Utrecht
Utrecht names 3 different subjects across the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. Each is set out below.
Utrecht PEACE OF, a series of separate treaties agreed on
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
PEACE OF, a series of separate treaties agreed on at Utrecht by the powers which had been engaged in the war of the Spanish Succession. On April 11, 1713, the States-General, Prussia, Portugal, and Savoy, signed separate treaties with France. The emperor refused to accede to the peace, and his differences with France were subsequently adjusted by the treaties of Rastadt and Baden in 1714. By the treaty with England, France, among other things, recognized the Hanoverian succession, engaged never to unite the crowns of France and Spain, and ceded to England Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, St. Kitt's and Hudson Bay and Straits. Gibraltar and Minorca were also ceded on behalf of Spain. Holland retained the Spanish Netherlands till a barrier treaty was arranged with Austria. Louis XIV. recognized the title of the King of Prussia, who received a part of Spanish Guelderland, and the sovereignty of Neufchâtel in Switzerland, while renouncing the principality of Orange. Savoy and Nice were restored to the Duke of Savoy, who was recognized as presumptive heir to the Spanish monarchy, and received the title of king. Philip V. was not recognized till the conclusion of these treaties, but France treated for Spain and formal treaties corresponding with those with France were afterward signed with that power.
Utrecht an important town of Holland
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
an important town of Holland; capital of a province of the same name, 23 miles S. E. of Amsterdam. It is pleasantly situated on the Old Rhine, is traversed by two canals crossed by numerous stone bridges, and is surrounded by strong forts. The town is well built, and has several squares, promenades, a government house, a Protestant cathedral (a fine Gothic building), mint, handsome town hall, palace of justice, etc. Educational establishments include a well-equipped university, a veterinary school, musical college, and schools for drawing and architecture. Utrecht is the central point of the Dutch railway system, and carries on an extensive trade in grain and cattle, and in the manufactures of the place, which include Utrecht velvet, carpets, floor cloth, cottons, linens, chemicals, etc. Utrecht is the oldest town of Holland and was called by the Romans Trajectum ad Rhenum, that is "Ford of the Rhine," later Ultra-trajectum. Pop. about 120,000. The province of Utrecht has an area of 534 square miles; pop. about 375,000. It is generally flat, is well watered by the Rhine, Vecht, Amstel, etc., and is better suited for dairy farming and stock rearing than for corn growing.
Utrecht u'trekt, an ancient city of the Netherlands
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
u'trekt, an ancient city of the Netherlands. It is situated on the Old Rhine, about twenty miles southeast of Amsterdam. Like many other Dutch cities, the streets are largely canals. They are crossed by numerous bridges. The old fortifications of the city have been torn down to make way for attractive boulevards. The most interesting building is a Gothic cathedral of the thirteenth century. The University of Utrecht has recently moved into modern buildings. Students have access to a botanical garden and a library of 200,000 volumes. Iron foundries, cigar factories, breweries, sawmills, paint mills, and organ factories are among the prominent industries. In 1907 the population was 114,895. The city of Utrecht is known in American history for the treaty of peace concluded there in 1713. A general European war had extended to the American continent, where it was known locally as Queen Anne's War. By the treaty of Utrecht the French gave up Nova Scotia , Newfoundland, and Hudson Bay to England. It marked the beginning of the decline of French power in North America .
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Collier's gave Utrecht city about 120,000 people in 1921 and the whole province 375,000; the city alone now holds roughly that provincial figure, some 370,000, with about 1.4 million in the province, making Utrecht the fourth-largest Dutch city. The "Utrecht velvet," floor cloth and linen trades named in 1921 are gone, replaced by services, government offices and the university, though the claim that it is "the central point of the Dutch railway system" holds better than ever: Utrecht Centraal is the country's busiest station. The rings of "strong forts" that then defended the city are now heritage rather than defence, the Dutch water-defence lines having been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The account of the 1713 treaties needs almost no correction, and Gibraltar, ceded then, is still British and still argued over.
Written for this edition, 2026.