The district was formed on August 1, 2008. This was the result of an administration reform in Saxony. The rural district Zwickau was built up by the Chemnitzer Land Rural District, Zwickauer Land Rural District and the town of Zwickau. The county seat of the district is the biggest city Zwickau. However, the former county seats of the different districts were kept as outpost. Those are namely Glauchau, Limbach-Oberfrohna, Werdau and Hohenstein-Ernstthal.
In July 2008, there were 25,026 people jobless. That means there was a rate of unemployment of 11.1 percent. It was the lowest jobless rate of the Regierungsbezirk Chemnitz. Because of the end of the schoolyear the unemployment rate of pupils rose up.
In the rural district Zwickau is one Study Academy (called: Berufsakademie Glauchau) nine vocational schools and some grammar schools. Overall there are 124 schools. In Chemnitz and Zwickau are different Universities.
The "Kreistag" was elected on 8 June 2008. The current chief administrative officer of the Zwickau Rural District is Christoph Scheurer.
Erzgebirgskreis
The rural district Erzgebirgskreis is a "Landkreis" (district) in Saxony, Germany. It was founded on 1 August 2008. With a population of about 372,000 inhabitants, it is the most populated rural district in Saxony.
The "Kreistag" was elected on 8 June 2008. The current chief administrative officer of the "erzgebirgskreis" is Frank Vogel.
Carnival of the Animals
The Carnival of the Animals (French: "Le Carnavál de Animaûx") is a musical composition by Camille Saint-Saëns. It is one of the best known pieces of classical music for children.
Saint-Saëns wrote the "Carnival of the Animals" as a distraction while composing his "Symphony No. 3". "Carnival" was performed at a small gathering of friends. Saint-Saëns did not want the general public to hear it, because he did not want to be thought of as someone who wrote jokey pieces. He wanted to be thought of as a serious composer. Just one movement was published during his lifetime: the famous Swan movement for solo cello. The rest of the work was not performed until a year after Saint-Saëns’ death.
Following a disastrous concert tour of Germany in 1893, Saint-Saëns withdrew to a small Austrian village, where he composed The Carnival of the Animals in February 1894. It is scored for two pianos, two violins, viola, cello, double bass, Bass clarinet, saxophone, snare drumflute (and piccolo), clarinet (C and B♭), glass harmonica, and xylophone.
There are 14 short movements, with a short introduction. Saint-Saëns arranged it for an orchestra consisting of flute doubling piccolo, clarinet (B flat and C), two pianos, glass harmonica, xylophone, two violins, viola, cello and double bass. Today it is often performed with a full orchestra of strings, and with a glockenspiel instead of a glass harmonica, which is an unusual instrument.
After an introduction the pianos introduce a march theme. They imitate the roar of the lions.
This music sounds like hens clucking (the strings) and a cock crowing (the clarinet).
The two pianos seem to go wild with scales rushing up and down madly.
This movement for strings and piano is very slow, like a tortoise. Saint-Saëns makes a musical joke here: the tune is the same tune as the famous 'Can-Can' from Offenbach's operetta "Orpheus in the Underworld", but played very slowly.
This double bass solo with piano accompaniment makes the elephant sound heavy and clumsy. In the middle section the elephant tries to dance a waltz. This is also a musical joke - the tune is taken from Felix Mendelssohn's "Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Hector Berlioz's "Dance of the Sylphs" where it is played on high-soundge
The two pianos hop about gracefully like kangaroos.
This is very graceful music with the tune played on the flute, accompanied by strings, with occasional glissandi (slides) on the glass harmonica.
The “Persons with Long Ears” are actually donkeys. It is played on two violins which imitate the “hee-haw” sound of the donkey..
The pianos play gentle chords, like someone walking quietly through a forest. Now and again the clarinet plays two notes which sound like the call of the cuckoo.
The flute has a very delicate, fast tune accompanied by strings and pianos. It sounds like birds flying in an aviary (bird cage).
This is another joke, because “pianists” are people who play the piano, they are not animals. Saint-Saëns makes them seem rather stupid as they practise their scales.
The xylophone plays a fast tune which sounds like skeletons playing. Saint-Saëns is making a joke about himself, because he uses a tune from one of his own works: the "Danse Macabre". There are bits of other tunes as well: "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman" (known in the English-speaking world as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"), the French nursery rhymes "Au Clair de la Lune" and "J'ai du bon tabac", the popular anthem "Partant pour la Syrie" as well as the aria "Una Voce Poco Fa" from Rossini's "Barber of Seville". Saint-Saëns was saying that these tunes were old-fashioned (like fossils).
This is one of the most famous of all tunes for the cello. It is a lovely tune which sounds like a swan swimming gracefully along.
All the instruments join in the Finale which has bits from nearly all the movements.
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Carolina Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was the wife of King Edward VII. She was born in Denmark, and married Edward, then Prince of Wales, in 1863. After her husband's death in 1910, she retired from public life. She died at the age of 80 in 1925.
Peridotite
A peridotite is a hard and rough igneous rock, made up mostly of the minerals olivine and pyroxene. It is named for Peridot.
Tropical Storm Arthur (2002)
Tropical Storm Arthur was the first tropical storm of the 2002 Atlantic hurricane season. Arthur reached its highest winds of 60 miles per hour on July 16. Arthur started on July 14 near North Carolina, Tropical Storm Arthur moved mostly northwest and Tropical Storm Arthur died on July 16. The remains caused bad weather in Newfoundland and killed one person.
On July 9 a low-level circulation started. It moved very slowly northwest and did not become a tropical depression. The low-level circulation moved ashore in Florida. Early on July 14 the low entered the Atlantic Ocean. Clouds around the low started growing. Late on July 14 the low became Tropical Depression One, while it was 45 miles south of Hatteras, North Carolina. On the morning of July 15 it became a tropical storm and was called "Arthur". Arthur slowly got stronger until July 16 when it reached its highest winds, which were at 60 miles per hour. Wind shear caused Arthur to die shortly later. The extratropical low was last seen on July 19 while it was near Greenland.
Because the damage was low the name "Arthur" was not retired. This caused the name "Arthur" to be used again in 2008, it also did not get retired. So the name "Arthur" is going to be used again in 2012.
Tropical Storm Bertha (2002)
Tropical Storm Bertha was the second tropical storm of the 2002 Atlantic hurricane season. Bertha was a weak tropical storm that formed very quickly off the coast of Louisiana. Bertha made a second landfall in Texas and died only ten hours after. Bertha was only one of three storms to make landfall in both Texas and Louisiana, the other two were Allison in 2001 and Fern in 1971. Bertha left only $200,000 in damage and only one person was killed.
Since the damage was very low the name Bertha was not retired. Bertha was used again in 2008.
Zebu
Zebu ("Bos taurus indicus"), a type of domesticated bovine cattle-like animal found in India, East Africa and China.
Zebu have humps on the shoulders, large dewlaps and droopy ears. They are adapted to survive disease, intense heat, sun and humidity.