Metz

mets, a fortified city of Alsace-Lorraine, Germany. It is situated on the Moselle, about eighty miles northwest of Strasburg. The river here flows through the town in several channels. A series of forts on the surrounding hills makes the city one of the strongest military posts in Europe. It is a city of ancient history. It was originally a Roman camp. It was plundered in the fifth century by the Vandals and later by the Huns. It has changed owners repeatedly. It was a city of the Franks, then became a free city of the German Empire. It was taken by the French in 1552, and was formally ceded to them in 1648. In August of 1870 it was besieged by the Germans. October 28th the French marshal, Bazaine, capitulated, surrendering the city and a force of 180,000 officers and men. The city itself is a place of commercial importance. There are manufactures of woolen, cotton, hosiery, hats, and leather. The pride of the city is the cathedral, a beautiful Gothic edifice dating from the thirteenth century. The masonry is of a particularly light, pointed, graceful style, giving rise to the remark that it is merely a framework for magnificent stained windows. The nave is 370 feet in length and 140 feet in height. The population of the city is about 60,000. See Alsace-Lorraine; Strasburg