LÜBECK LÜBECK. (FREIE UND HANSE-STADT LÜBECK.) 937 The free city and State of Lübeck formed a Republic, until November 1918, governed according to a Constitution proclaimed December 30, 1848; since revised up to July 17, 1907. There were two representative bodies-the Senate, exercising the executive, and the Bürgerschaft, or House of Burgesses, exercising, together with the Senate, the legislative authority. The Senate was composed of fourteen members, elected for life, and presided over by ene burgomaster, who held office for two years. There were 120 members in the House of Burgesses, chosen by all citizens of the town. The Revolutionary Movement in Germany in November, 1918, made Lübeck a more Democratic Republic. The Senate is retained, but the principal power is in the hands of the Citizens' Assembly. The city of Lübeck had (1910) 116,599 inhabitants. For births, deaths, and marriages, see under Germany. On December 1, 1910, Protestants numbered 111,543, Roman Catholics 3,802, other Christians 276, Jews 623, and unclassified' 189. Education is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 14. There are (1912) 28 elementary schools (9 for boys, 9 for girls, 10 for either sex), with 11,209 pupils; for boys 1 gymnasium (650 pupils), 1 real gymnasium (612 pupils), 1 real school (586 pupils), 1 private higher school (433 pupils), and 2 public middle schools (1,846 pupils); for girls there are 1 public high school (568 pupils), 2 private high schools, 1 private middle school (708 pupils) and 2 public middle schools (1,365 pupils). There are also a public technical school for apprentices, 1 architectural school, 1 naval school, 1 school for engineers of steamers, 1 public and 1 private commercial school, and 1 private technical school for women. Lübeck contains an Amtsgericht and a Landgericht, whence the appeal lies to the 'Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht' at Hamburg. In 1909, 862; in 1910, 883; and in 1911, 811 criminals were convicted. In 1911, 3,200 persons received poor-relief from the City Armen-Anstalt,' which spent, in 1911, 330,221 marks (16,5117.). For 1918 the revenue is estimated at 1,318,7497. and the expenditure at 1,334,7107. About one-third of the revenue is derived from public domains, chiefly forests and industrial establishments; and over one-third from direct taxation. The public debt amounted to 3,491,0517. in 1915. Total imports into Lübeck, 1913, 6,784, 170.; total exports, 11,362,2607. Number of vessels entered and cleared in 1913, 9,084, of 2,006,824 tons ; in 1912, 7,830 vessels, of 1,780,156 tons. References. Annual publications of the Handelskammer. King (Wilson), Three Free Cities: Being the Chronicles of Hamburg, Bremen, and Lübeck. London, 1914. MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN. Until November, 1918, Mecklenburg was a Grand Duchy. The Grandducal house of Mecklenburg was the only reigning family in Western Europe of Slavonic origin, and claimed to be the oldest sovereign house in the Western world. In their full title, the Grand-dukes styled themselves Princes of the Wends. Their genealogical table begins with Niklot, whe died 1160, and comprises 26 generations. The title of Grand-duke was assumed in 1815. In November, 1818, Mecklenburg was proclaimed a Republic. Under theold regime there was no other administrative division than that springing from the ownership of the soil, in which respect the country was divided as follows, with population in 1910-Grand-ducal Domains, 197,557; Knights' Estates (Rittergüter), 120,406; Convent Estates (Klostergüter), 7,889; Towns and Town Estates, 314,106. Total, 639,958, half rural. The chief towns (1911) were Rostock (65,512 inhabitants), Schwerin (43,131 inhabitants), the capital, Wismar (24,378 inhabitants), Güstrow (17,805 inhabitants), and Parchim (10,608 inhabitants). In 1910 there were: Protestants, 615,512; Catholics, 21,043; other Christians, 1,288; Jews, 1,413; not stated, 702. The parishes are generally well endowed with landed property. There were 1,235 elementary schools with 92,912 pupils (1911); Gymnasia, 7 with 1,819 pupils; Realgymnasien, 6 with 1,492 pupils; Realprogymnasien, 2 with 167 pupils; Realschulen, with 1,254 pupils; 6 preparatory schools with 618 pupils; higher private schools, 18 with 2,154 pupils; normal schools, 2 with 398 pupils; navigation schools, 2 with 129 pupils; agricul tural school, 1 with 55 pupils; technical schools, 2 with 196 pupils in the summer session and with 303 pupils in the winter session; institutions for the deaf and dumb, 1 with 54 pupils; institution for the blind, 1 with 90 pupils; schools for artisans, 50 with 5,843 pupils. There is a university at Rostock (see Germany). There are 43 Amtsgerichte, 3 Landgerichte, and 1 Oberlandesgericht at Rostock, which is also the supreme court for Mecklenburg-Strelitz. MECKLENBURG-STRELITZ. In November, 1918, Mecklenburg-Strelitz was proclaimed a Republic. The country is divided into two provinces: Stargard and Ratzeburg, Revenue for 1916-17, 359,2607., expenditure 49,5701. Debt, July 1, 1916, 132,5607. For births, deaths, and marriages, see under Germany. With the exception of 2,627 Catholics, 253 Jews and 212 persons of other confessions (1905), the people are Protestants. The total population on December 1, 1910, numbered 106,347 (53,523 males and 52,824 females). The capital, Neu-Strelitz, had 11,993 inhabitants in 1912. References. Bredt (V. J.), Die Mecklenburgische Ständeverfassung und das Reichsrecht. 1914. Munich, Mayer (A.), Geschichte des Grossherzogtums Mecklenburg-Strelitz 1816-1890. Neustrelitz, 1890. Schwarz (S.), Landeskunde der Grossherzogtümer Mecklenburg und der freien und Hansestadt Lübeck. Leipzig, 1910. Ule (W.), Geographie von Mecklenburg. Stuttgart, 1909. OLDENBURG-PRUSSIA OLDENBURG. (FREISTAAT Oldenburg.) In November, 1918, Oldenburg became a Republic. Estimated revenue, 1918, 1,112,,755l.; expenditure, 1,012,3687. 1918, 5,689,864. 939 Debt, The population, 1910-Duchy of Oldenburg, 391,246; Principality of Lübeck, 41,300; Principality of Birkenfeld, 50, 496; total, 483,042 (244,018 males and 239,024 females). Oldenburg, the capital, had 30,242 inhabitants in 1910. In 1910 Oldenburg contained 371,650 Protestants, 107,508 Roman Catholics; other religions, 2,359; 1,525 Jews. Oldenburg contains an Oberlandesgericht and a Landgericht. The Amtsgerichte of Lübeck and Birkenfeld are under the jurisdiction of the Landgerichte at Lübeck and Saarbrücken respectively. References. Zeitschrift für Verwaltung und Rechtspflege (three times a year) Statistische Nachrichten über das Grossherzogthum Oldenburg (published by the Bureau of Statistics.) Kollmann (P.), Das Herzogthum Oldenburg in seiner wirthschaftlichen Entwickelung Oldenburg, 1893. Statistische Beschreibung der Gemeinden des Herzogtums Oldenburg. Oldenburg, 1897. Statistische Beschreibung der Gemeinden des Fürstentums Lübeck. Oldenburg, 1901. PRUSSIA. (REPUBLIK PREUSSEN.) Until November 13, 1918, Prussia (Bo-Russia) was ruled by sovereigns who traced their origin to Count Thassilo, of Zollern in Swabia, one of the generals of Charles the Great. His successor, Count Friedrich I., built the family castle of Hohenzollern, near the Danube, in the year 980. A subsequent Zollern, or Hohenzollern, Friedrich III., was elevated to the rank of a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire in 1273, and received the Burggraviate of Nuremberg in fief; and his great-grandson, Friedrich VI., was invested by King Sigmund, in 1415, with the Margraviate of Brandenburg, and obtained the rank of Elector in 1417. A century after, in 1511, the Teutonic Knights, owners of the large province of Prussia, on the Baltic, elected Margrave Albrecht, a younger son of the family of Hohenzollern, to the post of Grand-Master, and he, turning Protestant, declared himself hereditary duke. The early extinction of the male line of Albrecht brought the province of Prussia by inheritance to the electors of Brandenburg, who likewise adopted Protestantism. In the seventeenth century, the Hohenzollern territories became greatly enlarged by Friedrich Wilhelm, 'the Great Elector,' under whose fostering