin

- Barry Keoghan as Dominic Kearney

- Gary Lydon as Garda Peadar Kearney

- Pat Shortt as publican Jonjo Devine

- Sheila Flitton as Mrs. McCormick

- Bríd Ní Neachtain as postmistress Mrs. O'Riordan

- Jon Kenny as Gerry

- Aaron Monaghan as Declan

- David Pearse as priest

- Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola as female singer

- John Carty as older musician 1

## Production

In February 2020, it was reported that Martin McDonagh had set his next directorial effort up with Searchlight Pictures, and that it would reunite him with his In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. In August 2021, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan were added to the cast.

Principal photography began in August 2021 on Inishmore (Inis Mór) before moving to Achill Island, County Mayo, later that month. Locations used on Achill include Cloughmore (JJ Devine's Pub), Corrymore Lake (Mrs. McCormick's cottage), Keem Bay (Colm's house), Purteen Harbour (O'Riordan's shop), and St. Thomas's Church in Dugort. Filming wrapped on 23 October 2021.

Costume designer Eimer Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh discussed the pains she and her team took to make the wardrobe not feel like "a pastiche of the Aran Islands ", which included using cloth that was entirely homespun and only using Irish wools, linens, and overdyed fabrics. For Pádraic's red jumper, Mhaoldomhnaigh envisioned what his sister Siobhán would have genuinely been motivated to make for him. "I can imagine Siobhán thinking, 'Oh my God, the winter's going to be very cold. I'm going to knit him a jumper,' then making the little collar as a kind of personal touch... there's a beautiful naiveté to the way he dresses, but it's very tender as well, that idea that she adds this little touch to it. I think it says so much about him and his relationship with Siobhán, and his relationship with where he lives and his Irishness," Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh explained.

For Colm, Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh said: "There had to be something of the poet in the way he dressed, but without it being very ostentatious. So, he wears some corduroy that's nicely dyed and a saffron-colored linen shirt. There's that element of, not vanity, but a knowingness of somebody who has traveled to the outside world at some point and brought back ideas of what a poet or a musician should look like."

## Music

The original score is by Carter Burwell, McDonagh's frequent collaborator. McDonagh did not want Burwell to compose an "Irish-based" score, despite the film's setting. For Pádraic's character, Burwell attempted "child-like" and " Disney character" music; he also used fiddle -themed compositions for Colm. The soundtrack was digitally released by Hollywood Records on 21 October 2022 along with the film.

The film also has traditional pub music session scenes with Irish music, in which traditional musicians join Gleeson, who plays the fiddle. The other musicians are John Carty (fiddle), his son James Carty (fiddle), Conor Connolly (accordion), Oliver Farrelly (accordion), and Ryan Owens (bodhrán). In one scene, Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola sings the Irish song " I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day ".

The film's opening scene is set to the traditional Bulgarian folk song "Polegnala e Todora (Love Song)", arranged by Filip Kutev and performed by the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir.

## Release

### Theatrical

The Banshees of Inisherin had its world premiere on 5 September 2022 at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, where it received a 15-minute standing ovation from the audience, the longest of that year's festival. It also screened at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival that month and as the opening-night film of the 31st Philadelphia Film Festival on 19 October 2022. It was theatrically released on 21 October 2022.

The film returned to U.S. cinemas on 27 January 2023 to celebrate its Academy Award nominations.

### Home media

The film was released on rental PVOD and made available to stream on HBO Max on 13 December 2022, and was released on Blu-ray and DVD on 20 December 2022 by 20th Century Home Entertainment and Disney / Buena Vista; bonus features include the featurette "Creating The Banshees of Inisherin " and deleted scenes.

The Banshees of Inisherin was released on Disney+ as part of the Star content hub in selected regions on 14 December 2022 and 21 December 2022 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The film was also released on Disney+ Hotstar in India on 14 December 2022. It was made available to stream on Hulu on 4 September 2023.

## Reception

### Box office

The Banshees of Inisherin grossed $10.5 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $41.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $52.3 million.

In the film's opening weekend in the U.S. it made $184,454 from four theaters, for a per-venue average of $46,113, making it the second-highest grossing opener for a Fall 2022 platform release, behind Till. The next weekend the film expanded to 58 theaters, making $535,170. The following weekend it expanded to 895 theaters, making $2.1 million and finishing seventh at the box office. These moderate results were attributed to the increasing change in audience behavior to the detriment of prestige films in a moviegoing environment altered by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, where moviegoers refused to see and support such titles in favor of franchise and straightforward horror films. Upon its return to theaters during the weekend of 27 January 2023, following the Academy Award nomination announcements, it rose 383% domestically.

### Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 375 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Featuring some of Martin McDonagh's finest work and a pair of outstanding lead performances, The Banshees of Inisherin is a finely crafted feel-bad treat." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 87 out of 100, based on 62 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film four out of five stars, writing that "as a study of male loneliness and swallowed anger it is weirdly compelling and often very funny". Todd McCarthy of Deadline Hollywood wrote that the film is "a simple and diabolical tale of a friendship's end shot through with bristling humor and sudden moments of startling violence". He praised Ben Davis 's cinematography and Carter Burwell 's score. David Ehrlich of IndieWire rated it B+, writing that "its constant undercurrent of humor affords the story's most pressing questions an appropriately ridiculous context, one that speaks to the absurdities of all existence". He also called it McDonagh's best work since In Bruges.

