HALLE, a city of Prussian Saxony, in the district of Merseburg, known as Halle an der Baal& to distinguish it from other places of the same name, is situated on the right bank of the Saale, and on several small islands of the river, 20 m. w.n.w. of Leipsic. In the old town, the streets arc narrow and crooked. As an important railway center, Halle has of late years rapidly increased in size, industry, and prosperity. Its famous 0 university was founded in 14 by Frederick I., king of Prussia; and after having been suppressed by Napoleon when it had attained the summit of its fame, was re-established _ in 1815, and incorporated with the university of Wittenberg, which had been dissolved during the war. At first a chief seat of the pietistic school of theology, Halle sub sequently became the head-quarters of rationalism and The roll of its pro fessors shows a long array of names distinguished in every fac ulty. There are attached i to the university a theological and a pedagogical seminary, :In agricultural institute, an observatory, surgical wards, an anatomical theater, and botanical garden; and a library containing 100,000 volumes, and various scientific collections. The endowments for the professors and lecturers (over 100 in number) are liberal. The students m attendance number ordinarily between 800 and 900. The Francke institution is one of the most important establishments of the place. See FRAXCKE. The red tower on the market-place, the town-hall, and the remains of the Moritzbnrg, the ancient residence of the archbishops of _Magdeburg, are all interesting to the antiquary. Halle is amply pro
vided with benevolent and educational establishments for the poor, and has a well conducted institution for the blind, deaf and dumb. and insane, with free for both sexes: and as the chief town of a district, is the seat of various government (aces and courts of jurisdiction. Halle has manufactories of woolen and linen labries,gloves, buttons, hardware, and starch; hat its most important milastrudttiroduct is salt, obtained from the brine-springs within and near the town, which have been worked from a very early period, and still yield between 200,000 and 800,000 cwts. annually. Those within the town are worked by a private company, while the suburban works are held by government. The men employed at the salt-springs, and known as the " Halloren, are a distinct race, supposed by some to be of Wendish, and by others of Celtic descent, who have retained numerous ancient and characteristic peculiarities. Pop. '71, 52,639; '75, 60,503.
Halle, originally a border fortress against the Slays, became in the 10th e. an appanage of the archbishops of Magdeburg, and by the 12111 c. was famous as a commercial city. In the 12th and 13th centuries IlaIle was a powerful member of the Hanseatic league, and waged war with. neighboring potentates. Terribly impoverished during the thirty years' war, Halle was incorporated with the dominion of the elector of Brandenburg at the peace of Westphalia.