Brian Reynold Bishop

Brian Reynold Bishop (b. Kingston upon Thames, 1934) is the current "Cifal" (Chief) of the Volapük speakers community and president of the Volapük Academy.

Brian Bishop was interested in languages since childhood. After having studied French, Spanish and Latin (he later supported the "Latinitas Viva" or Living Latin movement), he came into contact with auxiliary languages like Esperanto and Volapük. He started a long correspondence with Arie de Jong, the reformer of the Volapük language, and with the previous cifals Johann Schmidt and F. J. Krüger. He learned Volapük and became a subscriber and contributor to the "Volapükagased: Zänagased pro Volapükanef" -- Volapük Journal: Central Journal for the Volapükists, where he published several of his translations. In 1979, at the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the creation of Volapük, Brian Bishop wrote to a number of newspapers and radio stations to mention the fact, which led to some attention being given to it. Encouraged by the ensuing interest, he created the "Zänabür Volapüka" (Volapük Central Office) where he collected many Volapük memorabilia (mostly from F. J. Krüger's the collection). In 1981, he became vice-Cifal (via an edict by Cifal Krüger on Oct. 13th, 1981), and two years later Cifal (via an edict by Cifal Krüger on Jan. 1st, 1984).

Currently, Brian Bishop is involved in the reorganization of the "Kadäm Volapüka" (Academy of Volapük) and of the Volapük Movement, for which he published new statutes. Its first official activities started in 2007. He is also a participant in the Volapük discussion group which unites most present-day Volapükists.

External links

* (in Volapük).
* (in Volapük).
* (from the Volapük Wikisource).