Matthew Creith of Screen Rant wrote that the film's "demonstration of the metaphorical aspects of civil disobedience and internal protest between a set of individuals is remarkably hilarious". The New York Times ' s Kyle Buchanan wrote: "The film was rapturously received here in Venice, earning a lengthy standing ovation and rave reviews." For Variety, Guy Lodge wrote: "What begins as a doleful, anecdotal narrative becomes something closer to mythic in its rage and resonance: McDonagh has long fixated on the most visceral, vengeful extremes of human behavior, but never has he formed something this sorely heartbroken from that fascination."

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "a ruminative ensemble piece that expertly balances the tragicomic with the macabre, inhabiting territory adjacent to McDonagh's stage work yet also sweepingly cinematic". Robbie Collin of The Telegraph awarded it 5/5 stars and called it "an often shoulder-shudderingly funny film, whose comic dialogue is dazzlingly designed and performed".

Conversely, Mark Feeney, writing for The Boston Globe, gave the film an unenthusiastic review, calling it "a short story trying to be a novel" and the metaphor for the Irish Civil War "awfully flat-footed". Multiple critics took issue with the film's portrayal of Ireland: Mark O'Connell of Slate criticized the film's characters' portrayal of "Irishness", writing: "It's worth noting, though maybe not surprising, that international critics have failed to take issue with its deployment of the hoariest Irish stereotypes." Ed Power of The Telegraph wrote that "underneath its Quiet Man curlicues, a much better movie strains for freedom" and was disappointed that McDonagh chose to "shroud his character study in hackneyed Paddy-isms". The Spectator ' s Joy Porter attacked the "insidious falsehood perpetuated by this film about home country's history of partition and civil war", summarising it as a "beautifully staged but dangerously ahistorical and misleading film". John Waters, however, praised the film in his review for First Things for taking "the kitschified, cliched landscape of Ireland and it back to itself, cleansed... Most Irish writers and artists simply run away from the tainted iconography, but McDonagh cleans it off and kisses it, redeeming it with a new meaning in which the irony is both present and transcended".

The film has appeared on a number of critics' lists of the best films of 2022, ranking first on several.

### Legacy

In April 2023, Screen Rant ranked The Banshees of Inisherin fourth on "The 10 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far)", calling it "one of the great movies that can break the audience's heart while still making them laugh". In September 2023, Collider ranked it fourth on its list of "The 20 Best Drama Movies of the 2020s So Far, Ranked", calling it "one of the greatest 'breakup' movies ever made" and adding that "in a decade where he has already given some great performances, Farrell does his best work ever; Pádraic's idealism fades as he realizes that there's no reward for being nice". The site also ranked it 14th on its list of "The 25 Best Movies of the 2020s So Far, Ranked".

IndieWire included The Banshees of Inisherin on its list of "The 48 Saddest Movies", with Alison Foreman writing: "Martin McDonagh movies are practically synonymous with tragicomic clashes of philosophy, particularly if they're punctuated by outbursts of over-the-top violence... Still, riding on the wee legs of little Jenny the miniature donkey, The Banshees of Inisherin pulls far ahead in the race for McDonagh's outright saddest film when two old drinking partners suddenly go their separate ways." The site also ranked it 40th on its list of "The 87 Best Comedies of the 21st Century", with Christian Zilko writing that it "resonates because its premise is simply and painfully relatable. Anyone who's ever lost a friend, through their own fault or not, will be able to see themselves in the tale".

In August 2023, JJ Devine's Pub was reassembled with the help of Kilkerrin local and publican Luke Mee, becoming a tourist destination due to the film's familiarity and popularity in the area.


1875 in Germany

# 1875 in Germany

## Abstract

Events in the year 1875 in Germany.

## Incumbents

### National level

- Emperor – William I

- Chancellor – Otto von Bismarck

### State level

#### Kingdoms

- King of Bavaria – Ludwig II

- King of Prussia – William I

- King of Saxony – Albert

- King of Württemberg – Charles

#### Grand Duchies

- Grand Duke of Baden – Frederick I

- Grand Duke of Hesse – Louis III

- Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin – Frederick Francis II

- Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Frederick William

- Grand Duke of Oldenburg – Peter II

- Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach – Charles Alexander

#### Principalities

- Schaumburg-Lippe – Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

- Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt – George Albert, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

- Schwarzburg-Sondershausen – Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

- Principality of Lippe – Leopold III, Prince of Lippe to 8 December, then Woldemar, Prince of Lippe

- Reuss Elder Line – Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz

- Reuss Younger Line – Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line

- Waldeck and Pyrmont – George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

#### Duchies

- Duke of Anhalt – Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt

- Duke of Brunswick – William, Duke of Brunswick

- Duke of Saxe-Altenburg – Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

- Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

- Duke of Saxe-Meiningen – Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

## Events

- 22 – 27 May – The Gotha Program is adopted by the Social Democratic Party of Germany.

