A. J. Schem

“ Little was known of the ultimate plans of Bismarck with regard to German unity; but it was apparent that Prussia desired to be emancipated from the federal diet, and that her plans would henceforth be pushed with greater energy than at any previous time. The union movement was steadily gaining among the German people, and Austria made a bold bid for the continued headship in a reconstructed Germany. ”

“ Printing works were established at Augsburg and the lace manufacture introduced into Saxony in the 16th century. At that time Germany was to Europe, in regard to industry and commerce, what England is now. The thirty years' war destroyed all prosperity for a long time. At the beginning of the 18th century German industry again flourished, principally in consequence of the immigration of the Huguenots expelled from France. Frederick II. of Prussia and Joseph II. of Austria strove to raise it to its former eminence, but the French revolutionary wars blighted it once more. ”

“ On an average there are 150 pupils to every 1,000 inhabitants; this proportion is considerably exceeded in Brunswick, Anhalt, Oldenburg, Saxony, and the Thuringian states, but it is not reached in Mecklenburg and Bavaria. In all German states the attendance of all children at school for at least five years is made compulsory by law; and in some states, especially in central Germany and in Würtemberg, those who are unable to read and write are very rare exceptions. Nearly all the capital cities have large public libraries, museums of art, scientific collections, &c. ”

“ The grand duchy of Hesse concluded in April a military convention with Prussia, in virtue of which its military system was reorganized according to the Prussian, and the Hessian troops were placed under the chief command of the king. Würtemberg also introduced several features of the Prussian system. No doubt could be entertained that, in case of war, northern Germany might safely rely on the support of all the South German states. But a conference of the powers which had signed the London treaty of 1839 found a peaceable solution for the Luxemburg question. ”

“ According to the constitution of 1871, the German empire constitutes one customs and commercial union, except a few small communes which on account of their situation remain excluded from the common line of customs, and the two Hanse towns, Hamburg and Bremen, which as free ports may remain outside of the union “until they themselves demand admittance.” Besides the states of the empire, the Zollverein embraces the grand duchy of Luxemburg and the Austrian commune of Jungholtz on the southern frontier of Bavaria. ”

“ By the exclusion of Austria from Germany, the Alps have become the southern frontier, and only two comparatively small branches (the Algau Alps between the Rhine and the Lech, and the Bavarian Alps between the Lech and the Salzach) belong to the German empire. 2. The terraced country of central Germany has its nucleus near the junction of the boundaries of Saxony, Bohemia, and Bavaria, about lat. 50°, in the Fichtelgebirge, the watershed of the tributaries of the Rhine, Danube, and Elbe. Thence a number of mountain chains of the secondary order radiate in all directions. ”

“ Austria was excluded from Germany, and Hanover, Hesse-Cassel, Nassau, and Schleswig-Holstein, with Lauenburg and Frankfort, were annexed to Prussia; the states north of the Main were formed into the North German confederation under the headship of Prussia. The four South German states, Bavaria, Würtemberg, Baden, and Hesse-Darmstadt, were made independent states, but were closely united with the North German confederation by means of the Zollverein and defensive and offensive alliances. ”

“ France in the west and Turkey in the east were hovering on the borders of Germany, ready on every occasion to foster the internal dissensions of the empire and to conquer from it valuable possessions. ”

“ The German silk fabrics equal in quality the French and English, but are somewhat inferior in design. The principal silk manufactories are in Prussia (Berlin, Elberfeld, and Crefeld) and Saxony. The export of silk fabrics from Germany is nearly equal in amount to the domestic consumption. The paper manufacture has made considerable progress, although the finest qualities are still imported to some extent. In some fabrics of wood, as the choicest kinds of cabinet furniture, and all kinds of toys, Germany stands unequalled, and is a large exporter to all countries of the world. ”

“ The constitution of the empire obliges the particular governments to make the railways of their states a uniform part of the general German railway system, and authorizes the central government to build new roads even without the consent of the particular government, whenever the defence of Germany or the interests of the common traffic require it. ”

