Open Access Books

Zeit, wenngleich unsichtbar, ist sinnlich wahrnehmbar und ein wesentlicher Faktor bildlicher Darstellung. Im Bild zeigt sie sich, wenn kleine oder große Ereignisse miteinander in Beziehung gesetzt werden. Das Buch beschäftigt sich mit diesem In-Beziehung-Setzen als bildkünstlerischer Zeit-Erzeugung und nimmt dabei insbesondere situative Beziehungen in den Blick. Sie werden individuell gesetzt und haben anders als die großen christlichen Zeitordnungen keine regulierende Funktion. Indem sie sich ‚der Zeit‘ nicht als großes Ganzes annähern, sondern Zeit über die Erfahrbarkeit von Dauer, Gleichzeitigkeit oder Zählbarkeit erschließen, rücken sie das Dargestellte an die Lebenswelt der Gläubigen an. In den Blick genommen werden diese Zusammenhänge anhand von Werken aus Spätantike, frühem und hohem Mittelalter. Damit steht eine Zeitspanne im Mittelpunkt, deren Artefakte bisher kaum auf eine differenzierte Reflexion des Zeitlichen hin befragt wurden.

The volume, dedicated to the 44th International Conference of the Italian Union for Drawing, investigates the theme of ‘Transitions’, which particularly effectively represents our time and the current condition of the discipline of Drawing. The term, beyond its generic meaning of an intermediate stage in a process in which a condition changes from one state to another, has always been used in various fields, from music to geophysics. In fact, the disciplines of drawing have always been confronted with themes and issues relating to transitions from one condition to another. The history of representation tells us of transformations, even epochal ones, relating to ‘drawing’, with all that such transitions entail: suffice it to think of the evolution of forms of representation, of instrumental apparatuses, of the mutability of supports, of the analogical-digital transition underway, of the new modes of communication on platforms, of the hypertrophic offer of images also on the net that confirms Guy Debord’s intuitions relating to the new spectacularisation of society. Similarly, representation triggers transitions in the prefiguration and communication of design, the anticipation and foreshadowing of future events.The challenges posed by the digital pose open questions whose scope can only be glimpsed, such as the relationship between drawing and the act of modelling, and the construction of new paradigms of visual language and communication. ‘Transitions’, almost implicitly, points to possible futures, the evolution of technique and the search for new modes of expression; at the same time, however, it can suggest silences and reflections in a process of connection between history, theory, criticism and construction.

The manuscript collections of the Bodleian Library contain a corpus of dozens of documents from the archive of Moses ben Judah. A leader of the Jewish community in Alexandria, he was also a prominent businessman and in contact with individuals from Cairo to Sicily. This collection of documents at the Bodleian likely did not emerge from the Cairo Genizah, but from another depository, and appears to have been buried at some point. The documents, which include letters and deeds, shed light on the world of the Jewish elite of a Mediterranean city at the end of the Middle Ages, their communal and business life, connections between Jewish communities, and intellectual trends and tastes among educated Jews. They improve our understanding of the lives of Alexandrian Jews in the late Middle Ages and provide new data about the local leadership and its relations with the Nagidate (the central Jewish leadership) in Cairo, the cantors, the poll tax and its effects, and more. We hear about tensions within this society and the growing presence of European (Italian, Greek, Iberian, and conversos) Jews within the complex social mosaic of Egyptian Jewry in the late Mamluk period. The documents inform us about Alexandria’s Jewish community and the commercial networks of the Mediterranean world, in which Jews traded alongside Christians and Muslims. This volume makes an important contribution to the study of Judaeo-Arabic at a watershed moment. Sources from the late Mamluk period show Judaeo-Arabic at a linguistic border between Classical and Late Judaeo-Arabic. The volume will therefore further readers’ knowledge of historical linguistics of Arabic in general, and Judaeo-Arabic in particular. The phrase ‘Wisdom and Greatness in One Place’ in the title of the book is a quotation from the Babylonian Talmud (Giṭṭin 59a), the meaning of which is that it is rare to find combined in one man political leadership and intellectual pre-eminence.

Facing the present in relation to the past, the “outsideness” of Italian Slavic studies can be seen to represent a liminal space between the self and the Other. This article discusses how the image of the Russian poet, who is capable of both satisfying a Russian quest for uniqueness and legitimizing what Western eyes often see as Russian culture’s illegibility, intersects with themes raised in the field of diversity studies. Our close analysis of texts and facts, conducted using a polycentric approach and with reference to notions of “approximation” and “contamination”, acknowledges differences as a step not towards their elimination or homogenization, but towards the “translation” into one’s own culture of voices that were originally distinct.

