The chief beadle, who lives near the college, has at the same time, the care of the prison, which is in the upper part of his house. Two beadles do duty in the university library. In the scale of academical punishments, first stands reproof, then pecuniary fine, then incarceration. The signing of the consilium abeundi, includes a solemn promise not to suffer himself to become guilty in future of any offence, even of smaller moment. He who, notwithstanding, breaks this promise, and becomes guilty of an offence which would draw upon another at least eight days' imprisonment, can meet with no lighter punishment than the consilium abeundi. This consilium abeundi consists in expulsion out of the district of the court of justice within which the university is situated. This punishment lasts a year; after the expiration of which the banished student can renew his matriculation. The relegation is the punishment next in severity. It has two degrees. First, the simple relegation. This consists in expulsion out of the aforesaid districts, for a period of from two to three years; after which the offender may indeed return, but can no more be received as an academical burger. Secondly, the sharper relegation, which adds to the simple relegation an announcement of the fact to the magistracy of the place of abode of the offender; and according to the discretion of the court, a confinement in an ordinary prison, previous to the banishment is added; and also the sharper relegation can be extended to more than four years, the ordinary term, yes, even to perpetual expulsion. Loss of honour is one of a class of severe penalties which can only be pronounced by a civil court of justice. Previous to any consilium abeundi and relegation, the university amtmann must send intelligence to all the German universities, and to the city magistrates, of the cause of the prosecution, together with the signature of the culprit, and also must affix a copy of the sentence on the black board, that is, a black tablet, or board, in the university, to which all the announcements to its members are attached; and at the same time must advertise the parents, or those standing in their relation, of the same. Causes of complaint, which a student considers himself to have against an academical officer, must be laid before the academical amtmann, if such officer belong to the inferior class of the servants of the High School. When it affects a head or teacher, then before the academical senate; if it affects the prorector, or academical senate, then it must be carried to the curator of the university, who must receive it, and lay it before the minister of the interior.
Through these brief sketches we hope to have given to the reader a clear notion of the constitution of a German university, in reference to its financial and judicial administration. We have so far had Heidelberg in our eye, and may be allowed to do this, since however different the universities of Germany may otherwise be, in spirit and manners, in these respects they resemble each other. Upon the conformity of their present constitution to their purpose, we may leave the reader to make his own reflections. This is a subject upon which recently so much discussion has taken place, and so many proposals have been made; not indeed so jocose as that of Lichtenberg, where he says, "every university should have an ambassador at the other universities for the purpose of keeping up the friendships as well as the enmities;" we shall moot this point as opportunity occurs, we will at present make only a few observations on the constitution of the universities, as regards the course of studies.
The annual courses of instruction are divided into summer and winter half-years; betwixt come Easter and Michaelmas as vacations. The lectures, which in these annual courses are delivered, comprehend in themselves the whole doctrines which belong to the circle of the four faculties. The professors are bound by the state, by which they are paid, to deliver the necessary lectures, but they are allowed a certain freedom in the distribution of these lectures amongst the members of the faculty. Every teacher is bound during three times each week, to deliver a public lecture, gratis, on which occasion he either makes an examination of the students on the subject of his regular course, or lectures on an interesting but generally minor topic of his branch of science or literature, which possibly the students would hesitate to attend were they obliged to pay for it, and which yet may be important to the creditable discharge of their future profession. Every lecturer is in duty bound to devote twelve hours per week to his regular course, that is, to the lectures for which he receives a proportionate honorarium from the students; these twelve hours being divided into two or three lectures, according as the extent of their matter may require. Besides this, it is the duty of each lecturer, so far as his other obligations permit, to be ready to deliver any lecture which lies within the sphere of his department of teaching, when, out of the ordinary course, such is desired of him by a number of the students, so soon as those who seek it assure him of a proportionate remuneration for his trouble. To these Privatissimi, as they are called, or especially private lectures, being once agreed upon, no other auditors can be admitted. Lectures are delivered every day, Sundays and holidays excepted; each delivery continuing only one hour, so that one may not prevent another. The majority of the lectures are delivered in German, partly extempore and partly from the written notes; the latter practice, however, becoming daily more rare. A certain time before the new course begins, a list is sent round, on which each lecturer puts down the lectures be intends to give. The hours of delivery are next added, in order to avoid collision. After its receiving the approval of the curator, it is published under the direction of a commissioner appointed by him. The list is in German. The commencement of each course, as well as other particulars connected with it, is made known on the black board. It is at the option of each student which course or courses of lectures he will attend during the current half-year, and he gives notice accordingly to the professor who has announced that course. Yet is the student in the German states obliged, within the period of his whole university study, to attend a certain number of lectures, if he wishes to be admitted to a state's examination. Those lectures which bear upon the peculiar profession at which he aims, are prescribed to him by the state to which he belongs. He must obtain from the respective lecturers, testimonies that he has diligently studied every lecture of that kind. A copy of these testimonies is contained in the so-called departure-certificate, without which no one can be admitted to the state's examination; and this certificate is sent directly by the prorector to the board of examination. This departure-certificate is, in fact, on the student's quitting the High School, drawn up, and signed by the prorector and amtmann of the university, and contains the date of matriculation, the continuance of his abode at the college--a certain term of abode being prescribed by the government for the student of each particular profession,--the attendance of lectures, a statement of his behaviour, what punishments he has become amenable to. The certificate expressly announces whether the student has taken part in any interdicted combination or not; whether he even were suspected of such participation, and on what grounds.
