Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1061

 GRAND-DUCHY OF SAXONY 939

GRAND-DUCHY OF SAXONY.

(Grossherzogtum Sachsen.)

The reigning Grand-duke is Wilhelm Ernst, born June 10, 1876, son of the late Prince Karl August and Princess Pauline of Saxe-V\''einiar; succeeded his grandfather, the late Grand-duke Karl Alexander, January 5, 1901 ; married, April 30, 1903, to Caroline, Princess of Reuss, who died January 17, 1905; married a second time, January 4, 1910, to Feodora, Duchess of Sachsen- Meiningen.

The family of the Grand-dnke stands at the head of the Ernestine or elder line of the princely houses of Saxony, which include Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Altenburg, and Saxe- Coburg-Gotha ; while the younger, or Albertine line, is represented by the Kings of Saxony. In the event of the Albertine line becoming extinct, the Grand-duke of Weimar would ascend the Saxon throne. Saxe- Weimar was formed into an independent Principality in 1640. After a temporary subdivision the Principality was finally, on the death of the last duke of Eisenach, in 1741, united into a compact whole under Ernest Augustus (1728-1748), who introduced the principle of primogeniture. At the Congress of Vienna a considerable increase of territory, together with the title of Grand -duke, was awarded to Duke Karl August, known as a patron of German literature.

The Grand-duke has a large private fortune. He has also a civil list of 1,020,000 marks, or 51,000Z.

The Constitution was granted May 5, 1816 ; slightly altered October 15, 1850. It was the first liberal Constitution granted in Germany. The legisla- tive power is vested in a House of Parliament of one Chamber, composed of 38 members, five chosen by landowners having a yearly income of from 150Z. upwards ; five by other persons of the same income (one each from the University of Jena, the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Handicrafts, the Cliamber of Agriculture, and the Chamber of Labour) : and twenty-three by the other inhabitants. All deputies are elected directly. All citizens over twenty-five years of age have the franchise. The Chamber meets every three years. The executive, acting under the orders of the Grand-duke, but responsible to the representatives of the country, is divided into three departments.

The budget is granted for a period of three years ; from 1911 to 1913, annual income and expenditure, 612,769/. The State forests yield a large income, while there is a graduated tax on all incomes, the estimates for which are based on a total income for the population of 9,418,916Z. in January, 1909. Public debt, 145,825/. in 1908. The debt is more than covered by real property and stocks.

The Grand-duchy consists of the three detached districts of Weimar, Eisenach, and Neustadt, to which belong also 24 smaller exclaves. Popula- tion, December 1, 1910, 417,149. Marriages, 1911, 3,439; births, 11,797 ; deaths, 7,164 ; surplus of births, 4,633. Among the births, 375 (3*18 per cent.) were stillborn, and 1,408 (10"94 per cent.) illegitimate. In 1910, 48*94 per cent, lived in rural communes. Weimar, the capital, had 34.582 inhabitants in 1910 ; Eisenach, 38,362-; Jena, 38,487 ; Apolda, 22,610.'

In 1910 there were 393,774 Protestants, 19,980 Catholics, 1,323 Jews, 841 other Christians, and 1,231 not stated.

The University at Jena (see Gennany) serves the four Saxon Duchies. The public schools in the Grand-duchy at the close of 1910-11 were as follows : —