“ A germ of new difficulties between the state governments and the Catholic church was the legal position claimed by the Old Catholics, who maintained that the pope and the bishops who adhered to the decree of the Vatican council had abandoned the Catholic church, and that they alone were entitled to be regarded as the true representatives of that Catholic church which in Germany until 1870 was regarded as one of the state churches. ”

“ The silkworm is not raised extensively.—Germany is rich in mineral products, and mining has employed there a great number of persons from the remotest times. Gold is found only in a few places in limited quantities (in the Hartz mountains and in the kingdom of Saxony) ; silver abounds in the Hartz and in southern Westphalia; iron is found in large quantities in nearly all the mountain ranges, the best qualities being those worked in Westphalia, Alsace-Lorraine, and Rhenish Prussia; excellent tin abounds in the Erzgebirge; lead in Saxony and upper Silesia ”

“ The number of associations of scholars in all the different sciences is very great. The fine arts are as carefully fostered as science. Not even Italy is in advance of Germany in musical composition, many of the greatest composers of modern times being Germans, as Handel, Gluck, Mozart, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Weber, Meyerbeer, and Richard Wagner. In the art of painting the members of the two principal German schools, of Munich (Cornelius, Kaulbach, Piloti) , and of Düsseldorf (Schadow, Lessing, Bendemann) , rival the best artists of all times. ”

“ All transit duties have been abolished; the duties on imports have been greatly reduced; of exports only rags are subject to a duty. The free towns, Hamburg, Bremen, and Lübeck, are the principal outlets of German commerce. Hamburg holds the third rank of all European ports, London and Liverpool only being superior. The income of the Zollverein in 1871 was $22,900,000. The merchant navy of Germany is larger than that of any other country except England and the United States. ”

“ The Low German assimilates far more readily to the English or American than to the Austrian or Swabian.—The culture of the soil in Germany is highly developed, and inferior only to that of England. The products of agriculture have been nearly doubled by the introduction of more rational methods of cultivation since 1816. All German states have agricultural colleges, some of which enjoy a world-wide reputation. ”

“ When Prussia after the conclusion of peace called upon Hanover and Saxony to withdraw their troops from Holstein, Saxony showed some intention to resist by force. A collision was averted by a resolution of the federal diet, which in accordance with the demand of Austria and Prussia declared the execution to be ended. The disagreement between Austria and Prussia now began to widen. Austria desired to have the administration of the duchies transferred to Prince Frederick of Augustenburg; Bismarck entered into negotiations concerning the annexation of the duchies to Prussia. ”

“ Beets are raised in enormous quantities for the manufacture of sugar, and their cultivation has almost entirely superseded the grain culture in the Prussian province of Saxony, Anhalt, Hesse-Darmstadt, and S. Bavaria. Chiccory, as a substitute for coffee, is raised in the country between the Elbe and Weser rivers. In garden culture Würtemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, and the Saxon duchies hold the highest rank. The fruit raised on the banks of the Rhine and Neckar, in Saxony and N. W. Bavaria, is of the very best quality to be found anywhere. ”

“ In many states the forests mostly belong to government, and are as carefully kept as gardens; but even private owners are prohibited by law from wasting their forests without regard to the public good. The most extensive forests are found in central and southern Germany and in the eastern provinces of Prussia. The entire superficies of wood land in Germany is 52,939 sq. m., of which Prussia has 31,423, Bavaria 9,376, and Würtemberg about 2,296.—Of all European countries, Germany has the oldest manufactures. ”

“ The Reichstag is elected by universal direct suffrage and by ballot, at the average rate of one deputy for every 100,000 inhabitants. It consisted in 1873 of 382 members: 236 for Prussia, 48 for Bavaria, 23 for Saxony, 17 for Würtemberg, 14 for Baden, 9 for Hesse, 6 for Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 3 each for Oldenburg, Saxe-Weimar, Brunswick, and Hamburg, 2 each for Saxe-Meiningen, Anhalt, and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and 1 for each of the other states. The legislative period is three years. The Reichstag can be dissolved by a resolution of the federal council with the consent of the emperor. ”

