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George William

(Encyclopedia)George William, 1597–1640, elector of Brandenburg (1619–40). Mild and irresolute, he was a Calvinist, yet he ruled a Lutheran people. He failed to turn the strategic position of Brandenburg to adv...

Gripsholm

(Encyclopedia)Gripsholm grĭps-hôlmˈ [key], castle, SE Sweden, near Stockholm, on Malaren Lake. Now an art museum, it was begun in the 1380s and was reconstructed by Gustavus I in the 16th cent. ...

Borås

(Encyclopedia)Borås bo͞orōsˈ [key], city, Älvsborg co., SW Sweden, on the Viskan River. It is a transp...

Thirty Years War

(Encyclopedia)Thirty Years War, 1618–48, general European war fought mainly in Germany. The general results of the war may be said to have been a tremendous decrease in German population; devastation of G...

Lützen

(Encyclopedia)Lützen lütˈsən [key], town, Saxony, S central Germany. There, in the Thirty Years War, Gustavus II of Sweden defeated (1632) General Albrecht Wallenstein, but was killed in the battle; Marshal Got...

Torstensson, Lennart

(Encyclopedia)Torstensson, Lennart lĕnˈnärt tōrˈstənsōn [key], 1603–51, Swedish general in the Thirty Years War. He was one of the generals trained by Gustavus II in the new techniques of war. As commander...

Tartu

(Encyclopedia)Tartu tärˈto͞o [key], Ger. and Swed. Dorpat, city (1994 pop. 105,844), E Estonia, a port on the Ema River. The second largest city of Estonia, it is an important industrial and cultural center and ...

Sweden

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Sweden, Swed. Sverige, officially Kingdom of Sweden, constitutional monarchy (2015 est. pop. 9,764,000), 173,648 sq mi (449,750 sq km), N Europe, occupying the eastern part of the Scandinavian ...

Lech

(Encyclopedia)Lech lĕkh [key], river, c.175 mi (280 km) long, rising in Vorarlberg, W Austria, and flowing NE into S Germany past Augsburg to the Danube River. The Wertach River is its chief tributary. There are a...

Västervik

(Encyclopedia)Västervik vĕˈstərvēkˌ [key], city (1990. pop. 21,500), Kalmar co., SE Sweden, on an inlet of the Baltic Sea. Manufactures of this industrial center include paper, furniture, matches, and prefabr...