a town of Prussia, capital of a government of the same name, in the province of Saxony, is situated on the left bank of the Saale, 15 miles W. of Leipzig, and 56 S.S.E. of Magdeburg. The town is old and irregularly built; it is walled, and has four gates; and there are two suburbs, one of which stands on the other side of the river, and is approached by a stone bridge. Merseburg possesses a fine cathedral, built partly in the twelfth and partly in the fifteenth century, and containing many ancient monuments and one of the largest organs in Germany. The monument of Rudolph of Swabia in this cathedral, consisting of his figure in relief on a bronze plate, is believed to be one of the oldest specimens of mediæval art. The choir contains several paintings by Cranach. The castle of Merseburg, once the residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Merseburg, is a building of the fifteenth century, and is now occupied by the government offices. The town also possesses a monastery, situated in one of the suburbs, several Protestant churches, schools, a military hospital, and other establishments. The inhabitants are employed in the manufacture of linen and woollen fabrics, leather, paper, tobacco, vinegar, and beer; for which last Merseburg is famous. The trade of the town is considerable. The government of Merseburg has an area of 3994 square miles, and is in general low and undulating, with no eminences rising above the height of 1800 feet. The nature of the soil is various, but for the most part it is of considerable fertility; and the country is watered by the Elbe and its tributaries the Schwarze Elster from the E., and the Saale and Mulde from the W. Pop. of government (1855), 781,947; of the town, 11,264.