Lubeck

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

one of the three free cities of the German Empire . It is situated on the Trave River, nine miles from the Baltic. The channel of the river has been deepened. The city is near the northwest angle of the Baltic. The corresponding town on the North Sea side of the peninsula is Hamburg. The two cities are but thirty-eight miles apart. The ancient walls have been leveled to form pleasant promenades. Four of the principal gateways have been left standing. The principal of these is the Holstein Gate, a massive brick structure with two lofty towers, quite medieval in aspect. Lubeck was made a free imperial city in 1226, and thirty years later it became the head of the Hanseatic League. The old Rathhaus or city hall, a Gothic brick building with huge gables and quaint spires, still stands. The audience chamber in which ambassadors were heard, the war chamber with beautiful carved wood paneling, and the ancient Hanseatic Hall in which the diets of the league were held may all be seen. The last named has been cut up into small offices for city use. A restaurant or wine cellar under one corner of the building was formerly a place of fashionable resort. The chimneypiece in the room where wedding feasts were held bears the quaint inscription in German, "Many a man sings loudly when they bring him his bride. If he knew what they brought him, he might well weep." The use of brick as a building material has given the architecture of Lubeck a plain, clumsy appearance. The council house, cathedral, and principal churches lack the flying buttresses that give a building a light appearance. There is also a want of the rich sculpture that adorns the Gothic buildings of England, France, and other localities where stone was used. The interiors of the Lubeck buildings are spacious and imposing. They are characterized by lofty vaulting. Rich decorations in tile, and fine old wood carvings are seen. The city with its adjacent territory of 116 square miles is governed by a Senate of fourteen members and a House of Burgesses of 120 members. It is represented in the imperial Parliament. A large trade is carried on with ports on the Baltic. Railroads and canals connect the city with the interior of Germany. An extensive wine trade is maintained direct with Bordeaux, France. The wine cellars of Lubeck are perhaps the largest in Germany. Population in 1900, 96,755.