As to religion, the great bulk of the nation is Roman Catholic. At the beginning of 1870 there were 23,954,233 Roman Catholics; of Greeks in union with the church of Rome there were 3,941,706; not in union, 3,050,830. The Protestants of all denomina tions numbered 3,570,989; and the Jewish persuasion claimed 1,375,861. The church of Rome has 11 archbishoprics and 40 bishoprics, and an army of secular priests. At the accession of Joseph II., there were 2024 convents; but at the end of the French war (1816) they had been reduced to 800. There are at present nearly 300 abbeys and above 500 convents.
Education, since 1849, is under the care of a minister of public worship and instruc tion. As compared with other German states, the education of A. presents some pecu liarities. There is a greater prevalence of establishments where the pupils both live and receive instruction; also of schools for special callings. Instruction, again, whether high or low, is mostly gratuitous, or of trifling cost, bein provided from general or local public funds. The government has recently made liberal allowance for elemen tary education. Another peculiarity is the sway of the clergy, both in schools and uni versities. The primary schools are, to a very large extent, in their hands. The num ber of elementary schools has increased greatly in recent times. The law enforces com pulsory attendance at the "Volks-schulen," or national schools, of all children between the ages of 6 and 12; and parents are liable to be punished for neglecting to mid them. Hungary is still backward in elementary education. There are eight technical schools in the empire. The eight universities are at Vienna. Prague, Grfltz, Innsbruck, Pesti], Cracow, Lemberg, and Czernowitz (the latter founded in 1875). The first four of these, ranking as German universities, had in 1872— In 1875, Vienna had 3920 students; Prague, 1751; Pesth, 122 teachers and 1912 students; Cracow and Lemberg, the universities of Galicia, and the other Slavonian provinces, number 70 professors and 1800 students. There are also a large number of establish ments where the pupils are received young, and educated and trahied for special pro fessions, for the army and navy, for the counting-house. for the mine and the farm, as accoucheurs, etc. There are, besides, a large number of institutes for the promotion of science and art. The fruits of this extensive educational system are not what might be expected, in consequence of the priestly and monarchical restrictions which hedge it round. The chief libraries are the imperial and university- libraries of Vienna. There
are in the whole monarchy 755 newspapers and other periodical prints, of which fully the half are in German. Such of them as are political are fettered by conditions which render them quite worthless as organs of public opinion.
The manufacturing industry of A. is not yet adequately- developed, but of late years has made great strides. The annual value of its manufactures—not including small trades—is estimated at 1200 to 1500 million florins, that of its husbandry may reach 2500 millions. Bohemia takes the lead in this industry; then follow Austria proper, Moravia and Silesia, and Hungary. Vienna is the chief seat of manufacture for articles of luxury; Moravia, Silesia, and Bohemia for linen, woolen, and glass wares; Styria and Carinthia, for iron and steel wares. The chief manufacturcAl articles of export are those of silk and wool; the only others of consequence are linen twist, glass wares, and cotton goods. The yearly value of manufactured iron is about 54 million florins. The glass wares of Bohemia are of special excellence. The hemp and flax industry is one of the oldest and still most important. No branch of industry has risen more rapidly than that of cotton. The manufahture of silk is very extensive. The manufacture of tobacco is a state monopoly, and brings a revenue of nearly 60 million florins; the salt mon opoly, 18 millions.
lu respect of commerce, A. is most unfavorably situated. High mountains oppose great obstacles on all hands to communication, and separate the producing districts from the only sea that touches the empire; while the chief navigable rivers have their mouths in other countries. Much has been done to remedy these obstacles. Since 1809, a length of 20,000 m. of highways has been made. The great Alpine roads over the Stelvio pass and the Semmering (q.v.) are among the most remarkable constructions of our times. .More remarkable still are the railways over the Brenner pass and the Semmering. The first railway in A. was a horse railway, constructed in 1825-32. The state in 1841, resolved to undertake the construction of railways, and since then a great extent has been laid down. A complete network of railway now brings all places of importance into easy communication with each other. The total length of railways in the empire open to traffic in Oct., 1876, was 10,852 English miles. The length of lines under construction was about 2000.