Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885, March 01, 1878, Page 325, Image 9
No. ;i. A Visit to a G human gymnasium. 325 the University and Polytcchnium, and hence to a state position, the important place occupied by litis institution be comes evident. In this skctcli is given the result of a se ries of visits to the Ludwigs Gymnasium (humanisten) in Munich. The building itself is an immense, gloomy, forbidding looking pile, tucked away in a narrow side street, surrounded by massive, quaint old structures in the very last place where one would look for an institution of learning. The Gymnasium has a fac ulty of about 2.") professors and teachers, besides instructors in special subjects, and an annual attendance of GOO students. The polite and scholarly Rector, Hcrr Kurz, received us in the most friendly and obliging manner, and snared no pains in conducting us from class to class explain ing every feature of the system. There arc two classes of Gymnasicu, the Humanisten and the Real Gymnasicu. The essential difference between them is about the same as that between the "Clas sic" and the "Scientific" course of an American university, in the latter only Latin is taught, Greek being replaced by French, English, or Italian. The course of study in the Humanisten. Gymnasien is 0 years, the first 5 years constituting the Ltttein-scltule or Latein classen; the 4 remaining years correspond very nearly to the four college years with us. At the end of the third year of the Latin school, Greek is taken up and pursued for the remaining six years. Latin is studied the entire nine years. At the end of the third year, the pupil, if he do not wish to take Greek, is transferred to the first class of the Real Gymnasium, whose course is six years, or, counting the three in the IIumanistcn-Gyinnasium, also nine years. At the age of nine (as a minimum) the child may leave the Volks nchule, or public school, and enter M;e first Lutein clasne; the only requirement is, that he shall be 2 able to read and write, and havo mastered the four "simple rules" of arithmetic. Tno Absolcmte, or graduate from the IIumanistcu-Gymnasium is entitled to en ter cither the university or polytechnic school, while the Absolccntc from the Real-Gymnasium is only entitled to enter the latter, in which he prepares himself for practising some one of the applied arts or sciences. There is one other road to the Polytech nicum, namely: through the Rcalschulcy which has supplanted the old Gcwerb schule (business schools); this school is designed as a preparation for some branch of practical business: for example, the mercantile calling. After the student has finished his six year's course in the Jieal-schnle, he may, by first completing a two years' course in the Indmtrie-Scliulc, thus making eight years in all, enter the Polytechnicum; he is not, however, enti tled to a Staat8-stellung. In connection with the Gynasium is an E rzicHunrjs-Imtitut, or boarding hall and dormitory for the accommodation of those children whose parents wish to consign them entirely to the care of the institu tion. These are governed by severe dis cipline, and enjoy the privilege of special inatuctiou in drawing, oil-painting, all kinds of instumental music, and other polite arts. 'Turn-Jtallen, or gymnastic rooms for regular, compulsory bodily exercise are provided; every species of improved ap. paratus is provided therefor, and the in struction is conducted by regular Turn Ichrcr. The students are also required to re ceive instruction in swimming in thoMtl itatrachwimmtchu le. Religious instruction is imparted to all who desire it: to the Catholics by a Ro. man priest, to the Protestants, by a pro testaut clergyman, and to the Jews, by a rabbi. In each Gymnasium are three classes of instructors the Gymnasium professors, (anc-