Isaiah Berlin

Sir Isaiah Berlin OM CBE FBA (6 June 1909 – 5 November 1997) was a Latvian-British social and political theorist, philosopher and historian of ideas, widely considered to be the dominant British scholar of his generation. He excelled as an essayist, conversationalist and raconteur, and was a brilliant lecturer who spontaneously improvised richly allusive and coherently structured material. In its obituary of the scholar, the Independent stated that "Isaiah Berlin was often described, especially in his old age, by means of superlatives: the world's greatest talker, the century's most inspired reader, one of the finest minds of our time... there is no doubt that he showed in more than one direction the unexpectedly large possibilities open to us at the top end of the range of human potential".

In 1932, at the age of 23, Berlin was elected to a prize fellowship at All Souls College, Oxford. He translated works by Ivan Turgenev from Russian into English and, during the war, worked for the British Diplomatic Service. From 1957 to 1967 he was Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at the University of Oxford. He was president of the Aristotelian Society from 1963 to 1964. In 1966, he played a crucial role in founding Wolfson College, Oxford, and became its first President.

Isaiah Berlin (rabbi)

Isaiah Berlin also known as Yeshaye Pick (c. October 1725 in Eisenstadt, Hungary – May 13, 1799 in Breslau) was a German Talmudist.

Biography

Berlin studied under Ẓevi Hirsch Bialeh (Ḥarif), the rabbi of Halberstadt, at the latter's yeshivah. In 1755 Berlin moved to Breslau where he engaged in business. In 1793, when already advanced in years, he was elected to a rabbinical post, being appointed to succeed Isaac Joseph Te'omim as rabbi of Breslau. His election was marked by a dispute between the members of the community and the local maskilim, who had begun to organize themselves as a body and opposed Berlin, who, despite his love of peace, openly attacked their ideas. Berlin was elected by an overwhelming majority.

Berlin was greatly admired, even by persons who differed with him in religious views. According to ḥasidic sources, Berlin was sympathetically disposed toward that movement and extended a friendly welcome to one of its emissaries, Jacob Samson of Spitsevka. Further, Joel Brill, Aaron Wolfsohn, Judah Bensew, and many other Maskilim of Breslau often visited him to seek advice on scientific questions. As the Maskilim always carefully avoided wounding Berlin's religious feelings, he on his part met them half-way in many things. On the occasion of the Peace of Basel, for instance (May 17, 1795), he held a solemn service in the synagogue and exceptionally permitted the use of instrumental music, he himself delivering a discourse which was highly praised by the press ("Schlesische Zeitung", 1795, No. 59). Thus Berlin, conciliated the hostile elements of his congregation, and his death was mourned equally by all.

Überlin

"Überlin" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M.. It was released as the second single from their fifteenth and final studio album Collapse into Now on January 25, 2011.

The song's music video was directed by Sam Taylor-Wood and stars her fiancé, actor Aaron Johnson.

Formats and track listings

Charts

References

External links

Berlin (TV series)

Berlin is a 2009 documentary series co-developed by the BBC and the Open University. Written and presented by Matt Frei, the series has three 60-minute episodes, each dealing with a different aspect of the history of Germany's capital city.

Episodes

Episode 1 – "Dangerous Ideas"

Using the life and posthumous legacy of Frederick the Great as its central theme, this episode covers some of the most notable political, social and cultural movements to emerge within Berlin over the past two centuries.

Episode 2 – "Ruined Visions"

From the advent of the former Berliner Stadtschloss to the Palast der Republik which for a time took its place, from the creation of the Bauakademie to that of the Olympic Stadium, and from the rise of the Fernsehturm to the rejuvenation of the Reichstag, this episode looks at the varied periods of construction, destruction and renewal seen in the architecture of the city of Berlin.

Episode 3 – "Ich bin ein Berliner"

Turning to look at the legacy which history has placed upon the people of Berlin – and that which Berliners themselves have offered in turn – this episode charts the tumultuous eras which the city has endured, for good or ill, through the course of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Berlin (sculpture)

Berlin is the name of a sculpture on the Tauentzienstraße in western Berlin, the capital of Germany.

First conceived in 1985 and unveiled by the husband-and-wife sculpting team of Brigitte Matschinsky-Denninghoff and Martin Matschinsky in 1987, the sculpture's principal motif, a "broken chain", was meant to symbolize the severed connections between West and East Berlin due to the construction of the Berlin Wall.

Even though the Wall has since been dismantled, the sculpture was bought by the city from Mrs. Matschinsky-Denninghoff to commemorate the unfortunate chapter in German history.

History

Berlin was one of eight sculptures designed during "Skulpturenboulevard Kurfürstendamm" (Boulevard of Sculptures: Kurfürstendamm), an event commissioned by the city of West Berlin to celebrate Berlin's 750th anniversary in 1987. Of the eight sculptures unveiled, three were allowed to remain past the anniversary year (Berlin, Pyramide, and Cadillacs in Form der nackten Maja); the city and Deutsche Bank acquired Berlin after its original lease had expired.

Isaiah (disambiguation)

Isaiah is the main character in the Biblical Book of Isaiah.

Isaiah may also refer to:

People:

Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53, or Isaiah 52:13-53:12, taken from the Book of Isaiah, is the last of the four Songs of the Suffering Servant, and tells the story of a "Man of Sorrows" or "God's Suffering Servant".

Jewish scripture in Isaiah 52:13 through Isaiah 53:12 describes the servant of the Lord as the Nation of Israel itself: "My Servant..." (Isaiah 53:11), "... a man of pains and accustomed to illness ... " (Isaiah 53:3). "The theme of Isaiah is jubilation, a song of celebration at the imminent end of the Babylonian Captivity".Judaism sees this passage, especially "God's Suffering Servant", being written over 2500 years ago, without a reference to the king Mashiach. Jewish teaching also does take note of the historical context in which God's Suffering Servant appears, particularly because it speaks in the past tense. Jews have borne injustices under the Assyrian, Babylonian, Seleucid, Roman and Nazi German empires which are all gone, and the nation of Israel is still fighting wars with its neighbours today. Jewish scripture in Isaiah speaks in the light, when it says: