The Survival of Medieval Furnishings in Lutheran Churches. Notes towards a Comparison between Germany and Scandinavia

Perhaps paradoxically, of all medieval churches in Europe, those that became Lutheran during the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation possess the greatest wealth of medieval interior elements. Compared to Puritan Britain and the Calvinist Low Countries, Lutheran churches were not as thoroughly stripped of their medieval furnishings, while on the other hand Baroque renewals were much less far-reaching here than in Catholic regions. Although Lutheranism in general exerted a preserving effect on medieval church interiors, there are important differences between regions, both within Germany and between Germany and Scandinavia (here to be understood as “the Nordic countries”, i.e. including Finland and Iceland). This article makes a first attempt towards a comparison of the survival rates of medieval church furnishings in Lutheran Germany and the European North. Both regions are more or less on a par with regard to several specific elements including high altars and their decorations, triumphal arch crosses and baptismal fonts. However, other elements, such as tabernacles, choir stalls, chancel screens, pulpits and side altars are much more often preserved in Germany than in Scandinavia. It may be concluded, therefore, that the Reformation generally had further-reaching implications on the material culture of Nordic church buildings than on German ones

Temporal patterns and behavioural states of mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) movements to hotspots in the Rocky Mountains

Concentrated resources, or hotspots, can influence movement behaviour of many species. I studied the movement ecology of two groups of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) and their relationship with hotspots in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. First, I investigated fidelity to two roadside mineral licks. Movement patterns to mineral licks were documented over several temporal scales and I found that mountain goats have strong trans-generational, seasonal and daily movements to these mineral licks. Second, I investigated movements to foraging, travelling, and bedding areas in summer ranges, using hidden Markov models (HMMs) and predicted behavioural states. These behavioural states were ground validated and the results showed that HMMs can be used as a proxy for habitat hotspots. Understanding how animals adjust their movement behaviour to hotspots can provide valuable information for the management of these critical habitat features and the wider conservation of mountain goats

Exploring the temporally resolved electron density evolution in EUV induced plasmas

We measured for the first time the electron density in an Extreme Ultra-Violet induced plasma. This is achieved in a low-pressure argon plasma by using a method called microwave cavity resonance spectroscopy. The measured electron density just after the EUV pulse is $2.6\cdot10^{16}$ m$^{-3}$. This is in good agreement with a theoretical prediction from photo ionization, which yields a density of $4.5\cdot10^{16}$ m$^{-3}$. After the EUV pulse the density slightly increase due to electron impact ionization. The plasma (i.e. electron density) decays in tens of microseconds.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figure

“This Is My Place”. (Hi)Storytelling Churches in the Northern Netherlands

This article proposes storytelling as a tool to return historic church buildings to the people in today’s secularized society. It starts by recognizing the unique qualities shared by most historic churches, namely that they are (1) different from most other buildings, (2) unusually old, and (3) are often characterized by beautiful exteriors and interiors. The argument builds on the storytelling strategies that were chosen in two recent book projects (co-)written by the author of this article, on historic churches in the northern Dutch provinces of Frisia (Fryslân) and Groningen. Among the many stories “told” by the Frisian and Groningen churches and their interiors, three categories are specifically highlighted. First, the religious aspect of the buildings’ history, from which most of its forms, fittings, and imagery are derived, and which increasingly needs to be explained in a largely post-Christian society. Second, churches tell us local histories, because they were the communities’ most public space for centuries, and a room for social representation. Finally, third, local history is always “glocal”, because it is interwoven with multiple connections to other places far and near. Researching, cherishing, and telling these stories are powerful means to engage communities in the future preservation of their old churches as religious and cultural heritage.publishedVersio

Increasing the healing rate of skin wounds

No abstract