Text, one version only, translated from the 1590 Latin 4 Add., 1591 German 4 Add., 1592 Latin, 1595 Latin, 1598/1610/1613 Dutch, 1598 French, 1601 Latin, 1602 German, 1602 Spanish, 1603 Latin, 1606 English, 1608/1612 Italian, 1609/1612 Latin and 1609/1612/1641 Spanish editions:
97.1. {1590L4Add{THE MARQUISATE OF BRANDENBURG.
97.2. The marquisate of Brandenburg extends in length for sixty German miles. In the West it borders on Saksen, Meissen and Mecklenburg. In the North it is bounded by Pommern, (not in 1598/1610/1613D{Stettin and Casselburg}not in 1598/1610/1613D}. Its East borders on Poland and Silesien. In the South it has Bohemia, Lausitz and Moravia. It is divided into Old-march, Middle-march and New-march. This marquisate also contains within its jurisdiction the lordship of Cottbus {1606E only{or Cotwitz}1606E only} of Peitz, Bescow and Storkow, all in Lower Lausitz, the dukedom of Crossen in Silesia, the duchies of Rapin, Stolpe and Vierraden.
97.3. The small province of Prignitz also belongs to it. It has three bishoprics, Brandenburg, Havelberg and Lübz, situated in Middle-march. Moreover, beyond the river Oder it has the city and region of Sternberg. OLD-MARCH begins at the wilderness of Luneburg as it is called and extends itself to the river Elbe. It is confined by the dioceses of Magdeburg, {not in 1598F{Halberstadt and Mecklenburg}not in 1598F}.
97.4. {not in 1598/1610/1613D{Long ago the inhabitants were the {1591G4Add & 1602G only{Schwaben}1591G4Add & 1602G only}{1590L4Add and later have instead{Senones Suevi}1590L4Add and later instead}, {1591G4Add & 1602G only{peoples in Gallia Togata, on the Hadratic sea}1591G4Add & 1602G only}, and in some places also the Angrivarij, with the Teutones}not in 1598/1610/1613D}. In this area there are seven cities of no small significance, Tangermünde {not in 1598F{on the river Elbe at that location where the river {not in 1598/1610/1613D{Angra or Tonagra (now}not in 1598/1610/1613D} {1606E only{now Tanger}1606E only} empties itself into the Elbe}not in 1598F}, once the imperial seat of emperor Carolus the fourth.
97.5. [Next is] Stendal, the principal city of this shire, {not in 1598/1610/1613D{where there is a church of St. Nicolas (they call it Thumstift) with regular canons of the order of Saint Bernard, {1595L{commonly called Ordo Cistertiensium, first founded at Cistertium}1595L, not in 1598/1610/1613D}{1606E only{(now called Citeaux), a place in Gallia Narbonensis}1606E only}. [Then] Salztwedel, divided into two cities, [namely] the Old & the New. [Then] Gardelegen, with a castle called Eischnippe. Also Osterburg, Werben and {not in 1591G4Add, 1598F, 1598/1610/1613D& 1602G{Senohuse, now}not in 1591G4Add, 1598F, 1598/1610/1613D & 1602G} Seehausen, {not in 1598/1610/1613D{perhaps named like this after the Senones, {1590G4Add & 1602G only{a people of France}1590G4Add & 1602G only}.
97.6. [Then] {not in 1606E{of less renown}not in 1606E}Arneburg with its castle situated on the river Elbe, Bismark, Beuster [and] Bucka {not in 1598F{located not far from the Elbe}not in 1598F}, Kalbe and Neslingen which they also call Letzlingen. Next to these towns, it has seven monasteries richly endowed with secular jurisdiction, and various nunneries, as Arendsee, Damke, Diesdorf, Krevese and Niendorf.
97.7. The breadth of this country is equal to its length, [and] is not above eight German miles, but yet there are in it {1598F only{next to those mentioned above}1598F only} at least 465 villages of good reputation. MIDDLE-MARCH begins on the other side of the Elbe and stretches itself to the rivers Oder and Sueuus (commonly called Spree). It is watered by the river Havel and other small brooks of less significance.
97.8. {not in 1598/1610/1613D{In former ages it was inhabited by the Suevi}not in 1598/1610/1613D}{1591G4Add & 1602G instead{Schwaben}1591G4Add & 1602G instead}{1606E only{or Swiss}1606E only}. The soil is very fertile, especially for corn. It has many woods, fish-ponds and meadows and also vineyards, first planted here by Albert the marquis, surnamed the bear. Brandenburg, its chief city is by the river Havel divided into two parts, one being called the new city, the other the old [one]. It was so named after Brandon, once a captain of the Franks.
97.9. Here the general court of justice is held for the whole country. Many privileges and great liberties have been granted to this province by emperors, kings and princes. A monument of this is the statue erected in the new city, holding in his right hand a drawn sword, whom the citizens call Roland [erected in 1474, 5 meters high, still extant today].
97.10. Not far from this city is the territory of Havelland, so called after the river Havel that surrounds it. Also the monastery of Lehnin of the order of Saint Bernard. After Brandenburg follows Rathenow on the Havel. [Then] Spandau with a castle on the river Spree.
97.11. Also Kölln and Berlin, two cities separated by the same river. In Berlin is the prince's court at this moment. Berlin was so named either after Albert, surnamed Bear, or, as others think, after wild bears that haunted this place when its foundations were first laid. Kölln was so called after colliers [miners] that inhabited it in great numbers in the past, {not in 1598/1610/1613D{or [perhaps] rather after the Latin word Colonia}not in 1598/1610/1613D}.
