Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 06.djvu/526

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DRESDEN. 456 DRESDEN, BATTLE OV. man school, Hiplliciii ami Diircr arc the conspicu- ous lijjiii'cs. Besides the ]iieture ^iillcry, the niuseiini contains over .'ioO.OOO woodcuts and cop- per engnivinjjs. Ainonj; other collcetions in Dres- den may be mentioned that of the precious stones, jewels, etc., in the famous Green Vault of the royal i)alace. There is also the collection of ancient and modern arras, implements, and cos- tumes in the Museum dolianncum, one of the com- pletest historical museums in Germany. Dresden is administered by a cliicf burgomas- ter, two burgomasters, thirty-three ahlcrnicn, sev- enteen assessors and referendaries, and a council of 72 members. The municipality owns and man- ases its water-works, pas plant, and an electric plant, as well as the abattoirs. The cleaning of the streets is done entirely by the nnmicipality at an annual cost of about $150,000. and Dresden is considered one of the tidiest cities in Germany. The total annual expeiidilures of the citv exceed 27.000.000 marks (.$0,426,000), of which nearly nne-lifth is s|)ent on education. The municipal debt amounte<l. at the end of 1809. to 54.800,000 marks (.•?l:!.042.400) . and the assets to 104.,'500,- 000 marks (.$24,871,000). The Dresden Bank is a very large and important institution. The manufacturing industries and commerce of the city arc of considerable importance. Note- worthy ])rnd>u'ts are machinery. ])ianos. gold and silver articles, paper, and porcelain. The publi- cation of books and the produclinn of art olijeets of various kinds- are very extensive. Dresden is the scat of consular representatives from numer- ous countries, incbuling the United States. The commerce is considerable, mostly by rail. The completion of its fine harbor will undoubtedly give a stimulus to water transportation. In 1834 the population was 73.614: in 1852. 104.500; in 18S0, 220,818; in 1800, by the annexation of Strehlon and .Striesen, it increased to 280.844, In 1805 further aimexation of sul)urt)s raised the figure to 354.285. while in 1000 the total reached 350.340. The climate of Dresden is marked by freipient and sudden changes. The suburbs along the picturesque Elbe as far as Pillnitz are very attractive, with their castles, beautiful villas, and interesting associations in connection with the lives of many famous Germans, History. Dresden is of .Slavic origin. It was first called a city in I21G. At the end of the thir- teenth century it became the residence of the margraves of Mei~sen, Init did not begin to grow before the end of the fifteenth century, when it ]>assed to the Albertine line. Its fortifications were begun in the sixteenth centtiry. Many con- siderable and attractive improvements were made by .Tohn George II., including the Grosse Ciarten, and under the rule of Augustus II. and III. (1004-1763) Dresden became one of the finest cities of Kuroi)e. The old part was ruined by the fire of 168.5, and was rebuilt as the Xcustadt by Augustus I. in 1732. The Seven Years* War jmt an end to the giowth of the city, and the bom- bardment of 1700 by the Prussians destroyed many of its buildings. During the Xapoleonic wars Dresden sufTered considerably. In 1813 it was converted by Napoleon into a great arsenal, and here he won his last victory on German soil. (See Dresden. Uatti.e ok.) In 1817 the fortifi- cations were demolishe<l to give way to prome- nades. With the opening of the Elbe to naviga- tion, and the construction of railways, the city began to grow in economic importnncc, and its progress wa> only slightly retarded by the politi- cal upheavals of 1848-40. In 1861) DhmIcu was taken by the l'rus.sians. who held il until the end of 1867. Consult : Lindau, Uisvliichlc </<r kijnig- lichiii Jhiiipf- iiiij l^csUlinznladt Unmlvii (Dres- den, 1884-85) ; Gsell-Kels, Unmlcn inij Umge- hiDig (Munich, 1806) ; Sendig. Drexdvii, eine FrcnHknstadt (Dresden, 1808) ; Schumann. Fiih- rcr (lurch die Aichitckliir Ditudcns (ib., 1800) ; tjurlitt. Die KiiuiitdciikmaUr Dresdcim (ib,, 1000) ; Statisticlnn Jahrhxuh fiir die iStadt Dres- den (Dresden, ISOO ct scq.). DRESDEN, BATTLE OF. A battle fought, August 26-27, 1813, tietween the Krench, under Napoleon, and an allied army of Austrjjiris, Rus- sians, and Prussians, under the command of Prince Schwa rzenberg. On August 21 the Allies had begun the invasion of Saxony from ]!<ihemia, and on the 25th they appeared, 150.000 strong, before Dresden, which was defended by .Saint Cyr, with 20.000 French troops. Napoleon had left the city tm the 17th, to go to the support of Ney, who w;is o]ierating against the army of Silesia tmder Bliicher. On receiving news that the Allies were preparing to attack Dresden, he immediately returned by forced marches, but on the 25th he was ?>till fifteen miles from the capi- tal, and had it not been for a fatal delay on the part of Prince .'•^chwarzenberg. the city might have been taken before the Emperor's arrival. As it was, the assault was not delivered until seven o'clock on the morning of the 26th, The French were intrenched in the Altstadt, on the southern bank of the Elbe, and had command of the bridge across the river. The line of the Allies extended in a huge crcs<-ent to the east and south of the city, with the Kussiaiis on the right wing, the Prussians in the centre, and the Atistrians on the left. In the first attack the .llics were success- ful along the entire line, in spite of the desix-rate resistance of the French, The Russians stormed one of the fortifications to the east of the city, the Prussians gained possession of the greater part of the Royal Park to the south, while the Austrians carried the suburbs to the southwest. It seemed, early in the morning of the 26th, that Saint Cyr would be com]x^lled to capitulate. At noon, however, the Russian and Pru-^sian ad- vance was checked by order of the conunander-in- chief. in expecfatiou. probably, of a reinforce- ment of .50.000 men mider Klenau. and the at- tack was not re-iumed until four o'clock in the afternoon. About noon French troops began pour- ing into the city from across the Elbe. Na- poleon had arrived; and when the Allies resumed the assault the French had 100,000 men to oppose them. The effect was felt at once. The I?us- sians on the right were driven from their posi- tions, and in the centre the Pru«ians lost i>art of the ground they had gaineil in the morning. The Austrian* on the left were also checked. Night and rain brought a stop to the fighting. Na- poleon, meanwhile, had determined to deliver an attack on both wings of the allied army simul- taneously, and then, by converging on the Prus- sian jiosition. to crush the enemy's centre. The battle was resumed at six o'clock in the morning. On the right win"; of the .llies the divisions of Ney anil .Mortier drove the Russians from the heights to fhe south of the city. The victory, however, was gained on the French right. There, while Victor was assaulting the Austrians, Mu-