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VIENNA. 128 VIENNA. of the population are Germans and Roman Catholic. Great advance has been made in the educational facilities. The Grand Opera is sec- ond to none in the world, and the acting at the Hofburg Theatre Is scarcely surpassed anywhere. In addition to the educational institutions al- ready mentioned, and including tlie famous con- servatory of music, the Oriental Academy (a school for training in diplomatic service, dating from 1754) claims particular attention. The Government printing establishment is one of the most complete of its kind. Among the charity institutions not already mentioned are the sol- diers' asylum, famous institutions for the blind and the deaf and dumb, the general hospital, the largest in Europe, with 2000 beds, and the veterinary hospital, with more than 1000 stu- dents. HiSTORT. Vienna is the Vindobona of the Ro- mans, under whom it was strategically impor- tant. At the close of the eighth century it passed from the possession of the Avars to that of the Franks. In the twelfth century it became the residence of the Babenberg dukes of Austria. The traffic which arose in connection with the Crusades caused Vienna to prosper. Ottokar of Bohemia, in the middle of the thirteenth cen- tury, enlarged the bounds of the city. Soon afterwards it became the capital of the Hapsburg rulers of Austria. In 136.5 the university was founded. From the fifteenth century the Haps- burgs permanently occupied the Imperial throne of Germany, which added greatly to the impor- tance of Vieima. The Turks twice besieged it without success, in 1529 and 1G83. The second time, when it was heroically defended by Star- hemberg, it was on the point of falling into the hands of the JIussulmans, when it was rescued by the splendid victory of the Polish King, John Sobieski, and the German princes, achieved be- fore its walls (September 12, 1683). In 1735 and 1738 treaties were concluded here in connection with the War of the Polish Succession. ( See Succession Wars.) Vienna was greatly em- bellished by Maria Theresa and her sons. The city was for a brief period occupied by Napoleon in 1805 and 1809, and the battles of Aspern and Wagram were fought in its environs, the latter followed by the Treaty of Schijnbrunn (1809). The famous Congress of Vienna was held in 1814-15. The city was the scene of a revolu- tionary movement in 1848, which ended in blood- shed. (See Austria-Hungary.) Under Francis Joseph Vienna has undergone an unparalleled transformation, and has become architecturally one of the most inijmsing capitals of the world. Consult: Bermann, All- unil KcMiden (Vienna, 1879) ; Oesterreich in Wort iind IHUl ( ib., 1880) ; Weiss, (leschichte der Stadl ^^'ien. contains bibli- ographv (ib., 1882) ; Guglia, (leschichte der Stadt Wien (ib., 1892). VIENNA, Congress of. A convi'ntion of the representatives of the European nations held after the first Treaty of Paris (1814), for the general settlement of the affairs of Europe. The congress first met on September 30, 1814. Rus- sia was represented by Nesselrode; Prussia by Hardenberg: England by Lord Castlereagh, and afterwards by the Ihiko of Wellingtoti ; Austria by Metternicti; France by Talleyrand. All Europe, with the exception of Turkey, was repre- sented, the total mniilicr of those who assisted at the congress being about 500. Chief among the crowned heads present were Alexander I. of Russia, the Emperor Francis of Austria, and Frederick William III. of Prussia. An ex- traordinary round of festivities and entertain- ments was provided. The representatives of the minor States, who had expected a species of European Parliament, to which all would be ad- mitted, were sadly disappointed by the prelimi- nary resolution of the great Powers to constitute two committees, one to deliberate on the affairs of Germany, the other, composed of the represen- tatives of Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Great Britain, to discuss the affairs of Europe gen- erally and decide respecting new territorial boundaries. To this latter council, Talleyrand, by the influence of Castlereagh, who early saw the necessity of a counterpoise to the influence of Russia and her follower, Prussia, in the con- ferences, was admitted (October 5th) ; and three days after, it was increased by the representa- tives of Spain, Sweden, and Portugal. The mas- ter diplomacy of Talleyrand appeared in making France the champion of the minor Powers and thereby gaining their support, in utilizing the differences of the great Powers to divide them, and above all in appealing to the principle of legitimacy in order to preserve the integrity of France. The points which w'ere at once and unanimously settled were: the constitution of Belgium and Holland into one kingdom (the Kingdom of the Netherlands) ; the union of Nor- way with Sweden: and the restoration of Han- over to the King of (Jrcat Britain, of Lombardy to Austria, and of Savoy to Piedmont. But the question as to the disposal of Poland, Sax- ony, and Genoa was not so easily settled. Rus- sia and Prussia were bent on aggrandizement of the most extravagant sort, the former insisting on obtaining the whole of the Duchy of Warsaw (see Pol-Vnd), while nothing less than the whole of Saxony (whose King had fought on the side of Napoleon ) , besides new territories in Western Germany, would satisfy the latter. Both signif- icantly hinted at the iiroximity of their armies, with the view of awing the other Powers into compliance. But Castlereagh steadily refused to yield to such pretensions and joined with Met- ternich and Talleyrand in a secret treaty, offen- sive and defensive, February 3, 1815, which was acceded to by Hanover, Sardinia, Holland, and Bavaria. The news of this agreement soon leaked out, and produced a considpr;ible modifi- cation in the pretension of the ncu-thern Powers. At last it was agreed that Prussia, as far as her position in Germany was" concerned, in addition to being reinstated in the possession of most of the territories given up by her in the course of the French wars, should obtain half of Saxony (now Prussian Saxony), Berg Jiilieh, the great- <'r part of the left bank of the Rhine as far as the Saar, and Swedish Pomerania, and that she slioiild cede East Friesland and Hildesheim to Hanover in exchange for Laueidnirg. . spach and Bayreuth to Bavaria, and I.auenburg to Denmark (in exchange for Swedish Ponierani:>, made over to Denmark as ,a com])ensa(ion for the loss of Norway). Of the Polish territories which Napoleon had taken from Prussia, and which had const itiited the main portion of (he Duchy of Warsaw, only the western part (Posen) was re- stored to her. The bulk of the Duchy of Warsaw