BRANDENBURG, Marquisate of, a large country of Germany, having Mecklenburg and Pomerania on the north; Poland, on the east; Silesia, with the Lusatias, the electorate of Saxony, Anhalt, and duchy of Magdeburg, on the south; and part of the same duchy, and that of Lauenburg, on the west. Its greatest length is near 200 miles, and its greatest breadth near 100. Its northern situation makes it very cold for seven or eight months in winter. The soil in general is far from being fruitful, a great part of it consisting of sand: yet there are several fruitful spots in it; and the whole, under the last and present reign, has been greatly improved, and much better peopled. In some parts there is great plenty of potatoes and turnips; in others of buck-wheat, millet, and flax; in others of tobacco, wood, and other herbs for dyeing. All sorts of colour-earth, together with alum, salt-petre, amber, iron, stone, and medicinal springs, are found in it. Abundance of cattle, especially sheep, are bred here; and the woods not only supply the inhabitants with fuel, but with timber, charcoal, tar, and wood-ashes, both for domestic uses and for exportation. The culture of silk is also carried on in this country with great success. The principal rivers by which it is watered are the Elbe, the Oder, the Prignitz, the Havel, the Warte, and the Spree. Some of the rivers and lakes abound in fish, and are united by canals for the benefit of navigation. They reckon in the whole Mark 120 towns, 2500 villages; and in 1801 about 1,100,000 inhabitants. The states here consist of the nobility and towns, whose assembly-house is in the Spandau-street at Berlin, and who still enjoy some small remains of their ancient privileges. The hereditary officers of the marquisate are a marshal, chamberlain, cup-bearer, purveyor, sewer, treasurer, and ranger. The king of Prussia, who is also elector of Brandenburg, with his whole court, are Calvinists; but the religion of most of the inhabitants is Lutheranism. The churches of both persuasions are well endowed, and the laity jointly employed by the government. The Roman Catholics are also tolerated here. In short, every inhabitant enjoys full liberty of conscience. A great variety of manufactures, most of which were
introduced by the French refugees, are carried on in the marquisate, especially at Berlin and Potsdam; where are also excellent painters, statuarys, and engravers. By means of these manufactures, fabrics, and arts, not only large sums are kept in the country, but also imported from other parts, to which considerable quantities of the manufactures and natural productions are exported. For the education of youth and the advancement of learning, besides Latin schools in several places, and gymnasia, there is an university at Frankfort on the Oder, and an academy of sciences at Berlin.
The Brandenburg family is of great antiquity. Some historians say it was founded by the Sclavonians, who gave it the name of Branber, which signifies the "Guards of the Forests;" and the Germans called it Branburg. Henry I. surnamed the Fowler, fortified this place in the year 923, to serve as a rampart against the Huns, a warlike nation, who were extremely troublesome by their frequent incursions. He bestowed the government on Sifro, count of Ringelheim, with the title of Margrave or Marquis, which signifies Protector of the Marches or Frontiers, in 923. It descended to Gerod, margrave of Lusatia; and in succession of time passed into the families of Staden, Ascania, Bellenstadt, and that of Bavaria, till the emperor Sigismund, with the consent of the states of the empire, in 1416, gave perpetual investiture to Frederick VI. of Nuremberg; who also the following year received from the emperor, at the diet of Constance, the investiture of the county of Brandenburg as Frederick I.; having had previously conferred upon him the dignity of elector and arch-chamberlain of the Holy Roman empire.
Brandenburg remained long in subjection to Poland; and the investiture of Prussia was granted by the Polish kings to each succeeding margrave. Frederick-William, having concluded a treaty with the king of Poland, was acknowledged to be sovereign of Ducal Prussia by an assembly of the states at Königsberg A. D. 1663. By the treaty of Vienna the emperor confirmed this title; and Frederick, the son of Frederick-William, was proclaimed king of Prussia, January 18. 1701. He was succeeded by his son, who performed the greatest services to his country, and prepared the materials of the future grandeur of the late sovereign, Frederick III. who began his reign on the 31st of May 1740, at the age of 28. See PRUSSIA.
Among the electors he possesses the seventh place. As arch-chamberlain, he carries the sceptre before the emperor at his coronation, and brings him water in a silver basin to wash with. In the college of princes of the empire he has five voices. His assessment, as elector, is 60 horse and 277 foot, or 1828 florins in lieu of them. To the chamber of Wetzlar, his quota is 811 rix-dollars 58 kruitzers, each term. As to the orders of the knights of the Black Eagle, and of Merit, it is sufficient here to observe, that the former was instituted by Frederick I. at his coronation, and the other by the present king. For the government of this country and the administration of justice, there are several supreme colleges and tribunals; particularly for the departments of war, foreign affairs, and the finances, there are distinct boards. Here is a supreme ecclesiastical council and consistory for the Lutherans, a supreme directory
directory of the Calvinist church; a supreme medicinal college; a supreme mine-office; a college or board of trade, &c. Those of the French nation, settled in this country, are allowed particular courts of their own. The amount of the yearly revenues of the Mark, arising from the domains, protection money paid by the Jews, tolls, land-tax, mines, forests, duties on stamp-paper, salt, and variety of other imposts and excises, is computed at about 2,500,000 crowns; but the money is said to be much inferior in goodness to that of Saxony and the dominions of Hanover. Of late it was extremely debased. Since 1815 the whole number of the inhabitants of the royal and electoral dominions have been estimated at 10,000,000, and the revenues at about 7,000,000 sterling. Upwards of 200,000 men are kept on foot in time of peace, which are said to cost more than half of the royal revenue. These troops are under strict discipline, very expert at their exercise, always in readiness to march, and always complete. Each regiment has a particular canton or district allotted it for its quarters and raising recruits. The infantry are clothed in blue, and the horse and dragoons in white; and both are required to hear sermon twice a-day when in quarters or garrisons. In time of peace they are allowed, for several months in the year, to hire themselves out, or to follow their business either as burghers or peasants, in the canton where they are quartered; but they are not allowed to marry. A considerable part of these troops are stationed in the Mark, particularly at Berlin and Potsdam. The corps of hussars alone amounts to about 10,000 men. The Mark of Brandenburg is divided, in general, into the electoral and new Marks. The former is again subdivided into the old Mark, the Pregnitz, the middle Mark, and the Ucker Mark. The old Mark, which lies on the west side of the Elbe, between that river and Lunenburg, is about 50 miles in length, and 30 in breadth.