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DEUTZ (anc. Divitio)

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Originally appearing in Volume V08, Page 120 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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DEUTZ (anc. Divitio) , formerly an See also:independent See also:town of See also:Germany, in the Prussian See also:Rhine See also:Province, on the right See also:bank of the Rhine, opposite to See also:Cologne, with which it has been incorporated since 1888. It contains the See also:church of St Heribert, built in the 17th See also:century, See also:cavalry See also:barracks, See also:artillery magazines, and See also:gas, See also:porcelain, See also:machine and See also:carriage factories. It has a handsome railway station on the See also:banks of the Rhine, negotiating the See also:local See also:traffic with See also:Elberfeld and See also:Konigswinter. The fortifications of the town See also:form See also:part of the defences of Cologne. To the See also:east is the manufacturing suburb of See also:Kalk. The old See also:castle in Deutz was in 1002 made a See also:Benedictine monastery by Heribert, See also:archbishop of C logne. Permission tc fortify the town was in 1230 granted to the citizens by the See also:arch-See also:bishop of Cologne, between whom and the See also:counts of See also:Berg it was in 1240 divided. It was burnt in 1376, 1445 and 1583; and in 1678, after the See also:peace of See also:Nijmwegen, the fortifications were dismantled; rebuilt in 1816, they were again razed in 1888. DEUX-SEVRES, an inland See also:department of western See also:France, formed in 1790 mainly of the three districts of See also:Poitou, Thouarsais, Gatine and Niortais, added to a small portion of See also:Saintonge and a still smaller portion of Aunis. See also:Area, 2337 sq. m. Pop.

(1906) 339,466. It is bounded N. by See also:

Maine-et-See also:Loire, E. by See also:Vienne, S.E. by See also:Charente, S. by Charente-Inferieure and W. by See also:Vendee. The department takes its name from two rivers—the Sevre of See also:Niort which traverses the See also:southern portion, and the Sevre of See also:Nantes (an affluent of the Loire) which drains the See also:north-See also:west. There are three regions—the Gatine, occupying the north and centre of the department, the Plaine in the See also:south and the Marais, —distinguished by their See also:geological See also:character and their See also:general See also:physical See also:appearance. The Gatine, formed of See also:primitive rocks (See also:granite and See also:schists), is the continuation of the " See also:Bocage " of Vendee and Maine-et-Loire. Its See also:surface is irregular and covered with hedges and clumps of See also:wood or forests. The systematic application of See also:lime has much improved the See also:soil, which is naturally poor. The Plaine, resting on oolite See also:limestone, is treeless but fertile. The Marais, a See also:low-lying See also:district in the extreme south west, consists of alluvial See also:clays which also are extremely productive when properly drained. The highest points, several of which exceed 700 ft., are found in a See also:line of hills which begins in the centre of the department, to the south of See also:Parthenay, and stretches north-west into the neighbouring department of Vendee. It divides the region drained by the Sevre Nantaise and the Thouet (both afluents of the Loire) in the north from the basins of the Sevre Niortaise and the Charente in the south. The See also:climate is mild, the See also:annual temperature at Niort being 54° Fahr., and the rainfall nearly 25 in.

The winters are colder in the Gatine, the summers warmer in the Plaine. Three-quarters of the entire area of Deux-Sevres, which is primarily an agricultural department, consists of arable See also:

land. See also:Wheat and oats are the See also:main cereals. Potatoes and mangoldwurzels are the See also:chief See also:root-crops. Niort is a centre for the growing of vegetables (onions, See also:asparagus, artichokes, &c.) and of See also:angelica. Considerable quantities of beetroot are raised to See also:supply the distilleries of See also:Melle. Colza, See also:hemp, See also:rape and See also:flax are also cultivated. Vineyards are numerous in the neighbourhood of See also:Bressuire in the north, and of Niort and Melle in the south. The department is well known for the Parthenay breed of See also:cattle and the Poitou breed of horses; and the mules reared in the southern arrondissements are much sought after both in France and in See also:Spain. The See also:system of co-operative dairying is practised in some localities. The See also:apple-trees of the Gatine and the See also:walnut-trees of the Plaine bring a See also:good return. See also:Coal is See also:mined, and the department produces See also:building-See also:stone and lime.

A leading See also:

industry is the manufacture of textiles (serges, druggets, See also:linen, handkerchiefs; flannels, See also:swan-skins and knitted goods). Tanning and See also:leather-dressing are carried on at Niort and other places, and gloves are made at Niort. See also:Wool and See also:cotton See also:spinning, See also:hat and See also:shoe making, distilling, See also:brewing, See also:flour-milling and oil-refining are also main See also:industries. The department exports cattle and See also:sheep to See also:Paris and See also:Poitiers; also cereals, See also:oils, wines, vegetables and its See also:industrial products. The Sevre Niortaise and its tributary the See also:Mignon furnish 19 m. of navigable waterway. The department is served by the Ouest-Etat railway. It contains a large proportion of Protestants, especially in the south-east. The four arrondissements are Niort, Bressuire, Melle and Parthenay; the cantons number 31, and the communes 356. Deux-Sevres is part of the region of the IX. See also:army See also:corps, and of the See also:diocese and the See also:academic (educational circumscription) of Poitiers, where also is its See also:court of See also:appeal. Niort (the See also:capital), Bressuire; Melle, Parthenay, St Maixent, See also:Thouars and See also:Oiron are the See also:principal places .in. the department. Several other towns contain features of See also:interest. Among these are Airvault, where there is a church of the 12th and 14th centuries which once belonged to the See also:abbey of St See also:Pierre, and an See also:ancient See also:bridge built by the monks; Celles-sur-Belle, where there is an old church rebuilt by See also:Louis XI., and again in the 17th century; and St Jouin-de-Marnes, with a See also:fine Romanesque church with See also:Gothic restoration, which belonged to one of the most ancient abbeys of See also:Gaul..

End of Article: DEUTZ (anc. Divitio)

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