334 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



in the summer of 1898. The Christian-conservative party only 

 decidedly opposed it. The leader of this party was very much 

 excited over the matter, and called out, when the action was taken, 

 " I ask you, gentlemen, on your honor, if any of you would marry 

 a girl from a gymnasium? " 



The opening of the Government gymnasium will remove the 

 necessity for continuing the private one in Carlsruhe, under the 

 society in charge of it, and leave that society free to direct its 

 efforts elsewhere. 



There had already been several references to the general sub- 

 ject of the education of women in the Reichstag before the ques- 

 tion of the gymnasium in Breslau came up. In January, 1898, 

 Prince Carolath spoke in favor of founding several girls' gymnasia, 

 and admitting women legally to the universities and to pedagogical 

 and to medical state professional examinations, remarking that in 

 all other civilized lands the universities are more open to women 

 than in Germany. 



Coming now to the present attitude of the universities to the 

 higher education of women, we find that a great change has taken 

 place during the last few years. While it is still the fact that 

 no German woman can matriculate in any university in Germany, 

 yet the problem of the stand which the universities should take 

 is working out its own solution in the right direction. 



The University of Berlin, the largest and in many respects the 

 leading one, has made progress in the matter, although women still 

 work there under great limitations. The cause was injured at 

 the outset in Berlin by the fact that women, often foreigners, who 

 had not the required preparation, rushed into lecture rooms which 

 were open to them from motives of curiosity. This caused such 

 strong feeling among the professors that in one instance a pro- 

 fessor, on entering his classroom, saw a lady sitting in the rear, 

 walked up to her, offered her his arm, and led her out of the room. 



The first step in the right direction has been to demand either 

 a diploma from some well-known institution, or, as tliat could 

 not be complied with by German women, the certificate of the 

 teachers' examinations. The possessors of such credentials may 

 attend lectures in any course, where the professor is willing, as 

 Ilospitants. The conditions under which women may attend the 

 University of Berlin arc the following: 



1. A written permission must be obtained from the curator of 

 the university on presentation of a satisfactory diploma, a pass- 

 port, and, by Russian applicants, a written permission from the 

 police authorities to study in Germany. 



2. AVritten permission from the rector. 