This book is a biography and reception history of the Lithuanian–American archaeologist Marija Gimbutas (1921–1994). It presents the first transnational account of Gimbutas’ life based on historical research, and an original examination of the impact of her ideas in various feminist contexts, both academic and popular. At the core of this book is a success story of an Eastern European woman who survived both Soviet and Nazi occupations of her homeland, lived as a displaced person in postwar Germany, and built her career and scholarly authority within the androcentric American academia. At the same time, it is also a story of a controversy, which followed Gimbutas’ theory of Old Europe – a prehistoric civilization, characterized by peacefulness, egalitarianism, women’s leadership, and the worship of the Great Goddess. First introduced in 1974, this theory inspired women’s movements worldwide, but was harshly criticized by other archaeologists. This book examines the various intellectual contexts (feminist, nationalist, theoretical) in which Gimbutas’ ideas were formed, received, and interpreted, as well as appropriated for different political goals. This timely study will appeal to scholars and students in the following fields: history of archaeology, prehistoric archaeology, gender studies, feminist studies, women’s history, Baltic studies, and religion and spirituality.

Une histoire de la nuit est-elle possible ? Poser ainsi la question, c’est y répondre positivement, mais au rebours de l’historiographie qui considère le jour comme le seul cadre temporel digne d’analyse. Loin d’être seulement « faite pour dormir », la nuit possède cependant ses coutumes et ses rythmes, assortis en Europe à la multitude des régions et des milieux sociaux. Jouant du ressort de la peur du crime, les pouvoirs régaliens ont tenté depuis longtemps — mais pas toujours avec succès — de contrôler la vie nocturne, notamment par le moyen de la police urbaine et de l’éclairage public. Ces intrusions sécuritaires sont à leur tour à l’origine d’une transformation de la vie nocturne.

The use of copper, silver, gold and platinum in jewelry as a measure of wealth is well known. This book contains 19 chapters written by international authors on other uses and applications of noble and precious metals (copper, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, iridium, osmium, rhodium, ruthenium, and rhenium). The topics covered include surface-enhanced Raman scattering, quantum dots, synthesis and properties of nanostructures, and its applications in the diverse fields such as high-tech engineering, nanotechnology, catalysis, and biomedical applications. The basis for these applications is their high-free electron concentrations combined with high-temperature stability and corrosion resistance and methods developed for synthesizing nanostructures. Recent developments in all these areas with up-to-date references are emphasized.

El presente libro que llevó por título "Método de Investigación Científica: Diseño de proyectos y elaboración de protocolos en las Ciencias Sociales" ofrece una guía completa para investigadores en el campo de las Ciencias Sociales. Explora la importancia de la investigación rigurosa y ética en disciplinas como la sociología desde un punto de vista cuantitativo y cualitativo. A lo largo de sus páginas, se detalla el proceso de investigación, desde la formulación de preguntas hasta la comunicación de resultados. Se enfatiza la necesidad de la colaboración y se proporcionan herramientas y técnicas para la recopilación y análisis de datos. Este libro se presenta como una valiosa fuente de referencia para quienes buscan avanzar en la investigación en Ciencias Sociales.

The Populist Challenge - Democracy and Its Enemies offers a timely and provocative analysis of the deepening crisis of liberal democracy in an age marked by the authoritarian turn and post-liberal uncertainty. Bringing together contributions spanning Western Europe, the United States, Japan, Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe, this edited volume develops a genuinely global perspective that bridges regionally grounded case studies with broader theoretical and normative inquiry. Structured around a trajectory from democratic destabilization, through processes of illiberal transformation, to the prospects for democratic renewal, the book demonstrates that liberal democracy now faces systemic challenges from multiple “enemies,” both internal and external—including authoritarian tendencies, hybrid and neo-fascist formations, and the erosion of democratic norms evident in developments such as the Trump administration and wider global crises. It breaks new ground in populism studies by extending the field beyond its traditional Euro-American focus, advancing the analysis of non-Western populisms, while also reinterpreting Western cases through new comparative lenses. A distinctive contribution is its innovative, context-sensitive typology of populism, including outsider and insider populism and their hybrid forms, developed across multiple chapters and applied to diverse national settings, such as Japan and Indonesia. Across these analyses, the volume highlights underlying forces such as the depletion of well-being (WB) and values, corruption, and the often-overlooked moral and religious dimensions of political life, including dynamics of authoritarian and civic sacredness. Integrating empirical research with normative theory, this book engages with positive political psychology and well-being studies to explain democratic vulnerability and resilience. Building on this foundation, it advances Ethical Communitarian Democracy, or flourishing democracy, as a pathway beyond the limits of contemporary liberalism. By combining global scope, regional depth, and conceptual innovation, this volume not only explains the present crisis but also opens new frontiers in the study and renewal of democracy.

