OPPELN, one of the four governments of Prussian Silesia, comprises the greater part of Upper Silesia, and almost wholly consists of hills and mountains. It is bouuded'N. by the government of Breslau, E. by Poland, S. by Galicia, and W. by Austrian Silesia. Its area is 5143 square miles, and the population in 1847 was 987,318, nine-tenths of whom are Catholics. It has extensive forests of fine timber, and abounds in valuable minerals—coal, iron, zinc, &c. This part of tho province is less fertile and much colder than Lower Silesia; the valleys however are very fertile, although the grain-produce of the country is insufficient for the consumption. Cattle and sheep are numerous. Many of the mountaineers are weavers of linen. Hardware, steam engines, leather, and woollen goods also are manufactured. The snow falls early and lies late. There are many tarns and ponds which give rise to numerous small streams. Tho Oder traverses the country in its whole extent. The Vistula runs on the south-eastern boundary. The Neisse, a feeder of the Oder, drains the west of the government, and forms part of the boundary on the north-west. [Sttbsta.] The government is traversed by the railway from Vienna to Berlin through Breslau, from which branches run to Neisse and Cracow.
The administrative capital of the government, Oppeln, is situated on the Oder, 51 miles S.E. from Breslau by the Breslau-Vienna railroad, and has about 8000 inhabitants, who manufacture linen, tape, leather, and earthenware, and trade in timber, zinc, lead, hardware, woollen cloth, and Hungarian wines. The town is walled and entered by four
gates, and connected by bridges with an island in the river which is laid out as a park. it possesses several churches, a synagogue, a gymnasium, and a school of midwifery. Neisse, at the confluence of the Biela with the Neisse, a feeder of the Oder, is about 50 miles W. by S. from Oppeln, and has a population of 12,000. It is a clean well built fortified town, but the site is marshy and unhealthy. The episcopal palace, six Catholic churches, a Protestant church, a syna gogue, and town-hall, are the principal buildings. This town has a gymnasium, a royal manufactory of arms, a powder-mill, several breweries, and manufactures of linen and woollen stuffs, ribands, stockings, and yarn. A branch railway, 29 miles in length, connects Neisse with the Brieg station on the Breslau-Vienna railway. The other towns are :—Gleiteitz, 50 miles by the Cracow railway S.E. from Oppeln, which has a population of 7400, a gymnasium, and great iron foundries : there are valuable coal-mines in the neighbourhood. Lobschiltz, 30 miles S. from Oppeln, lies a gymnasium, a handicraft school, manufactures of linen, woollen cloth, and leather ; and a population of 5781. :Ratibor, a station on the Breslau-Vienna railroad, on the left bank of the Oder, is a walled town, entered by four gates, with a gymnasium, and a population of about 8000, who manufacture cloth, linen, earthenware, beer, leather, &c.