Baden, THE GRAND-DUCHY OF, is situated in the south-western corner of the German empire between Alsace-Lorraine and Württemberg, and is separated from Switzerland by the Rhine. Its area is 5824 sq. m.—considerably less than that of Yorkshire.
Surface and Hydrography.—Physically, Baden falls into two divisions—the western plain, lying along the right bank of the Rhine, and the eastern highlands; the former occupying about a sixth of the whole duchy. Of the mountain districts, the Schwarzwald, or Black Forest (q.v.), is the most important, and attains a maximum altitude of 4903 feet. The Neckar highlands are lower, and north of the Neckar Valley the Odenwald begins. Southward rise the extensive plateaus of the German Jura. Being drained by the Rhine and the Danube, Baden belongs to the basins of two opposite seas; the sources of the Danube, however, drain only some 350 sq. m. From Basel to below Mannheim, the Rhine is the sole and the natural boundary. Its chief tributaries on the Baden side are the Neckar, the Murg, and the Elz. On the north-east the Baden territories are bounded by the Maine. Except a part of the Lake of Constance, Baden has no lake of importance.
Produce.—As the difference between the highest and lowest points of Baden amounts to something like 4500 feet, there is naturally a great variety of temperature. The Rhine Valley of Baden is one of the warmest and most fruitful districts, not only of Germany, but of Europe. Grain, vegetables of all sorts, tobacco, hemp, rape, opium, &c. are grown, and a large quantity of wine is produced. The rearing of cattle is carried on to a large extent. Honey is also an important product.
Minerals.—The principal minerals are the products of the limestone quarries and of the clay and gravel pits, and gypsum, largely used for pavements. Coal, zinc, and manganese are found, and the production of salt and soda is important. Iron, lead, silver, and nickel were formerly wrought in the Black Forest, but the industry has become almost unprofitable, and now receives little attention. Baden is rich in mineral springs; as many as sixty are enumerated, and there are a great number of much-frequented watering-places, as Baden-Baden, Badenweiler, and others.
Manufactures, &c.—The manufactures of Baden include ribbons and cotton fabrics, paper, leather, rubber goods, chemicals, machinery, tobacco, chicory, sugar, beer, trinkets, mirrors, wooden clocks, and straw-plaiting; the last two are characteristic of the Black Forest, and known all over the world. Of clocks alone over 700,000 are made annually. The manufactures of jewelry in Pforzheim are the most important in Germany. The chief articles of export are wine and timber.
Population, Religion, Education.—The population of Baden in 1880 amounted to 1,570,196, and in 1890 it had increased to 1,657,867 (284 per sq. m.). The Roman Catholics in 1890 numbered 1,028,119. Protestants numbered 598,678; Dissenters, 4057; and Jews, 26,735. The school-system of Baden is excellent; it also possesses a Protestant university at Heidelberg and a Catholic university at Freiburg.
Government.—The sovereign is limited by a parliamentary constitution. The parliament consists of two chambers, the second chamber being made up of 63 representatives chosen for four years. The highest deliberative and executive body in the country is the council of state. Baden has no public debt save that incurred for railways, which amounts to nearly £17,000,000. The military affairs of Baden are now exclusively regulated by the imperial power; the troops of Baden form the major part of the fourteenth corps d'armée of the empire. The effective war strength of the army is 45,000; peace, 15,000. Karlsruhe is the residence of the sovereign; the capitals of the four 'circles' are Constance, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, and Mannheim; and besides, there are four towns each with a population above 20,000.
History.—The earliest inhabitants of Baden known to history were the Alemanni. These fell under the dominion of the Franks, and the dukedom of the Alemanni was abolished in 748 by Pepin the Little. In the 11th century, a Duke Berthold built the castle of Zähringen in Breisgau, and a descendant of his second son took the title of Margrave of Baden, and became the ancestor of the still flourishing House of Baden. He died in 1130. The present capital, Karlsruhe, was built in 1715 by the then margrave, Charles III. It is to his grandson, Charles Frederick, who succeeded in 1746, that Baden owes considerable accessions of territory and political importance. By favouring the policy of Napoleon, and joining the Confederation of the Rhine, he doubled his possessions in extent and population, and acquired successively the dignity of elector and the title of grand-duke. In 1811 he was succeeded by his grandson, who, after the battle of Leipzig, seceded from the Confederation of the Rhine, and (1815) joined the German Confederation, in which Baden held the seventh rank.
The Grand-duke Charles granted (1818) the charter which forms the basis of the present constitution. Charles was succeeded in the same year by his uncle Ludwig, who was inclined to absolutism, and who, dying childless (1830), was succeeded by his brother Leopold. The known liberal tendencies of this prince promised at first a new life to constitutional rule; but the tide of reaction soon seized the government, and a fluctuating contest between a reactionary cabinet and a growing opposition was carried on till 1846, when the constitutional Bekk was made minister of the interior, and liberalism thus placed at the helm. The ninth parliament met (December 1847) under the most friendly and promising auspices; when the French revolution (February 1848) suddenly called the radical party into the most violent activity. Not satisfied with a multitude of liberal measures passed by the legislature, the revolutionary leaders, Hecker and Struve, aimed at establishing a republic, and stirred up an insurrection. The troops having sided with the insurgents, the grand-duke fled, and a Constituent Assembly was called (May 1849). The duke had recourse to Prussian aid, and after several battles, was reinstated on his throne (July 1849); but the reactionary tendency was less marked in Baden than in most other German states. In 1859 a great conflict between the state authorities and the Catholic hierarchy ended in favour of the latter; two years later a definite settlement recognised the complete independence of the church, a privilege extended also to the Protestant Church of Baden. In 1864 liberal reforms reorganised the administrative and judicial systems of the country. In the conflict between Prussia and Austria in 1866, Baden took her place with the enemies of Prussia, and her troops fought in two ineffective battles against the Prussians. At the peace, Baden had to pay a heavy war indemnity, reorganise her army on the Prussian model, and in 1867, enter the North German Confederation. In 1870-71 the troops of Baden fought with distinction in the French campaign, and the grand-duchy became a part of the restored German empire. The Old Catholics have since been recognised, and elementary education has been secularised. The present grand-duke is Friedrich I. (b. 1826; suc. 1852). See GERMANY.