Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 17.djvu/817

OLDENBURG 757 empire and has one vote in the federal council and three members in the reichstag. I. The duchy of Oldenburg, comprising fully four-fifths of the entire area and population, lies between 52 29 and 53 44 N. lat. and 7 37 and 8 40 E. long., and is bounded on the N. by the German Ocean and on the other three sides by Hanover, with the exception of a small strip on the east, where it is conterminous with the territory of the free city of Bremen. It forms part of the north-western German plain defined by the Weser and the Ems, and, except on the south, where the Dammergebirge attain a height of 300 feet, it is almost entirely flat, with a slight inclina tion towards the sea. In respect of its soil it is divided broadly into two parts, the higher and inland -lying " Geest," consisting of sandy plains intermixed with ex tensive heaths and moors, and the "marsh lands" along the coast, consisting of rich but somewhat swampy alluvial soil. The latter, which compose about one-fifth of the duchy, are protected against the inroads of the sea by dykes as in Holland ; and beyond these are the so-called "watten," generally covered at high tide, but at many points being gradually reclaimed. The climate is temperate and humid ; the mean temperature of the coldest month at the town of Oldenburg is 26 Fahr., of the warmest 66. Storms are numerous and somewhat violent, owing to the almost entire absence of trees ; and fogs and ague are pre valent in the marsh lands. The chief rivers are the Hunte, flowing into the Weser, and the Hase and Leda draining into the Ems. The Weser itself forms the eastern boundary for 42 miles, and internal navigation is greatly facilitated by a new canal, passing through the heart of the duchy and connecting the Hunte and the Ems. On the north there are several small coast streams conducted through the dykes by sluices, the only one of importance being the Jade, which empties itself into the Jadebusen, a deep gulf affording admirable accommodation for shipping. The duchy also contains numerous small lakes, the chief of which is the Diimmer See in the south-east corner, measur ing 4 miles in length by 2 J in width. About 30 per cent, of the area of the duchy is under cultivation and 1 7 per cent, under pasture and meadows, while the rest consists mainly of moor and heath. The forests occupy a very small proportion of the whole, but there are some very fine old oaks. In the Geest the principal crops are rye, oats, potatoes, and buckwheat, for which the heath is sometimes prepared by burning. Large tracts of moorland are, how ever, useful only as producing an abundant. supply of turf and peat for fuel, or as affording a scanty subsistence to the flocks of small coarse-woolled Oldenburg sheep. The rich soil of the marsh lands produces good crops of wheat, oats, rye, hemp, and rape, but is especially adapted for grazing. The fat cattle and horses raised on it are highly esteemed throughout Germany, and the former are exported in large numbers to England. Bee-keeping is also much in vogue on the moors. The live stock of Oldenburg forms a great part of its wealth, and the ratio of cattle, sheep, and horses to the population is one of the highest among the German states. There are few large estates, and the ground is mostly in the hands of small farmers, who enjoy the right of fishing and shooting on their holdings. Game, however, is scarce ; but the fishing is fairly productive. The mineral wealth of Oldenburg is very small, and there are no mine ral springs. The industries are comparatively insignificant, though recently somewhat stimulated by the extension of the railway system and other causes. Woollen and cotton fabrics, stockings, jute, and cigars are made at Varel, Delmenhorst, and Lohne ; cork -cutting is extensively practised in some districts, and there are a few iron- foundries. Trade is relatively of more importance, chiefly owing to the proximity of Bremen. The agricultural pro duce of the duchy is exported to Scandinavia, Russia, England, and the United States, in return for colonial goods and manufactures. Varel, Brake, and Elsfleth are the chief commercial harbours. In 1881 the ports of the duchy owned a merchant fleet of 345 vessels of 70,000 tons, and they are entered and cleared annually by from 2000 to 2500 vessels with an aggregate burden of 125,000 tons. Shipbuilding and boat-building are carried on at the above-named seaports and on the tributaries of the Ems. Before 1866 Oldenburg was destitute of railways, but it is now traversed by various lines. The high-roads are good ; in the north some of them are laid with " klinkers " like those in Holland. II. The principality of Liibeck, formed of the old bishopric of that name, has an area of 209 square miles, and shares in the general physical characteristics of East Holstein, within which it lies. On the north-east it extends to the Baltic Sea, and on the south-west it is bounded by the Trave. The chief rivers are the Schwartau, a tributary of the Trave, and the Schwentine, flowing northwards to the Gulf of Kiel. The scenery of Liibeck is often pictur esque, especially in the vicinity of the Ploner See and the Eutiner See, the most important of the small lakes with which it is dotted. Agriculture is practised here even more extensively than in the duchy of Oldenburg, about 75 per cent, of the area being cultivated. The population in 1880 was 34,973. III. The principality of Birkenfeld, 194 square miles in extent, lies in the midst of the Prussian province of the Rhine, about 30 miles to the west of the Rhine at Worms and 150 miles to the south of the duchy of Oldenburg. It is a hilly district, intersected by the spurs of the Hoch- wald, which attain a height of over 2000 feet ; the valleys, however, are fertile and produce wine and -grain in con siderable abundance. About two-fifths of the surface are covered with forests. Iron-founding, cotton-spinning, and other manufactures are carried on ; but the characteristic industry (having its seat in Oberstein) is the polishing of agates, of which great numbers are found within the prin cipality (compare ONYX), Birkenfeld is traversed from end to end, a distance of about 25 miles, by the Nahe, which rises close to its northern frontier. The population in 1880 was 38,685. The total population of the grand-duchy of Oldenburg in 1880 was 337,478, showing an increase of I lO per cent, per annum since the census of 1875, and an average of 136 persons to the square mile. The bulk of the inhabitants are of the Saxon stock, but to the north and west there are numerous descendants of the ancient Frisians. The differences between the two races are still to some extent perceptible, but Low German (" Platt-deutsch ") is univer sally spoken, except in one limited district, where a Frisian dialect has maintained itself. In general characteristics the Oldenburg peasants resemble the Dutch, and the absence of large landowners has contributed to make them sturdy and independent. Oldenburg has the credit of showing almost the lowest average of illegitimate births among the German states, amounting in 1881 to only 5 per cent. This is in significant contrast to the high rate (15 per cent. ) among the semi-feudatory peasants of MECKLENBURG (q.v.}. The population of Oldenburg is somewhat unequally uistributed, some parts of the marsh lands containiii ; over 300 persons to the square mile, -vyhile in the Geest the number occasionally sinks as IOAV as 40. Nearly 80 per cent, of the inhabitants are returned as belong ing to the "rural" population. The only town with more than 10000 inhabitants is Oldenburg, the capital of the grand-duchy. The war-harbour of Wilhelmshaven, with 12,000 inhabitants, on the shore of the Jadebusen, was built by Prussia on a piece of land bought from Oldenburg. The chief towns of Birkenfeld and Liibeck are Birkenfeld and Eutin, with 2539 and 4574 inhabitants respectively. Oberstein in Birkenfeld has 4803 ;_ in the 12th century it was a lordship holding directly of the empire. _ Oldenburg is a Protestant country, and the grand-duke is required to be a member of the Lutheran Church. Roman Catholicism, how ever, preponderates in the south-western provinces, which formerly belonged to the bishopric of Minister. Oldenburg Roman Catholics are under the sway of the bishop of Minister, who is represented