- 27 May – German company Soennecken is founded

- 28 June – German company Lürssen is founded

- 16 August – The Hermannsdenkmal was inaugurated in Detmold.

### Undated

- German company Bauer Media Group is founded

- German company Schiesser is founded

- Congregations Law

- The weekly medical journal, Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift, is established in Germany by Paul Börner.

- Hotel Kaiserhof opens in Berlin.

## Births

- 4 February – Ludwig Prandtl, German engineer (died 1953)

- 6 February – Otto Gessler, German politician (died 1955)

- 18 February – Wilhelm Külz, German politician (died 1948)

- 26 February – Erich Koch-Weser, German lawyer and politician (died 1944)

- 22 March – Hans Grimm, German writer (died 1959)

- 17 May – Ernst Friedberger, German immunologist and hygienist (died 1932)

- 1 June – Carl Severing, German politician (died 1952)

- 6 June – Thomas Mann, German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist (died 1955)

- 22 June – Johannes Baader, German architect, writer and artist (died 1955)

- 3 July – Ferdinand Sauerbruch, German surgeon (died 1951)

- 3 September – Ferdinand Porsche, German automotive engineer (died 1951)

- 20 September – Matthias Erzberger, German politician (died 1921)

- 23 September – Hedwig Wangel, German actress (died 1961)

- 11 October – August Marahrens, German Protestant bishop who served as Landesbischof of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover (died 1950)

- 12 October – Emil Rudolf Weiß, German painter and poet (died 1942)

- 31 October – Heinrich Thyssen, German entrepreneur and art collector (died 1947)

- 4 November – Arthur Crispien, German politician (died 1946)

- 20 November – Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg, German diplomat (died 1944)

- 9 December – Carl Wentzel, German farmer (died 1944)

- 12 December – Gerd von Rundstedt, German field marshal (died 1953)

- 14 December – Paul Löbe, German politician (died 1967)

## Deaths

- 4 January – Michael Deinlein, German bishop (born 1800)

- 6 January – Frederick William, Elector of Hesse, German nobleman (born 1802)

- 20 May – Carl Heinrich Theodor Knorr, German businessman and founder of the company Knorr (born 1800)

- 4 June – Eduard Mörike, German poet (born 1804)

- 18 June – Wilhelm Paul Corssen, German philologist (born 1820)

- 20 June – Wilhelm Bauer, German engineer (born 1822)

- 15 October – Theodor Hosemann, German painter and illustrator (born 1807)

- 4 November – Robert von Mohl, German Jurist (born 1799)

- 8 December – Leopold III, Prince of Lippe, German nobleman (born 1821)


Alabama's 1st congressional district

# Alabama's 1st congressional district

## Abstract

30°59′13.3″N 87°56′14.34″W / 30.987028°N 87.9373167°W

Alabama's 1st congressional district is a United States congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It includes the entirety of Washington, Mobile, Baldwin and Monroe counties, as well as most of Escambia County. The largest city in the district is Mobile.

It is currently represented by Republican Jerry Carl.

## Character

Mobile, Alabama, is the focus of this district, which extends north along the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers. Timber production remains the biggest source of contributions to the local economy, however recently gulf coast condominium developments in Baldwin county represent new economic possibilities.

Politically, this area was one of the first in Alabama to shake off its Democratic roots. It was one of five districts to swing Republican in 1964, when Barry Goldwater swept the state. The GOP has held the district in every House election since then, usually by landslide margins; indeed, a Democrat has only managed 40 percent of the vote once since the current GOP run began in the district. However, conservative Democrats continued to hold most state and local offices well into the 1990s.

It supported George W. Bush with 60% of the vote in 2000, and with 64% in 2004. In 2008, John McCain received 61.01% of the vote in the district while 38.38% supported Barack Obama.

The 1st district traditionally gives its representatives very long tenures in Washington: only nine people have represented the seat in Congress since 1897, with all but two holding the seat for at least 10 years.

The Allen v. Milligan ruling reshaped the 1st and 2nd districts; rather than splitting the southern border to an east and west district, 1st was changed to represent all south border counties as well as Coffee, Dale, and Henry Counties.

## Communities

Since 2023, the following communities have had postal addresses within the 1st district.

### Entirely within the district

- Axis

- Bay Minette

- Bayou La Batre

- Beatrice

- Bon Secour

- Bucks

- Calvert

- Chatom

- Chunchula

- Citronelle

- Coden

- Creola

- Daphne

- Dauphin Island

- Deer Park

- Eight Mile

- Elberta

- Excel

- Fairhope

- Flomaton

- Foley

- Franklin

- Frankville

- Frisco City

- Fruitdale

- Gulf Shores

- Huxford

- Irvington

- Leroy

- Lillian

- Little River

- Loxley

- Magnolia Springs

- Malcolm

- McIntosh

- Mexia

- Mobile

- Montrose

- Mount Vernon

- Orange Beach

- Perdido

- Perdue Hill

- Point Clear

- Robertsdale

- Saint Elmo

- Saint Stephens

- Saraland

- Satsuma

- Seminole

- Semmes

- Silverhill

- Spanish Fort

- Stapleton

- Stockton

- Summerdale

- Sunflower

- Theodore

- Tibbie

- Uriah

- Vinegar Bend

- Vredenburgh

- Wagarville

- Wilmer

### Partially within the district

- Andalusia

- Atmore

- Brewton

- Castleberry

- Grand Bay

- Lower Peach Tree

- Millry

- Monroeville

- Peterman

- Pine Apple

- Repton

- Wing

## Recent election results

These are the results from the previous 11 election cycles in Alabama's 1st district.


