Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-14
GERMAN UNIVERSITIES
How They Originated and Their
Gradual Development.
THE EIGHTH CEN TU r Y
Saw the First Institutions Independent Of
the CIoister-Three Great Nations-seParate
Faculties and the Comforting of Degrees
The First heal Faculty-The Present System

Written for The Evening Star.
Two BEGIN WITH. WHAT is A UNIVER-
Il sity? university is a public institution
of instruction, IN which the sciences are
thoroughly and systematically taught, and in
which the highest academic degrees are con-
ferred.
Among the first of what were afterward TO
develop into the modern university were
The Museion of Alexandria, founded by
Ptolemeas Philadeiphos, 80 Be, The
Philosophers High school, of Athens. 13o
AID. and, patterned after these, Inc
'.Athenan" of Rome. 135 AID. In Arabia the
schools to gain the greatest repute were at
Cordora, Toledo. Syracuse. Bagdad and Damas-
Gus. The European universities are directly
descended from the clOister and the cathedral
school
In the middle ages what learning existed was
TO be found struggling for life among the
monks and among few of the ladies OF rank.
The proudest OF the knights and mobiles could
neither read nor write. Ihey desplseu pook
lore and considered the inactive life OF the
scholar unmanly and hit but for women anu
priests. They could not bring sturdy, athletic
limbs, accustomed to the thrilling back of the
war horse into repOse beneath the STUDY
table, nor guide impatient spirits, bred to the
outer freer life Of field and wood, the activity
excitement OF lne cnase anu thc Siash VI
steel into the soberer, earnester channels OF
study and meditation. The training OF the age,
combined with a reverence for the beauties OF
nature. vas purely physical; men trained their
muscles and learned from necessity TO handle
weapons, to protect their heads with their
hands in those rough and insecure times.
1t is said of one of the powerful lords OF
Ieichtenstein that he once received letter
from his lady love, but was compelled to wait
fifteen DAYS until his monkish secretary should
return from a journey before ne could mo
out what IL contained
TIE FIRST INSTITUTIONS.
The first institutions to be established indie
pendent Of the eloister were at Tours. St
Gallen. Fulda. Liege and Paris in the eighth
and ninth centuries Compared with their de
seendants of the present they were no more
than n few separate scattered faculties Ii
the eleventh century the Italian schools o.
iurisprujenee at Rayenna, Bolognia (Bononia
and Padua and the medical school at SalernC
obtained widespread reputation both q
home and abroad and attracted large number
of foreign students. In the twelfth centur,
the gathering of theologians and philosopher
ut Paris steadily increased and resulted In thu
founding of the Paris University Cl200), which
became a leader of and model for most late
Institutions, particularly the English and Ger
man. oxford was formed by discontenteC
Paris students, 1Z26-l236.
The labors of the student class now began 4
exert a great influence upon the people all owe
Europe. Ii was and is tine mission of the uni
versity to nourish, to gather and TO distribut
the best fruits of science and literature; I
cherish and encourage an Unborn love of ar
and, in a word, to strengthen and elevate tn
intellectual faculties.
In fulfilling this ideal mission, In Its strrggl
with the dense, superstiuous ignorance anu tn
uncouthness OF the times the influence OF tn
universities found a powerful second IN tina
worked BY the crusades. which began in til
eleventh century In the land of the SaraceI
the land of the morning. ia this land OF legen
and enchantment.v was opened before the ives
err knight entirely new civilization. an a
pect Of life utterly opposed to his own barba
Gus usages. The thriving state OF artand scienc
Of trade ana commerce, which confronted hin
together with the versatility. the dexterlty, II
plastic mental capabilities OF the Arabian,
rich. highly colored fancy, his poetic eonce
tion Of human relations and his passlona
alteration Of women and for nature held u
crusader spellbound in astorished delight.
came to conquer heathens and found a civil
zation Of which he had not even dreamed.
was the old tale of home and Greece, and WI
like result. Returned, the impressions ma
upon him were not forgotten ami he sought
enrich his own country with the treasur
gained abroad
The students and masters Of the universiti
Of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries comb
from all over Europe. began to divide thel
selves into what the Germans call Lam
ptdnnscfs1ft9a. or bands of feliow-landsmt
countrymen, in spite OF an interdlct from Po
Honorarius Ill These bands were known
NGfl-Rs.
THREE GREAT NATIONS
In Paris, in the middle of the thirteenth CT
fury, there were three great Nations:
Gsiiicians comprising Italians, Spaniar
Greeks and Orientals), the Picards and
English Comprising Germans and oti
northern raees). These Nations were the Cal
of much bitter jealousy and even open b
tilitv and bloodshed. In Oxford the Matt,
fought regular pitched battles against {
another, in which many students were kill
ARRAYS occurred also between the stude
and the citizens. The servant of a theologi
studen. in Paris was sent to fetch wine froI
public house. quarrel ensued between
host and himself. In which his pot was 81
tered and he was severely ill-treated. whe
upon the angry students fell upon the host I
thrashed him SO soundly that the citizens ga
cred together under the leadership OF Thon
the mayor, and stormed the students quart
As several students were killed the univer'
protested to the king, who, fearing that
students, il not revenged, might revolt
emigrate, took steps 10 punish the mayor n
rigorously. In the meantime the students