Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-09-12
RICHMOND WHIG.
Correspondence Of the Ne,o YorL TTae,.
STUDENT LIFE IN GERMANY.
HkIDELB,Ro, Saturday, J

HkIDELBsKo, Saturday, July 23, 1889.
This place IL the head quarters OF the socaed Stu
dent-Ls in Germany; aud turned INV face bth.ruard
many another green has done before with pe.s
ng visions Of state of brotherhood and noble simpl
city, OF 'Comners" and "kneipe" of mystic eercmo-
nes and insng songs OF all the chvalry of the Past
IA picturesque CAPS and Wellington boots defending
last stronghold o Romance In the Present No one ~ho
has visited Heidelberg will need to be told how
was deceived brotherhood aud noble pcity CONSIST
in saying, Thou" to fellow who the same eoor-
with ones sell. aud shutDg on the sidewalk the fellow
who doesn't Commers aud kneipe just like any 9th
er drunks only rather more Disgusting; inasmueh as
the intoxcaton resulting from beer slowly and
makes the victim merely mandin-and inasnuch also a-
these scenes are regularly enacted three times
week, reminding OF the old English nobeman who
TO say, Next Friday night at O'Clock, propose by
the blessing of Providence. be beasty drunk The
mystic ceremonies are no more interesting than set
OF booty oaets could extemporze the lamp
post on the hat of the first pas-erby And
as TO music never in my life heard such hue songs
so abominably sung, as by German students. I very
frequently pass the rooms OF the Swabian Corps du-
ring the evening, and little esperienc. has enabled
me to determine with considerable accuracy
the hour Of the night by the degrees of disco which
pours from their lighted wndows. II they
ing at ALL t il o'clock and they are not fairly through
With the hrst quart OF beer apiece IL they asking
in three different keys at once what Is the Germans
iatheflandy il is o'clock, and they vet drunk.
PREF ist der Bnrsch is executed at 10 o'clock. with
power OF lung and ingenious variety of quite
tonishng Now they getting la trim, and from lu
till II the combat thickens' Imagine the close OF
TO be passed, there veandwenty songs TO be sung
Imagine each fellow committee of three TO sing his par
tcuar song, and give expression by pounding his glass
OH the table, aud will have faint idea of the grand
ereSeendo which takes place between the hours have
mentioned At L. when the ordinary kneipe
must break up the climax of dcord is reached the great
ideal powwow TO he realized. All the dogs la the
neighborhood-and wherever there students, dogs
will not be wanting-yell in harmonious chorus. The
last grand howl Assumes startling dignity from its
power, but dies away into iguonnious chromatc pas.
n Tsrlyr atrsat I'm gfsa
IL IL past !, and more is To Ice heard that night.
At Commcrs, or Grand U,,tUtrSdi Drunk, the l.
ter IS somewhat different Here there is distinction
as tn hour The University authorities have given their
consent TO protcted kneipe, ami the Police do not
rap a the door nhen the usual hour for closing arrives
The climax Is reached 10y midnight, but after that
the SPIRIT of the thing il on the Judicous fellows
go home foolish fellows sink through all stages of maud
lin imbeciy, till they find their level under the table
And few old hands are LETT for while longer evel
IN pcrsevering way till they, too Weld aud stagger
home to Il heavy sleep aud the KntzenaInmer
The kaizenismner is the alternate of a German
student hardly know what name to give il in English
Ny dictionary defines it the 'indsposition after
drunken debanch.' suppose there is technical
preston for IT among the Bowcry BOYS fast men gen.
orally, in America but my vocabulary fails me at this
point
corps student be expected to get out of bed by
IL or ~, lin summerl unless lac has due, oil hand
which must be attended to la the "coOl of the morning
lounge at the shop ol the cOnfectoner with pretty
daughter, couple Of hours practice at thr fencing
school, ride or promenade ahout town, and the lay~
work is over The evening will probably pas - the last
one did, at the kneipe, aud tomorrow morning will be
what this was, stupid msen~ibe shooze-or if lac
y a fGokS or green un, more violent form OF the
katzeniamner. 80 goes the time. day after day.
But when 10 the students had Ue attend ctures
or study My dear Madam they don't atte ud lectures
and they don't sindy. For you must know they sci
apart three ytars Tor student hf, and then cones study
fOr three they drink aud scratch fac
with their clumsy German swords and do things
and at the end OF this time they apply themselves with
ETeu lrag!n DO
gree.
This picture does represent the life even of the ma
ioity OF std-rers this any other University No
than halt the members Of this University are con
nected with the corps NeTbindungs-the rest ar,
hardwOTking, steady fellows aud foreigners But Tho
characteristic praised German student Iifete on
" manner OF living here which is peculiar and striking
the Hsidslbsrg sfge-is system from which all tina
noble, or brave, honorable is diving or ha
died out-a corrupt circle Of debauch and dissipation
which fast losing the pnny originality which foIns H.
only recommendation
The question has been put to mellow is il that frou
school so weak and worthless you say this IT, Ger
many has brought forth many learned scholars apC
distinguished philosophers
In the first place, there many who do take th
course. There very many Germans who 90 through
their term of study University and take the success
siNe degrees without being drawn into the souandbo
dy-wAsting life OF the out-andout Busch Then again
t may be that all Universities like this OF Heidel
berg, although as far my experience extends Il know
how l. with two OF threcl there Is htte choose be
tween them. Finally, considering the thorough and e1
tensve education offered by the Universities aud th,
immense number Of young who Yearly attend them
IL is rather 10 he wondered that no more great meI
the result OF such causes.
The career OF the corpsstpdents is which defe
all the laws of health aud morality, and writes in hc
faces the evidence of disease and weakness But the
duelng foolish ridiculous appears from every 9th
er standpoint the physical safeguard which prevents
many constitution from succumbig under the mode
life which they lead. mean that they practice inces
sanity the violent exercise OF the German syorl.ply
and thus of body which their
habits tend continually to destroy
Ii is curious thing, this hollow shell of a system tl
decayed old BHrschisb,H in which may vet distin
guish the neaments OF certain past beauty and chi
yary. may md opportunity hereafter To sketch IL
is more prominent and essential features m appear:
in Heidelberg which may be Justly considered the cent?,
and bead quarters OF its influence. r. W. r.
TRIAL or A GREAT CRIMINAL IN PARIS.