American Agriculturist

# American Agriculturist

## Abstract

American Agriculturist is an agricultural publication for farm, home, and garden in the United States, previously published in English and German editions. Its subtitle varied over time: for the Farm, Garden, and Household (1869), for the Household, Garden, Farm (1877). It often included the tag-line Full of Good Things for Everybody, in City, Village, and Country (1877), etc. Solon Robinson was one of its writers. It was illustrated by numerous engravings. In 1885, it published a Family Cyclopaedia. In 1889, it published The Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening: A Practical and Scientific Encyclopedia of Horticulture for Gardeners and Botanists, (in 4 Volumes), which was edited by George Nicholson, This became the basis of the RHS 's Dictionary of Gardening.

The publication is currently owned by Farm Progress.

## History

It was founded by Anthony B. Allen and his brother Richard L. Allen. It was published in 1843 by Saxton & Miles in New York City. In 1856 it was taken over by Orange Judd and became a publication of the Orange Judd Company. The publication absorbed several others and was eventually published in Springfield, Massachusetts. Originally monthly it became a weekly publication.

A German language edition for immigrants and 5 regional editions were established. Advertisers included cabinet organ, melodeon, and other instrument companies, gelatin and blanc mange brands, cooking tool offerings such as horseradish graters, farm equipment including grist mills, seed and plant businesses, steam engines, wires, watches, washers, trusses, patent companies, cutters, book subscriptions, and Great American Tea Company notices. Columns exposing quackery were run and medical advertisements were prohibited.

Henry Morgenthau Jr. owned the paper by 1924.

## Staff

Romeyn Berry and Manly Miles also wrote for the paper. Joseph Harris (writer) also wrote for the paper.

## External links

- Official website


The Being from Earth

# The Being from Earth

## Abstract

The Being from Earth is a 1991 German science fiction drama film directed by David Vostell. It was filmed in summer of 1990 in Los Angeles in English. The Being from Earth tells the story of a day when the lives of various people are in danger due to the connection between their actions and the inexplicable events surrounding the birth of The Being from Earth. A hybrid of animal and plant, born from the sands of the Mojave Desert.

## Plot

Melissa finishes her night shift in a genetics lab in the morning and drives to her boyfriend Teddy, who is planning a bank robbery with Goofy, a friend. Melissa tries to dissuade him. While driving on a highway through the Mojave Desert, Melissa panics and tells Teddy to stop the car immediately. They see the birth of the being out of the sands of the desert and take it home with them. A police officer is already on Teddy because of the planned bank robbery and follows them. After a fight, they leave the downed cop and drive back to Goofy's. They are pursued by curious neighbors. A group of three people, having found out about the birth through the visions of the medium Miriam, track down Melissa and Teddy. Goofy dies in a shootout. Melissa and the being are kidnapped by the group. Teddy tracks them to an abandoned factory floor and tries to free Melissa, but fails. Melissa gets tied up. With the sperm of the being, Melissa is supposed to be fertilized and give birth to a new being. Teddy can prevent this at the last second.

## Production

The Being from Earth was created by Georg Sili, Bruce Fuller / KNB EFX Group and David Vostell. Filming took place in Los Angeles in Palmdale, California and in the Mojave Desert. Film laboratory was Consolidated Film Industries / CFI- Hollywood and Geyer-Werke Berlin. The film premiered on December 8, 1991, in the Kino Babylon in Berlin. The film was released on VHS in 1992 and in 2022 on Blu-ray in the Original English Version.

## Reception

The film's title primarily refers to the being born from the earth. But it can also be understood as a metaphor. The being in the film is not a monster or beast. It's a kind of life that we don't know. The Being from Earth differs greatly from the conventional understanding of cinema and is an enigmatic film. The viewer's expectation of an explanatory, conventional narrative structure quickly gives way to the search for insight. Different interpretations of the plot are possible and also wanted. The film takes on a life of its own that is difficult to follow. The being in the film is extremely passive. It does not bite or kill. Characteristically, it can be compared to the creature in David Lynch 's film Eraserhead.

## Sources

- David Vostell, Biografia / Recopilation 1978 - 2008 by Michaela Nolte, nivel88 Editor. ISBN 978-84-612-2941-3.

- The World of David Vostell 1976 - 2018, Sun Chariot Books, Cáceres, 2019. ISBN 978-84-949836-3-4.

- David Vostell, Worldcat

## Releases

- 1992: The Being from Earth. Original English Version, VHS.

- 2022: The Being from Earth. Original English Version, Blu-ray. Distributor: nine disc, Limited Special Edition of 100, 9 exclusive double-sided Art Cards. Extra content on USB flash drive.

