Wirtemberg

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

THE DVKEDOME OF VVIRTEMBERG. (Book Wirtemberg) THe Dukedome of Wirtemberg,* 1.1 commonly called Wurtembergerlant, was so called from the auncient Castle Wirtemberg, which standeth in the middle thereof, on a high hill not farre from the Emperiall Cittie Essing. This Country of Wirtemberg, doth lye by the River Nicrus. It hath on the East the Swevians, Vindelicians, and Noricians:* 1.2 on the West the Palatinate, and the Marquiship of Baden; on the South it hath the Mountaines of Arbon, and the Swevian Alpes, for so the Inhabita•ants doe call the higher Mountaines of this Countrie: on the North Franconia and not farre off the wood Otto.* 1.3 The ayre of this Country is very wholsome and temperate both in Winter and Summer. It is as fruitfull also as any part of Germanie: both for Wheate, Pulse,* 1.4 Wine, and other fruites. But yet all the Country is not of one soyle, for that part where the River Neccarus ariseth, and confineth on Hercynia, and that which lyeth by the Swevian Alpes, betweene Danubius and Nicrus, is rugged, and unfit for tillage or planting of Vines. On the Alpes it is a stony soyle, but very fruitefull, and also by the blacke Wood, it hath a sandy red coloured earth, which yeeldeth great store of Corne. But there where the River Neccarus floweth through the Champion ground, it is very fertile and fruitfull: for it hath every where hills crowned with Vines, greene Meddowes, fruitefull fields, and great store of Wine, Corne, and Apples. This Dukedome also hath Mines of Silver, not farre from Wiltberg, and it is sayd that the Towne P••lathium is built on Mines of Brasse: it hath also Iron and Brasse. There are divers coloured stones found, which for the most part are enameld and streakt with blew. So that it seemes that Nature did endeavor to enrich this place with pretious stones. There are divers kind•s of living C•eatures, and in the Woods there are an inumerable sort to bee seene. It was made a Dukedome in the yeere 1495, by the Emperour Maximilian, in a meeting or Parliament held at Wormes, and he made Eberhard Earle of Wirtemberg a Duke. Duke Eberhard the second continued but two yeares in his Dukedome, but having melted his gold and silver plate, he fled first to Vlma, and afterward to the Prince Palatine, and dyed without is•ue. After that the Emperour Maximilian created Eberhard the Nephew of Eberhard, Duke of Wirtemberg. But hee was droven out of his Country in the yeare 1519, by the Swedlanders. Christopher succeeded his father Vlricke: and Ludovicke his sonne succeeded after Christopher. And Ludovicke was succeeded by Fredericke, the sonne of George Earle of Mount Vellicard. The Intcurgians were formerly seated heere, but Rhenanus called them the Vuithungians. This Dukedome is as it were circular and round,* 1.5 and doth containe many Citties and Townes. The chiefe Citties are Tubinga & Stutgardia. Tubinga is commonly called Tubingen, which is situate neere the River Neccarus, being a very neate Cittie, having store of bread and Wine, which is transported to Swethland; and it hath a stone Bridge over the River Neccarus. It hath also a Castle, and a hill planted with Vines, a Colledge of C•nnons, and an Vniversitie. In this Cittie, besides Iohn Stoffler, and others, Leonard Fuchsius did professe Physicke. And the most famous and learned Martin Crusius, was the Rhetoricke professor, in the same Academy. It was instituted by Eberhard Earle of Wirtemberg, whom Maximilian, (as we sayd before) created a Duke, in the yeere 1477. Iohn Herold in his booke of the Germaine antiquities, sheweth by an inscription engraven there, that Augustus had a Mansion house at Tubinga. Which Peter Appianus in his booke of auncient inscriptions doth set downe thus.

MAX. INAV•. EM. GER. MAX.DA•. MAX. ARM.MAX. TRIB. P.COS. ET.

