Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 4.djvu/303

Rh several open spaces of considerable area. The old cathe dral (founded iu the 12th century, and recently restored), the Catholic church of the Holy Cross, the Protestant church of St Elizabeth with its lofty tower, the Jewish synagogue, and the bishop s palace are the principal ecclesiastical buildings. The Jiatkhaus (a fine specimen of the architecture of the 14th century), the townhouse (of quite recent erection), the royal palace (now used as the Government buildings), the chamber of the states, the exchange, the barracks, the theatre, the post-office, and the new court-house and prison are the more important of the secular structures. At the head of the educational institutions for which Breslau is celebrated stands the university, which was founded in 1702 by Leopold I. as a Jesuit college, and was greatly extended by the incorporation of the university of Frankfort-on-Oder in 1811. Its library contains upwards of 300,000 volumes ; and among its auxiliary establishments are botanic gardens, an observatory, an anatomical and an antiquarian museum. In 1873 its professors and teachers numbered 103, arid its students 962, the majority in the Faculty of Arts. Among the minor institutions are four gymnasiums, a higher girls school, a normal school, a school of arts and manufactures, several orphanages, a deaf and dumb institute, and a blind asylum. There are also seventeen hospitals and numerous charitable foundations. The town is the seat of several provincial courts, a chamber of mines, an independent llomaii Catholic bishopric, and a Protestant consistory. Its manufactures, which are both varied and extensive, comprise machinery and tools, railway carriages, cast-iron goods, gold and silver work, carpets, woollen cloth, cotton goods, paper, and musical instruments. A very active export trade is carried on ; and a number of large fairs for particular kinds of goods are held every year. The popula tion, which was 110,702 in 1849, had increased to 171,926 in 1867, when about 33 per cent, was Komau Catholic, 58 Protestant, and 7 Jewish. In 1871 the total amounted to 207,977.

Plan of Breslau. 3. St Elizabeth s Church (Protestant). 4. Hathhaus. 5. Burse (Exchange). G. Stiindehaus. 7. Koyul Palace. 8. Synagogue. 9. Lieblichs Hohe. 10. Lobe Theatre. A, Konigs Platz. B, Bliicher Platz and monument. C, Ring Platz. D, Hitter Platz. E, Exercier Platz (Parade Ground). F, Taucnzien Platz. G, New Market. 1. University 2. Court-house.

1em  Roadstead of Brest.

BREST, a strongly fortified seaport town of France, capital of an arrondissement in the department of Firiistere, in 48 22 N. lat. and 4 32 W. long. It is situated to the north of a magnificent land-locked bay, and occupies the slopes of two hills divided by the River Penfeld, the part of the town on the left bank being regarded as Brest proper, while the part on the right is known as Recouvrance, from the chapel of the Virgin, to whom the shipwrecked sailors used to address their prayers for the recovery of their property. The hill-sides are in some places so steep that the ascent from the lower to the upper town has to be elfected by flights of stairs ; and the second or third story of one house is often on a level with the ground story of the next. The town proper has three long parallel streets, of which the chief bears the name of Hue de Siam, in honour of the Siamese embassy sent to Louis XIV., and terminates at the remarkable swing- bridge, or Pont Imperial, constructed in 1861, which crosses the mouth of the Penfeld. .Running along the shore to the south of the town is the Cours d Ajot, one of the finest promenades of its kind in France, named after the engineer who constructed it. It is planted with trees and 