BAVARIA. 249 



factories of the town and its suburbs are the most important of Bavaria. Glass, 

 mirrors, metal work, chemical products, locomotives, and machinery are produced in 

 them. Filrth (27,360 inhabitants), a few miles to the west, is a manufacturing suburb 

 of Niirnberg, whilst Stein, a neighbouring village, boasts of possessing the largest 

 pencil manufactory of the world. Six railways converge upon ISTûrnberg, and 

 amongst the articles exported are the wooden toys manufactured in the villages of 

 Franconia. 



The basin of the Regnitz has a dense population. Wcissenharg am Sand 

 (5,019 inhabitants), on the Swabian Rezat, has breweries ; and Ansbach (13,299 

 inhabitants), on the Franconian Rezat, is the old capital of the Margraves and the 

 birthplace of Platen, the poet. The old town of Schwahach (7,024 inhabitants) 

 rises on the Regnitz, above Fiirth ; it afforded shelter to many French refugees 

 after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Erlangcn (13,597 inhabitants), lower 

 down, in a sandy plain covered with forests, owes most of its industries to French 

 immigrants, who introduced the manufacture of gloves, stockings, and leather. It 

 is the seat of a Protestant university, founded in 1743. Lower down still, on the 

 Regnitz, rise the old walls of Forchheim (3,847 inhabitants), one of the places of 

 residence of Charlemagne. Bamberg (26,951 inhabitants), a famous old city, 

 crowns five hills at the confluence of the Regnitz with the Main. Amongst its 

 many churches the Byzantine cathedral, founded in the beginning of the eleventh 

 century by the Emperor Henry III., is the most famous. It contains the sarco- 

 phagus of Henry II. and his wife Kunegunda. The library is rich in precious 

 manuscripts, amongst which is a Bible copied by Alcuin for the use of Charle- 

 magne. Bamberg was formerly looked upon as the " umbilical city " of the 

 empire, and its position at the fork of the roads which hence lead to Frankfort, 

 Leipzig, and Niirnberg is a favourable one for commercial purposes. It exports 

 large quantities of fruit and vegetables grown in the neighbourhood. 



Bayrcuth (18,609 inhabitants), on the Red Main, rivals Bamberg by its popu- 

 lation and industry. Formerly the residence of the Margraves of Brandenburg, it 

 succeeded its neighbour Kuhnbach (5,271 inhabitants) as the capital of Upper 

 Franconia. On a hill to the north of the town stands Wagner's National Opera 

 House. The town holds a position in the history of letters, for Jean Paul Rich ter, 

 a native of Wunùedel (3,784 inhabitants), in the Fichtelgebirge, lived and died 

 there. The painter Lucas Cranach was a native of Kronach (3,685 inhabitants), a 

 village in a valley of the Thuringian Forest. Lichtenfeh (2,359 inhabitants), on 

 the Main, is known for the baskets it exports. 



Scluveinfurt (11,233 inhabitants) is the first large town on the Main below its 

 confluence with the Regnitz. This ancient free city, the birthplace of Riickert, 

 manufactures sugar, carpets, and colours. The name evidently signifies "swine's 

 ford," but the inhabitants in.sist upon its being a corruption of " Swabian ford." 

 Kissingen (3,471 inhabitants), a favourite watering-place, lies to the north-west of 

 Schweinfurt, on the Franconian Saale. 



Continuing our journey down the Main, we pass Kitzingen (6,393 inhabitants), 

 a town of breweries, and Oclmenfurt ("Oxford," 2,443 inhabitants), the etymology 



