Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-04
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Russia. The number OF students 81 the
Gefmsa un!versi,ie, l. 4; present soou,
=, 0cG, and at the others there are pfptapiy
some 10000 or 1900 Germsn-spesking
students. Tbs il IN euormo,fs tofas, 'nt
when il u rrcoliected that almost with
out exception the "professions 10 uef-
many are recruited from tbe universities
that no one can te clergyman. doctor,
or lawyer without passing through one OF
these institutions. whose traditions are
closely associated with III that Il striking
and heroic IN modern German history. IL IL
not difficult 10 understand tbetr influence.
Mex, to the -oldier. tue student isthe hgure
that most strikes the visitor 10 German
towns. Ia great city like Berlin he IL, OF
course. sgaInpcd By bis surroundings.
but ~ smaller towns, like Jena.
Got'ingeu. or Heidelberg, tue stu
dent /, supreme. la former times,
When "psItlculsrism was everywhere
Triumphant, each university was for all
practical purposes separate state. with
rs laws. It's officers. and IL prison for un-
ruly spiritk. The student wa "burgeT,"
or citizen OF the university, liable TO arrest
Only by is officers and trial by It's court.
Thi, exemption from ordinary law Is
now practically thing OF the past,
most OF the universities having lost
even the nominal power, and all hay-
Ing lot the reality. The student, how
ever, Sti.i retains something OF the peculiar
position which ne had under this old state
of things, and looks upon hiinself and Is
looked upon by the Philister," as all the
rest al the inhabitants 81 the town are
called, ~ endowed with exceptional priyi-
lege.. With the perpctiiation Of this feel
ing the exi>ieoce OF the Corps and Bur
sckeuscbaiieu have not little 20 DO. for
although all or even majority OF the stat
dents b, no means belong to any OF these
associations, stiil the most prominent and
energetic Of their body do.
The Coris, or LandsmannSlafi, j. OF I'M
certain origin. In the old days. when hun
drcds OF young men from distant countries
crowded round the chair OF some famOu,
and daring teacher like Abelard, It wa
natural it, the rough giycand-tskc exist
pnce OF the PAYS Latin that those stu
dents who came from the same country and
spoke the same language or dialect. should
combine together for protection and assist
anCe; and we find traces OF some such - n1-
tons" ~ they were called, IN every an
cient university. There can be little dollbt
the Landsmann>chaitcn OF Germany, are
SufSiYais OF these nations" whose exist
ence was naturally perpettated by the dis
cord and want OF sympathy, which. M till
very recent times, prevailed between the
natives Of the different German Statc~. In
modern times the corps has become
purely social, having no higher aims than
the organization Of the "KneIpen," aud the
settlement Of disputes arising therefrOm. OF
more modern and not less romantic origin
are the Buisclcnschaiten. once the pride
OF the patriotic German and the terror OF
the ObscurantiSt," but now differing in
no essential respect from the Corps. When
Germany united 10 overthrow French dom
nation. early in the century, the students
were foremost IN the work. The Younger
generation had been deeply imbucd with
the ideas OF nationality and liberty.
and after the disgrace Of Jena had
been wiped out ut Leipzig. q num-
bci oi students in the former town
formed the FIRST Bur>chcn,chait, or students
union. all Of whose members were 10 bc
devoted, life and soul, To the freedom and
unity Of Germany. Tubingcn, Heidelberg.
and other universities followed suit IN De-
tObci. 1918. the different societies found
themselves strong enough TO amalgamate
into universal German Bur>cheuchait.
which had it, branches in every German
university. BY this time. however. the Ger
man princes. having made Use OF the patri
otic feeling OF the students for the purpose
Of thrown. oil the French yoke. found that
the movement in favor Of 'lberty wa
becoming dangerous to themselves. and
they set TO work to break down thi, too
powerful organization. which was eycnlu-
ally suppressed by the famou, karlsbid
DEGREES in 1916. In fact. the whole OF the
German universities seem Ia have been in
az sht- finn. fI..f ,a.snrnis,sr
describing them Us "GOthlc remains
Of the Middle Ages" which confuse
or youth and mislead public opinion"
The German student was likened to
"a bottle thrown overheard by shipwrecked
sailors. "carried about from rock TO
rock. beset by the dangers OF the Burschc1-
schaften: land 10 make matters still
wersC. ignorant professors tell him that II
i his duty to reform his country" Al
though the Burschenschaften were sup
pressed, they contrlVed, in the form OF
secret organizations. to maintain their hold
on the students. and for the last thirty
wears they have been allowed to exist and
flourish without interference.
Nothing could be less revolutionary than
the BIrsch OF the present day. lie walks
through the streets wearing the cOlOrs OF
his section on hiS cap and on a ribbon
across his chest, He affects the company
Of brother members, almost to the cXciu-
sion Of all Others, and he spends rather
more time than i profitable IN the 4" Local"
where the meetings OF the BurSchenSchaft
are held: but otherwise he l. an
ordinary mortal enough. and. except
for the choice OF the regiment with
which he is to serve. public mat
/ tiers trouble him little. or not at all.
Deutschland i safe in the hands Of Bis
marck: the French have. OF course. 10 be
fought and thrashed again: and when the
/ time comes he will not be the last to shout
/ der his "Mauser " and Join his company; ;
/ hut time and place and everything else
/ lie leaves with absolute trast in the hands
OF the Chancellor. When he first
comes to the university. fresh from
school, where every thought and word and
act are guided by rule OF thumb. it i not
| unnatural That the young German should,
in most cases, De intoxicated by the air Of
uDrestrained liberty into which he has
been tanspmted. But Semester" or
two gre generally enough for him TO find
his feet again, and the rest OF hi course l.
busy and humdrum enough.
In connection with the Bur>chenscbaiten
| something should be said OF the duelllng
and beer-drinking which are generally
| spoken OF a. characteristic Of German stu
| dents. There l. no doubt that these or
| gaUzaious are responsible for good
deal OF folly and mischief in thi, direc-
lion: hut II is possible 10 eXaggerale both.
| Comparisons that do not take into con-
>deration national pecullaritlc, are
| grossly misleading. The German oil
all classes and ages goes to his Gas
thaus" IN the evening aud drinks hi' TWO
! or three glasses Of beer without being, or
being thought, any The worse for tin
fact, he would be considered eccentric II
he dId not: and the German student. IN
attending his kncipe twice week. simply
follows the example OF bis elders. WIN
regard 10 "giving satisfaction. a. II i
called. the university authorities seem 10
have come TO very wise determination Ia
continiug their efforts TO keeping the prac-
tice within safe hounds. rather than IN
attempting TO suppress II altogether. III
Central and Southern Europe duel, are q
recognized mode OF settling certain quarfel,'
! and only few months ago an Austrian OIL
Ger was dismissed by the Emperor for re-
luSng to accept challenge. Duelling l.
not In those countries opposed to puOiic
opinion a. il is. for example. IN England
and 30 long as this is the case II Is iinpos>i-
ble TO stamp il out among the Young anu
hot-blooded portion OF the nation. Inc
university council merely see to II that the
duois take place under conditions when
liz M