BRUNSWICK, a city of the kingdom of Westphalia, and capital of the department of the Ocker, is situated in a very agreeable plain on the banks of the Ocker, which is navigable above the city as far as Wolfenbuttle. It was formerly an imperial city, and one of the richest and most powerful of the Hanstowns : It maintained its liberty du ring many severe and tedious contests, until 1671, when it was subjugated by Rodolphus Augustus, Duke of Brunswick Wolfenbuttle, who erected a citadel in the town to secure its subjection ; and, from that time, it continued to be the residence of the reigning prince, un til its annexation to the kingdom of Westphalia. The town has the form of nearly a square. It is strongly for tified, and extends about two miles in circumference. On the ramparts is a brass mortar, 101 feet long, and above 3 feet in diameter. It weighs 1300 quintals, and requires 521b. of powder for a charge ; and can throw a ball of 7301bs. weight to the distance of 33,000 toiscs. The houses arc in general old, and built of wood ; but the city has lately received considerable additions, and is daily acquiring fresh beauty. The principal public buildings are, the duke's palace, which contains a superb collection of natural history, of prints and pictures, and in the library arc a number of scarce and curious bibles, and fragments of bibles, in various languages, amount ing to nearly 1000 volumes ; the cathedral, which con tains the tombs of Duke Henry the Lion, and of several emperors and princes of the house of Guelf ; the church es of St Nicholas, St Catherine, and St Andrew ; the academy for martial exercises, where the students are instructed in every branch of science connected with military tactics ; the armoury ; the council-house ; Caro line college, erected by duke Charles in 1745 ; two gymnasiums, with a school for anatomy and surgery ; and a college for the study of physic, instituted in 1757. It has also an orphan house, a large 1oz:fru tto, and an hospital. After Brunswick ceased to be a free, and became a fortified city, its commerce began to decline, and its population to diminish. The interruptions of trade, occasioned by frequent wars, and the inso,ence of its garrison, soon drove many of its tradesmen to settle in the other free cities of Germany. About the middle of the last century, however, this city was again plen tifully replenished with French refugees, who had been driven Irons their country by popish intolerance, and sought in Brunswick the freedom of religious w,,rship. These were greatly encouraged by the reigning nuke, who granted them considerable privileges and immuni ties ; and, under their direction, were established many valuable manufactures of wooden cloths,. such as scrges,
barracans, flannels, rutteens, and candets. Besides these, Brunswick has manufactures of silk, linen, steel, iron, paper, snuff, earthen-ware, and varnish, also bleaching yards for linen, and extensive breweries. Its manufac ture of printed calicoes is one of the most flourishing, and the first of the kind in Germany, and its prepara tions of red alum, and sal ammoniac, arc of a very superior quality. Strong beer, called main, from the name of the inventor, Christian Mummer, is exported to various parts of Europe, and even to India ; and many tons of succory root, prepared as coffee, are annually sent to Lubeck, and from thence exported to Sweden and Russia.
In this city, many hundreds are employed in spin ning wool and flax, and the invention of spinning wheels is ascribed to a statuary of Brunswick, called Jurgen, in 1530. They are furnished with the materials from the work-house, which was established for the purpose of providing employment for the poor, and are paid for their labour on the same terms as those employed by the manufacturer. Grown up perform this work at their own homes ; but 200 children are daily employed in the house, where they are also instructed in reading and writing. The commerce of Brunswick is now very considerable, both in natural and artificial productions, as well as in foreign merchandise. Its fairs are crowded with strangers, from all the principal cities of Germany, who bring from Hamburgh the manufac tures of England, with calicoes, velvets, silk ribbons, tresses, and point work of gold and silver ; from Bre men and Lubeck various kinds of tanned leather, mallow, oil, wine, and foreign merchandise ; linens from Silesia; from Leipsick and Saxony the productions of Italy, Switzerland and France ; and from Berlin, Nuremberg, Augsburg, &c. the manutactures of their respective cities, which they either sell or exchange for other com modities. There is always a great traffic here for yarn and flax ; and immense quantities of green thread are exported every year to Holland, which is bleached at Haerlem. During the fair the duties are very moderate, and many foreign merchants compound for a certain sum, by which means they are not obliged to disclose the amount of their sales, which is otherwise the only method of determining the duty. The two great fairs continue 18 days each, and begin, the one on the Sunday after Candlemas, and the other on the Sunday after St Laurence-day. Population 31,700. N. Lat. 25'. E. Long. 10° 46'. See Peuchet Dictionnaire, &c. and Tynna Xmanach du Commerce, 1811. (ii)