- 2022: The Being from Earth. Original English Version, Blu-ray. Distributor: Illuminated Nebula, Standard Edition of 100.

- 2022: The Being from Earth. Original English Version, Blu-ray. Distributor: Illuminated Nebula, Limited Metal Edition of 150 in metal box, from the Original 35 mm - 1.85:1 Negative digitally remastered.


Dionysios Papadongonas

# Dionysios Papadongonas

## Abstract

Dionysios Papadongonas (Greek: Διονύσιος Παπαδόγκωνας, 1888–1944) was a colonel in the Greek Army and a leading collaborationist with Nazi Germany during the Axis occupation of Greece, as overall commander of the Security Battalions in the Peloponnese.

## Life

Dionysios Papadongonas was born in Petalidi, Messenia, in 1888. He became a career infantry officer, and fought in the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, the Macedonian Front of World War I, and the Asia Minor Campaign, as well as the Allied intervention in Southern Russia during the Russian Civil War. In the late 1930s, he was adjutant to King George II of Greece. During the Greco-Italian War of 1940–1941 he fought with the rank of colonel as a unit commander, then deputy commander, and finally commanding officer of the 5th Infantry Division. He ended the war with the remnants of the division in the Peloponnese, where the unit disbanded in April 1941. He remained in the Peloponnese, settling at Tripoli, before taking on the Kalamata Military Command on behalf of the collaborationist government in mid-1942.

With other royalist officers, Papadongonas tried to create a resistance group called " Hellenic Army " (ES) in 1943, as a counterpart and rival to the leftist EAM-ELAS, which was rapidly emerging as the largest resistance movement in occupied Greece. ES and EAM-ELAS soon began skirmishes, and Papadongonas, ardent anti-communist, he turned to close collaboration with the occupying forces—the Italians first and then, after the Italian Armistice, the Germans—against EAM-ELAS. On 18 August 1943, EAM-ELAS published an agreement supposedly concluded a written agreement between Papadongonas and the Italian commander of the 64th Infantry Regiment, Dorio Domenico, for this purpose. While the authenticity of this document continues to be disputed by historians, Papadongonas himself never explicitly renounced it, and even if doctored, it likely represents his real intentions. German sources also report that Domenico boasted of having intentionally leaked the agreement to EAM-ELAS, to cement the distrust between leftist and royalist resistance groups. Papadongonas was denounced by the rest of ES, which in turn accepted to be integrated into EAM-ELAS under very disadvantageous terms. Some factions within ES, led by Tilemachos Vrettakos, clashed with EAM-ELAS and sided with Papadongonas, seeking weapons from the Germans to unleash a "counter-terror" against the leftists. These did not come in time, and the last ES groups were disbanded by EAM-ELAS in October 1943.

In November 1943, Papadongonas left Kalamata for Athens, but returned to the Peloponnese in March 1944 as head of the Security Battalions ' II Gendarmerie Headquarters at Tripoli, thus overall commander of the Security Battalions in the Peloponnese. After learning of Hitler's survival in the 20 July plot, Papadongonas sent congratulations to the German dictator, for which he received a commendation and promises of further support by SS chief Heinrich Himmler, while in his post-war trial, the German commander-in-chief in Greece, Hellmuth Felmy, characterized him as a loyal and honest collaborator of the German forces, who participated actively in the collection and execution of hostages as reprisals for attacks on German troops.

Papadongonas was killed on 7 December 1944 at Goudi, during the Dekemvriana in Athens. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of major general by the royalist government, but this was cancelled on 22 August 1945 due to his role in the Security Battalions.

## Sources


Brilliant Dadashova

# Brilliant Dadashova

## Abstract

Brilliant Suleyman gyzy Dadashova (Azerbaijani: Brilliant Süleyman qızı Dadaşova; born 15 September 1959 or 1965, according to other sources) is an Azerbaijani pop singer.

## Life

Brilliant Dadashova was born into a family of five children. Her older sisters also pursued careers in music.

She first appeared on stage in 1985 with the songs by Azerbaijani composer Eldar Mansurov. In 1986, she participated in the annual International Youth Festival in Moscow. Two years later, she won the prestigious All-Union Pop Singers Contest, a singing competition among representatives of the republics of the Soviet Union. In 1990, she graduated from the Azerbaijan National Culture and Arts Institute. She is one of the few pop singers native to Azerbaijan to have played outside of their home country. Dadashova's concert venues included the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Russia, and Turkey.

In 1995, her song "Züleyha" hit the top 10 in Russian charts. In 1997, Dadashova was among the musicians who participated in the recording of the album Landet vi kommer fra ("The Land We Came From", released by Kirkelig Kulturverksted in Norway), which included Azerbaijani folk songs sung in Azerbaijani and Norwegian by the Azerbaijani soloists and the Norwegian choir SKRUK.

In 1999, Brilliant Dadashova was elected to the Baku City Council. From 2001 to 2006 she hosted her own prime time talk-show, Gözəllik dünyanı xilas edəcək ("Beauty will save the world"), on Azerbaijan's Space TV.

