NASSAU, a sovereign dukedom in Germany, the reigning family of which is distinguished by its antiquity, and the number of eminent men it produced at the most interesting period of European history. The founder of the sovereignty of this family was Waltram of Laurenburg, the ruins of whose castle stand on the banks of the Lahn. His sons divided the inheritance among them; but some branches becoming extinct, the whole were united again in the year 1523, under Count Adolph, and continued so till 1605, when, under Louis II. the territories were distributed among three of his sons, who thus became sovereigns with the title of Graffs or Counts. They were, first, Saarbruck, divided in the next generation into two branches, called Saarbruck-Sarbruck and Sarbruck-Usingen, both of which were again united in 1735; but the branch became extinct in 1797, and the land devolved on the present line: Secondly, Idstein, a branch which became extinct in 1721: Thirdly, Weilburg, on which all the states devolved, and since 1816 have formed but one principality. During the French revolution, the city of Saarbruck, with its territory upon the left bank of the Rhine, was seized by the republicans. It then comprehended 430 square miles of land, with 53,000 inhabitants; for which, at the pacification in 1803, it received an indemnification of 750 square miles and 93,000 inhabitants, which were added to the Grafschaft of Usingen. The Count of Weilburg had lost, on the left bank of the Rhine, 170 square miles and 19,000 inhabitants, for which he received on the other side of that stream a territory of 330 square miles, with 37,000 inhabitants. At the period when Napoleon instituted the confederation of the Rhine in 1806, the whole of these families had been united in the person of the existing prince, who then received, in addition to the former territories which he possessed, a tract of land of 650 square miles, with 84,500 inhabitants, and at the same time the title of duke was conferred upon the reigning prince.

At the peace which followed the capture of Paris, the territory assigned to the dukedom, as well as the title, were affirmed by the great powers; and by them it was stipulated, that in case of the extinction of that branch of the family of Nassau which filled the throne of the Netherlands, the present ducal family of Nassau should succeed to the inheritance of the duchy of Luxembourg. The stipulations on this subject seem to be at present the principal obstacles to an arrangement between the Dutch and the new kingdom of Belgium.

The house of Orange-Nassau, which produced a race of distinguished heroes favourable to the reformation, and amongst others our King William III. was a branch, descended from Otho, a younger son of the house separated from the principal one in the year 1292. There were many intermarriages between the families at subsequent periods, and during the long contest in the Netherlands the Prince of Orange drew great aid, both in men and money, from his relations in the then countships of Nassau.

The dukedom of Nassau in its present state is bounded on the north-west and on the north by the Prussian Rhenish provinces; on the north-east by Hesse-Darmstadt; on the east by Prussia, Hesse-Casel, and Hesse-Homburg; on the south-east by the state of Francfort; and on the south and west by the Prussian territory and Darmstadt. It stands wholly on the right bank of the river Rhine, into which the small but navigable river Lahn falls. The surface, independently of the rivers, extends over 1812 square miles. It is divided into twenty-two ampts or bailiwicks. It contains ten cities, which are mostly small, but retain that denomination from having been once fortified, twenty-five market-towns, and 429 villages, with a population in 1834 of 370,374 inhabitants of both sexes. This district in 1817 contained, by the census then taken, only 301,907 individuals. In the year 1833 the births were, males 6690, females 6252; the deaths were, males 4557, females 4506; and the marriages were 3367.

The reigning house adheres to the Protestant religion; and the two sects of Lutherans and Calvinists have been united into one, assuming the title of Evangelical. There are 196,387 Protestants, 167,800 Catholics, 6009 Jews, and 184 Menonites. The Protestants of Nassau have a bishop, twenty deans, 178 pastors, and a theological seminary. The Catholics have a bishop and a commissary, fifteen deans, and 138 parish priests, and also a seminary for clerical instruction. Education is much extended and well conducted. At Weilburg there is a gymnasium or college; there are also several respectable grammar-schools, and 658 schools for popular instruction, under competent teachers, so that every child is taught reading, writing, and the common rules of arithmetic.

The government is hereditary in the present family, and, if it become extinct, it devolves on that branch of the Nassau family at the head of which is the king of Holland. By a charter granted in the year 1817, there are two houses of legislature; the upper consisting of hereditary members, of individuals of the royal family, and of a few mediatized princes, being six together; the lower house is elective, and consists of twenty-one members, amongst whom are the Catholic and Protestant bishops, and the director of the gymnasium of Weilburg, by virtue of their offices. These bodies rarely meet, and have little to do when they do assemble, as few alterations are made in the laws, and new taxes are not wanted.

The income of the state, independently of that of the duke, from which the public, civil, and ecclesiastical institutions are paid, is about L.180,000 per annum; but it has a debt charged on it amounting to near L.500,000, which is yearly diminished by a sinking fund. The personal income of the duke is very large, arising from his estates, houses, and mineral springs; but the amount is unknown, as are also the debts by which they are encumbered. The duke has a most magnificent palace on the right bank of the Rhine at Biberach, another at Wiesbaden, and several[7:15:737] hunting seats for pursuing his favourite amusement in other parts of his dominions.

The military force of the dukedom consists of two regiments of infantry, one battalion of artillery, a company of pioneers, and a reserve corps serving as a kind of police. The contingent of Nassau to the Germanic confederation is fixed at 3026 men.

The face of the country may be represented as in general mountainous, though there are some rich and beautiful tracts of land near the river, about Hochst. There are two ranges of hills which run through the territory, viz. the Westerwald and the Taunus. The latter is the most picturesque, several of its points rising to 1000 feet above the level of the river; whilst some of the^ valleys in these hills contain the mineral springs, and the vast piles of building erected near them for the accommodation of their visitants. As these springs have been made familiar to the English public by the popular work entitled “Bubbles of the Brunnens of Nassau,” we need here do little more than merely notice them. The baths of Ems are on a beautiful stream which runs into the Rhine; and on its banks are a great number of lodging-houses and hotels. Langen Schwallbach, about twelve hilly miles distant, in another valley, with the surrounding hills covered with woods, is pleasantly situated. It too is well provided with hotels and lodging-houses. Schlangenbad consists of but two large buildings, though with sufficient apartments for numerous parties. Wiesbaden is the most frequented, because the water is most highly valued for its curative effects, and has, besides, a greater variety of amusements than either of the other baths, being in contact with the city, which is a well-built place, containing more than 9000 inhabitants. One of these springs is most remarkable for the profit it yields to the duke, who is the proprietor of it, as well as of the others. Nieder-Selters supplies that water which is known in every part of Europe by the name of Seltzer. About one million of large and two millions and a half of small bottles or jugs are filled from the spring and sealed. The profit is stated to be about L.5000 per annum, after clearing all expenses; though it is said to have been purchased by an ancestor of the duke for a single pipe or butt of wine.

The agriculture of the dukedom produces sufficient corn and cattle for the consumption of the inhabitants, though it is generally conducted in a slovenly way. The vineyards produce sufficient wine of a moderate quality, and fruit of all kinds is plentiful and excellent.

Nassau. See Poggy Isles.