Saxony
Saxony names 2 different subjects across the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. Each is set out below. 1 of them is described by more than one encyclopedia.
Saxony a state in the German Re public
Described by 2 of the 6 encyclopedias.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a state in the German Re public, formerly a kingdom, now a re public; bounded on the N. W., N. and E. by Prussia; S. E. and S. by Bohemia; S. W. by by Bavaria; and W. by Reuss, Saxe-Weimar, and Saxe-Altenburg; area, 5,787 square miles. For administrative purposes it is divided into the five districts of Dresden, Leipsic, Zwickau, Chemnitz, and Bautzen. Pop. about 5,000,000. General Features. - With the exception of a very small portion of the E., which sends its waters to the Baltic, Saxony belongs to the basin of the Elbe, which traverses it in a N. W. direction for about 70 miles. Of its tributaries the most important are the Mulde and the Elster. The surface, though very much broken, may be regarded as an inclined plane, which commences in the S., in the Erzgebirge chain, and slopes toward the N. In the more elevated districts, the scenery is wild, and on either either side of the Elbe, from the Bohemian frontier to Pirna, is a remarkable tract which has received the name of the Saxon Switzerland. On the Prussian frontiers, where the district subsides to its lowest point, the height above the sea is only 250 feet. The loftiest summits are generally composed of granite and gneiss, and are rich in mineral products. The Erzgebirge is continued by the Riesengebirge , a branch of which, under the name of the Lausitzergebirge, or Mountains of Lusatia, covers a considerable portion of East Saxony. The climate in the loftier mountain districts is very cold , but with this exception it is milder than that of most countries of Europe under the same latitude. Productions, Industries, etc. - The most important crops are rye , oats, barley, wheat, potatoes; and orchard fruits, particularly apples, pears, and plums, are very abundant. Considerable attention is paid to the culture of the vine. Large numbers of horned cattle are exported. The wool of Saxony has long been celebrated for its excellence. Swine and horses are of a superior breed. The minerals are of great importance and include silver, lead, tin, iron, cobalt, nickel, bismuth, and arsenic. Lignite and coal are found in various districts. The quarries furnish in abundance granite, porphyry, basalt, marble , serpentine, and sandstone. Several mineral springs of reputation exist. Saxony is an important manufacturing country , textile fabrics, such as cotton and woolen goods, linen, lace and ribbons, bei being the leading products. Other industries are earthenware, Dresden ware, leather, straw weaving, chemicals, etc., and the printing establishments of Leipsic are well known. Saxony is connected with the great trunk lines which traverse central Europe. The chief towns are Dresden (the capital), Leipsic, Chemnitz, Zwickau , Plauen, and Freiberg. History. The last ruling family in Saxony claimed descent from Wittekind, the national hero who was conquered by Charlemagne and embraced Christianity . The territory became a duchy about 880, and in the 10th century Duke Henry was elected German emperor . In 1127 the duchy passed to the Bavarian branch of the Guelph family, and after several changes Frederick the Warrior, Margrave of Meissen and Landgrave of Thuringia, became (1423) Elector of Saxony. His grandsons, Ernest and Albert, in 1485 divided the family possessions, founding the Ernestine and Albertine lines respectively , the former retaining the electoral dignity . Ernest was succeeded by his sons Frederick III. (1486-1525) and John ( 1525-1532), but in 1548 the elector of the Ernestine line was put under the ban of the empire, and the electorate transferred to Maurice, who represented the Albertine line which now occupies the throne. Maurice was succeeded by by his brother Augustus (1553-1586), who made important additions to the Saxon territories by purchase and otherwise. His son, Christian I., died in 1691, leaving the crown to his son, Christian II. Christian's brother and successor, John George I. (1611-1656), joined Gustavus Adolphus in the Thirty Years' War, and the Saxon forces took part in Breitenfeld and at Lutzen. Frederick Augustus I. ( 1694-1733) embraced the Catholic religion (1697) to obtain the crown of Poland. Frederick Augustus II. also obtained the Polish crown (as Augustus III.) after a war with France and joined with Austria in the Seven Years' War. Frederick Augustus III. (1763-1827) reluctantly took part against France when war was declared by the Imperial Diet in 1793, but after the battle of Jena the elector and his army fought side by side with the French. Napoleon conferred on him the title of king, and large additions were made to the Saxon territory in 1807 and 1809. In 1813 Saxony was the scene of Napoleon's struggle with the allies, and the battles of