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Adolf Hitler’s rule between 1933 and 1945 is still seen by many as the embodiment of total, all-encompassing, unrestrained, yet madly pursued power. This paper examines the factors that underpinned Hitler’s power. Among them, his own abilities, his will to power, his rhetorical talents, his program-making habits, his organizational skills, his ability to restrain his subordinates and his cult. It becomes evident how the Nazi party efficiently structured itself into one of the most organized and distinguishable political entities in Germany, offering a credible alternative in a time of economic crisis, and, amid the intrigues of the Weimar elite, finally seizing power in 1933, consolidating and securing it through well thought-out measures implemented in stages. Hitler’s power thus became unchallengeable and rested on a foundation so solid that, though eroded, it remained firm to the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every country in the world is characterised by a heterogeneous spatial structure and the existence of regional disparities, and the aim of regional policy is to moderate these inequalities in the spatial development of economic activities. There are certain countries where spatial disparities are extremely large and areas lagging behind belong to one specific geographic area which feature a dual economic structure. There are, specifically, two large areas amongst the developed countries of the European Union whose economic performance lags behind the EU average and whose development paths are unique in many ways. An investigation into the unique development specifics of these two large, but coherent, territories - the regions of Southern Italy (the Mezzogiorno) and Eastern Germany - has attracted the interest of regional scientists for a long time. Today, the name "Mezzogiorno" is synonymous with long-term underdevelopment, whilst the other large area in question was reintegrated into the "mother country" after half a century of separation. Underdevelopment can be detected in almost all elements of the economy, the infrastructure and living conditions. Post-WW2, political constraints forced the German states to strike out along new paths. Five East German Länder and East Berlin were under Soviet occupation, and the planned economy of the German Democratic Republic created in 1949 gave rise to specific patterns of socio-economic development. The development rate of the previously advanced German provinces was considerably lower in the newly formed state than in West German Länder, and in the year of German reunification, labour productivity indices of East German areas were one-third of the West German average. Nevertheless, in the first years of the 2000s, the East German states showed more rapid convergence with the developed regions' average values than did the Southern Italian regions. The present paper aims to explore how various eras have left their mark on the recent regional development of East German states (Länder), what kinds of spatial transformation have occurred, what factors can be detected behind these changes and how spatial disparities have evolved in this vast, but backward, area in the developed Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 20th century Berlin became a flourishing metropolis but in the wake of two lost wars its geopolitical role dramatically decreased. In the second half of the century Berlin found itself in the focal point of geopolitical confrontation both on European and on global level. From 1945 the development of the two zones of the city was determined by different economic and social doctrines. Although the reunification in 1990 opened the path to social integration in Berlin. despite the policy of urban development, the differences caused by the period of dividedness can clearly be observed even today. The paper provides an overview on the ethnic landscape of Berlin, which had strikingly been different in the two parts of the city and has been changing since 1992. Differences existing between the eastern and western part of the city predominantly influence where certain minorities are likely to settle down. The primary intention of the paper is to reveal the characteristics and the ongoing social processes taking place in the last two decades in Berlin. At the same time I would like to point out some possible ways of integration by exploring the relationship between groups of former guest workers and the majority of the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the end of 2006 the Standing Conference of German Cultural Ministers tasked its Scientific Council (Wissenschaftsrat) with evaluating the German library networks. Work began in mid-2009. The cloing report "Recommendations on the future of library network systems in Germany" was published on January 28, 2011. The experts have explored the regional networks not only on their own, but also as a comprehensive system, at the national level. In the meantime also the Committee for Research Libraries and Information Systems of the German Research Alliance (DFG) dealt with the theme, and published on February 2, 2011 a Position paper to develop library networks as part of a national information infrastructure". These two papers differ only in nuances, but have the same key tone. The two bodies in question published a three page common statement as well, under the title "The future of the library network system". Their overall assessment was extremely critical. In her article professor Heidrun Wiesenmuller of the College for Media, Stuttgart delivers her detailed opinion on these papers and provides recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Sozialreform is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Economists' Forum / Közgazdász Fórum is the property of Hungarian Economists' Society of Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper is devoted to the private and criminal law position of slaves, as part of that, examining some issues of terminology in relation to medieval servitus and then getting to slaves as the subject of legal transactions, transactions entered into by slaves and the nature of peculium, damage caused to alien slaves and the problems of sanctioning crimes committed by slaves. In terms of the view of society depicted in early medieval German laws it is a highly interesting issue, widely disputed in literature, how the position of slaves is reflected in the text of the codes. It is a generally asserted view in literature that in the strict sense of the word slavery (servitus) as an institution can be hardly found among the Germans tribes. This standpoint goes back primarily to the interpretation, or misinterpretation, as the case may be, of Tacitus's Germania. The phrases servus and mancipium are translated in literature consistently by the words Knecht, Höriger or Leibeigener and not by Sklave, that is, by terms that suggest some kind of-and compared to the content of the Antique meaning quite significant-improvement in the position, status of persons in this social standing, a tendency pointing towards acknowledge-ment of their personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up until now there has been no available treatment for diseases causing the permanent impairment of retinal photoreceptors. Currently the development of the retinal prostheses is the earliest to promise a result that can be implemented in the clinical treatment of these patients. Implants with different operating principles and in various stages of progress are presented in details, highlighting the characteristics, as well as the Hungarian aspects of the development. This survey intends to provide an overview on retinal prostheses, implantable in case of degenerative diseases of the retina, by reviewing and assessing the papers published in relevant journals and based on personal experience. Developments in microelectronics in recent years made it possible and proved to be feasible to replace the degenerated elements in the retina with electrical stimulation. Multiple comparable approaches are running simultaneously. Two types of these implants are directly stimulating the remaining living cells in the retina. Hitherto the finest resolution has been achieved with the subretinal implants. Although the epiretinal implant offer lower resolution, but requires shorter surgery for implantation. Retinal implants in certain retinal diseases are proved to be capable of generating vision-like experiences. A number of types of retinal implants can be expected to appear in clinical practice a few years after the successful conclusion of clinical trials.

The Ruland family of German origin played an important role both in Hungarian and European medical history. Being a rather numerous family, and moreover, due to their habit of preferring to give the same first names to their children and because they worked in a relatively short period (ca. between 1550 and 1650), researchers often confuse one Ruland with the other. The present paper based on source-criticism, makes successful attempts to put the genealogy in order, presenting the history of the family, giving detailed biographies of each single Ruland and bringing together the bibliography of their works as well. As a result of her efforts the author puts a new light on the biographical data of the best known Ruland, namely of John David and at the same time she revisits the activity of John Ruland, who lived and worked in Hungary.

In 1996, the three leading radiation oncology periodicals (Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys.--USA, Radiother. Oncol.--Europe, and Strahlenther. Onkol.--Germany) published 681 papers. Among the different topics, the clinical subjects accounted for almost half (46%) of the total number of publications, followed by radiation physics/techniques (18%) and radiation biology (17%). The 13% of editorials/review articles reflects a considerable endeavor towards integration; the contribution of papers relating to professional organization amounted to 2%. The fact that 1996 was the centennial year of the discovery of the Röntgen rays explains the reasonable proportion (4%) of historical reviews. Within the special topics, prostatic cancer and breast cancer were the two most frequent issues. Dose escalation was the most important tool applied to improve the results of the radiation therapy of tumors with unfavorable prognostic signs or radioresistance. The increase in the applied dose was made possible by a decrease in the planning target volume (PTV), 3D forward and inverse radiation treatment planning, a combination of tomographic (CT/MRI/US) diagnostic methods (image registration/fusion), optimizing algorithms, computer-controlled delivery of radiation dose and electronic portal imaging with in vivo dosimetry. In contrast, the trends in the radiotherapy of tumors with favorable long-term survival (e.g. Hodgkin's disease and seminoma) include a decreased dose and PTV reduction to diminish the late, radiation-related morbidity. Fractionation has remained the only tool of radiobiology routinely used in the everyday clinical practice. A comparison of the results and achievements in the special fields reveals that radiation physics/techniques clearly outstrip clinical subjects and especially radiation biology, as they allow direct and instant exploitation of the advantages offered by computers. It is highly probable, however, that, subsequent to a wider use of computers in clinical subjects and radiation biology, this situation will change.