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Tin Gi'i'iituii IllHlorlcal Sinnliiitr.
I Extracts from Professor F. M. Fling's account of the
German Historical Seminar published in the April and May
numbers of the Academy.
About two weeks after the opening of the semester, the
first meeting of the seminar occurs. What I describe is what
1 actually experienced. Whether this picture is true, in all
its details, ol work in other universities, 1 am unable to say.
An American needs all of his mother wit to enable him to
make his way during the first few months at Leipzig. The
buildings of the academic department alone occupy nearly all
the space enclosed by four streets, and the interior courts,
intricate passages and antiquities of a like nature, are quite
sure to perplex a man coming from a city where all the houses
front on the street and every foot of ground is not utilized for
building purposes. The rooms of the historical seminar are at
No. 7 Universitatsstrasse.
On the fourth floor, I paused before two substantial hard
wood doors, very modern in appearance, bearing above them
in large letters, "Ifistorischer Seminar." At this side of the
door, was a German boot-cleaner with its brushes on top,
sides, and bottom. Passing through a convenient ante-room,
with its coat and umbrella rack and its bowls with running
wa.or and an abundance of soap and towels, suggestive of
clean hands and consequently unsoiled pages, I entered room
No. III.
The whole number of rooms devoted to the work of the
historical seminar, inclusive of the ante-room, is five. Three
face upon the street; No. I, ancient history; No. II, used for a
library: No. Ill, modiiuval and modern history, while No. IV,
a small back room of No. Ill, extending into the court, is used
by students that are writing their theses and prearilig for exam
ination. The corresponding departments from the ground
floor up are used for the various seminars and institutes.
All the members of the different division?) were present in
room No. Ill, on this evening, ns Dr. Maurcnbrecher, the
director, was to organize the work. I was acquainted with no
one but the professor, and naturally did not feel quite Vm
luutse." As I entered the apartment, at a few minutes after
six, 1 was at once captivated by the scene taken in at a glance
of the eye; the room was well filled with students, some read
ing at the long tables, some standing in Tittle groups engaged
in low conversation, while the shaded lights and the book
cases in the dusky background, gave a charm to the picture
that 1 at once acknowleged.
The hands of the clock indicated the first quarter after six,
and suddenly a solemn stillness pervaded the apartment. Each
man standing up by his chair turned hjs face towards room
No. IV, at 'he door of which Professor Muurenbrechcr
appeared. A chair had been placed for him at the extremity
of the short arc of the table, and near the door through which
he had entered. Reaching this lie acknowledged the presence
of the students by a bow and a "good evening, gentlemen,"
and then with a wave of the hand, requested them to be
seated, while he remained Standing, his hand on the back of
the chair.
The professor is the life of a seminar, almost everything
depends upon the individuality of the man, as it gives the
color to the whole work. Maurcnbrecher has made a name as
a writer on reformation history, and it is from that period, for
the most part, that he selects the subjects for study and discus
sion. To sit at the same table with a man who has spent forty
years ot his life to the investigation of an historical period, to
listen to his criticisms and suggestions, will fire a young stud
ent as nothing else can.
The remarks of the professor that evening might be
summmed up under three heads; (a) prgliminary remarks, (b)
hints upon historical investigation and study, and (c) rule and
regulations of the seminar. He stated that the attendance,
56 in all, was larger than ever before. Consider in conneetidn
with this that there are more than 3000 students at the univer
sity, and it becomes at once evident that a relatively small
number are studying history. On the second point, he gave
as tlie rule of investigation, tlie advice once given by Sybul,
"Follow up your subject until no man on Coil's earth knows
more about it than you do." He then read the rules and reg
ulations, keeping up a running commentary and softening his
remarks upon fines by a good-natured laugh. I drew from
his remarks that the rules were the outgrowth of experience,
and that the welfare of the seminar demands a rigid enforce
ment of them. Tlie professor then informed us that as our
names were called we could come forward, receive the hand
sehag, and obtain a card and key.
The following Wednesday evening at a quarter after six,
the students received Professor Maurcnbrecher with the same
respect, and were recognized by him in the same gracious man
ner as on the previous Saturday. This bearing of the German
student toward his instructor makes a vivid impression on an
American, it is so radically different from what we are used to
at home; for witli us, however much we may honor a man, we
are not accustomed to make a little god of him. This evening
the professor's easy chair had been placed at the head of the
long arm of the table, toward the street, and he was obliged
to make quite a detour before reaching it. Tlie students stood
in silence on both sides of the I. shaped table, and, as Maurcn
brecher passed, they turned about so that their faces were con
stantly toward him. A second later, we were all in our places,
our eyes fixed upon the big man at tlie head of tlie table. ,
Note books, paper, pen, and ink, ami pencils were in use on
air sides and the students were busily engaged in taking notes
on the literature and divisions of the subject to bi studied,
"Tlie Augslmrger Reichstag"
I was very curious to learn just haw the work would bo
laid out, and followed the "order of business" quite closely.
The first topic taken up was the literature of tlie subject. This
consisted of, first, tlie letters and reports of those who had
taken an aetu-o part in the affaiis of the Rclchstng, hence, uyc
witnesses; second, letters and reports of contemporaries, who
did not get their material first hand, but being personally inter
ested, were likely to draw it from reliable sources; third,
works of later historians covering this ground. There was no
extended discussion of the merits or demerits of the works,
farther than an occasional statement that the writer was not In
a position to obtain reliable infoi niation, was not an eye wit
ness,1 or gave only one side of the story, while at the stunu
time witnesses were named who supplied the counter version.
Every book was expected to,e within reach of the students,
if these were not to be found in the seminar library the senior
librarian was instructed to bring them from the university
library and retain them during tlie semester.
The second topic was the divisions of the subject; thoru
were nine. The professor enumerated thoni, and indicated
the ground covered by each. Tlie distribution of the topics
was particularly interesting. Looking .round tlie table a
good-natured way, Maurcnbrecher asked who would lake the
first, some one at once voluntered, and was received with ft
smile and, "Ah! I thank you." Sometimes the students rose,
at other times they did not, and "I'll take that" was the cus
tomary expression. The whole affair was very informal, and
whenever during tlie evening the men spoke, it was always
with the utmost freedom and the evident feeling that they
stood on an equal footing with the professor. 1 do not recall
that two men ever voluntered to take the same topic, had that
occurcd, Maurenbrechor would, doubtless, have exercised his
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