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,
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