Bismarck

/biz"mahrk/; for 1 also Ger. /bis"mahrddk/, n.

1. Otto von /ot"oh von/; Ger. /aw"toh feuhn/, 1815-98, German statesman: first chancellor of modern German Empire 1871-90.

2. a city in and the capital of North Dakota, in the central part. 44,485.

3. (often l.c.)

a. Chiefly Northern U.S. a jelly doughnut.

b. Chiefly Midland U.S. a fried cruller.

* * *

I

City (pop., 2000: 55,532), capital of North Dakota, U.S. It was settled as a Missouri River port in the 1830s.

In 1872 a military post was established to protect railway workers, and in 1873 it was named for Otto von Bismarck in the hope of attracting German investment. With the discovery of gold in the nearby Black Hills, it became a prospecting centre. In 1883 it was made the capital of Dakota Territory; when the territory was divided into two states in 1889, Bismarck became the capital of the northern state. Today it is the region's business, cultural, and financial centre.

II

German battleship of World War II. The formidable 52,600-ton (47,700-metric-ton) vessel was launched in 1939.

British reconnaissance aircraft sighted it off Bergen, Norway, in May 1941, and almost the entire British home fleet was sent to intercept it. Two cruisers engaged it near Iceland, and the Bismarck destroyed the Hood before escaping to the open sea. Sighted 30 hours later, it was torpedoed and then bombarded by battleships throughout the night. The King George V and the Rodney crippled it in an hour-long attack, and it was finally sunk by torpedoes from the cruiser Dorsetshire.

* * *

▪ German ship

 German battleship of World War II that had a short but spectacular career. The Bismarck was laid down in 1936 and launched in 1939. It displaced 52,600 tons, mounted eight 15-inch (38-centimetre) guns, and had a speed of 30 knots. Its sighting off Bergen, Nor., in May 1941 by a British reconnaissance aircraft sent practically the entire British Home Fleet into action to intercept it. Two cruisers made contact off the coast of Iceland, and the battleship Prince of Wales and battle cruiser Hood soon engaged it. After destroying the Hood with a shell that exploded in the magazine, the Bismarck escaped into the open sea. Sighted by aircraft 30 hours later (May 26), it was hit by a torpedo that crippled its steering gear, and the ship was bombarded throughout the night by battleships. On the morning of May 27 the King George V and the Rodney, in an hour-long attack, incapacitated the Bismarck, and an hour and a half later it was sunk by three torpedoes from the cruiser Dorsetshire.

▪ North Dakota, United States

 city, capital of North Dakota, U.S., and seat (1873) of Burleigh county. It lies in the south-central part of the state and is situated on the eastern bank of the Missouri River.

      The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the area in 1804–05. In 1872 Camp Greeley (later Camp Hancock; now a state historic site), a military post, was established there to protect crews working on the Northern Pacific Railway (Northern Pacific Railway Company). Bismarck was founded in 1872 and was originally named Edwinton in honour of Edwin L. Johnson, who was a proponent of a transcontinental railway. In 1873 the city was renamed in honour of the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck (Bismarck, Otto von) in the hope of attracting German investment in the railway. That year the railway arrived and contributed greatly to the community's growth. With the discovery of gold (1874) in the Black Hills (to the southwest, now in South Dakota), Bismarck became an outfitting centre for prospectors.

      In 1883 the capital of Dakota Territory was moved from Yankton (now in South Dakota) to Bismarck; when the territory was divided and the two states admitted to the Union in 1889, Bismarck became the capital of the northern state. It has grown steadily and has become the region's business, trade, transportation, education, and health care centre. Oil, gas, and coal production and distribution are major factors in the city's economy, and there is a refinery at nearby Mandan. Government, business services, insurance, dairy processing, and the manufacture of farm and construction equipment are also important. Area agriculture includes livestock raising and the production of wheat, hay, and oats.

      The state capitol (occupied 1935) is a 19-story skyscraper; on its grounds are the governor's mansion and the North Dakota Heritage Center, a historical museum. Bismarck is also known as a site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and as the home of the Dakota Zoo. The city is the seat of Bismarck State (community) College (founded 1939) and the University of Mary (founded 1955). Southwest of the city are On-a-Slant Indian Village, originally built by the Mandan in the late 16th century but abandoned in 1781, and Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park; to the north, Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site preserves the ruins of a Mandan village. Inc. 1875. Pop. (1990) city, 49,256; Bismarck MSA, 83,831; (2000) city, 55,532; Bismarck MSA, 94,719.

* * *