﻿GEUilANY. 



GERMANY. 



is about 70 miles from the sea. East of that river it continues due 

 east to Areudswalcle, aud then inclines to the north, gradually 

 approaching the sea. Some distance west of Danzig it takes a short 

 south-east course, and then again due east, terminating on the banks 

 of the Niemen, near Grodno. This tract of high ground forms the 

 watershed between a great number of small rivers which fall into the 

 Baltic, and many others with a much longer course, which run off to 

 the southward, and increase the waters of the Elbe, Oder, and I 

 Vistula. It is also remai'kable for the immense number of small 

 lakes which occur on its higher parts or near them. Some of these , 

 are lakes of considerable extent, as the Lake of Schwerin, near the 

 western extremity, aud the Lake of Spirdiug, towards the banks of 

 the Niemen. On the northern side of this high ground we find those 

 numerous erratic blocks or boulders which have attracted the attention 

 of geologists. 



The mountain region of Central Germany extends to tiie south of 

 the low plain, and incloses the elevated plain on the east, north, and 

 west. That portion of it which is to the east of the elevated plain 

 may be called the mountain system of Bohemia, because it incloses 

 that kingdom on all sides. That which extends to the north of the 

 elevated plain may be called the Central mountain system of Germany; 

 and the ranges inclosing the elevated plain on the west the Rhenish 

 mountain system, because they run parallel to the middle course of 

 the Rhine. This region is composed of numerous groups of moun- 

 tains aud hillii, with connecting tabl^-lands, such as the Fichtelge- 

 birge, the forest of Bohemia, the Sudetes or Sudetsch Mountains, 

 the Moravian Mountains, the lieisengebii^e, the Lusatian Mountains, 

 or the Wolish Kamm, the Krzgebirge, the Frankenwald, Thiirin- 

 gerwald, Rougebirge, Spesaart, the Uans Mountains, the Kgge Moun- 

 taioa, the Uaarstrang, the SauerUud, the Westerwald, and the Taunus. 

 These mountain systems are described under their own names 

 [EitzoEBiRGE, FicHTKLGEBiRUE, HAit;i; MouxTAiNS, &C.], or imder 

 the names of the states in which they are situated. [Baden, Bavabla, 

 BoBEMtA, &C.] Most of the principal rivers of Germany have their 

 sources in these mountains : the great rivers, as the Kibe, the Rhine, the 

 Weser, the Ems, &c., are described in separate articles ; the others 

 under the states through which they flow. 



The interior of the central mountain region, or the countries in- 

 olosed by the mountain ranges which we have described, presents 

 nothing but a succession of valleys aud high hills. The valleys are 

 frequently wide, but generally of only moderate fertility. The hills 

 have in general a gentle descent, and many of them are cultivated to 

 some height. No hill rises to the elevation of a motmtain except the 

 Vogelsberg, north of the Spessart, and west of the Ron Mountains, 

 which consists of basalt and lava. 



The elevated plain is inclosed on the west by the Rhenish moun- 

 tains, which rise at their northern extremity, at no great distance from 

 the place where the river Main joins the Rhine, a few miles south of 

 the town of Frankfurt, This range is known under two names, the 

 northern being called Odenwald, and the southern Schwarzwald, or 

 Black Forest, the division being made by the narrow valley through 

 which the river Neckar flows. 



The elevated plain, or the table-land of Bavaria, extends between 

 the Schwarzwald and Udenwald ou the west to the Bohinerwald on 

 the east, as far north as the Thuringerwald and Ron Mountains, and 

 is bounded on the south by the Alps. Its length from north to south 

 is about 180 miles, and its mean breadth probably exceeds 120 milea. 

 [Bavabia.] 



The fourth natural division of Germany comprehends the Alps and 

 their numerous valleys, of which a description is given under Austria 

 and AxFB. 



That part of Germany which' lies on the left bank of the Rhine 

 contains level tracts only along the river, the greater part of it being 

 occupied by mountain ranges which partly constitute the northern 

 extremity of the Voages Mountains, and ]>artly the eastern districts 

 of the Ardennes. The Vosges enter Germany as a broad-backed 

 range, and descend rapidly towards the flat tract, which, with a mean 

 breadth of 8 or 10 miles, separates them from the Rhiue ; they lower 

 gradually towards the west, where they terminate in a flat level of 

 moderate extent. The Voages terminate properly at Kaiserlautem, 

 where a valley, about 60 miles long and 4 miles wide, extends from the 

 Rhine to the Saar ; its mean elevation is 800 feet above the sea, and 

 it is partly covered with moors. North of this valley lies a rather 

 extensive mount;iin tract, the ridges of which are known by the names 

 of Uonnersberg (Thunder Mountain), Uucbwald, the Idkrwald, aud 

 Huudsriick. This mountain region occupies the whole tract between 

 the valley of the Rhine and the rivers Moselle and Saar. Ou the 

 other side of the Moselle is the EirEU 



The Kifei and the Hijhe Veen constitute the southern boundary of 

 the low plain on the west of the river Rhine. In this part the plain 

 extends over Belgium and the. southern provinces of the Netherlands. 

 Though the districts united to the Netherlands are not much superior 

 in fertility to that part of the low plain which lies on the other side 

 of the Rhine, those which form Belgium, and which belong to Ger- 

 many, exhibit a different character, being fertile to a considerable 

 degree. 