In 2012, her song "Vokaliz" (a 2001 vocal improvisation of the Azerbaijani folk dance tunes "Meydan" and "Baki", as well as Vagif Garayzadeh's "Novruzu" musical composition) became an issue of controversy after allegedly having been performed by the Armenian singer Varduhi Vardanyan, who was accused of violating copyright. Vardanyan vehemently denied the accusations and claimed that the song is a traditional Armenian folk song.

Since September 2006, Brilliant Dadashova has been actively involved in the Akademiya TV project (the Azerbaijani version of Star Academy) aimed at professional musical training of talented youths and preparing them for the big stage.

During her career, Brilliant released seven albums. Her last one, Saninlayam ("I'm with You"), was released in September 2002, and was dedicated to the memory of composer Rafig Babayev. She released another studio album, titled Masal Dunyam, in Azerbaijan and Turkey in August 2008. The song "Per sempre" with Adriano Celentano was published in 2021.

Brilliant Dadashova is married to stage actor Adalat Hajiyev and has a son. In March 2011, she announced that she had filed for divorce due to a long-term complicated relationship. In 2020, Brilliant Dadashova celebrated 32 years of marriage.


Limia

# Limia

## Abstract

Limia is a genus of livebearing fishes belonging to the Cyprinodontiform family Poeciliidae, which includes other livebearers such as platys, swordtails (genus Xiphophorous), guppies and mollies (genus Poecilia). They are found in fresh and brackish water. Of the 22 described Limia species, 17 are endemic to Hispaniola, one is found on both Hispaniola and Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands, Cuba, and Venezuela have an endemic species each. Limia are popular in aquaria among more advanced hobbyists.

## Taxonomy

The genus Limia belongs to Poecilidae, the most abundant and species-rich family of freshwater fish on the Antilles. Other Poecilidae genera found on the Antilles include Poecilia, Gambusia, and the endemic genera Girardinus and Quintana. Limia, however, is represented on the islands by more species than any other poeciliid genus, with 22 currently known from Cuba, Grand Cayman Hispaniola, and Jamaica. Cuba, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica each have one endemic species: L. vittata, L. caymanensis, and L. melanogaster, respectively. The rest are found exclusively on Hispaniola, making the island a center of endemism for the genus. Their distribution on Hispaniola indicates a evolutionary radiation from Lake Miragoâne on the Tiburon Peninsula in particular. Nine species endemic to the lake having been described: L. fuscomaculata, L. garnieri, L. grossidens, L. immaculata, L. islai, L. mandibularis, L. miragoanensis, L. nigrofasciata, and L. ornata.

### Evolution and phylogeny

Most recent studies about the origin of limias conclude that the genus reached the Antilles islands through oceanic dispersal or vicariance. GAARlandia, a hypothesized land bridge connecting the area of the modern islands to the South American mainland during the Eocene–Oligocene transition, might have enabled the fish to colonize the Antilles through a combination of dispersal, vicariance, and island hopping. Limia ancestors are unlikely to have arrived exclusively over land, however, because Limia and all other native Antillean species are tolerant of saltwater; if a land bridge had been sufficient, intolerant species would have also colonized the islands.

Limia forms a clade with Pamphorichthys, Mollienesia, Micropoecilia, and Poecilia. Some authorities advocate for all of these taxa to be considered seperate genera, while others maintain that some or all of them should be treated as subgenera of the genus Poecilia. The sister clade to Limia is the one formed by the Hispaniolan Poecilia species P. elegans, P. dominicensis, and P. hispaniolana; all three have been found to be more closely related to Limia than to other Poecilia species, adding to the uncertainty in the taxonomic designations of Poecilia. Limia and the Hispaniolan Poecilia species diverged from Pamphorichthys during the Eocene–Oligocene transition.

The first to split off from the other Limia species, near the Oligocene–Miocene boundary, was L. melanogaster, which went on to colonize Jamaica. This was followed by the colonization of the combined Cuba-Hispaniola landmass. When the Windward Passage divided the landmass into the modern islands of Cuba and Hispaniola, the ancestors of L. vittata and L. caymanensis split from the Hispaniolan species.

### Species

Based on the number and shape of teeth and preopercular pores, Rivas separated the Limia species into two subgenera: Limia and Odontolimia. All seven of Odontolimia species are endemic to Lake Miragoâne. One species, Pseudolimia heterandria from Venezuela, was placed in the genus Limia when it was described in 1913, but was moved to its own genus, Pseudolimia, in 2002.

