, Württemberg, Germany (Wurttemberg)
1906

Wiirttemberg, wUR'tem-beRa\ a kingdom in the SW. part of Germany, the third state in size of the German Em pire, and the fourth in order of population, bounded on the E. by Bavaria, on the NW., W., and SW. by Baden, and on theS. by the Prussian province of Hohenzollern and the Lake of Constance. Wiirttetnberg has some small ex claves in Baden and Hohenzollern. It is divided into the circles of the Neckar, Black Forest (Sehwarzwald), Danube, and Jagst. Area, 7528 sq. m. Pop. in 1900, 2,169,480. About 70 per cent, of the population is Protestant. The principal towns are Stuttgart (the capital), Ulm, Heilbronn, Esslingen, Cannstatt, and Reutlingen. The surface of the country is largely mountainous. In the SW. is part of the Black Forest, one of whose peaks, the Hornisgrinde, about 3800 feet in height, is the loftiest mountain in Wurtteinbcrg. The Swabinn Alps stretch from Hohenzollern about 80 miles NE., uniting on the SW. with the Black Forest, and separating the basins of the Neckar and the Danube, the two principal rivers. The chief afflu ents of the Neckar are the Kocher, Jagst, and Enz. The Danube traverses Wiirttemberg in a NE. direction. Its largest tributary is the liter, on the Bavarian border. About one-fifth of Lake Constance belongs to Wiirttemberg ; the next largest lake is the Federsee, in the S.

The climate is temperate, the mean annual temperature being about 47°. The soil is mostly fertile, especially in the picturesque valleys of the Neckar and the Tanner, and on the Lake of Constance, in which regions the cultivation of the vine is successfully carried on. The Neckar wines are the best. Fruit-trees thrive everywhere. The chief agricul tural products are grain, beets, potatoes, hops, tobacco, flax, and hemp. The Blnek Forest yields valuable timber. Bee keeping is extensively carried on and the fisheries are considerable. Iron-ore and salt are the most important mineral products. The salt-works and a number of foundries are owned by the state. There are rich quarries of building- stone. Among the mineral springs those of Wildbad are the most famous.

Although Wiirttemberg is mainly an agricultural country, many of its industries have reached a high degree of development, such as the manufacture of gold- and silver ware, machinery, clocks, pianos, organs, surgical and opti cal instruments, paper, chocolate, and artistic furniture. Stuttgart is the most important publishing centre in south ern Germany, and the establishments oonnected with the graphic arts enjoy a high reputation. There are large sugar-refineries, brick-yards, and breweries, and the manu facture of textiles, chemicals, dye-stuffs, cement, gunpow der, cotton-thread, metal wares, hosiery, and sparkling wines is carried on extensively. Wiirttemberg has long been noted for the excellence of its higher educational establishments and the general dif fusion of public instruction. The University of Tubingen is celebrated. The technological and agricultural schools are among the foremost of their kind, and the conservatory of music at Stuttgart has a world-wide reputation. The government of Wiirttemberg is a constitutional mon archy. The constitution dates from 1819. The legislature consists of 2 chambers. The first is composed of princes of the blood, nobles, and members appointed by the king. The second chamber is composed of 13 members of the lower nobility, 6 Evangelical and 3 Catholic dignitaries, the chancellor of the university of Tubingen, 7 represent atives of towns, and 63 representatives of rural districts, the last-named 70 members being chosen by direct election. There is universal suffrage and the ballot is secret. Wiirt temberg has 4 seats in the Bundesrat and sends 17 members to the Reichstag. The mediaeval county of Wiirttemberg was erected into a duchy in 1495. The state was elevated to the rank of a kingdom in 1806. In 1871 it became a member of the new German Empire.


Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906

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