Lutzen, Bautzen , Dresden, and Leipsic were followed by the Congress of Vienna (1814), when a large part of the dominions then under the Saxon monarch was ceded to Prussia. A period of great progress followed, inte interrupted somewhat at the revolutionary period of 1848-1849. In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Saxony took part with Austria and was occupied by the Prussian troops. Prussia desired to incorporate the kingdom, but Austria, supported by France, opposed this arrangement, and Saxony was admitted into the North German Confederation instead. In the Franco-Prussian War, Saxony united with the rest of Germany against France ; and the late King Albert (then crown prince) was commander of the German army of the Meuse. On Nov. 9, 1918, the King of Saxony abdicated and the country was declared a republic.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
a kingdom of central Germany. It lies between Bavaria and Bohemia on the south and Prussia on the north. The area is 5,787 square miles--about equal to that of combined Connecticut and Rhode Island . The surface, on the whole, is rough and rolling, with level tracts in the west. The Elbe is the principal river. "Saxon Switzerland," in the southeastern part of the kingdom, is a region of scenic beauty. The entire area of Saxony is either in timber, field, pasture, or meadow, or it is occupied by mines and towns. The farming people live in villages. Scattered farmhouses are unknown. The grains and vegetables are those raised in the northern half of the United States , save that the summers are too cool for Indian corn. In proportion to its area, Saxony is the leading manufacturing state in Germany. Weaving, mining, and metal work are the leading industries. In all, 150 mines are in operation. The principal ores of Saxony are silver, lead, tin, cobalt, and iron. Coal is found near Dresden. Peat is abundant. Meissen-on-the-Elbe, is noted for the manufacture of Dresden china; Chemnitz, for the manufacture of machinery; Freiberg, for smelting and foundry work; Leipsic, for its university and trade in furs and books. Dresden, the capital, is noted as an art center. The name Saxony is derived from the Saxons, a Teutonic race of central Europe. At one time Saxony was the most powerful dukedom in northern Germany. Frederick the Wise, who ruled 1486-1525, was, it may be remembered, the protector of Luther, the political promoter of the Reformation. During the Napoleonic wars, Saxony made the mistake of siding with France against its neighbors. After the battle of Waterloo large slices of territory were cut off in favor of Prussia. In 1866 Saxony made another mistake in siding with Austria against Prussia. A large indemnity was exacted by Prussia as a condition of independence. When the new German emperor was elected, the seat of the imperial court of justice was fixed at Leipsic. See Dresden ; Elbe ; Meissen; Leipsic ; Fur ; Porcelain ; Forestry , etc.
Saxony PRUSSIAN, a province of Prussia
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
PRUSSIAN, a province of Prussia, of irregular shape, and with isolated districts, almost in the center of Germany, N. of Saxony ; area, 9,756 square miles. Originally a part of Saxony, it was given to Prussia by the Congress of Vienna (1814 ). The N. and larger portion belongs to the north German plain; the S. and S. W. is elevated or hilly, partly belonging to the Harz Mountain system, and containing the Brocken (3,742 feet). The chief river is the Elbe. The soil is generally productive, about 61 per cent. being under the plow and 20 per cent . forests. Beet sugar is largely produced . The mineral products are valuable, particularly lignite, salt, kainite, and other potash salts. The capital of the province is Magde burg; other towns are Halle (with a university), Erfurt, and Halberstadt. Pop. about 3,150,000.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Collier's caught Saxony at the moment of transition, noting that "on Nov. 9, 1918, the King of Saxony abdicated and the country was declared a republic." What followed was harsher than any of that: Dresden, the capital praised here for its china and its scenery, was gutted by Allied firebombing in February 1945; Saxony then fell in the Soviet zone and into East Germany, which abolished the state altogether in 1952 and split it into districts, renaming Chemnitz as Karl-Marx-Stadt. Leipzig, known to Collier's only for its printing houses, became the centre of the Monday demonstrations of 1989 that helped bring the GDR down, and Saxony was re-created as a Free State at reunification in 1990, enlarged by land west of the Oder-Neisse line and now bordering the Czech Republic and Poland rather than Bohemia. The population of "about 5,000,000" has fallen to roughly four million, and the silver and tin of the Erzgebirge that the article lists first among its riches are no longer mined commercially, though the ore mountains were worked hard for uranium after 1945.
Written for this edition, 2026.