The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-14
letter from Germany.
UNIVERSITY OF LEIPZIG,
January 10, 1884.

Editor Mteligeacer:
The University of Leipzig has connect.
!; ed with it, at present, about one hundred
snd eighty.four Professors, including
those denomiuated "Privatdocenten,"
whose Office 1 explained ir my letter
sse from Gottingen. There are, this seme-
ster, three thousand four hundred stu
dents in this University.
81 AS is generally known, the instruction
is given entirely by lectures, with rare
Exceptions. In some of the Sanskrit
classes, schich are small, the students are
asked to read. The only other exception
OF which I am informed is the Seminary.
81 In the work in the Seminaries of Ian.
s cusge the students who are regular mem.
bers are expected to work and give the
results of their Investigations. This
work is very difficult. In the Greek
q Ser nary only Latin is spoken, and this
is ..ue of the Latin Seminary. The
& Greek Seminary has but twelve members,
and each applicant for membership must
submit work which he has performed,
showing merit sufficient to engage in the
. discussions and work of the Seminary,
4 before he is admitted to membership
The Seminary is conducted by P >fess.
or of the University, and the wo.k is
usually the Interpretation of some author
selected by iiim. The plan of these
SsminaTias is Tsry closely followed BIZ
the Johns Hopkins University, though
I in this latter institution no Latin ia
spoken, and English is the language of
q communication and the medium of in.
q depreciation.
The work of the Seminary is select
and special. The general instruction of
B the University is through lectures. The
q students are allowed entire freedom as to
what lectures they attend. They select
4 the courses of lectures which they will
hear, and take notes upon them, which
gives the character of dictation exercise to
the school-room work, especially in the
departments Of Language, Law, History,
Philosophy, etc., in which no expert
Il aiO PCt1olMCOy I'd arc III IuS uG.
partments of Natural Science.
At these lectures the student has point.
4 ed out to him the most important topics
related to the subject of the course in
question and the main sources of infor.
4 nation relating thereto. The lectures
/ embrace critical treatment Of the sub.
q ject by the Professor, and then leave the
4 student to investigate the facts and au.
thorities for himself. Occasionally, in
I discussing tho origin Of certain obscure
forms in language, the Professor states
A his view and then refers to his own works
to substantiate it, which is, as it were, an
argument in circle" (the "circle" be-
ing that comprising his own brain); but
that is q rare exception. The Professors
discuss the subjects. 30 far as my eaperi.
ence goes, with fairness and ability, Civ.
ing the student the best views pro and
con, and nowhere is investigation more
Z thorough than il the German Universi-
1 ties. A student of Language may prop
4 himself up with translations in some of
our American Colleges, but in the Ger.
man University his scholarship is his
only support.
About four hundred students attend a
course Of lectures in Law, given by Prof.
Windshield. This is large class for
this subject. The size is due in this case,
as in others, to the reputation of the
Lecturer; but this does not mean that
you may measure Professors reputa-
tion by the number of his hearers In
Sanskrit the classes are very small,
though the Professors quite renowned.
But it does mean that if the Professor
has no reputation, he will have no hear.
ers.
About four or five hundred study Med
icine. In this study, however, the Uni
Versity Of Vienna has better reputa.
ton, and ranks with that at Paris and
that in London. During last Winter
there were about five thousand students
at the University of Vienna, three thou.
sand of whom were students Of Medi-
cine. The number of students here who
attend the lectures in Greek by Prof.
Curtius is about ninety, and less num-
Der attend the lectures in Greek by Prof.
Lipsius.
iheFe are mere about twelve lecturers
in the department of Law. fifteen in
Theology, fifty in Medicine, and in the
departments of Philosophy, embracing
Language, Mathematics, History, Nutu.
raj hi..ceTT, Natural Philosophy, Logic,
etc., there are about one hundred Pro.
fessors.
This University is the only one in Sax.
ony, and is by reputation equal to any.
The Rector, who is chosen by the Pro-
fesscEs and whose cffice corresponds mere
nearly to that of President in our Uni.
versities, occupies prominent position
in saxony, and many political privileges
are attendant upon the Office, the hold.
ing of which is one of great trust. The
hector's position In public professions in
which the King of saxony participates
Is in company with mis- majesty. When
" the Rector is installed ip Office, he has
placed around his neck long, broad,
gold chain, which signifies the favor in
which ha (, ~. A. U:.- n ol,o