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KÖNIGSBERG. 
The town and fortress of Königsberg lies on the river Pregel at the 
extreme north-east of the kingdom of Prussia, at a distance of 366 miles north 
eastward from Berlin. It is almost circular in shape, being confined within 
a ring of moated defences, which are continuous, except for about a mile on 
the south-east, where the swampy nature of the soil appears to have been con 
sidered a sufficient defence in itself. This disc-shaped agglomeration, which 
ranks as a “ first-class fortress,” is traversed from east to west, and divided into 
a northern and a southern half by the Pregel, about five miles east of where 
that river flows into the Frische Haff. At a point about 1,000 yards east of 
where it enters the town, the river forms a loop, enclosing an island about 500 
yards long, and 200 yards wide, which is the centre, and, at the same time, one 
of the oldest and most densely built parts of the town. At the eastern end of 
this island the river again divides, one branch, which maintains an easterly 
direction, being called the New Pregel, and the other, which flows first south 
and then south-east, the Old Pregel. Five bridges (the widest having a span 
of some 60 yards) connect the island with the surrounding town, and the 
raising of these bridges for the convenience of passing ships is a frequent cause 
of congestion in the street traffic. 
The general impression which Königsberg is apt to leave on its visitors is 
one of noisy streets, many of them too narrow for the traffic which they have 
to accommodate ; of bridges frequently uncrossable because raised for passing 
ships ; of narrow quays lined with quaint, high-gabled, half-timber-work ware 
houses, and used at certain points as market places for the sale of fruit, fish, 
cheese, vegetables, meat, and other eatables ; and of sailing craft moored bow- 
onwards to the quays, competing with the stalls on shore in the sale of pro 
duce. Among other features likely to impress the visitor as distinctive of 
this locality are the comparative scarcity of open spaces for recreation and the 
marked prominence of the military element among the population. 
The noisiness of the streets is due to the nature of the paving (stone setts 
and rough, unevenly laid cobbles), in conjunction with traffic largely made up of 
drays laden with coal, ironwares, timber, cereals, flax, and other bulky merchan 
dise, the distribution of which constitutes the chief business of the port. The 
frequent necessity for crossing bridges is unavoidable, owing to the peculiar 
formation of the town. 
The use of the narrow quays as market places for the sale of produce is 
doubtless due to the scarcity of space arising from the fact that the town 
has been prevented from expanding with the growth of its population, 
owing to the enclosing ring of ramparts and moats, and the restrictions on 
building enforced by the military authorities on all land lying within a 
certain distance of the defences. Thus, within the first zone of 1,000 metres 
(about 1,093 yards) from the ramparts, no houses whatever may be built ; 
within a second and outer zone of prescribed width, only half-timberwork 
structures (capable of being rapidly demolished if necessary) are allowed. 
These restrictions are still in full force, and will remain so until an agreement 
can be reached between the town and the Government as to the price to be paid 
by the former for the land occupied by these extensive military works, which 
are now admittedly obsolete. There are, indeed, few German towns whose 
expansion has so long been hampered by fortifications. The mean population in 
1890 amounted to 161,000, and, 10 years later, a further 27,000 people had to 
find accommodation within the same area, thus increasing the density of the 
population from 114 to 135 persons per acre. In one of the chief working-class 
quarters-^-Haberberg—close against the southern fortifications, the population 
increased during the same period from 158 to 218 per acre ; and, in the year 
1895, there were only 68 unoccupied dwellings in the whole town. Under the 
circumstances it would be surprising if public parks and open spaces were a 
prominent feature in Königsberg. Unlike so many other of the larger German