The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-09
GERMAN UNIVERSITY LIFE.
Experiences of a Former IndianapOlitan
in the University Of Leipsic.
Contrasts and Comparisons with the Uniyer-
sity Courses of the United States-C0urse
of Study of a German University.

Rev. A. ii. Carrier formerly pastor of the
Fourth Presbyterian Church, of this city. has
written very interesting letter upon university
| life in Leipsc-where he is student-to his old
| friend, Rev. N. A. Hyde who permits the
publication Of the greater portion of it, as fol-
| lows
| 1t has been on my mind ever since coming to
Lelpsic to send you letter, giving some account
| OF university experiences in Germany. We both
know how things look at Old Yale, and it is in
terestlng to note the differences between first
class American college and frst-class German
university In the first place, far less attention
is given here than at present in America to the
| architectural effect of the buildings and,
Also far less space is accorded to buildings and to
grounds No such campus as at Yale or Har-
ward, or Cornell. or Wabash. or any one of hun
dred other colleges will you find here The
main building of this university, called the Au-
gustean, has a somewhat noticeable facade which
extends for a considerable distance along
Schiller strasse," fronting upon an open square
which has no grass plats and fianked by the i'm
posing buildings of the enlarged Public Mus cum
and the new City Theater.
Two small courts, paved with cobble-stones,
are the interior grounds of the university barely
large enough sor the grou ps of students assem-
bling for lectures. The university really owns
a small amount of real estate contiguous to is
own buildings. but this is compactly built over
with business blocks, and affords the institution
handsome revenue. was at Halle the other
and found that their chief university building
was square structure either of stone or stucco,
in a small Enclosure. We went into a theolog-
ical lecture-room, ont of regard to Tholucks
memory. and heard lecture. We found the
same kind of hard benches and slab-like desks,
painted black, which we had become familiar
with here. have found Undressing to become
college boy again. When my two
why might not become stu
dent again with them. and matriculated, too.
Indeed. though probably the oldest student in
the university, | learned that last year there
was man much my senior, apparently seventy
years old or more, who was regularly enrolled as
student. Many Americans of some maturity
keep one in countenance, should one be modest
about this thing. We have here not few col
lege professors and pastors of some years expe-
rience making proof of what German univer-
sity do for a man. The process of matrcula-
ton is little elaborate and somewhat interest
ing, for, In Germany form and red tape are con-
spcuous. Those of us who were married-and
not few Americans who were struggling to
enter We're in this predcament-were obliged to
wait several days for express permission from
the royal council. The King of Saxony is him
self the head of the college-''Rector Magnif-
centissimus." In due time permission came,
and, after presenting our college diplomas as
proof of liberal education, we signed various
books and documents and awaited the afternoon
hour when were to be formally received by
the Rector Magnfcusp the acting rector and
yearly chosen from one Of the various faculties
in regular order. Ushered into long hall,
adorned with portraits and through the middle
OF which extended table covered with green
baize, waited to be individually called to re-
ceive our immatriculation diploma This was
given, with certain words OF greeting aid es-
tablished hand shake (hand schlag), and proved
to be as large and imposing document as col
lege parchment for graduation. The beadle,
standing just behind the rector magni6cus, then
handed the happy possessor of the matricutatlon
paper a small card, printed on gray linen, which,
on penalty of fine of two marks must always
be carried by the student proof to anyone
who may challenge him. police or others. that
he is burgher or citizen of the university.
Indeed the university is corporation, having
its own civil polity. its own court and
judge. its own police and prison. A considera-
BILE space in the laws of the university is occu-
pied with minute statements concerning prison
regulations, such as diet allowed, books or not
books, lights or not lights, lectures under guard
or not lectures, according to thu magnitude of
the offense. During term-tme the iron barred
windows of the Career are seldom without
so ne face looking through. Students. however,
40 not feel greatly Inundated by Imprisonment,
but, as is usual in college, treat discipline as at
the utmost, an inconvenience and in part as
joke There is continual dueling in these uni
versties. 1t is. however, of boyish fashion,
somewhat ludicrous in the Sty e of its elaborate
preparation. Since Saxony makes it penal of
Tense, the students go just over the border to
Halle The men are carefully prepared with
padded chests and arms, and neck, that they
shall not be hurt by the sword thrusts in any
very serious way The eyes are protected with
stout spectacleS and the face otherwise left OK
posed to the sword cuts, which. If received, are
glorled in as proofs of such chyalrous encounter.
A large number of the students marked with
the scars Of these sword cuts. After blood has
been drawn on some one of the com batants cheek
forehead the affair of honor is satisfactorily
over. Even some of the theological students
here not without these beauty marks. But
the lighting for the most part is confined to the
fighting corps-socetes of students who expect
to do this sort of thing, just as in Yale anG
Harvard the base ball nine and the boat club OK
pect to do the athletics for the university.
On the same seat with me in the lecture-room
of history sat lately a student with q fresh
sword cut which marked his cheek in a way con-
sldered dlSreputable to his workmanship His
adversary had succeeded in making two cats by
the same rapid motion, one crossing the other, SO
that the man goes labeled perhaps for life as
an unskillful gladiator The students have
great number of 'clubs," indicated by the caps
which they wear, including Jall the colors of the
rainbow. The university lecture is the nstru-
ment of German higher education And yet,
what is called the seminar work-in which the
| student, or rather group of Students clustered
around the professor at some designated even
| ing hour address themselves to earnest investi-
| CATION under his familiar guidance-glves the
| last GROWING results of the university system.
1t is by this latter method that the candidate for
degree gets himself ready for his examination
| In connection always with earnest work by him
| self.
| The lectures, which / can estimate pretty
| fairly from observation, since / have attended
| those in several departments, are of no higher
character in general than those which given in
| such seminaries as Yale Theological, and Apdo-
ver and Union Theological, among our divinity
schools, or in the senior year of Yale and Har-
| vard and other firstclass colleges of America,
in history. philosophy, political economy. ETC.
have heard DR.. Delitzsch and Dir. Luthardt on
theological subjects, and none here are more
eminent than they l have heard their most
eminent lecturers in secular history, in church
history, and in Roman law, and think that our
foremost college lecturers have no reason to be
| abashed in comparison. No examinations are
required of any student, except when he seeks
| for degree Then the examination is oral and
very searching But his thesis counts as half
the battle. That must be very elaborate, and