care arose the first standing army in Central Europe. The Great Elector, after a reign extending from 1640 to 1688, left a country of one and a half million inhabitants, a vast treasure, and 38,000 well-drilled troops to his son, Friedrich I., who put the kingly crown on his head at Königsberg on January 18, 1701. His successor Friedrich Wilhelm I., after adding part of Pomerania to the possessions of the house, left his son and successor Friedrich II., called 'the Great,' a State of 47,770 square miles, with two and a half millions of inhabitants. Friedrich II. added Silesia, an area of 14,200 square miles; this, and the large territory gained in the first partition of Poland, increased Prussia to 74,340 square miles, with more than five and a half million inhabitants. Under the reign of Friedrich's successor, Friedrich Wilhelm II., the State was enlarged by the acquisition of the principalities of Anspach and Baireuth, as well as the vast territory acquired in another partition of Poland, which raised its area to nearly 100,000 square miles with about nine millions of souls. Under Friedrich Wilhelm III., nearly one-half of this State and population was taken by Napoleon; but the Congress of Vienna not only restored the loss, but added part of the Kingdom of Saxony, the Rhineland, much of Westphalia, and Swedish Pomerania, moulding Prussia into two separate pieces of territory, of a total area of 106,820 square miles. This was shaped into a compact State of 134,463 square miles, with a population of 22,769,436, by the war of 1866. According to the Constitution of the German Empire which was established in 1871, the King of Prussia was chosen hereditary German Emperor. On November 13, 1918, Prussia was proclaimed a Republic. Constitution and Government. The The Prussian Constituent National Assembly, elected by universal, equal and secret suffrage of men and women, met on March 14, 1919, and is proceeding to consider a new constitution for the Republic of Prussia. Assembly consists of 142 Majority Socialists; 87 Centre (Catholics); 61 Democrats; 41 Conservatives; 24 Independent Socialists; 18 German Peoples' Party; 1 Agrarian Democrat; 6 Guelphs; 21 other parties; total, 401. The Ministry, appointed on March 25, 1919, is composed as follows: Premier.-Herr Hirsch (Socialist). Minister of the Interior.-Herr Heine (Socialist). Minister of Justice.-Herr Zehnhoff (Centre). Minister of Public Worship.-Herr Hanisch (Socialist). Minister of Finance.-Herr Südekum (Socialist). Minister of Agriculture..—Herr Braun (Socialist). Minister of National Welfare.-Herr Stegerwald (Centre). Minister of Commerce.-Herr Fischbeak (Democrat). Minister of War.-Col. Reinhardt (Non-Party). For local government Prussia is divided into Provinces, Government districts (Regierungsbezirke), urban circles (Stadtkreise), and rural circles (Landkreise). Urban circles consist of towns of over 25,000 inhabitants; rural circles consist of the smaller towns, rural communes (Landgemeinden), and manors (Gutsbezirke). For provinces and rural circles the local authorities of the constituent areas elect deliberative assemblies which appoint executive committees. Each province has a governor (Oberpräsident); each government district has a president, and deals chiefly with local affairs of Štate concern. In towns the deliberative authority is the town council (Stadtverordnetenversammlung), elected on the 3-class system of property suffrage. The executive is a magistracy with the burgher-master as president. Each rural circle has a Landrat. Local administrative business varies according to AREA AND POPULATION 941 the nature of the administrative division. The matters dealt with are such as poor-relief, roads, light railways, &c., but in rural districts they include agricultural interests, and in towns, education, sick-insurance, valuation, collection of certain taxes, mustering of recruits, management of gas, water, and electric works, &c. Estimated population in 1916, 41,052,718. The population living in towns and that not in towns in 1905 and 1910 were as follows: |