Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/841

 ZURLA

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ZWETTL

em part of Switzerland during the era of the migra- tion (fourth and fifth centuries), Zurich became the capital of the districts or hundreds of Zurich. In the early medieval period Zurich was ruled by the abbesses of Fraumiinster, the abbess being called "the great lady of Zurich". At a later date it was a free city of the empire, and in 1351 it joined the Swiss Confederation, then the "Union of the eight old towns". Like Berne and Schwyz, Zurich has an important place both in the early history of Switzer- land and in its modern history. At the beginning of the sixteenth century it became the cradle and leading power of the Reformation in German Switzerland under the guidance of its pastor Huldreich Zwingli, who joined the Reformers; the city was also the main 8upi>orter of Zwinglianism (as opposed to Lutheran- ism and Calvinism).

The city is built on the banks at the end of the lake and along the River Limmat, its outlet, and climbs the lower heights on both sides of the river. It is divided into the Old To-mi and the New Town: the latter is mainly composed of suburbs and .surrounding townships which were formerly independent but which now are united with the Old Town. In the Old Town manj' houses still exist that are historically and arch- itecturaUy interesting. The New Town has some very fine streets, notably the street leading to the railway station, which is considered one of the finest in Europe. There are large and small )iarks, finely situated. The city is governed by an executive council of seven members, the head of which is the chief official of the city; the executive council is aided by the "great council", a form of town parHament. Both official boards are elected by the citizens for three years; aU citizens twenty years of age who are capable of bearing arms have the right to vote. In religious belief the inhabitants are: l.'?0,000 Protes- tants, 50,000 Cat liohcs, 3000 Old Catholics, 5000 Jews, and 10,C)00 belong to no denomination. The most active religious body is the CathoUc. The Protes- tants possess eight large churches, of which the Gross- miinster and the Fraumiinster are of much historical interest. The Catholics have three churches and vari- ous chapels, and two new churches are in course of con.st ruction; they are cared for by twenty-four priests.

Zurich is celebrated for its schools. The sum assigned by the budget to the primary and middle schools of the city for 1913 was five million francs ($1,000,000). Among the schools are a large can- tonal g)-mnasium, a commercial high-school, the can- tonal university, the Federal polytechnic school, and the conservatory for mu.sic. In addition there are a large number of private schools and educational insti- tutions, mainly attended by foreigners. The city po8.sesses large scientific, technical, and art collections, and important liljraries. The famous Swiss national museum is also sit uated at Zurich. As the banking cen- tre of Switzerland, Zurich contains the main Office of the Swis-s National Bank, of the Swiss Loan and Mort- gage Company, of the Swiss Banking .V.s.sociation, etc. It also contains an important stock-exchange, and silk, cotton, and grain exchanges. Zurich is a great centre of continental traffic and a railway jimction for traffic between the east and west and north and south of Europe. There are large numbers of religious and charitable societies and a.s.sociat ions for the benefit of the public, besides learned, professional, and athletic organizations. The city contains large numbers of benevolent institutions, administered by the canton, city or private organizations; there are excellent hospitals and sanatoriums. There is a fine hall for music with an excellent orchestra; Zurich has also places for athletic contests and exhibitions of aviation. Georg Baumberger.

Zliria, GiACiNTo Placido, Cardinal Vicar of Rome, writer on medieval geography, b. at

Legnano, of noble parents, 2 April, 1769; d. at Palermo, 29 Oct., 1843. At the age of eighteen Zurla entered the Camaldolese Monastery of San Michele di Murano at Venice, where he found a life-long friend in Mauro Cappellari (afterwards Gregory XVI), a young monk of his own age. He became lector in philosophy and theology, and in 1802 published a theological textbook. As libra- rian, his attention was attracted by the map of the world executed between 1457 and 1459 by the famous Camaldolese geographer Fra Mauro, and in 1806 he pubhshed an account of it entitled "II Map- pamondo di Fra Mauro". This led to further studies on early travellers, of which the most important result was the work, "Di Marco Polo e degli altri viaggiatori veneziani" (2 vols., Venice, 1818-19). In 1809 Zurla was elected a definitor of his congre- gation and given the title of abbot. The next year the monastery was suppressed by order of Napoleon, but the monks carried on their college dressed as secular priests. Of this institution Zurla acted as rector and CappeUari as lector of philosophy until its dissolution in 1814. From this year he taught theology in the patriarchal seminary tiU 1821, when he journeyed to Rome and resumed the white habit of St. Romuald at S. Gregorio, of which Cappel- lari was now abbot. By Pius VII he was named consultor of various congregations and prefect of studies in the Collegio Urbano; in 1823 he received the cardinal's hat, and in the following year the titular Archbishopric of Edessa. He was Cardinal Vicar to Leo XII and his two successors, and took an active interest in the organization of the Roman seminary, the reform of criminal tribunals, the deUm- itation of Roman parishes, and theaffairsof the many congregations of which he was a meml)er. Cardinal Zurla was greatly loved by his friends, but his zeal for the reform of abuses made him some enemies in Rome.

Sanseverino, Noiizie sulla vita e le opere di Placido Zurla (Milan, 1S57).

A 1 1 5 7 1 Raymund Webster.

Zwettl, Cistercian Abbey of (Claravallis .'^usTHi^), a filiation of Heiligenkreuz, of the line of Morimond, situated in Lower Austria, in the Diocese of St. Hippolyte. This monastery was founded in 1137 by Hadmar I of Kuenring, with Herrmann, a monk of Heiligenkreuz, as its first abbot (1137-47). The foundation was confirmed by Innocent II (1140) and by several other popes and emperors. It made rapid progress, soon becoming one of the most important monasteries in the order. Extensive buildings were erected, and the church, chapter-room, and dormitory were blessed in 11.59, though the entire monastery was not completed until 1218. For more than two centuries its spiritual, as well as temporal, state was most flourishing; towards the end of the fourteenth cent ury, however, its prosperity was on the dechne; it was repeatedly plun- dered, especially in 1420, when 4000 Hussites sacked and burned it down, one brother being martyred. It was rebuilt under Abbot John (1437-51), .and re- gained a part of its former sjilendour, having over forty priests near the end of the fifteenth century, and so continued until reduced to six monks and one secular priest under the Lutheran Reformation, when also a fourth part of its po.ssessions, which were very large, were ordered to be sold by an imperial rescript. Under Abbot Erasmus (1512-1515) and his .successors it flourished anew, notwithstanding the Thirty Years War and the Turkish invasion, fluring which it waa saved from destruction by the friendship of Count Thurn for Abbot Siegfried. During the administra- tions of Abbot Ijinck (1046-71), author of "Annales Austrio Claravallenses", and Abbot Melchior (1706- 1747), who rebuilt a great part of the abbey and en- riched it with many precious vessels and vestments, it reached ita zenith. The latter encouraged study,