“ The entire number of Slavs in Germany is about 2,640,000 (2,450,000 Poles, 140,000 Wends, 50,000 Czechs) , or 61⁄2 per cent., of which number only about 50,000 are outside of Prussia. In the latter country there are also about 150,000 Lithuanians and Letts. The Danes, in Schleswig, number about 150,000, and the French, chiefly in Lorraine, 230,000. Except Ireland, no country of Europe has lost so large a number of inhabitants by emigration as Germany. ”

“ Epidemics are generally less destructive in Germany than in the neighboring countries.—Of wild animals, the deer, hare, rabbit, fox, hamster (a kind of marmot peculiar to Germany) , marten, badger, weasel, otter (rare) , &c., are found nearly everywhere, stringent game laws preventing their destruction. A good breed of horses is raised in Mecklenburg, Holstein, and Hanover; cattle raising is a most important branch of husbandry in Oldenburg, the N. W. part of Hanover, Franconia, and the Alpine country; sheep are raised extensively in Saxony, Silesia, and Brandenburg ”

“ There has been since 1846 a bond of union for all the states (inclusive of Austria) in the Evangelical church conferences, consisting of delegates of the several church governments, who meet biennially for the discussion of the common interests of the German Protestant churches. An agitation for the convocation of an imperial synod (Reichssynode) has begun, and is gaining ground. The Roman Catholic church has five archbishops (Cologne, Posen, Munich, Bamberg, and Freiburg) , 20 bishops, and three vicars apostolic. ”

“ The largest grain fields are in Würtemberg, the smallest in Mecklenburg. Bavaria, Würtemberg, Saxe-Altenburg, Mecklenburg, Holstein, &c., produce a larger quantity of breadstuffs than is required for home consumption, while Saxony and some of the Saxon duchies import breadstuffs. Flax and hemp, madder, woad, and saffron are cultivated more in the south and central region than in the north. Tobacco is extensively raised (even for exportation to other tobacco-growing countries) on the upper Rhine, the Werra and Oder, and in Brandenburg. Excellent hops are furnished by Bavaria and Brunswick. ”

“ Since the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, a 9th committee for that territory has been added. The committee for foreign affairs consists of the representatives of Bavaria, Saxony, and Würtemberg, and those of two other states who are annually elected by the federal council, under the presidency of Bavaria. The emperor appoints the committees for the army and navy, except one member in the committee for the army, who is appointed by Bavaria; all the other committees are elected by the federal council. ”

“ Germany has four ports of war, Kiel, Dantzic, and Stralsund on the Baltic, and Wilhelmshaven in the bay of Jahde on the North sea.—Protestantism is professed by 62.3 per cent, of the population, Roman Catholicism by 36.2. The Protestants of the state churches, who are divided into Lutherans and German Reformed church, or united under the name of Evangelical church, in 1871 numbered 25,581,709; the free Protestant churches, as the Baptists, Methodists, Moravians, Free congregations, Irvingites, &c., number 114,000. In Prussia, the Protestants constitute 65 per cent. of the total population ”

“ In power of endurance the Germans are surpassed by the Slavic race, in agility by the Latin. The prominent features of the German national character are honesty, faithfulness, valor, thoughtfulness, perseverance, and industry. ”

“ Many tracts are exuberantly productive, but many others are almost as barren and sterile as the Russian steppes. The most fertile tracts of land in Germany and in Europe are the marshes on the shore of the North sea. Scientific agriculture has improved the natural condition of the soil in a high degree. ”

“ The bishops of Germany assembled in November in a general conference at Fulda, and bitterly complained of this persecution; and the pope, in an allocution made in December, in terms still more severe, denounced the impudence of the anti-Catholic legislation, to which the imperial government of Germany replied by breaking off all diplomatic intercourse with the papal court. ”

“ In time of war several corps are formed into an army, each army embracing from two to four corps. The army corps, both in peace and war, is subdivided into divisions, brigades, regiments, and battalions. ”