MAINZ MATENCE, ancient Moguntiacum), the most strongly fortified city in the Ger xnaL empire, is situated in 50° n. lat., and 8° 10' e. long., in one of the most fertile of the wine-bearing districts of Germany, having for its site a gentle slope on the left bank of the Rhine, near the junction of the Main. The pop. was in 1871, 53,918, including the garrison: in '75, 57,847. A floating bridge, resting on 49 pontoons, connects Mainz with. the Rhenish village of Castel; as also a handsome railway bridge of iron, fiaislied in. 1864. The fortifications, which extend a length of nearly 10 m., consist of 14 principal and numerous lesser bastions, in addition to the four forts of Castel, Mars, Montebello, and Petersaue. In accordance with a decree of the congress of Vienna, Mainz was sur rendered to the grand duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1814, on condition that it was to constitute a German federal stronghold, and be garrisoned in common by Austrian, Prussian, and Hessian troops. In 1866, it became a Prussian fortreqs, and Prussia obtained all the rights that had hitherto belonged to the German confederation. By the treaty concluded at Versailles Nov. 15, 1870, the fortress of Mainz was declared an imperial fortress. Mainz which is one of the most ancient cities of Germany, retains many evidences of medimval taste, and consists principally of narrow crooked streets; but of late years a new town has sprung up on the site of the ancient Roman city, and DUMCI*011S sanitary improvements have been effected under the joint direction of the grand-ducal and civic authorities. Mainz has one Protestant and 10 Catholic churches, .among the latter of which the most noteworthy are that of St. Ignacius, with its beauti fully painted roof, and the cathedral, a mernorable building, which was begun in 978, and after having been six times destroyed by fire, or through war, was restored by _Napoleon. It has one great tower, 400 ft. in height, arid 6 lesser towers, 14 altars, and
20 minor chaples. Mainz possesses numerous Roman remains, the most remarkable of which are the Eichelstein--a mass of stones supposed to be a memorial erected in honor of Drusus—and the ruins of a vast aqueduct at Zalbach. Mainz has a gymnasium, a .seminary for priests, a normal school, a picture-gallery, museums, and a public library .eontaining about 100,000 volumes. Among the industrial products of Mainz, which baclude artificial pearls, isinglass, tobacco, vinegar, soap, carriages, musical instruments, furniture, and articles in leather, the first and the last have acquired special reputation. 31:tinz from its position, necessarily enjoys a very important transit-trade, both by rail way and river steam-navigation; and since the abrogation of many onerous restrictions, it has become one of the great internal ports for the coin and wine trade. The hislory of Mainz connects it with 'tome from the year 13 n.o., when Drusus built on its site the castle of Maguntiacum; but it owes its real importance to Charlemagne. It has acquired celebrity as the birthplace of Gutenberg (q.v.). In the 13th c. Mainz was head of the confederacy of Rhine cities: in 1468 the city was added to the domains of the archbishops of Mainz, who as such had precedence amongst the spiritual prince-electors of the empire. Mainz was several times in the possession of France, notably in 1801-1814.