But Heroldus setteth downe the whole inscription, as the Emperour was usually enstiled at Rome. Imp. Caes. Divi. L. Sept. Sever. Pert. Aug. Parth. Tarah. Adiab. F. M. Aurel. Antonin. Aug. Sarmat. Max. Ger. Max. Dac. Max. Armen. Max. Britan. Max. Arab. Max. Aleman. Max. Parth. Max. P. E. Pont. Max. Trib. Pote vi. Cos. Procos. Perpet. Leg. 8. Ant. Aug. P. E. Ejus. Num. Devot. Prin. Opt. Fortis. Stutgardia, which is the Metropolis, and Dukes seate, is situate neere the River Neccarus. The Countie of Stutgard was named from this Cittie: which was built by the Vandalls, and afterward reedified by the Elector Iohn Marquesse of Brandenburg, and Otto the third. But in the yeare 1290, Albert the fourth, Marquesse of Brandenburg, and Prince of Anholt, the sonne of Otto the fourth, gave it as a Dowrie with his Daughter Beatrice, who marryed Henry Leon Wandalus. This Cittie is enuironed with a fruitfull soyle. And great store of Wine is made every yeare in this Towne. Iohn Rheulius was borne heere, a learned man, skilfull in the Law, a great Linguist, and one that taught Hebrew. There is also Reutlinga, being seated neere the River Neccarus which was made a Cittie in the yeare 1240 by the Emperour Fredericke, the second. This Cittie is famous for paper Mills. The other Townes are very pleasant, and most of them fortified with strong Castells, as namely Vrachum, by the River Amerus, also Nirtingum, Kircheda, Heilbronna, Lauffena, Pinigtheim. The Castle of Asperga, Greininga, Marbachum, Canstadium, Waiblinga, Schorendorffum, Geppinga, Fiesen, formerly called Aludtacum, Heidenheim, and Wilipergium, where the most diligent Cosmographer Daniel Cellarius was borne, being situate neere the River Nagolta; also the Townes Herrenberg, Rotenberg, and Hechingum, Belingum, and diverse others that you may behold in the Table or Mappe. This Dukedome is a chiefe part of the Emperiall circle of Swethland, which because George G••d•erus, and David Selixl•s have described it alone more accurately than the rest, I will here set downe the whole circle of Swethland. The circle of Swethland doth containe three orders, the first is the Clergie, the second the Princes: the third the free Citties. In the first order are the Bishops of Chur, ••s•entz, and Auspurg. The Abbots of Kemp•e•, of Reich••new, of S. Gal. in Helve•ia, of Salm•swerler, of W••garten, of We•ss•new, of S. Blasius, S. Peter, of Maul••r•, of Ch•ss•a•s••, Stain¦am Rh••n, Kreutzlingen, Petershusen, which lyeth by the Rhene Northward, also the Bishop of E••sideln, Ps•ssers, Ps•ss••on, of S. Ioan in Thurthal, of Schussenriedi, of So•ken••••g, of Ochsenhausen, of Cunigsbron, of Marchial, of •l••ingen▪ of Ys••e, of Munchrod, of Aurspurg, of Y•see, of Gengenbach, of S•h••t•rn, of Disi•sen. The Abbatesses of Lind•w, of Rottemnu•ster, of B••chaw, of Guttenzell, of Beund, of Heppach, of Teuts•h, of •nd Burgund. In the second order which is of the Princes, there is the Duke of Wirtemberg, the Marquesse of Baden. The Earles of Helfenstein, Wersenstag, Orm•, Lauffen, Mountfort, Furstenberg, and the Marquesse of Eberstain. Also the Earles of Tollern, Bultz, Laebenstain, Tubingen, Kirchberg, Tengen alas Dongen, Gundelfingen. The Lords of Stu•gart, of Tussen, of Waldeburg, of Sonneburg, of Val•kenstain, of Kuns•••, of Kuns••zerperg: also the Barons of G••oltz•k, and Ober Helwe•. In the third rancke there are the Citties of Ausburg, of Kauff••ur•, of Vl••, of Memmingen, Kempton, of Bibrach, of Leukirch, of Ys••, of Wangen, of Lindow, of Ravenspurg, also •ucborn, Vberliagen, •z, Psullendorff, S. Gal, Schafhausen, Reutlingen, Estingen G•, Weil, Heilbron, Wimpfu. Hal in Schawben, D•nckelspuel, bopsingen, Ge•n, Alen, Nordlingen, Don•werd, Buchaw, Offenburg, Gengenbac•, Z••nt Ham•sparch, Rotwe•l. I returne to the Dukedome. This Countrie is watered with many pleasant Lakes, and Rivers very full of fish, the chiefe whereof is the River Brentius, which is never frozen in the coldest and hardest time of all winter. The River Ni••r runneth through the middle of it, and having received many Rivers, of which the chiefe are Nagolta, Entius, Remisus, •o•herus, Lagusta, Fritz•, but Brentius mingleth it selfe with Dan•bius. The Alpine Mountaines are in this Dukedome, which are called Alpes abal• from their whitenesse, for the white stones thereof are seene a faire off, and they have many severall names, as Schera, Albuchus, Han•••n•phus, and Hertf•ld•s. Also part of the Wood Her•nia and M•tiana, doth spread into this Country, which have severall names, as the Wood A••u•hius, the Wood Stubenthal, the blacke Wood commonly called Schwartzwalt, the Wood Odenwelt, &c. The people of this Dukedome, are valiant, courteous, constant and religious.