Evening star., 1921-12-21
Student Life at Heidelberg
Transformed BY the War

high-browed professors on the walls.
Two gentlemen in full-dress suits
the proprietors. as 1 found out-ush-
cred me into the place
l looked around the small main room
and those adjoining. The general at
mosphere struck me as being quite as
SOBER as that of an American ice
cream parlor- At various ia ables sat
couples facing each other stifny and
slipping German wine. while engaged
In discussing subjects that must have
oeen serious. Larger parties were
grouped around other tables. but no
oody showed sign of trying to be
more hilarious or gay than IL consid-
middle class in any city.
thoroughly disappointed, sat down
under great barrel Of new German
vine and ordered a half bottle Of
Berncasteler, 1919. 1t turned out to
be as sour as the atmosphere. so I
onered glass Of ii to one of the
talk
!! Tell me-" I said. what is the mat
ter with this Heidelberg Of yours?"
"Heidelberg nourished under the
kaiser" he said. "It is dying under
the republic. Many families that for
many generations had sent their sons
here can no longer do SO. On the
other hand. the sons of the better
working classes are being sent here.
yoAhS Hscu VINO never nave
mad a chance under the old rule. They
are more numerous every semester.
Mr.. Bootmaker and Mr.. coaldealer are
sending their boys to the university
that turned out such great men as
Bismarck. HohenIohe. Victor Won
names have been perpetuated by his
tory" He paused for a minute and
then added. And then there is an
other thing"
WoDan's S0fteninE Influence.
When he stopped and wouldn't go
on. urged him to tell me. He looked
cautiously at the neighboring table
whispering something to young STU
dent. and then lowered his voice:
They've admitted women to Heidel-
berg since the revolution. And their
presence is e1erting a softening in
huence On the university, which used
to be a mans university only"
I was somewhat surprised at this
explanation. But then he told me
instances where duels had been in
terrupted because the sweetheart of
one Of the duelers had learned Of the
affair and had interfered. either in
person or by sending the police
around. Then. too. these women were
distractfng the students from their
more important tasks. those of at
tending beer festivals and singing
vereins.
And So" concluded the innkeeper.
Heidelberg is on fair way to be-
coming just one of many university
towns in Germany without any par
ticular attractions"
When 1 said goodbye to him he told
me I had better come around again
the following Saturday night.
We'll have singing here then and
some music"
The Blue Pheasant and the Red
Cock turned out to be just as unin-
teresting as the first place had been.
So I merely looked in and went on.
Finally somebody told me to 60 to
certain place on the market place, the
nama Of which ! have forgotten.
jazz and Cocktails.
Cay music greeted me when I az
ri ed there, and I congratulated my
self upon having found a real stu
dents hangout. But my heart sank
when l recognized the music as
we'll known American jazz piece. The
place was jammed with students. not
| the traditional Heidelberg students
In their merry regalia. but students
as respectfully and comfortably clad
as American students. Many Of them
were seated around an American bar.
slipping cocktails or whisky and soda
For hsff an hour I watched the merry
makers in this postwar Heidelberg
students haunt. then I departed in
disgust.
"old Heidelberg" is a thing Of thu
past and the stage. New Heidelberg
with its American bar in the back
ground. certainly is not worth seeing