BRUNSWICK

BRUNSWICK, DUCY OF (German Braunschweig), a state of Northern Germany, consisting of three larger and several smaller portions of territory, lying principally between Lat. 51. 38, and 52. 28. N., and Long. 9. 20, and 11. 30. E. The principal part containing the cities of Brunswick, Wolfenbüttel, Helmstedt, &c., is situated between Hanover and Prussia, to the S.E. of the former. Its surface is diversified with hills and plains, with occasional patches of forest. That part containing Holzminen, Gandersheim, &c., extends eastward from the Weser to Goslar, and is intersected by branches of the Hartz mountains. That containing Blankenburg, &c., lies to the S.E. of the

two former, between Prussia, Anhalt, and Hanover, and is Brunswick, traversed by the Hartz mountain range. Of the smaller portions, some are in Hanover and others in Prussia.

Brunswick has an area of 1524 English square miles, and is divided into 6 circles, comprehending 12 cities, 16 market-towns, and 440 villages. The population, according to government returns, was in 1834, 253,232, and in 1846, 269,228; and according to the Almanack de Gotha, was in December 1852, 270,825. Of these about 265,000 are Protestants, the rest being chiefly Roman Catholics and Jews.

Brunswick has also mediatized possessions in Prussian Silesia, viz., the principality of Oels, with the lordship of Medzibor, the territory of Plomnitz in the government of Breslau, and the lordship of Gutentag in the government of Oppeln. The climate resembles that of the neighbouring territories of Hanover, and in the higher parts is rigorous. A portion of the Hartz chain is common to it with Hanover, and hence called the Communion Hartz. The highest point of the Hartz mountains in Brunswick is the Wormberg, 3230 feet in height. The principal rivers by which it is watered are the Ocker, Weser, Aller, and Leine. The lower parts are generally fertile and well cultivated; but the higher are mostly covered with extensive forests of fir, oak, and beech. The following is the proportion per cent. of the various kinds of surface in the duchy, viz., arable, 32.66; garden, 1.88; meadow, 4.52; pasture, 22.82; water, 0.25; wood, 31.82; towns, villages, and roads, 6.05. Agricultural and pastoral pursuits constitute the principal employment of the inhabitants. In 1848 the duchy, with the exception of the towns of Brunswick and Wolfenbüttel, contained 24,676 horses, 68,641 cattle, 365,291 sheep, 47,737 swine, 17,975 goats, and 72,978 geese. The principal products of the country are grain, flax, hops, tobacco, and fruits. Mining is extensively carried on in the Hartz mountains, the products of which are very valuable, consisting of copper, lead, iron, gold, silver, sulphur, coal, salt, and alum. The manufactures, which are very inconsiderable, consist chiefly of linen and woollen goods, leather, beer, paper, and tobacco. An active trade, however, is carried on by means of the railways connecting it with Hanover, Magdeburg, and Neustadt.

The government is an hereditary monarchy, with a legislative chamber consisting of 48 members, of whom 10 are chosen from the nobility, 12 from the towns, 10 from the rural districts, and 16 from the general population. They hold office for six years, one-half going out triennially. The educational institutions are an ecclesiastical seminary, a higher humanity and a mercantile institution, an anatomical and surgical college, 5 gymnasias, a normal seminary, 21 burgher and about 400 village schools.

Brunswick occupies the thirteenth place in the German confederation, has two votes in the plenum assembly, and contributes 2096 men to the federal army. The revenue and expenditure for the triennial financial period 1852-54, were each fixed at 4,052,500 thalers; and the public debt on 1st September 1845, was 6,444,349 thalers. The effective force consists of 2702 men in time of peace, and 5359 during war.

In the earlier part of the middle ages, Brunswick, with Hanover, formed part of the ancient Saxony. The more

Brunswick immediate ancestor of the house of Brunswick was Henry the Lion, who in the twelfth century held the united duchies of Bavaria and Saxony; but having refused to aid the Emperor Frederic Barbarossa in his wars with the pope, he was by decree of the diet in 1180, deprived of both duchies, and only left the possession of his allodial domains of Brunswick and Lüneburg. These possessions were, on the death of Ernest the Confessor in 1546, divided between his two sons; the elder, or rather his son Augustus, receiving Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, or Brunswick, and the younger Brunswick-Lüneburg, or Hanover. The ducal residence, which had hitherto been at Wolfenbüttel, was in 1754 removed to Brunswick by Duke Charles. His successor, Duke Charles William Ferdinand, married Augusta, daughter of George III. of England. He commanded the Prussian troops at the battle of Auerstädt in 1806, where he was severely wounded and soon after died. His possessions were immediately seized by the conqueror, and formed part of the kingdom of Westphalia till 1813. After the battle of Leipzig, the duchy was restored to its rightful possessor, Frederic-William, youngest son of the preceding duke. This prince fell at the head of his troops at Quatre Bras, and was succeeded by Charles Frederic, the elder of his two sons, who, being at that time a minor, was placed under the tutelage of George IV. of England, then prince regent. The duke entered on the exercise of his authority in October 1823; but in consequence of a revolution in 1830, was obliged to abdicate in favour of his brother William, the present duke. Treaties of mutual inheritance exist between the houses of Hanover and Brunswick, and should the present duke and his brother—both of whom are still unmarried—die without issue, the duchy will pass to the house of Hanover. See GERMANY and HANOVER.