Brunswic, 76 from Bremen, 68 from Hanover; and stands in E. Long. 10° 40' N. Lat. 53° 28'. Its inhabitants are reckoned at between 8000 and 9000.

Formerly this was one of the Hanse towns, and an imperial city. Some derive its name from Lina, the ancient name of the Ilmenau; others from Luna, the moon, an image of which is said to have been worshipped by the inhabitants in the times of Paganism. Here were anciently several convents, viz. one of Minims, another of Premontretratians, another of Benedictines, and a fourth of Minorites. Out of the revenues of the Benedictine monastery was founded an academy for the martial exercises, where young gentlemen of the principality of Lunenburg are maintained gratis, and taught French, fencing, riding, and dancing; but foreigners are educated at a certain fixed price. A Latin school was also founded, consisting of four classes, and well endowed out of these revenues. The superintendency and management of these, and the estates appropriated to their maintenance, belongs to the landschaft director, and the ausreiter, who are both chosen from among the Lunenburg nobility. The first came in place of the Popish abbot, and as such is head of the states of the principality, and president of the provincial college. He has the title of excellency; and in public instruments styles himself, by the grace of God landschaft director and lord of the mansion of St Michael in Lunenburg. The chief public edifices are three parish-churches, the ducal palace, three hospitals, the town-house, the salt-magazine, the anatomical theatre, the academy; the conventual church of St Michael, in which lie interred the ancient dukes, and in which is the famous table eight feet long, and four wide, plated over with chased gold, with a rim embellished with precious stones, of an immense value, which was taken from the Saracens by the emperor Otho, and presented to this church: but in 1698, a gang of thieves stripped it of 200 rubies and emeralds, together with a large diamond, and most of the gold, so that at present but a small part of it remains. Here are some very rich salt springs. Formerly, when there was a great demand for the salt, upwards of 120,000 tons have been annually boiled here, and sold off; but since the commencement of the present century, the salt trade hath declined greatly. A fifth of the salt made here belongs to the king, but is farmed out. It is said to excel all the other salt made in Germany. This town is well fortified; and has a garrison, which is lodged in barracks. In the neighbourhood is a good limestone quarry; and along the Ilmenau are warehouses, in which are lodged goods brought from all parts of Germany, to be forwarded by the Ilmenau to Hamburg, or by the Asche to Lubeck, from whence other goods are brought back the same way. The town itself carries on a considerable traffic in wax, honey, wool, flax, linen, salt, lime, and beer.