The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-09-15

The romantic town of Heidelberg, in
South Germany, has been in whirl of
excitement in celebrating the five hun
dredth anniversary of the founding of
Hcidelberg University. The Crown
Prince of Germany has been so gracious
as to be on hand. The hereditary Grand
Duke OF Baden has royalty entertained
his guests in town. The little place has
been so filled with visitors from all
parts of the civilized world that the
hotels could not begin to contain them,
and guests have had to 90 away in trains
to stay all night and to return to the
festivities in the morning. There were
many Americans among the visitors.
The Johns Hopkins University, of
Baltimore, Yale and Harvard colleges,
Oxford and cambridge in England, and
the Ednburg University in Scotland
were represented. Delegates were sent
from the universities of Bologna,
upsola Lund, Leyden, Utrecht. Amster-
dam, Moscow, the French Academy,
from the Pope at Rome, and from the
universities of Stockholm and Brussels
The jubilee began with services of praise
to the Almighty for preserving the uni
yersity intact while the town itself has
been pillaged and sacked again and
again and its beautiful architecture
destroyed. Following honorary de-
grees were bestowed upon distn-
guished persons on both continents.
Then there was a grand banquet in
Neckar Hall, at which the Grand Duke
of Baden presided. The Crown Prince
of Germany was present, and healths
were drank in high German fashion.
Afterward there was q procession, in
which the historical Counts and Barons
were represented in appropriate cos
tune and the celebration closed with
grand ball and a special performance
at Heidelberg's only theater.
The town is of small consequence
commercially or politically. 1t is stu
ated in picturesque and fertile region,
few miles from the Rhine, on the
river Neckar. The nearest large towns
are Carlsruhe and Minnheim. The
Neckar narrows as it approaches the
town, and flowing between precipltous
sleeps, passes ON to the broad, open
country below. When the university
was founded the whole region was wild.
Every mountain pass was infested by
Iobber bands, and property belonged to
MN who had the strongest band. The
founder of the university was Count
falatine Ruprecht. 1t was the Counts
me, old-fashined way to confiscate the
treasures OF the merchants of the South
Who happened in his direction as they
carried on a trade with the countries
Oh the north and west of Eu-
ropee 1t was the fashion for powerful
MOBILES to found institutions of learning
IN N mat age. when the new studies," as
aspntations according to the Arts
toleIian method were called, rose in
tne estimation of thinking men and
schoars. Carl of Prague was so en-
mGsastically fond Of the new studies
,nat he held dsputations in a kind of
armament in his palace at Prague.
Soaht Paiatine Ruprecht /. felt the in
nuence of his cousin. and he founded
.he University of Heidelberg. aided by
,ne gold he had squeezed out of the un-
T lucky commercial travellers of that age.
INC univcrst y is the Oldest in Germany.
tnosa OF Vienna and Prague only are
ohier. 1t was a Roman Catholic in
sItueon originally, and was opened by
,ne celebration of mass, attended by all
hs students, on October Is, 1886. The
jubilee was held in August, in order not
~ Interfere with the work of the school
Inc town itself lies principally on
Ine street which is about three miles
,ohg. It was once renowned for its
nagnlilcent architecture, but this has
pslIsaed in the bloody sieges, wars, and
ssonshagratons from which the town has
f su-efe .ll The important buildings are
NV, Ihe largest is the Church of the
noiy Ghost, in which the religious
s setV lces We're held and the comforting of
honorary degrees took place. Another
aaorical church is that of st. Peters,
pn The door of which Jerome of
aasue. the companion of the
;iuaftyr Huss, a'led his theses attack
as s lne Pope. Every body has heard of
, io runs OF Heidelberg castle, formerly
=, .e iesidencc of the Electors of Pala-
s Que and which, in l764, was set on fire
% aa consumed. Every American Wis
b .o' goes to see the marvellous ruin, and
n ~ woes not neglect to see the tun in the
s ssnaf which will hold two hundred and
oTp ntF-three thousand two hundred
t saltt bottles of wine. The tun is
t tha, y y 5 feet high, and was made in