Berlin

the capital of the Pru ian dominions and of the German empire, the residence of the Emperor of Germany and foreign amba adors; in the province of Brandenburg; the largest city in Germany, and, for the beauty and size of its buildings, the regularity of its streets, the importance of its institutions of science and art, and its activity, industry, and trade, one of the first in Europe. It is situated on a dreary sandy plain, about 126 feet above the level of the sea, on both sides of the Spree, a sluggish stream, here about 200 feet broad, which winds through the city from and divides into several branches and canals. The main stream and its branches are spanned by a large number of bridges. The literary institutions of the city “are numerous and excellent. They include the university, the academy of sciences; the technical high school, the mining academy, the high school of agriculture, the academy of arts, the school of music, the seminary for Oriental languages, the military academy and school of engineering, many gymnasia and real-schools; an institution for instructing the deaf and dumb, ete. The chief libraries are the royal library, founded in 1659, and now containing 900,000 volumes and 25,000 manuscripts; and the university library, with about 300,000 volumes. The public museums and picture galleries are on a scale adequate to the importance of the city. The Evangelical Luther an Cathedral dedicated 1905, in the presence of Kaiser Wilhelm II.,is one of the finest modern churches in the world. | The most important branches of. manufacturing industries are steam engines and other machinery; bra founding, the making of lamps and other articles of metal; printing’ and the kindred arts, spinning and weaving, the making of sewing machines, paper, tobacco and cigars, pottery and porcelain, pianos and harmoniums, artificial flowers, brewing, ete. A considerable quantity of the manufactures are exported. In| the royal iron-foundry, busts, statues, bas-reliefs, etc., are cast, together with a great variety of ornaments of unrivaled delicacy of workmanship. Berlin is well supplied with city and other railways. Berlin has _ rapidly risen to be the first city in Germany in respect of population, architecture, and political influence. Pop. (1900) 1,888,326.