97.12. Frankfurt on the Oder was formerly included in the list of Hanse-towns, in which regard it now pays no tribute to Lübeck or any other cities of that association. It has three markets every year. Here is a college or university founded by Joachim, the first marquis of that name, in the year 1506. Not far from the abbey of [the] Carthusians in this city runs a small stream springing from a hill bearing vines.
97.13. Whatever is cast into it hardens as if it became a stone. There are other towns too, as Britz {not in 1598/1610/1613D{surnamed the loyal}not in 1598/1610/1613D}. Also Belzig and Benaw {not in 1598F{where excellent beer is brewed}not in 1598F}. [Then] Bellingen, located at an outlet of the little river Rhin {not in 1598F, 1598/1610/1613D & 1606E{which you can cross there by ferry}not in 1598F, 1598/1610/1613D & 1606E}. [Then] Mittenwalde, Müncheberg, Biesenthal, {not in 1598/1610/1613D{Blumberg in the bishopric of Brandenburg}not in 1598/1610/1613D}, Botzau with a castle, Falkenhagen with a castle where the Templars used to reside, Freyenwald and Oderberg. Here marquis Albert the second founded a castle in the middle of the river where one has to pay toll. Then Friedland, a nunnery with a village, then Frisack of the diocese of Brandenburg, Gereswald, Grimnitz, Grünheide, Grunewald and Cöpenick [consisting of] four parks of the prince, with castles in them.
97.14.[Then] Hochelberg, a village, Landsberg, {not in 1598/1610/1613D{a small place with a castle of great antiquity, Lichen, a small town}not in 1598/1610/1613D}, Liebenwalde {not in 1598/1610/1613D{with a park, Nowen, Potsdam, a little town with a castle, Neustadt, Eberswalde and not far from there Chorin, a monastery of the Bernardines. [Then] Müllrose, a small borough and a village, Saarmund, Schönebeck with a park, Strausberg, Trebbin, Barnewitz, a little borough, [and] Zehdenick, a cloister for nuns.
97.15. [Then] Zossen, a small borough with a castle, Stendal, Schwerte [and] Wriezen, {not in 1598F{not far from [the] Oder}not in 1598F}. [Then] Lietzen [and] Seelow, a small borough with many villages and hamlets}not in 1598/1610/1613D}. This middle marquisate measures twenty-eight {1598F has instead{20}1598F instead} German miles in breadth, and as many in length.
97.16. NEW-MARCH is divided in the middle by the river Oder, at the location where the river Warta falls into it, near the town of Cüstrin. This river Warta begins in Poland and waters this region {not in 1598F{at the city of Landsberg and the towns of Zantoch and Sonnenburg}not in 1598F}.
97.17. The main city of this marquisate is Cüstrin, rebuilt by marquis Johannes, son of Joachim the first, who at great expense fortified it and established his court there. There are other towns, such as Landsberg on the Warta, Königsberg, Bernwald and Bernstein, a small borough with a castle, Bernwig and {not in 1598/1610/1613D{Berlinchen, or the town of}not in 1598/1610/1613D} New Berlin. Then you have the city of Arnswalde, {not in 1598/1610/1613D{the borough of Thame}not in 1598/1610/1613D}, Soldin, {not in 1598/1610/1613D{once the principal city}not in 1598/1610/1613D}, Fürstenfeld, {not in 1598/1610/1613D, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S{a small borough}not in 1598/1610/1613D, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S}, Dramburg, {not in 1598/1610/1613D{Driesen, [and] Falkenberg, its town and castle situated on the borders of Pommern.
97.18. Also Himmelstedt, a cloister for nuns, Kalis, a village, Kartow and Leipe, two little boroughs, Morgenwald, an abbey, Morni, a small town, Nienburg, a village, Nurnberg, Reitz, with an abbey of the knights of the Rhodes, Quartschen, {not in 1598F{containing palaces of noblemen,}not in 1598/1610/1613D & 1598F} [and] Schiffelbein, a town that has a reputation for good beer and excellent weapon makers. {not in 1598/1610/1613D{Moreover, you have Osmund, Schönfließ, Woldenberg, a small borough, Schiltberg, a village}not in 1598/1610/1613D}, Zehden, {not in 1598/1610/1613D{a little town with a nunnery}not in 1598/1610/1613D} and Zantoch, {not in 1598/1610/1613D{a petty borough on the river Warta}not in 1598/1610/1613D}{1598/1610/1613D only{as you may see exactly on the map}1598/1610/1613D only}. The circumference of this new marquisate is about twenty-four {1598F instead{twenty}1598F instead} German miles.
97.19. Now, the whole marquisate of Brandenburg with the regions mentioned above subjected to it contains fifty-five cities of importance, sixty-four {not in 1598/1610/1613{towns, sixteen boroughs commonly called}not in 1598/1610/1613D} Marktflecken {1598F only{which have a market once a week}1598F only}, thirty-eight castles or noblemen's houses, ten parks [and] seventeen monasteries for men and women. This region also produces coral, eagle-stone {1606E only{or Ætites and saffron-coloured stone}1606E only} {not in 1598/1610/1613D{called Schistus}not in 1598/1610/1613D} and other gems of no less reputation. So much from the {not in 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S{German}not in 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S} writings of Wolfgang Jobst. You may also read Münster and Irenicus}1590L4Add, 1591G4Add, 1592L, 1598/1610/1613D & 1602G end here}, {1595L{and David Chytræus' story of Saxony}1595L, 1598F, 1601L, 1602S, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612L & 1609/1612/1641S end here}.