084 FOUNDING OF THE BERLIN UNIVERSITY. 



distinguished seliolars, secured the privileges for the new institution, 

 and procured for it this jiahvce in which we now are, failing to obtain 

 only the endowment which he had demanded. On June 14, lSl(),he felt 

 impelled to hand in his resignation, but he gave up his office with the 

 consciousness of having reached the highest i)ractical success of his 

 life. 



At Christmas of 1809 the King left East Prussia, accompanied by 

 his family and his councilors. A sorely tried man of 40, he returned 

 to the capital whence his ancestors daring four centuries had managed 

 the building up of the state, of which little more than the foundations 

 remained. He came back to the places that had witnessed the peaceful 

 joys of his young married life, and where he had striven to insure his 

 people's hapT)iness by training it to the fear of God and to pure moral- 

 ity. How changed was all that ! Yet his greatest trial was still to come. 

 The King's dearest possession, his beautiful, high-minded wife, his 

 solace and comfort in misfortune, who had shared all his sufiering with 

 unparalleled courage, was to be torn from his side. The insidious 

 disease, whose ravages had long been perceptible, made rapid strides, 

 and on July 19, 1810, the (^ueen succumbed. 



The world knows how deeply Frederick AVilliam felt the loss, how his 

 whole people sorrowed with him. p]ven at this late day, every beholder 

 of the magnificent monument erected by the King in honor of his 

 martyr wife is seized with admiration and grief. At the time, the 

 remembrance of the Queen's troubles was an added incentive to the 

 most strenuous efforts for the deliverance of the country, and so make 

 amends, as it were, for the distress inrticted upon the noblest of women. 



A chronological.review of the documents pertaining to the prepara- 

 tions for the new university betrays by only a slight gap the occurrence 

 of the sad event. In August the negotiations are resumed, the last for 

 whicli Wilhelm von Humboldt's counsel was invited. The cabinet order 

 a]ipointing the first rector and the deans of the four faculties bears date 

 September 28, and on October 10, 1810, the officers elected up to that 

 time assembled in the university building. It was a small gathering", 

 sixteen persons in all. The proceedings were conducted in a business- 

 like manner, without blare of trumpets. It is evident that the troublous 

 times weighed on all minds. Perhaps never before nor since has so 

 momentous an act, one so long and eagerly awaited, been accomplished 

 so quietly and informally. 



Work was begun at once. On October 15 Hufeland, Graefe, and 

 Klaproth, and on October 21 Fichte, opened their lecture courses, and 

 on October 29, the day originally set, the majority of the professors 

 followed suit. Small though the corps of instructors was, it was ener- 

 getic and efficient; the brilliancy of their names and achievements com- 

 pensate for their restricted numbers. 



It is not our object to-day to enter into further details. Our anni- 

 versary celebration rather suggests a general discussion of the results 