Cet ouvrage ne propose pas une histoire de la fiscalité : il examine les conflits qui entourent le paiement de l’impôt d’Empire dans le Saint-Empire romain germanique aux xviie et xviiie siècles. Au coeur de l’analyse se trouvent les ressorts de la construction spatiale et sociale du pouvoir, le consentement à la soumission et son refus. En suivant l’impôt, on découvre un fourmillement de relations de pouvoir, leur proclamation et leur renégociation permanentes. Car la fiscalité n’est pas un simple transfert d’argent : vecteur de l’ordonnancement du monde social, prérogative régalienne et instrument d’affirmation du pouvoir, elle est au cœur du maintien de l’ordre social et politique. Mais elle est également vecteur de contestation, et à travers son refus s’élaborent des espaces d’émancipation et des pratiques de participation politique, par la révolte et la procédure judiciaire. Du simple contribuable jusqu’au prince d’Empire, l’impôt permet de tracer le réseau des allégeances et des dépendances, la proclamation de la supériorité et la contestation de l’infériorité. L’impôt d’Empire est donc un poste d’observation de la manière dont le monde social tient et se maintient, dans une Allemagne marquée par la persistance de formes de pouvoir surprenantes, bien éloignées de l’idéal type de l’État « moderne ».

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by several fungal species. They can contaminate human food and animal feed, and have been a threat for thousands of years. The gastrointestinal tract is the first target when ingesting mycotoxin-contaminated food or feed. As unlikely as it sounds, the investigations concerning the effects of mycotoxins on the intestine are still in their early stages. This book gathers the most recent advances related to the characterization of the intestinal toxicity of mycotoxins. Substantial data assembled on the damage caused to a number of histological structures and functions of the intestine remove any remaining doubt about this organ being a primary target for the toxicity of mycotoxins. An interesting overview of the detrimental effects of mycotoxins on the gut-hosted microbiota—now regarded as a fully-fledged organ associated with the gut—is also given. Finally, outstanding contributions in this book address questions relating to the suitability of current regulations to protect against alterations of the intestine, and to the efficacy assessment of new detoxification strategies using the intestinal toxicity of mycotoxins as a relevant endpoint.

This book delves into the core of representative democracy in order to explain its main features – institutional and imaginary – and to show the reasons for its increasing dysfunctionality. The collection explores the constitutional imaginaries of representation. It outlines the main factors influencing the failures of representative democracy, in an age of constitutional crisis and transition, being gradually deconstructed via tendencies toward authoritarianism and technocracy. Special attention is devoted to the impact of the politics of fear on representative democracy. The analysis shows the main challenges stemming from national, international, transnational, and supranational technocracy produced by the increased role of administration, agencies, and courts. It exposes representative democracy as a composite phenomenon stretched between reason and emotions and between the constitutional past, present, and future. The volume will be of interest to researchers, academics, and policymakers working in the areas of constitutional law and politics, comparative constitutional law, administrative law, human rights law, and theory and philosophy of law.

The Eternal Dissident offers rare insight into one of the most inspiring and thought-provoking Reform rabbis of the twentieth century, Leonard Beerman, who was renowned both for his eloquent and challenging sermons and for his unrelenting commitment to social action. Beerman was a man of powerful word and action—a probing intellectual and stirring orator, as well as a nationally known opponent of McCarthyism, racial injustice, and Israeli policy in the occupied territories. The shared source of Beerman’s thought and activism was the moral imperative of the Hebrew prophets, which he believed bestowed upon the Jewish people their role as the “eternal dissident.” This volume brings Beerman to life through a selection of his most powerful writings, followed by commentaries from notable scholars, rabbis, and public personalities that speak to the quality and ongoing relevance of Beerman’s work.

Hervorgegangen aus einer Online-Vortragsreihe an der Universität Bamberg im Wintersemester 2020/21, bietet der vorliegende Sammelband facettenreiche Einblicke in die Geschichte der Wahrnehmung mann-männlicher Beziehungen und gleichgeschlechtlicher Handlungen von der Antike bis heute. Einleitend wird die Frage der Wahrnehmung von mann-männlicher Nähe und homosexuellen Handlungen in vormodernen Gesellschaften (insbesondere auch im europäischen Mittelalter) grundsätzlich aufgegriffen und in epochenübergreifende Zusammenhänge eingeordnet. Die Beiträge reichen vom Nahen Osten in biblischer Zeit und der römischen Antike über den Wandel der Deutungsmuster in den Jahrzehnten vor und nach 1900 bis hin zum Nationalsozialismus und zur Entwicklung im Recht und in der sozialen Praxis islamischer Länder im 20. Jahrhundert.