The university buildings themselves contain the lecture-rooms; and the greater part of those lectures which are likely to draw the largest audiences are there delivered. The warming of the rooms, and their lighting up for the evening lectures, are the care of the nearest dwelling chief-beadle. These buildings contain also a larger hall, in which the public celebrations of university affairs and events are held. In this hall, for example, are annually delivered, publicly and solemnly, the gold medals to those who have best answered the prize-questions propounded by each faculty. The professors also frequently lecture in their own houses. The medical and natural history lectures are mostly in these buildings, where those collections of specimens and subjects belonging to the university, which are necessary to demonstration, are deposited. Amongst these are the apparatus for the physical sciences, the chemical laboratory, the zoological and mineralogical cabinets, the cabinet of models, the buildings in the botanical gardens, and school of anatomy. The lectures also on pathology, surgery, and obstetrics, are delivered in the respective hospitals of these departments. Besides the professors in the university, also other teachers of physical exercises, as the riding-master, fencing-master, dancing and swimming masters, receive small salaries, that students may not lose the opportunity of perfecting themselves in these arts.
In order to make support at the university easy to those without property, many regulations are established. To those who can bring certificates of inability to pay, the lecture-fees are remitted. Besides this, in the different universities exist endowments, derived in part from an ancient period, for such as cannot support the cost of a university life. Many universities are rich in such endowments, or stipends. It is a popular joke, that any student who arrives at Greifswald, well known as the smallest Prussian university, is asked at the gate whether he will accept a stipend; and if he declines, they hesitate to admit him; since, unless students enow will come and take them, the university does not know what to do with its endowments. The candidates to obtain stipends must submit to an examination, and then receive half-yearly a fixed sum, which however, in case of ill conduct, can at the end of any half-year be withdrawn. These endowments are in the management of several professors of the academy. The various seminaries possess the like; in particular, the preacher seminary, where the young theologians are prepared for their future calling. They live in a large building at free cost, and under stricter oversight than the rest of the students. Every student who is in circumstances to pay the college fees, must make half-yearly, a small contribution to the sick union, out of which sum such of the poor students as become ill are furnished with all necessary attendance in particular apartments in the hospital. For this union a commission is named, consisting of several of the professors, and some students.
These slight notices may be sufficient to give us a conception of the internal arrangements of one of the German universities, which proudly may the German say, though they may indeed have their defects, yet stand far above all foreign ones. What country can show an institution so well organized and ordered as our High Schools? Truly does it excite admiration and delight to see so small a state, even as Baden, whose peculiar aim is the diffusion of knowledge. On the one hand, teachers paid by the state, that they may, freed from all the pressure of affairs, be able to dedicate their lives entirely to the office of teaching; and on the other, scholars flocking from every country, to avail themselves of their instructions.
How many great men have already gone forth out of this school! What beneficent influence such an association exerts on the whole life with which it is surrounded, we see strikingly when we turn our eyes elsewhere, when we compare the fresh and living spirit which a university inspires, with the unintellectual existence of a mere mercantile city. Most true are the words of Goethe:--"That academical life, even if we cannot ourselves boast of participation of its peculiar diligence, yet in every species of accomplishment yields incalculable advantages, since we are perpetually surrounded by men who either possess knowledge, or seek it, so that, from such an atmosphere, even while unconscious of it, we draw actual nourishment."--Goethe's Leben Wahrheit und Dichtung.
And this fountain of all high knowledge, we may assert it with joy, flows not only for the wealthy and the lords of broad lands. No! it stands open to the poorest amongst the people, that it may call forth talent and spiritual endowments to their highest accomplishment! Through this becomes it possible to the humblest individual, in the lowest condition of society, on the wings of merit to soar up, and that no heaven-gifted head shall be lost to the service of mankind. However high in Germany the advantages of a university education are rated, and as some may possibly imagine overrated, yet this fact has sprung from it,--that the richest and most independent must pass some years at one of the High Schools. God be praised! the number of those is few who look upon knowledge as a milch-cow, from which they may draw their daily living, and on the university as a stall, in which that useful beast is reared and cherished. Men have learned to perceive that the possession of knowledge is desirable to every one, even if he draw no direct worldly advantage therefrom. A noble rivalry to push discovery farther and higher, through the power of the human mind, and to dig after the truth, has diffused itself far and wide. The times are gone by, against which Rabener directed the fire of his Satires. I recollect where Sancho Panza in the discussion on proverbs says gravely--"Beside the watchman I know no one in our city who has attained his office in a creditable manner, and in passing must I also remember, that he is the only one in our place that had understanding before he had his office."
It is only by merit that a German can now acquire an honourable position in society; nay, the rich and the noble feel a pride in showing the world that in them these merits are not wanting. Here is an example of this honourable sentiment.