#### Odontolimia

- Limia fuscomaculata Rivas, 1980 (blotched limia)

- Limia garnieri Rivas, 1980 (Garnier's limia)

- Limia grossidens Rivas, 1980 (largetooth limia)

- Limia immaculata Rivas, 1980 (plain limia)

- Limia mandibularis Rodriguez-Silva, Torres-Pineda & Josaphat, 2020 (jawed limia)

- Limia miragoanensis Rivas, 1980 (Miragoane limia)

- Limia ornata Regan, 1913 (ornate limia)

#### Limia

- Limia caymanensis Rivas & W. L. Fink, 1970 (Grand Cayman limia)

- Limia dominicensis (Valenciennes, 1846) (Tiburon Peninsula limia)

- Limia islai, Rodriguez-Silva & Weaver, 2020 (tiger limia)

- Limia melanogaster (Günther, 1866) (blackbelly limia)

- Limia melanonotata Nichols & G. S. Myers, 1923 (blackbanded limia)

- Limia nigrofasciata Regan, 1913 (black-barred limia)

- Limia pauciradiata Rivas, 1980 (few-rayed limia)

- Limia perugiae (Evermann & H. W. Clark, 1906) (Perugia's limia)

- Limia rivasi L. R. Franz & G. H. Burgess, 1983 (Rivas's limia)

- Limia sulphurophila Rivas, 1980 (sulfur limia)

- Limia tridens (Hilgendorf, 1889)

- Limia versicolor (Günther, 1866) (varicolored limia)

- Limia vittata (Guichenot, 1853) (Cuban limia)

- Limia yaguajali Rivas, 1980 (Yaguajal limia)

- Limia zonata (Nichols, 1915) (striped limia)

## Ecology

Most Limia species inhabit inland waters such as rivers, springs, and lakes. Some are confined to relatively cool mountain streams. While most are found in freshwater habitats, some species inhabit karst environments high in dissolved inorganic salts or in saline lakes. A few are even found in hypersaline coastal lagoons.

Most Limia species prefer to feed on detritus and algae, with some Hispanionalan species, such as L. nigrofasciata, showing a specialization in detrivory. A trend towards a limnivore diet has also been recorded in the genus. Widespread species such as L. perugiae, L. versicolor, and L. zonata have been found to have a more generalized diet, which (especially in the wet season) includes aquatic invertebrates.

## Reproduction

Limias are livebearers. Courtship display may have evolved on two separate occasions in the genus.


The Believer (2001 film)

# The Believer (2001 film)

## Abstract

The Believer is a 2001 American drama film written and directed by Henry Bean in his feature directorial debut, based on a story by Bean and Mark Jacobson. Starring Ryan Gosling, Billy Zane, Theresa Russell, and Summer Phoenix, the film follows Daniel Balint, a Jew who becomes a neo-Nazi. The film is loosely based on the true story of Dan Burros, a member of the American Nazi Party and the New York branch of the United Klans of America who died by suicide after being revealed as Jewish by a reporter from The New York Times.

The Believer premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2001, where it won the Grand Jury Prize. It was theatrically released in the United States on May 17, 2002, to positive reviews, with particular praise for Gosling's performance. The film earned several accolades, including the Golden St. George at the 23rd Moscow International Film Festival. It received four nominations at the 17th Independent Spirit Awards, Best First Feature and Best Screenplay for Bean, Best Male Lead for Gosling, and Best Supporting Female for Summer Phoenix.

## Plot

The film begins with a continuing series of flashbacks into the childhood of Daniel Balint, a young Jewish yeshiva student. Brilliant but troubled, he often challenged his teachers with unorthodox interpretations of scripture. During a debate about the Binding of Isaac, Daniel argues that the story was not about Abraham 's faith but God's power: that God's purpose was not to have Abraham accomplish a particular task, but rather to demand unquestioning obedience; harshly depicting God as a bully. It is from these early experiences that Daniel begins to defect from his Jewish identity.

In the present day, Daniel is now a fanatically violent neo-Nazi in New York in his early twenties. Daniel and his group of skinhead friends find a meeting of fascists run by Curtis Zampf and Lina Moebius, where he also makes a connection with Lina's daughter Carla. Daniel advocates killing Jews, and a banker named Manzetti in particular, but Curtis and Lina oppose harming Jews on practical if not moral grounds. Impressed with Daniel's intelligence and oratory, Lina invites him to their camp retreat in the country. Afterward, Daniel and his neo-Nazi friends pick a fight with two African-American men, get arrested, and are bailed out by Carla. He spends the night with her but returns to his ailing father's home where he is harangued by his sister Linda for his Nazi beliefs, but she also urges him to stay and have Shabbat dinner. The men watch TV, which is forbidden on the Sabbath according to some Orthodox Jews, leading them to commiserate on the incomprehensibility of Jewish law.

Guy Danielsen, a journalist writing an article on hate groups, meets Daniel for an interview. He listens to Daniel's antisemitic speech, but then reveals that he knows Daniel is Jewish from tracking down his old rabbi and bar mitzvah record. Enraged by this, Daniel pulls out a pistol and threatens to commit suicide if Guy publishes the truth.

Daniel goes to the fascist camp retreat, where he meets Drake, a skilled marksman, along with an explosives expert. Six of the retreat participants, including Daniel, go to a Jewish deli, where they torment the owner about Jewish dietary laws until a fight breaks out. Daniel and his friends are required by a court to take sensitivity training, where they listen to the experiences of Holocaust survivors. One talks about how his infant son was murdered by a Nazi. Daniel is enraged that the man did nothing to save his son, but all the survivors assert that Daniel would also have done nothing, and he walks out in anger.

