214
Letter from Gkiimany.
Vol, vr,
i.
I
r
n
i
LETTER FliO.V GEltMAXY.
Munich, Havaiua,
Sept., 14lli, 1877.
Deaii Student:
According to promise, I will
proceed to give you u short sketch of my
travels, nnd will take for the subject of
this letter, Salzburg nml Its surroundings.
This city is situated on the border be
tween Austria and Prussia, on the edge of
the Salzburgland Alps. It is one of the
oldest cities in Germany; for its history
extends back into the dark shades of tra
dition, when it was the stronghold of the
warlike Celts. The first authentic history
we have of it, is after the Roman Conquest,
when it became a province of that great
empire, under the name of Noricum. At
the influx of the IJarbarinns, Noricum fell
into their hands, with the rest of the Ho
niiui possessions, and tlicy made slaves of,
or drove oll'llie inhabitants, so that for a
ong time all that r'emained of the city was
a few roving shepherds, who visited it oc
casionally, and made ita sort of headquar
ters. About the close of the seventh con.
tury, a bishop located a colony on the site
of the old city, and built a small church
Ever since then it has figured in German
politics. Hut in later years it ha been
most noted for its fine scenery, and tbous.
anils of tourists visit it annually, to spend
a week climbing mountains, visiting park,
hikes, etc. The population of the city at
present Is about twenty thousand. The
people are cntirclycatholie, and the city
contains twenty six catholic churches,
which are not among the least interesting
of the many tilings the traveler finds toad
mire, as many of them were built two or
three centuries ago, and the least expen
sive of them cost more than all the church
es of Lincoln combined.;,. The cathedral
is the largest. It is three hundred and six
ty Teet long, one hundred ami filly wide,
and t?;o hundred and twenty high. Ithas
two towers and a central dome, and is
built in the style of St. Peters at Home.
The walls are hung with paintings, prill
clpally scenes taken from the crucifixion,
but they are all from inferior uitisis, n.
cept the one over the main allnr, which
represents the crucifixion, and was paint.
ed by Muller, of Prauge. This is n fait
picture. There are eight small clinpeh.
four on each side of the church, ami all
arc decora'ed in a very elaborate manner;
the frescoing is very fine, and the polisliu'
marble pillars give the inside a very c.
pensivo appearance. The visitor limU
worshipers in attendance at all hours of
the day. Whenever a good catholic pas
ses near a church, bediops in to say his
prayers and count bis bends. They nrenoi
so particular about their attire as our pen
pie; a market woman will ibop in uiili
iter market basket on her arm, ami a linn
kerchief tied over her head, that lias iml
been in the wash-tub for a wnck at IcnM
The mechanic takes advantage uf a low
spare moments that he may have in w
sing, to pay bis lespecls to the virgin, willi
his apron still op, and his brow kniiiij:
traces that be bus been earning lii ilnih
bread.
An indispensable ornament, or ni IcaM
one that is never absent from the German
church, is the beggar; sometimes three or
four in one church, and all veiy ilevmil,
but near the door, and when n stinnetr
passes in and out they distort their bmlic'
into nil imauinnble forms ami between
their prayer, ask for alms in llio name of
the Good Master. I f their request is nw
granted, they use a form of prayer entli
ly diflerent from the one with which Hay
first greeted the stranger. It appears mM
i.. A..w.l.tniinU lo uniiilor nrouml a elmrcli
looking at, and ndmiring its nrclillcclurai
i..,...,i.. .5ii. .nrs.hinprs all nroiinu lam
Another place of great interest is H"1
castle, situated on Monchslierg, n '
tain of stone several hundred feet h"R".
half a mile long, and about six to eigi
hundred feet wide. The sides lmve lee
...i!. ,i.,..i.. iii i.t mnlerui
CUl oiu neniuiiuiuumiiji o
.,...:,., .,'i. I., ..luces, the Imiw
......I : ii. .w.riwnil culnr
lire on lit iigiiiuni. i- i"-.,.--- it...
which forms the back of H"' m
v