International Fixed Calendar

As International Perpetual calendar (English International Fixed Calendar, abbreviated IFC ), a calendar design by Moses Cotsworth referred to whom he has introduced in 1923. The calendar is also known under the designations 13-month calendar, Cotsworth plan, plan and Eastman Eastman calendar. The calendar is very similar to that developed by Auguste Comte in 1849 positivist calendar, but was developed in a very different background.

Formation

In the 1920s and 1930s, the demand grew worldwide by a reformed modern calendar, which was to replace the felt to be too complicated Gregorian calendar. Cotsworth reached 1923 75 -year-old so-called positivist calendar of Auguste Comte again, but freed him from his ideological ballast. Cotsworth founded in the same year, the International Fixed Calendar League ( iFCL ), an organization whose mission was to make the popular calendar designed by him and to promote its implementation.

The basic principle of the calendar

As in medieval English calendar, the year 13 months to 28 days each plus an extra day at the end of the year ( also referred to as "a year and a day " in English, for a lunar year and a day ). This extra day is not assigned to either one months or a weekday. In this way, week and month can be synchronized, that is, each month begins with a Sunday and basically each consisting of four full weeks.

The month names correspond to those of the Gregorian calendar. The additional thirteenth month is placed in the middle of June-July and given the name Sol ( "Sun" ) or Midi ( "center" ). From the Gregorian calendar and the length of the year, the switching control, the beginning of the year and the annual census were taken. Cotsworth tried to provoke a break with the Judeo-Christian calendar tradition, but merely to improve the Gregorian calendar in some places. He refrained from any ideological coloration of its calendar - a problem that had to contend with the Comte's draft of 1849 forever.

* In leap years, these data are a day earlier. The leap day is added as extra day between Saturday 28 June and Sunday 1st Sol. Just like the extra day at the end of the year it is outside the weekly cycle and belongs to no month.

Pros and Cons

A major advantage of the calendar is that all months are constructed the same, both in terms of their length, as well as the assignment of the days of the week. Week, and month that is in phase. The calendar is so structured very clearly. In addition, monthly events, could - for example, the payment of the salary - regularly take place.

The opponents of the draft calendar of Cotsworth fault including the indivisibility of the number 13 Thus, it is not possible to divide the year into a statistically meaningful sections such as semi-annual or quarters. Also, an integration of the traditional seasons in the calendar is difficult. The interruption of the week cycle is not acceptable to Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Finally, the deletion of a total of 30 traditional calendrical day data acceptance problems causes to an extent which can shrink to a minimum the probability of success.

The development of the project until 1937

As 1929 in the U.S., a National Committee was established to Calendar Simplification, chaired by George Eastman, the home side's iFCL to make their calendar the favorites of the Board. Eastman enlisted in the aftermath committed to the introduction of the International perpetual calendar, which this in the United States earned the name Eastman calendar. Despite numerous supporters in politics and business, however, failed Eastman and Cotsworth to enforce the new calendar.

As was sought in the 1930s in the League of Nations after proposals for a reform of the calendar, was Cotsworths IFC was introduced several years as the most promising design, until 1937 known as the World Calendar, the stronger was oriented with its 12 -month system on the tradition. Now that the World Calendar was generally favored, the IFC quickly disappeared from public debate. The iFCL was dissolved two years later.

Differences to the positivist calendar

The differences from the positivist calendar consist firstly in the choice of the month name (the International perpetual calendar used - except for the month of Sol - the classic names of months, during the months of the positivist calendar named after famous personalities from antiquity to the 19th century are ), on the other hand, the placement of the switching tags: the International perpetual calendar the leap following the June, in the positivist calendar on New Year's Day.

414143
de