the mining capital of Saxony, stands on the Münbach, not far from its confluence with the Mulde, and 19 miles S.W. of Dresden. It is an ancient imperial city, and was long the residence of the Saxon princes, who bestowed upon it many important privileges. The town is well built, paved, and lighted, and is still surrounded by its old walls. It is the seat of the general administration of the mines throughout the kingdom, and owes its rise to the discovery of its silver mines in the twelfth century. Its celebrated academy was founded in 1765, and is frequented by students from all parts of Europe. These are instructed in the practice as well as the theory of mining. Freiburg, and enjoy great facilities for study from the extensive collections of minerals and models, and the library connected with the academy. Among its distinguished scholars it reckons Werner (who was also a professor here), Humboldt, Mohs, and Jameson. The centennial birthday of Werner was celebrated here with great pomp on 25th September 1850. Freiberg has also a high mining school, gymnasium, normal seminary, orphan asylum, theatre, &c. The old castle of Freudenstein or Freistein, situated in one of its suburbs, is now used as a corn magazine. The cathedral is an elegant Gothic edifice of the fifteenth century—having a richly adorned portal in the Byzantine style, called the Golden Gate. It contains numerous monuments, among which is one in memory of Prince Maurice of Saxony, who fell in the battle of Sieverhausen in 1553, and another to Werner, who is interred here. In the Lady Chapel adjoining, are the remains of Henry the Pious and his successors, down to Johann Georg IV, who died in 1694. Freiberg has extensive manufactures of gold and silver lace, woollen cloths, linen and cotton goods, lace, iron, copper, and brass wares, shot, gunpowder, white-lead, &c. It has also several large breweries. In the vicinity are about 130 mines of silver, lead, copper, cobalt, &c., giving employment to upwards of 5000 miners. At Halsbrücke, 3 miles from the town, are extensive smelting works and foundries. Pop. (1849) 14,151.

FREIBURG or FREYBURG, a city in the grand duchy of Baden, capital of the circle of the Upper Rhine, on the Dreisam, and on the Basle and Mannheim railway, 40 miles N. by E. of the former town. The town is generally well-built, having several wide and handsome streets and some squares. Its old fortifications have been replaced by fine public walks and vineyards. It is the seat of an archbishop, and has a Catholic university founded in 1457, with a library of 100,000 volumes, a botanic garden, and a museum of natural history. Among the public buildings are the palaces of the grand duke and the archbishop, the custom-house, exchange, theatre, town-hall, museum, house of correction, &c. The charitable establishments include a foundling hospital, orphan asylum, military hospital, and a blind asylum. The cathedral or minster is considered one of the finest and most perfect specimens of Gothic architecture in Germany, being alike remarkable for the delicate symmetry of its proportions and the good taste of its decorations. It was begun towards the middle of the twelfth century, and was not completed till 160 years afterwards. The tower is 386 feet high, exhibiting a skilful transition from a square base into an octagon, which is surmounted by a pyramidal spire of the most exquisite open-work tracery of stone, of extreme boldness as well as lightness. The edifice is of red sandstone, and contains some stained glass-windows of great beauty, statues of Berchtold V., and other dukes of Zähringen, and paintings by Holbein, Grun, and other artists. In the centre of the square called the fish-market is a fountain surmounted by a statue of Duke Berthold III. of Zähringen, the founder of the city. The manufactures of the town consist of chicory, chemicals, soap, starch, potash, leather, tobacco, and musical instruments. Freiburg was long the capital of the landgraviate of Breisgau. Pop. (1846) 15,350.