AUSSIG (

See also:

• CZECH (in Bohemian, Cech)

Czech Ousti ned Labem)  , a town of Bohemia, Austria, 68 m . N. of Prague by rail . Pop . (1900) 37,255, mostly German . It is situated in a mountainous district, at the confluence of the Biela and the Elbe, and, besides being an active river port, is an important junction of the northern Bohemian railways . Aussig has important industries in chemicals, textiles, glass and boat-building, and carries on an active trade in coal from the neighbouring mines, stone and stoneware, corn, fruit and wood . It was the birthplace of the painter, Raphael Mengs (1728-1779) . Aussig is mentioned as a trading centre as early as 993 . It was made a city by Ottokar II. in the latter part of the 13th century . In 1423 it was pledged by King Sigismund to the elector Frederick of Meissen, who occupied it with a Saxon garrison . In 1426 it was besieged by the Hussites, who on the 16th of June, though only 25,000 strong, defeated a German army of 70,000, which had been sent to its relief, with great slaughter . The town was stormed and sacked next day .

After lying

waste for three years, it was rebuilt in 1429 . It suffered much during the Thirty Years' and Seven Years' Wars, and in 183o it had only 1400 inhabitants . Not far from Aussig is the village of Kulm, where, on the 29th and 3oth of August 1813, a battle took place between the French under Vandamme and an allied army of Austrians, Prussians and Russians . The French were defeated, and Vandamme surrendered with his army of ro,000 men .