DIRSCHAU

dirschau, a town of germany, in the kingdom of prussia, province of west prussia, on the left bank of the vistula, 20 m. s. from danzig and at the junction of the important lines of railway berlin-konigsberg and danzig-bromberg. pop. (1905) 14,185. it has a roman catholic and a protestant church and several schools. the river is here crossed by two fine iron bridges. the older structure dating from the year 1857, originally used for the railway, is now given up to road traffic, and the railway carried by a new bridge completed in 1891. dirschau has railway workshops and manufactories of sugar, agricultural implements and cement. during the war with poland, gustavus adolphus made it his headquarters for many months after its capture in 1626.