URUGUAY Montevideo. Address see The Argentine. Envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary O. Wadsted (also appointed to the Argentine). Consulate at Montevideo. VENEZUELA Consulates at Caracas, Maracaibo. Vice-consulates at Ciudad Bolivar, Puerto Cabello. THE CHURCH Until the middle of the nineteenth Century all Danish subjects had to belong to the Lutheran Church; Catholics, Reformists and Jews, however, had a right to live in certain towns. By the Constitutional Act of 1849, however, religious liberty was introduced into Denmark, and, in consequence, compulsory baptism was subsequently expressly abolished, while civil forms of marriage and burial were allowed. In the Constitution, however, it is still laid down that the Lutheran Church is the established Church of Denmark and that it shall be supported by the State. Likewise, laws regarding the Church are passed by the Crown and Parliament in the same manner as all other laws. Church legislation during the past fifty years has been strongly marked by its great respect for religious liberty. Among the provisions of the Acts in question the following may be mentioned: Nobody is obliged to accept the ministrations of the incumbent of the parish to which he belongs; free congregations may be formed to choose and pay their own clergyman without being regarded as having left the established Church, whose church buildings they have the right to use; finally, free congregations may be formed outside the established Church, with full liberty as to public worship and creed. In the established Church each parish elects a congregational council, which governs the church property of the parish, and exercises a certain influence on the arrangement of services and the education of the young in religious knowledge; the councils also have a certain voice in the appointments to the clerical offices, which otherwise are in the hands of the Government. The country is divided into 9 bishoprics, and the 9 bishops, with a number of deans, supervise the parish clergymen, of which there are about 1,300 in the country. The congregational councils have also a certain influence in the appointment of bishops. Clergymen must, as a rule, have taken a theological degree at the University; they are paid out of a fund established on the basis of the former church lands and the old tithes as well as voluntary parish contributions, all of which have now been commuted. The number of persons in Denmark who are not members of the established Church was, at the time of the last census, 70,000. The religious communities outside the Lutheran Church which are most strongly represented in Denmark are the Catholics, Reformists, Jews, Methodists, Baptists and Irvingites. The first four of these are recognised by the Government and thus have the right to solemnise marriages which are valid according to Danish law. Of late years the Roman Catholic Church, especially, has carried on considerable propaganda in Denmark and owns several churches, convents and charitable institutions. EDUCATION PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS Danish schools are mainly municipal and State schools, the number of private schools being relatively small. All tuition outside the private schools is practically free, which of course involves a great deal of expense for the municipalities and the State. Attendance is compulsory from the age of 6 to 14 in the Elementary School (»Grundskolen«). In addition there is a so-called Middle School (»Mellemskolen«), with a 4 year course. From the Elementary School the children join the Middle School at the age of 10 or 11. The final examination, the >>Mellemskoleexamen«<, is subject to Government supervision and serves as entrance examination to the Secondary School (the »>Gymnasium«). Those who do not intend to attend the »Gymnasium« may conclude their course by one year's study in the >>Realklasse<<. The Secondary School has a 3 year course, and 3 »lines« of instruction: classic languages, modern languages and mathematics-science. The final examination, the »Studenterexamen« (Examen Artium) is the entrance examination to the University and also to several other Institutes of higher education. TRAINING SCHOOLS The Danish Training Schools give a 4 year course of instruction, preparing teachers for the Elementary School. Teachers for the Middle-School and the Secondary School generally have a special University degree. THE UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN The University of Copenhagen, founded in 1479, is the only university in the country. It contains five faculties: Theology, Law and Economics, Medicine, Arts and Science (including Mathematics). The University is a State institution, but self-govern ing, and, to a great extent, self-supporting, thanks to large endowments of bygone ages. Each year a Rector Magnificus (Chancellor) is elected by the joint staff of professors (Lærerforsamlingen). One of the professors of law is elected Administrator for a term of 8 years, and is eligible for re-election. Under the Charter of the University the students are organised in Students' Representative Councils, one for each faculty, and these form the Joint Students' Representative Council. Similar bodies have been formed at cognate institutions, all of them being joined in the Danish Students' National Council. The number of students is 3,660, including 614 women, while the number of professors and instructors is 125. Matriculation is open to any man or woman who has passed the >>Studenterexamen«. The matriculation fee is 22 Kroner, and this is, besides certain still smaller fees for admission to examinations, the only fee charged for university studies. Thus practically all tuition is free, and furthermore most lectures are public and open to everybody, even those not entitled to matriculation. The academic year is divided in two terms (Semestre) Sept. 1.-Dec. 22. and Febr. 1.-June 9. There is no fixed time for the duration of the courses of studies, the minimum, however, usually being 5 years, the maximum (Medicine and Arts) 7-8 years. The student can enter for his examinations when he thinks fit, and leave the University as a graduate, generally at about the age of 24-27 years. The final degrees are as follows: Candidatus magisterii (cand. mag.) Candidatus medicinæ et chirurgiæ (cand. med.) and Surgery. Arts and Science. Medicine Political Economy. Science. Doctor's degrees are difficult to obtain and are usually only acquired by those graduates who go in for a scientific career. A final university degree is required in order to be permitted to defend a thesis for the doctorate. The University is exceedingly well equipped with laboratories, libraries, etc., and offers the best advantages for post-graduate studies and research in all branches. STATE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Founded in 1829, this institute (»Den polytekniske Læreanstalt«) occupies a very important place in the Danish educational system. It contains four branches of study: Chemical Engineering, Mechanical and Motive Power Engineering (including Shipbuilding), Civil Engineering, and Electrical Engineering, the different branches, of course, including many specialities. The number of students is 1,200, while that of professors and instructors is 50. Admission is open to anybody having passed the >>Studenterexamen<< (math.-science branch), or a special entrance examination. The fee is 20 to 50 Kroner per term (same division as at the University). The duration of the courses of study is fixed according to the programme at 41⁄2 years (or 51⁄2), but is generally extended to 61⁄2 to 7 years, leading to the Diploma of >>cand. polyt.< (candidatus polytechnices). The institute is equipped with numerous excellent laboratories, and large extensions are planned for the very near future. The traditions from the time of the first director of the Institute, H. C. Ørsted, the famous discoverer of electro-magnetism, are still held in honour and the standard of teaching is very high. OTHER TECHNICAL SCHOOLS Technical Schools of various descriptions exist in large numbers, in Copenhagen as well as in several other towns, the most important being »Teknologisk Institut« in Copenhagen. THE ROYAL VETERINARY & AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE The Veterinary Department was founded in 1775 and was, in 1858, extended into the Royal Veterinary & Agricultural College, now including the following departments: Veterinary Science, Agriculture, Forestry, Surveying, Horticulture and Dairying. The number of students is 500, and that of professors and instructors 45. Admission is open to all having a certain practical training (in agriculture, horticulture and dairying, acquired outside the |