Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/712

* WITTE. 606 WITTHAUS. official. His mother was a daughter of Fadeyeff, Governor of Saratov, who married into one of the oldest Russian noble families. Witte was edu- cated at the New Russian University, Odessa, in physical science and mathematics. He engaged in" journalism, in 1877 entered the railway service, and during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78) distinguished himself in managing the transportation of troops on the Odessa Rail- way. In 1870 he was called to Saint Petersburg and appointed to an executive position on the Soutlnvestern Railway. He was a member of Baranoflf's Imperial railway commission, and wrote in part the history of its proceedings. In 1883 he publislied Principles of Railway Tariffs. In 1880 he became director of the Southwestern Kailway, and in 1888, through Finance Minister Vishnegradski, chief of the Imperial Railway De- partment and president of the tariff commission. He was appointed Jlinister of Communications in 1892 and soon afterwards succeeded Vishne- gradski as Minister of Finance. He held this important position until 190,'!. As Finance Min- ister he promoted industrial development, favored protection of home industries, introduced the gold standard, and established Governiiieut mon- opoly of the sale of alcohol. Witte increased the revenue and negotiated large loans abroad, par- ticularly in France. Tliese were used partly for railway" extension, especially trans-Siberian. He concluded important commercial treaties, par- ticularly with Germany and Austria-Hungary. In his economic policy he was influenced by the views of the German economist Friedrieh List, on whom Witte published an essay in 1888. In 1903 he was appointed president of the Commit- tee of Ministers and a member of the Council of the Empire. It was not understood at the time whether this was a real promotion or, by ex- change of actual power for nominal honors, a victory for his reactionary opjionents. Witte was regarded by many as the most competent states- man in Russia. WITTEKIND, vit'te-klnt, or WIDITKIND, -ve'doo-kint ( ?-c.807). A Westphalian chieftain. the most celebrated leader of the Saxons against Charles the Great. When most of the Saxon nobles submitted to the Frankish King, at the Imperial Diet at Paderborn. in 777, Wittekind fled to Siegfried. King of .lutland, whose sister Geva he is said to have married. In 778 he re- turned, and while Charles was absent in Spain, began to lay waste the Rhine coimtry. In 782 he fell upon the Frankish army by surprise at the Siintelberg, and annihilated it — an act for which Charles took frightful vengeance by the execu- tion of 4.500 Saxons at Verden. On this, all the Saxon tribes rose in arms, and the war was again led by Wittekind until 7S.5, when Charles entered into negotiations with him; the result of which was that Wittekind repaired to the King's camp at Attigny in Champagne, and received bap- tism. .fter that he appears no more in liistory. According to the legend, however, that is still current among the people in Westphalia, Cliarles promoted Wittekind to be Duke of tlie Saxons, and made over Enger to him. From his eastle, called Babilonic, situated in tlie nniglilxirliond of Lilbeck, he is said to have ruled with gentleness and justice till 807, when he met his death in a campaign again.st Duke Gerold of Swabia. Hia tomb was shown in the parish Church of Enger, in the County of Ravensberg, where Charles IV. in 1377 erected a monument to him. On October 18, 1812, another monument in his honor was erected at Minden by the We.stphalian Society. The higher of the two hills which form the West- phalian gates on the Weser, near ilinden. bears the name of Wittekindsberg. Consult: ilombert, Charles the Great (New York, 1888) ; and Diekamp, M'idukind, der Hachsenfiihrer, nach Geschichte und Sage (Miinster, 1877). WITTEN, vit'ten. A town in the Province of Westphalia, Prussia, on the Ruhr, 31 miles north- east of Cologne. Coal is mined in the surround- ing district, and there are extensive manufac- tures of machinery, irou, steel, glass, wire ropes, chemicals, leather goods, soap, and wagons. Popu- lation, in 180.5, 28,709; in 1900, 33,514. WITTENBEEG, vit'tcn-berK. A town of the Province of Saxony, Prussia, on the Elbe, 55 miles southwest of Berlin (Map; Prussia, E 3). It is celebrated as the cradle of the Reformation, and the seat of the university in which Luther was professor, and which was incorporated with that of Halle iu 1817. In the Schlosskirehe (re- stored 188.5-02) are the tombs of Luther and Melanchthon. Upon the^doors of this church, replaced by new ones of metal in 1858, Luther hung up his 95 theses against the doctrine of indulgences. The house of the great reformer, almost unaltered, and the houses of Melanchthon and Cranach are preserved. In the market-place is a bronze statue of Luther by Schadow, not far from which is also one ot Jlelanchthon ; and out- side the Elster Gate a spot is pointed out where Luther burned the Papal bull. Manufactures of woolen and linen goods, hosiery, machinery, essential oils, pottery, cement, bricks, electrical apparatus, and leather are carried on. Witten- berg was do«ii to 1422 the capital of the electors of Saxony of the Ascanian line. Later it was the residence of the electors of the Ernestine line. (See Saxony.) The Elector Frederick the Wise founded the universitv in 1502. Population, in lOOn, 18,333. WIT'TENBERG COLLEGE. An educational institutinn at Springfield. Ohio, founded by the Lutherans of Ohio iu 1845. Women are admitted to the undergraduate courses on the same terms as men, and may also pursue an abridged course of study known as (lie Young Woman's Course, leading to a diploma of graduatimi without a degree. In addition to tlio academic course the institution maintains a ]UTparatory school, with a summer school of methods and reviews, a school of expression, elocution, and oratory, a conservatory of music, a school of art. and a theological seminary. In 1003 the faculty num- bered 21. and the students in all departments 515. The library contained about 12.. 500 vol- umes. The productive funds amounted to about $300,000. "WITTHAUS, wit'lious, Rxnoi.pir Ait.i-st ( 1S40 — ) . . American toxieologist, bcirn in New York City. He graduated at Columbia University in 1807, and at the medical department of New York l^niversity in 187.5; studied in the Sorbonne and the College of l'"rance; became professor of chemistry and toxicology- at the universities of New York. Vermont, and Buffalo successively, and then at Cornell Universitv. He acted as toxi-