Climate. — The climate of the different parts of Germany differs in 

 ao great degree, if we except the countries situated on the southern 



declivity of the Alps aud its valleys. At Trieste, on the Adriatic Sea, 

 the mean annual temperature is 5S° Fahr. ; but north of the Alps the 

 temperature is nearly equal all over Germany. Though the northern 

 districts are 7 or 8 degrees farther north than the aouthem, the differ- 

 ence of temperature due to this cause is compensated by the much 

 higher elevation of the southern districts. The mean annual temper- 

 ature varies only between 45° and 50° of Fahrenheit (that of London 

 is 48° Fahr.). In the greatest degree of cold which has been expe- 

 rienced, the thermometer sunk to 31° below zero, and iu the greatest 

 degree of heat it rose to 95". The countries along the banks of 

 the rivers Rhine aud Main enjoy the mildest climate, and here the 

 almond-tree and the chestnut succeed very well. Vines do not grow 

 north of 51° N. lat., unless peculiar care is taken to shelter them. 

 The low plain, which lies exposed to the winds that blow from the 

 northern seas, has a much moister aud more variable climate than the 

 interior, which, owing to its greater elevation, Ls much drier and less 

 subject to sudden and frequent variations. The quantity of rain which 

 annually falls varies greatly with the localities of places. It amounts 

 at Wittenbei-g to IS inches, at Berlin to 21 inches, and at Ulm to 

 28 inches. 



Ancient Qermany. — The word Oermania was employed by the 

 Romans to designate a country of greater extent than modern Ger- 

 many. They included under this name all the nations of Europe east 

 of the Rhine aud north of the Danube, bounded on the north by the 

 German Ocean and the Baltic, iucludiug Deumark and the neighbour- 

 ing islands, and on the east by the Sarmatians and Dacians. It is 

 dilficult to determine how far Germany stretched eastward. Accord- 

 ing to Strabo (vii. c. 1) Germanic tribes dwelt nearly as far as the 

 mouths of the Borysthenes (Dnieper). The northern and north-eastern 

 parts of Gaul were also known under the name of Germania in the 

 time of the emperors, after the province of Belgica had been subdivided 

 into Germania Prima and Germania Secuuda. 



The Greeks and Romans had very little knowledge of Germany 

 before the time of Julius Caesar, who met with several German tribes 

 in Gaul, and crossed the Rhine more than once, rather with the view 

 of preventing their incursions into Gaul than of making any permanent 

 conquests. His acquaintance was however limited to those tribes 

 which dwelt on the banks of the Rhine. Under the early Roman 

 emperors many of these tribes were subdued, and the country west 

 of the Visurgis (Weser) was frequently traversed by the Roman 

 armies. But at no period had the Romans any accurate knowledge 

 of the country east of this river ; and it is therefore difficult to tix 

 with certainty the position of the German tribes, particularly as the 

 Germans were a nomad people. Some parts of Germany were inha- 

 bited by the Gauls, who were, according to Caisar (' Bel. Gal.,' vi. 24) 

 the more warlike nation iu early times. Two great countries of 

 Germany, Bohemia (Boihemum), aud Bavaria (Boioaria), derived their 

 names from the Boii, a Gallic tribe. 



The name of Germaui was first applied by Cajsar to the whole 

 nation east of the Rhiue, though it properly belonged only to those 

 tribes which he conquered in Gaul. Tacitus states (' Germ.' c. 2) that 

 the first tribe which crossed the Rhine were the Tungri, who were 

 afterwards called Germaui, which is supposed to be the same as 

 Wehrmauu; that is, 'Man of War.' It is doubtful whether the 

 Germans themselves employed any one name to designate the whole 

 nation. Tacitus (' Germ.,' c. 2) divides them into three tribes — 

 1, lugicvones, bordering on the ocean ; 2, Hermiones, iuhabitiug the 

 central parts; 3, Istoivones, including all the others. Pliuy ("Nat. 

 Hist.,' iv. 14) makes five divisions — 1, V'iudili, including Burguudiones, 

 Varini, Carini, Guttones; 2, Ingacvones, including Cimbri, Teutoni, 

 and Chauci ; 3, Istsevoues, near the Rhine, including the midland 

 Cimbri; 4, Hermiones, inhabiting the central parts, including the 

 Suevi, Hermuuduri, Catti, and Cherusci ; 5, Peucini aud Bastarua), 

 bordering on the Dacians. 



Jlittory. — The origin of the Germanic nations, like that of all others, 

 is uncertain. Some authors, taking as their guide the affinity of 

 languages, have traced their descent from the inhabitants of Asia ; 

 and Von Hammer calls them a B:M!triauo-Median nation. But to 

 assign to the Germanic nations a distinct historical origin is to make 

 an assertion without evidence, though it is now indisputably estab- 

 lished that the Teutonic dialects belong to one great family with the 

 Latiu, the Greek, the Sanscrit, and other European and Asiatic 

 tongues. All the positive knowledge however that we have of the 

 German nations previous to their contact with the Romans is more 

 conjecture. The Romans first became acquainted with them, B.C. 113, 

 wheu they appeared under the name of Teutones and Cimbri 

 on the confines of the Roman dominion and defeated the consul 

 Papirius Carbo. They made successive attacks ou the frontiers, but 

 were repelled by Marius, who defeated these barbarians in the years 

 B.C. 103 and 101. When Julius Ca:sar had subjugated Gallia aud ])eue- 

 trated to the Rhine, he became acquainted with a natiou then 

 designated by the name of Germaui. Ariovistus, the leader of the 

 nation which had formerly inhabited the banks of the Danube, 

 attempted to establish himself in GalUa ; but being defeated by Ciosar, 

 was obliged to fly beyoud the Rhine. Cajsar twice crossed the Rhino 

 iu order to secure Gallia from the inroads of the barbarians : he took 

 some Germans into his army, whom he employed against the Gauls 

 and afterwards against Pompey. 



