Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1058

 936 GERMAN EMPIRE: — SAXE-ALTENBURG

SAXE-ALTENBURG.

(Herzogtum Sachsen-Altenburg.)

The reigning Duke is Ernst, born August 31, 1871 ; the son of Moritz (brother of the late Duke Ernst) and Augusta, Princess of Saxe-Meiningen ; succeeded to the throne February 7, 1908, on the death of his uncle ; married, February 17, 1898, to Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe, bora September 22, 1875. Offsining, Princess Charlotte Agnes, born March 4, 1899 ; Prince Georg-Moritz, born May 13, 1900 ; Princess Elisabeth, born April 6, 1903 ; Friedrich- Ernst, born May 15, 1905.

There was a separate Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg from 1603 till 1672, but its territories were afterwards incorporated with Saxe-Gotha until 1826, when the Duke of Hildburghausen, which had been a separate Duchy since 1680, exchanged Hildburghausen for Altenburg, and became Duke Frederick of Saxe- Altenburg, In 1874 the Duke resigned his right to a civil list, in exchange for a charge upon the State or crown-domains (Domanenfideicommiss).

The legislative authority is vested in a Chamber of thirty -two representa- tives, elected for three years, nine chosen by the highest taxed inhabitants, eleven by the inhabitants of towns, and twelve by those of rural districts. The Chamber meets once at least in eacK financial period.

The executive is divided into four departments, namely — 1, of the Ducal House, Foreign Affairs, Worship ; 2, of Justice ; 3, of the Interior ; 4, of Finance. The budget is voted for three years, estimates for the period 1911-1913, revenue and expenditure, 259,946Z. Two-thirds of the revenue are derived from the State domains and the remainder from direct taxes. Public debt, 1911, 44,370Z., which the funds of the State (exclusive of reserve funds in the " Landesbank ") exceeded by 242,277/.

Population, 1910, 216,128. In 1910, 207,825 Protestant, 7,246 Catholic. The capital, Altenburg, had 39,976 (1910) inhabitants. Many of the inhabitants are of Slavonic origin. The peasants of the "Ostkreis" (eastern part of the Duchy) are reputed to be more wealthy than those of any other part of Germany, and the rule prevails among them of the youngest son becoming the heir to the landed property of the father. Estates are kept for generations in the same family, and seldom parcelled out. The rural population, however, has been declining in numbers for the last thirty years.

Gymnasia, Realschule, and teachers' seminaries, 1912, 1,390 pupils; Biirgerschulen 5,620 pupils (2,845 boys and 2,775 girls) ; 204 public ele- mentary schools, 611 teachers (53 female) and 37,321 pupils. Annual ex- penditure on elementary schools, 95,496/., of which 21,435/. was provided by the State.

British Oonsul-General— A. C. Grant Duff (Leipzig).

Vice- Consul— R. M. Turner.

References.

Statistische Mittheilungen aus dem Herzogthum Sachsen-Altenburg, Annual, Altenburg, Ilauptubersicht uber das endgiltige Ergebniss der Volkszahlung vom 1. Dezember,

1910. Altenburg, 1911. , . ,., ^ , . , . j tt i i i

Herzogl. Sachsen-Altenburgischer vaterlandischer Geschichts-und-Hauskalender

Annual. Altenburg.