Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1919-04-22
IN THE DAYS NEWS
Germany's Louvains.

Germany has Lieges. and Louvains
OF her own,' says a bulletin from the
National Geographic Society. and one
of her self inflicted scars is Magdeburg, |
just now the scene of bitter fighting
between Spartacans and the Berlin /
government troops.
'Magdeburg suffered the most bar
barous cruelties from her own coun-
trymen when Johann Tilly, the Hind
enburg of Emperor Ferdinand II, cap
tured it in 1881. Three thousand sol
diers, aided by a few thousand armed
civilians. held the shriveiled. ugly
and remorseless Tilly and his 80, 900
men at bay for more than a month.
He wrecked his vengeance by max
ing the site of the city weller of
ashes and blood
of the 10000 civilians, men, wo-
men, and children. who were not burn
ed alive Or crushed by topping walls
the remainder were slain or drowned.
Only the cathedral and a few houses.
and some 1900 citizens who took re-
fuge in the former, were spared. Even
the morose Tilly was stirred. for once,
by the spectacle and wrote his emper-
or that Since the fall of Troy and
Jerusalem such q victory has never
been seen" and expressed polite regret
that "the ladies of your imperial fam
lily could not have oeen present as
spectators
Very different was the outcome of
a protracted siege eighty years earlier
by Maurice OF Saxony at the command
of Charles Y. For Il year that prince
waited before her gates while the city
we'll fortified and provisioned, defiied
| him. Weary OF this ridiculous posi-
| ton and chatting under the suggestion
! that he was a traitor, he turned one,
! made a secret agreement with Henry
i II, of France. and started off to cap
| ture Innsbruck where Charles Y was
| known to be. Had not that monarch
| scurried across the Alps he would
! have been caught.
| ''Wallenstein, that mysterious mill
| tary figure of the reign Of Ferdinand
| IL. shrewd ana able general, and sim
pie minded believer IN astrology, also
/ was resisted successfully by the in
J dependent Magdeburg citizens two
years before Tilly's astrocious ven
geance
| 'Wallenstein had military successes
/ elsewhere which threatened his mon
! archs power. After his northern con-
quest he styled himself Admiral of the
Baltic and the Ocean When he was
! murdered Ferdinand is said to have
wept. ordered 5000 masses said for
him, but to have elevated the as
SassinS and rewarded them rich
"Masdeburg was the home city OF
| Otto Won Guericke. inventor of the all
pump, one of the few original inven
lions that can be credited to Ger
many. despite the German fostered i'm
| preston to the contrary ...
students Of physics will recall {
} principle of physics proved by wha
is often called the 'Magdeburg expert
ment.' Won Guericke is said to have
demonstrated his discovery of the nos.
| sibilities of the vacuum to Ferdinand
, III by clamping together two parts O
copper sphere, from which the al
: had been exhausted, and hitching fit
! teen horses to each hemisphere. TIL
story that the horses could not pull
/ the hemisphere apart may be an exag
, geration, but the principle is sound.
Martin Luther sang in the street
of Magdeburg. along with other churcl
4 choristers, for the bread and coins tina
t citizens might bestow This beggin
/ was the recognized means of support o
e the children of the poor schools at
4 tended by sons of peasants. who OBJ
: tanned free lodging at the hospices 0
= the children of the poor schools at
/ granted the privilege of singing TO
S their meals In return they were ex
pected to sing in the choir of tn
church which supported their schoo
Modern Magdeburg IS the capita
a Of the Prussian province of SaxonI
: The city was well fortified It is nearl
e 80 miles southwest of Berlin. lies most
II ly on the left bank OF the Elbc, and !
4 an important railway center. It wa
9 a leading market for sugar and chic
Dry. Its other industries before the wa
| included making Of chemicals potter
q gloves. chocolate. cement and varnish