134 ALEXANDEK VON IIUMBOLDT. 



Anspach-Bayreuth, in the year 1791, Hardenberg, who had in 

 the previous year relinquished the service of Brunswick to 

 enter that of the margraviate, was, on the occupation of the 

 country by the Prussians, appointed on December 2, 1791, 

 Governor of the Principalities. About the same time Count 

 von Hoym was nominated Governor of Silesia, to which was 

 soon after added the provinces acquired by the partition of 

 Poland. While Hoym distributed the places he had to bestow 

 among personal favourites, and, instead of order and justice, 

 introduced into the country only confusion, dishonesty, and 

 self-interest, by which he aroused the bitterest feelings of the in- 

 habitants, Hardenberg, in the appointments he made, admitted 

 at first only two Prussians to any official post, his private secre- 

 tary Koch, and his librarian Albrecht, and always observed the 

 strictest forbearance, and the most judicious circumspection, in 

 the introduction of the new form of government. Subsequently, 

 when he had occasion to introduce Prussian officials from the 

 older provinces, the selections were always made exclusively 

 upon grounds of personal merit. As coadjutors with Alexander 

 von Humboldt stand the names of Langermann, Hanlein, 

 Schuckmann, Nagler, and Altenstein ; the last two were at this 

 period assessors, and, with Schuckmann, afterwards attained 

 the position of Ministers of State. Up to this time the 

 Mining Department had been presided over by Tornesi, Coun- 

 sellor of the Upper Court of Mines, who was a good-natured man, 

 but quite unfit for his position, and who, according to a letter 

 of Ludwig Tieck, a student of Wiirzburg, then travelling 

 through the district, was at the same time Master of the Hotel 

 and Governor of the Lunatic Asylum. 1 



On June 10, 1793, Humboldt writes to Freiesleben: 'I have 

 just come from the mines. I have ridden nine miles, and 

 spent three hours in the prince's mine ; therefore do not be 

 surprised if my letter should show signs of confusion. I get 

 on faster than I expected with my operations. The preliminary 

 organisation is nearly complete ; the office of administration is 

 open, every arrangement made for the miners' relief fund, and 

 now there only remains the filling up of the various appoint- 



1 ' Au Varnhagen's Nachlass. Briefe von Chaniisso, Gneisenau, &c/ 

 vol. i. p. 204. 



