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Brandenburgensis_ (Breslau, 1743); and _Accessiones_ (Breslau, 1768),
and _Collectio opusculorum historiam marchicam illustrantium_
(Breslau, 1731-1733); A. Voss and G. Stimming, _Vorgeschichtliche
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_Geschichte des brandenburgisch-preussischen Staats_ (Berlin, 1878);
E. Berner, _Geschichte des preussischen Staats_ (Berlin, 1890-1891);
A.F. Riedel, _Codex diplomaticus Brandenburgensis_ (Berlin,
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ii. (Leipzig, 1901). (A. W. H.*)

BRANDENBURG, the central and one of the largest provinces of Prussia,
consisting of a part of the former electorate of Brandenburg from which
it derives its name. With the other territories of the elector of
Brandenburg, it was merged in 1701 in the kingdom of Prussia, and when
the administration of Prussia was reformed in 1815, Brandenburg became
one of the provinces of Prussia. The boundaries of the new province,
however, differed considerably from those of the old district. The old
mark, the district on the left bank of the Elbe, was added to the
province of Saxony, and in return a district to the south, taken from
the kingdom of Saxony, was added to the province of Brandenburg. It has
an area of 15,382 sq. m., and is divided into the two governments of
Potsdam and Frankfort-on-Oder; the capital, Berlin, forming a separate
jurisdiction. The province is a sandy plain interspersed with numerous
fertile districts and considerable stretches of woodland, mostly pine
and fir. Its barrenness was formerly much exaggerated, when it was
popularly described as the "sandbox of the Holy Roman Empire." It is
generally well watered by tributaries of its two principal rivers, the
Elbe and the Oder, and is besides remarkable for the number of its
lakes, of which it contains between 600 and 700. The mineral products
comprise lignite, limestone, gypsum, alum and potter's earth; bar