ERFURTH, ERFORT, or ERFURT, formerly Er/:es, or EritiS, is an ancient town of Germany, pleasantly si tuated on the river Gera, which flows through the town in numerous branches. Although the town is in general ill built, yet it possesses several public buildings of im portance. The cathedral, which was built in 752, con tains a huge bell, which weighs 30,250 pounds. In the cidevant convent of the Bernardins, is shewn the tomb of the famous bigamist, the Count of Gleichen, who is said to have been interred there beside his two wives. The university of Erfurth was established in 1392, and half of the chairs were filled by Catholics, and the other half by Protestants. In 1754, the Academy of Sciences was founded, which was subsequently enlarged by the addi tion of a botanical garden, an anatomical theatre, an ob servatory, a riding school, and a society of natural history. The principal public libraries are those of the Univer sity, of the Academy of Physics, of the Scottish Benedic tines, and of the Lutheran ministry. The library of the Scottish Benedictines possesses a cabinet of physical and mathematical instruments ; and that of the Lutheran mi nistry contained some ancient MSS. of the Hebrew Bible. The house for the orphans of Lutherans was formerly the monastery of the Augustins, and contains a cabinet of natural history. Erfurth formerly contained eight mo
nasteries, four Catholic churches, and nine Lutheran churches. The town is defended by the fortress of Pe tersberg, which was generally considered as a place of strength till the year 1806, when the French entered it without resistance. The country around Erfurth is fer tile in corn and vines, and abounds in bastard saffron and anise, which the inhabitants cultivate with great care. Almost every house in the town has a garden, hence the number of gardens amounts to about 1200.
A variety of manufactures are carried on at Erfurth, but the principal ones are those of woollen and ribbons, the last of which gives employment to 1500 individuals. Population 17,000. Its position, according to trigonometrical observations, is east longitude 11° 2' 26", and north latitude 50° 58' 45". For an account of the Academy of Erfurth, see our article ACADEMY. See also Erfurt und das Erfurtische Gebiet, Vom Prof. Do minicus, Gotha 1793, vol. ii. ; and Erfurt mit seinen Merk svurdigkeiten und Alterthumern, Vom D. Arnold, Gotha 1802, 8 VO. (w)