the chief town of the duchy of that name, and of all Silesia, is situated at the conflux of the Oder and Ohlau, in E. Long. 17°. 5'. N. Lat. 51°. 4'. It contained 3096 houses in 1794, and has many large regular squares, broad streets, stately public and private edifices; but the fortifications are of no great importance. Here are in particular a great many churches and convents belonging to the Catholics; of the former are several also belonging to the Lutherans, one to the Calvinists, and another to the Greeks. The Jews have likewise two synagogues, the bishop a stately palace, and the Lutherans two gymnasiaums. The Popish university is a noble structure; nor is the exchange destitute of magnificence. This city is the seat of all the high colleges; and the third in rank, next to Berlin and Konigsberg, in all the Prussian dominions. The magistracy of it is Lutheran, and its trade and manufactures are very considerable. Several of the monasteries and nunneries are very magnificent; and there are also some good public libraries in it, with two armories, a college of physicians, and a mint. Breslau is very populous, and much frequented by Hungarian, Bohemian, Polish, and other merchants, having several yearly fairs. The city was taken by the king of Prussia in 1741, and retaken by the Austrians in 1757; but the king of Prussia took it back again in the same year. The suburbs were destroyed when it was taken by the confederates of the French in January 1807.