FUR-SEAL. See SEAL.
EtiRST, Aust. .Tut.tra (1805-73). A distin guished German Orientalist. born of Jewish par entage, at Zerkow. Posen. He was educated for the rabbinical profession, and displayed at a very early age a remarkable power of acquiring knowl edge. He studied at a gymnasium in Berlin. and entered the university there. but soon after re turned to Posen, in 1825. to take a post as teacher. Gradually his convictions led him away front the faith of orthodox Judaism, and in 1829 he aban doned the idea of entering the ministry and pro ceeded to Breslau, where he continued his Orien tal, theological, and antiquarian studies, which were completed at Halle, under Gesenius, Weg schneider, and Tholuck. In 1833 he went to Leipzig, where he was first tutor (1833), and from 1864 professor, in the university. His labors in the Oriental field now continued un interruptedly until his death, in 1873. His chief works are the following: Lehrgebitude der aramdischen Idiome (1835), a work which brought the Semitic languages within the field of comparative grammar, then in-its infancy; Concordantice Librorum Sacrorum Veteris Testa menti Hebraicce et Chaldaicw (1837-40), a painstaking revision of Buxtorf's Concordance of the Old Testament; Hebriiisches and Chalddisches Handwdrterbuch (1857) ; and his Geschichte der biblischen Litteratur end des judisch-hellenis tischen Schrifttums He also wrote a Gesohichte des Kardertums compiled a Bibliotheca Judaica (1849-63), and was editor (1840-51) of Der Orient.
PttRSTENAU, far/ste-nou, ANTON BERNHARD (1702-1852). A German flute virtuoso and com poser for that instrument, born at Munster, Westphalia. He made numerous concert tours throughout Holland, Germany, and Russia, and in 1819 was appointed royal chamber-musician to the King of Saxony. In 1826 he accompanied C. M. von Weber upon the latter's ill-fated voyage to England. His works comprise more than 150 compositions for the flute. His son MORITZ ( 1824 89) was also a flute virtuoso and a writer on music. He became president of the Society of
Musicians at Dresden and custodian of the de partment of music in the Royal Library (1852). As the result of his researches in the history of music and kindred topics he published Zur Ge schichte der Musik and des Theaters am Hofe zu Dresden Die Fabrikation musika lischer Instrumente siichsischen Vogtland (with T. Berthold, 1870).
FtfRSTENBERG, fnesten-beric. A media tized principality in Southern Swabia, now di vided among Baden, Wurttemberg, and Hohenzol lern. It gives its name to a noble family, branches of which exist in Baden and Austria. The Austrian family consists of the princes of Ftirstenberg, whose estates are in Bohemia, and of the landgraves of Ftirstenberg. who reside in Lower Austria. Other branches of the family are the counts of Ftirstenberg, in Westphalia, and the Russian Rhineland.
FiiRSTENBUND, furfsten-bant (Ger., league of princes), THE. A league of German princes, formed about 1780, under Prussian leadership, to resist the encroachments of Austria. Its founding was almost the last important act of Frederick the Great, and was premonitory of the future strife between Austria and Prussia for preeminence in Germany; but the importance of the union was lost sight of, for the time, in the events of the French Revolution.
FifRSTENWALDE, furtsten-val-de. A town in the Prussian Province of Brandenburg, situ ated on the right bank of the Spree. 30 miles east southeast of Berlin (Map: Prussia, F 2). It has a gymnasium. several fine churches, and monu ments to Emperors William I. and Frederick III. There are manufactures of woolens, electric lamps, etc. Owing to its ownership of an adjoin ing forest, 19 square miles in extent, Ffirsten walde is, in proportion to its population, among the richest towns in Germany. Population, in 1890, 12,900; in 1900, 16,662, chiefly Protestants. It is one of the oldest cities of Brandenburg, hav ing obtained municipal rights in 1285.