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-