The story haunts him, and he imagines himself as the Nazi. Later that night, Daniel and the gang break into a synagogue, vandalize it, and plant a time bomb under the pulpit. They also tear, trample, and spit on a Torah scroll, though Daniel protests. After they leave, Daniel takes the scroll and a tallit katan with him. The next morning, the neo-Nazis hear on the news that the bomb failed to go off. Back in his cabin, Daniel puts on the tallit under his shirt and performs a combination of the Nazi salute and a Hagbaha.

Drake approaches him with a plan to kill Manzetti. Outside a temple, Daniel fires at him but misses. Drake discovers the tallit and realizes that he is a Jew, so Daniel shoots him and escapes. He continues to meet with Lina and Curtis, who want to start an above-ground movement to bring fascism into the political mainstream, inviting Jews, blacks, and liberals. Daniel reluctantly agrees to help them raise funds. At the meetings that follow, Daniel first charms, then enrages, their potential donors with his intellectual games, leading to his expulsion. When news breaks that Manzetti was killed, Lina suspects Daniel, since he proposed the assassination, but Drake is the real killer.

Carla comforts Daniel and they sleep together at his home. When she sees the stolen Torah, she asks Daniel to teach her Hebrew. He soon runs into an old friend and his fiancée, Stuart and Miriam, who invite him to a Rosh Hashanah service, assuming that he is an anti-racist skinhead. When Daniel arrives, another old friend calls him out as a racist skinhead. As he is leaving, Miriam, who works for the District Attorney, tells him that half of the people in Lina's meetings are informants for the D.A. She asks Daniel to record conversations at a meeting so she can help him with possible charges stemming from the Manzetti killing, but he refuses.

As Yom Kippur approaches, Daniel calls Miriam and insists on taking Stuart's place leading the Ne'ila service at the bimah on Yom Kippur. He and his friends plant a new bomb under the temple's pulpit even though they find it reinforced, limiting the explosion. When Daniel takes the pulpit the next day, he is shocked to see Carla in the congregation. He again imagines himself in the story the Holocaust survivor told him, this time as both the Nazi and the Jew. With minutes to go, Daniel stops and tells everyone to get out because there is a bomb, but refuses to leave himself.

There's a flash of light, and Daniel is shown ascending the stairs in the Jewish school he left as a child. His old teacher approaches, hoping to talk about the Binding of Isaac, and suggests that Isaac died on the mountain and was reborn in the world to come. But Daniel ignores him and keeps climbing up but unexplainably meets his teacher on every floor, asking Daniel to stop, calling out, "There's nothing up there."

## Cast

- Ryan Gosling as Daniel Balint Jacob Green as Young Daniel Balint

- Jacob Green as Young Daniel Balint

- Billy Zane as Curtis Zampf

- Theresa Russell as Lina Moebius

- Summer Phoenix as Carla Moebius

- Ronald Guttman as Mr. Balint

- Glenn Fitzgerald as Drake

- Garret Dillahunt as Billings

- Heather Goldenhersh as Linda

- A.D. Miles as Guy Danielsen

- Tommy Nohilly as Whit

- Henry Bean as Ilio Manzetti

- Joshua Harto as Kyle

- Chuck Ardezzone as Chuck

- Elizabeth Reaser as Miriam

- Dean Strober as Stuart Frank Winters as Young Stuart

- Frank Winters as Young Stuart

- Judah Lazarus as Avi James G. McCaffrey as Young Avi

- James G. McCaffrey as Young Avi

- Sascha Knopf as Cindy Pomerantz

- Tovah Feldshuh as Woman In Shul

- Roberto Gari as Ancient Jew

- Eileen B. Weiss as Woman At Yom Kippur

## Reception

The Believer received an 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 95 reviews; the average rating is 7.34 out of 10. The consensus states: "Gosling commands the screen with a raw, electrifying performance." The film also has a score of 75 on Metacritic based on 28 reviews.

Jamie Russell of BBC Films said that it was "awe-inspiring... a late contender for one of the best films of the year—an intellectually breathtaking, profoundly moving film." Charlotte O'Sullivan of The Independent said, "It's naturally thrilling... The Believer is astonishing." Time Out said, "the film is driven by Gosling's revelatory performance... arresting, prickly, vaguely funny, even—'difficult' in the best sense."

Todd McCarthy for Variety said, "Bean deals with the core elements of this odd, and oddly compelling, situation with admirable frankness and intelligence, but flounders around the edges. The tenets of Zampf and Moebius' political movement receive such scant attention that the scenes devoted to it are borderline ludicrous, and the masochistic impulses that seem to draw Carla to Danny—"Hurt me!," she begs at the start of their first sexual encounter, and he willingly obliges—are rote and undeveloped."

Julie Salamon for The New York Times said, "This willfully provocative film portrait (...) offers lots of raging, vulgarity and shock but little insight into the character's psychopathology. (...) The movie's most telling moment comes when Danny confronts Holocaust survivors about why they allowed themselves to be brutalized. One of them, an old man, responds by asking, And what shall we learn from you, Daniel ? It's a good question, never answered.

David Germain for The Washington Post said, "Even as he commits hate crimes and becomes an anti-Jewish rabble-rouser, the youth is torn between contempt for Jewish passivity during the Holocaust and reverence for the traditions of Judaism."