Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 08.djvu/342

This page needs to be proofread.
LEFT
288
RIGHT

SCHWEINFTJRT 288 SCIACCA cations were removed in 1862. Pop. about 35,000. SCHWEINFTJRT, an ancient and / long an imperial free city in Bavaria; on the Main, 28 miles N. E. of Wiirzburg. It contains a beautiful market-place, in which important cattle and wool markets are held. Wine growing, sugar refining, and manufactures of chemicals, paper, bells, dyeing materials, as white lead, ul- tramarine, Schweinfurt green, etc., and numerous other articles are carried on. Ruckert, the poet, was born here; and a monument was erected in 1890. Pop. about 22,200. SCHWENKFELD, CASPAR VON, a German reformer; born of noble family, in Ossig, Lower Silesia, in 1490; studied two years at Cologne and elsewhere, and, before retiring into private life in 1521 to a constant study of the Scriptures, served at various courts with Duke Charles of Miinsterberg, and as aulic counsellor with Duke Frederick II. of Liegnitz. About 1525 he openly declared for Luther, and went to Wittenberg to converse with him, but found his views widely divergent on baptism and the eu- charist. Still further, he found himself unable to accept any confessions of faith except such as followed closely the let- ter of Scripture. Schwenkfeld did not himself partake of the Lord's Supper, though he did not forbid it to others. He did not approve of infant baptism, yet without admitting the Baptist view of the importance of the baptism of adults. Schwenkfeld's view brought him the hatred of the Lutherans and Catholics alike. The influence of the Emperor Fer- dinand forced the Duke of Liegnitz to banish him in 1529, and he thereafter traveled to Ulm, Augsburg, Nuremberg, and Strasburg, everywhere gaining disci- ples. Luther fiercely denounced him, and many untrue charges were brought against him by others. He died in Ulm, Dec. 10, 1561. Schwenkfeld wrote 90 distinct works, most of which were burned by Protestants and Catholics. By means of personal teaching and his books a group of earnest disciples more than 4,000 strong was formed all over Ger- many, but mostly in Swabia and Silesia, under the name of Confessors, or Fol- lowers of the Glory of Christ. They were persecuted in Silesia in his lifetime, and many emigrated to Holland, some to England. The Jesuit mission established in Silesia in 1719 persecuted the rem- nant still further, and some joined the Protestant churches, some fled to Saxony, where they were protected by Count Zin- zendorf. In 1734 40 families emigrated to England, and finally thence to Penn- sylvania, where, as Schwenkfeldians, thoy have maintained a distinct existence to this day. SCHWERIN, the capital of the re- public of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Ger- many. It is" situated on Lake Schwerin, 38 miles S. E. of Lubeck. It has many handsome buildings, among them a four- teenth century Gothic cathedral, contain- ing the ducal tombs, and the former Grand Ducal Palace. The manufactures are machinery, dyes, pianos, bricks, and furniture. Pop. about 45,000. SCHWERTE, a town of the province of Westphalia, Prussia. It stands 53 miles N. E. of Cologne, and has some in- teresting buildings, among them a Ro- manesque church with carved interior and ancient stained-glass windows. The industries include iron wares and machin- ery. Pop. about 14,000. SCHWYZ, a central canton of Switzer- land, bounded on the N. by the Lake of Zurich and canton of St. Gall, W. by Zug and Lucerne, S. by Lake Lucerne, and E. by Glarus; area, 351 square miles. It belongs to the so-called mountain can- tons, being traversed in all directions by lofty peaks, including the Mythen, the Rigi, the Rossberg, the Drusberg, etc. The whole canton belongs to the basin of the Rhine, more than two-thirds of the surface being drained by the Sihl and the Lake of Zurich; a third, by the Lake of Lucerne, chiefly by means of the Muota; and the remainder, forming only an un- important portion, by the Lake of Zug. The chief industry is the rearing of cat- tle, sheep, and swine. The canton is very poor in minerals. Manufactures are al- most confined to some cotton and silk spinning and weaving. Schwyz being the most important of the cantons which first threw off the yoke of Austria, gave the name to the whole confederation. Its present government is an extreme democ- racy, the whole power, legislative and executive, being lodged in the male pop- ulation of legal age, who hold a general assembly every two years. The great body of the inhabitants are Roman Cath- olics. Pop. (1920) 59,475. Schwyz, the capital, is a straggling and picturesque town at tbe foot of the Mythen, about 1,680 feet above the sea, with a hand- some parish church and an interesting town hall. Pop. about 8,000. SCIACCA, a seaport of Sicily; on a cliff 30 miles N. W. of Girgenti; has a fine 11th-century cathedral, the ruined castles of the Lunas and the Perollos (between whom there existed a terrible feud), hot sulphurous and saline springs,