a city of Prussian Saxony, capital of a cognominal government, on the Gera, 14 miles E. of Gotha, and about the same distance W. of Weimar. It was formerly the capital of Thuringia, and is a fortress of the second class, being of importance on account of its position on the high road between Frankfort and Leipzig. It has two cathedrals, the one Petersburg, within the walls, the other Cyriaksburg, on Mount Cyriaks, outside the town. Erfurt is an old, dull, and irregularly built town, having no street or square worthy of notice, except the market place which is ornamented with a stone obelisk 50 feet high, erected in 1902 to Charles, Elector of Mayence. The cathedral is a fine Gothic building standing on an eminence, and having a famous bell (called the Susanna) 10 feet high, 30 feet in circumference, and weighing 275 cwt. The largest and finest church after the cathedral is the Predigerkirche. The church of St Severus is distinguished by its three towers. The Barfüßerkirche, of which a part fell in 1838 but has since been restored, is also worthy of notice. In the beginning of the present century Erfurt had eight convents, but of these only one now remains, the Ursuline nunnery, in connection with which is a female school. The Augustine monastery, which Luther entered as a monk on 17th July 1505, is now used as an orphan asylum. The cell which he inhabited is still preserved in its original condition, and contains his portrait, bible, and other relics. The university established here towards the end of the fourteenth century was suppressed in 1816. There are, however, a botanic garden, observatory, anatomic theatre, and a public library of about 50,000 volumes. Among the other educational institutions, which are numerous, may be mentioned a Roman Catholic and a Protestant gymnasium, a normal school, midwifery school, deaf-mute and blind institutions, a royal academy of popular sciences, trade and commercial schools. In the time of Charlemagne this was one of the chief commercial cities of Germany, and it afterwards became a member of the Hanseatic League. In the end of the sixteenth century it is said to have had as many as 58,000 inhabitants. It was first annexed to the Prussian dominions in 1803, and from 1807 to 1813 was in the possession of the French. In 1808 the memorable interview between Napoleon and the Emperor Alexander of Russia took place here. It was restored to Prussia in 1814. In 1849 Erfurt contained 32,224 inhabitants, including 5561 military; of these 25,433 were Protestants, 6619 Roman Catholics, and 167 Jews. They are chiefly employed in the manufacture of linen, woollen, and cotton goods, and silk ribands; and in shoemaking, and the rearing of garden produce. The government comprehends nine circles, and has an area of 1306 square miles. Pop. (1849) 347,279, of whom 247,329 were Protestants, 98,485 Roman Catholics, and 1437 Jews. Pop. (1852) 350,781.