Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-30
HAS ENJOYED PROSPERITY
VERY MANY CENTURIES
German City of Freiburg in Grand
Duchy of Baden Is Hit by
British Airmen.

at is ffty-five miles in a northeaSterly
direction, as the aviator flies, from the
French fortress of Belfort to the pic
turesque German city of Freiburg in
Breisgau. recently bombarded by British
airmen in reprisal for the sinking of an
English hospital ship by one Of the
kaiser's submarines" says war geog-
raphy bulletin issued by the National
Geographic Society.
'Freiburg is one OF the most prosperous
commercial centers in the grand duchy of
Baden. and has enjoyed its prosperity
for many centuries. thanks to the fact
that it was situated on the trade road
which in early medieval times ran by the
Hollenpass. between the valleys of the
Danube and the Rhine. 1t is still the
chief trade center of the Black Forest re-
gion. and is also an important manufac-
turing community, its products being
buttons, glassware. leather, chemicals.
starch, scientific and musical instru-
ments, silk thread. beer and wines.
The city. which had a population of
more than $4,000 at the beginning of the
world war. is charmingly situated on the
banks OF the River Dreisam, whose waters
flow in open channels through the streets.
giving them fresh and cool appearance
in the summer time. Eleven miles to the
west flows the Rhine. Above the town
towers the Schlossberg, one of the
heights OF the Black Forest range, which
Is crowned by the ruins OF two massive
Has Two Objects of Pride.
The two things of which Freiburg
Ludivico Albertina University, founded
more than four and a half centuries
ago by the Austrian Archduke Albert
VI. and the beautiful twelfth century
cathedral or minister, one of the finest
Gothic edifices in Germany, with a
tower which is without rival. of
its architectural type. in all Europe.
The university at the beginning of
the war had more than $500 students
enrolled and boosted library of more
than 100000 volumes. According to
the German reports of the recent air
plane raid, the anatomy building of
this institution was badly damaged by
the British bombs.
The history of Freiburg goes back
to the latter half of the eleventh CEN
fury. 1t is supposed to have been
founded by one of the dukes of
Zahringen. in whose possession 1t re-
manned until the first quarter Of the
came extinct and it fell into the hands
OF the Urach family. from whom the
Freiburgers. after trying in vain to
rid themselves by force. finally pur-
chased their freedom for 10000 silver
marks.
Hapsburgs' Dominance for Centuries
NO sooner had they succeeded in
throwing of the yoke of the old mas
ter. however. than they became in
volved with a new, for they were
unable to settle with the creditor who
had advanced the purchase price of
their freedom. The city now passed
into the hands OF the Hapsburgs. under
whose dominance it remained for more
than four centuries.
In the vicinity of this city was
fought the famous battle of Freiburg
on the Sd, 5th and 10th of August, 1914.
in which the French, under the great
Condo, Enghien. and the almost equally
DISTINGUISHED Gen. Turenne, We're de-
feated by Gen. Mercy, who was COM
PEELED, in the end. to retire. however.
resulting in the French conquest of
the Rhine valley from Basel to Coblenz.
In one of the public squares of
Freiburg stands a monument to the
memory of Berthold Schwarz. who, ac-
cording to tradition. invented gun
powder in this city in 1859"