Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/782

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WULFRAM


71G


WURTEMBERG


Jena, Klagenfurt, Ratisbon, and Stookholm, and en- joyed a high repute with botanists of all lands, with whom he carried on an extensive correspondence in Latin, German, French, and other languages. The upland and valley flora of the Eastern Alps was his chief study. An excellent alpinist, he was the pioneer in disclosing and exploring the Austrian Alps. He made numerous trips to the south (on many occasions to the Adriatic Sea) and to the north as far as Holland. He was always collecting plants, phanerogainous and cryptogamous (especially hchens). He discovered many new species, of which he gave masterly descrip- tions in Latin and which he illustrated with excellent plates. The specific name "Wulfenii" was given to many plants in his honour, and N. Jacquin founded the genus "Wulfenia", which is still a botanical curi- osity. The mineral Wulfenite (yellow lead ore) recalls his mineralogical studies and rich mineral collection. He published mineralogical, zoological, and botanical treatises in various periodicals and collections. Much of his literary work was printed only after his death, for example, his chief work "Flora norica phanero- gama" (Vienna, Lex. Svo, S16 pp.), edited by Fenzl and Graf with a detailed biography of Wulfen as introduction, which was published only in 18.58. The full list of his treatises and the rich literature dealing with him is given by Wurzbach.

WcEZBACH, Biograph. Lex., LVIII (Vienna, 1889); Arnold in Verhandlungen der zoolog. bol. Gesellschafl, XXXII (Vienna, 1882).

Joseph H. Rompel. Wulfram (Vdlfb.vmnusi, Saint, Bishop of Sens, missionary in Frisia, b. at Milly near Fontainebleau, probably during the reign of Clevis II (638-56); d. 20 March, before 704, in which year a translation of his body took place (Duchesne, "Fastes ^pisco- paux de I'ancienne Gaule", II, Paris, 1900, 413). His father Fulbert stood high in the esteem of Dago- bert I and Clovis II. Wulfram re- ceived a good edu- cation, and was ordained priest. He intended to spend a secluded life but was called to the Court of Theodoric III of Neustria and from there was elevated to the episcopacy of Sens, 684 (690, 692). He was present at an as- sembly of bishops in 693 at Valenciennes. Two years later he resigned and retired to the Abbey of Fontanelle. During the second journey of St. Boniface to Rome Wulfram is said to have preached in Frisia. He tried to convert Radbod, but not succeeding he returned to Fontanelle. Some author- ities record another and longer stay in Frisia, but, as neither Bede nor Alcuin mention his missionary labour there, it is barely possible. The relics of the saint were brought to Notre Dame at Abbeville in 1058. His feast is celebrated 20 March.

Acta SS., HI March, 14.3; M.\hillon, Ada SS. 0. S. B., Ill, i, 340; Bennett in Dirt. Christ. Bioa.. s. v. Wulframnus. St.; Del^toille, Eloge de SI. Wulfran (Paris, 1808); Glaisteh, Life and limes of St. Wulfram, bixhop anil missionary (London, 1878); La Vieille, ed. Sauvage, Abrfgi e la nie et miracles de SI. WtU- fran (Rouen, 1876); Lefuanc. UauthenticiU des reliquea de St, Wulfran . . . riponae a . . . Saucage (Paris, 1890).

Francis Mershman.

Wunibald, Saint See Wilubald and Winne- BALu, Saints.


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St. Wulfram of Sens

Miniature in the Chronicon Fontanel-

lenae, IX Century


Wurtemberg, Kingdom op, in area the third and in population the fourth of the states of the German Empire. It is situated between Bavaria and Baden. Its area is 7534 sq. miles; in 1910 it had 2,437,574 inhabitants. In 1905 there were 695,808 Catholics, 1,583,745 Protestants, 11,107 other Christians, and 12,053 Jews. The capital is Stuttgart. The king- dom fs divided into four circles: Neckar (in which 11 per cent of the inhabitants are Catholics); Black Forest (26 per cent); Jagst (32 per cent); and Danube (62 per cent). The southern part of the country is largely Catholic, as is also the majority of the higher nobility, the members of which were formerly imme- diate princes of the empire.

The territory includes a part of the old tribal duchy of Alamannia or Swabia (Suevia). The original nucleus of the present kingdom was a Countship of Wurtemberg, at the junction of the small rivers Rems and Fils with the Neckar. The name Wurlleinberg, originally Wirlctiherc, is derived from a castle of the same name on the Roten Berg (red mountain) south of Stuttgart. The first known ancestor of the pres- ent ruling family is Count Konrad (1081-92); the un- broken succession of rulers began with Count Ulrich I (1241-65). The pos.sessions of the Counts of Wiir- temberg grew steadily larger. Contrary to the cus- tom in other German states, the principle of primo- geniture was established at an early date. Count Eberhard the Bearded (1450-96) was made a duke in 1495 by the Emperor Maximilian I. In 18(33 Wiirtemberg received the electoral dignity, and in 1805 Napoleon raised it to a kingdom. Like the other states of southern Germany, Wiirtemberg became a member of the Confederation of the Rhine, and until after the battle of Leipzig (1813) it was an ally of France. In 1815 it entered the German Confeder- ation, in 1866 it supported Austria in the war with Prussia. At the close of the Austro-Prussian war it was obliged, like the other states of South Germany, to form an offensive and defensive alliance with Prussia. When the German Empire was founded in 1871, Wiirtemberg became a member of the confeder- ation, and was granted, like Bavaria, certain special privileges. The present ruler is King William I (b. 1848), who is childless. Since the Reformation the royal family has been Protestant. Duke Charles Alex- ander (1733-37) had become a Catholic in 1812, when a general in the Austrian army, before he ascended the throne; he was succeeded in the government successively by his sons, also Catholics: Duke Charles Eugene (1737-93), a despot, spendthrift, and profli- gate, Duke Louis Eugene (1793-95), and Duke Fred- erick Eugene (1795-97). The la.st-named duke married a Prussian princess, and, through the influence of Frederick the Great of Prussia, permitted his children to be brought up as Protestants. The succession of Protestant rulers began with Duke Frederick II (1797-1816), who was made King of Wiirtemberg in 1805 and after that was called Fred- erick I. On the death of the present king the Protes- tant line becomes extinct. The succession to the throne is in a collateral branch descended from Duke Alexander (d. 1833), a brother of the first King of Wiirtemberg. The son of this Alexander, also named Alexander (d. 1881), married a Catholic princess of the Orleans family and allowed his children to be brought up as Catholics. The heir to the throne is a grandson of this latter .Mexander, Duke .\lbert (b. 1865), or, in case of his death, his son Duke Philip .\lbert (b. 1893). In 1898 a law bearing upon the Catholic succession to the throne was enacted, which regulated the relations of a Cathohc king to the Protestant State Church.

Christianity spread rapidly in the territory of the present KingHom of Wurtemberg in the seventh and eighth centuries. As earlv as the Roman era it had found a foothold at scattered spots in Uie second and