April 1 6, 1885] 



NA TURE 



559 



inverted T shape, giving a frontage of 410 feet in length 

 to the facade. The two lateral wings and the central 

 member are thrown forward a little and rise slightly above 

 the rest of the building. A fine external flight of steps 

 leads into the interior. The basement is of red sand- 

 stone ; the two stories of grey. Over the five entrance 

 porches stand five Corinthian columns supporting a frieze, 

 and surmounted by a group of five sculptured figures, con- 

 siderably above life-size. Pallas Athene, protectress of 



science, stands before her throne in a calm and solemn 

 attitude, holding up her torch in her right hand, and 

 lowering a crown in her left. On the two sides of the 

 throne the personifications of philosophy and natural 

 science are each occupied in teaching a young man who 

 reclines at their respective feet. One of these youths 

 endeavours to raise a veil from a sphinx, under the direc- 

 tion of the elder muse, whilst the younger sister, with 

 compass and crystal explains to her scholar a scientific 



FIG. 4.— The Collegiate Palace : First Floor.— I, 2, Chief Staircases.— 3, 4, Vestibules.— 5, Corridor— 6, Vestibule of the Theatre.— 7, The Theatre.— 8. 

 Roman Seminary. — 9, Director's Cabinet. — 10, English Seminary. — n to 13, Philological Seminary. — 14, 15, Institute of Archaeology. — 16, 17, Seminary 

 of German Philology.— 18 to 20, Seminary of Geography. — 21, 22, Seminary of Philosophy. — 23, 24, Seminary of Modern History. — 25, Staircase. — 26, 

 Servants. — 27, 28, Seminary of Mediaeval History. — 29, 30, Seminary of Jurisprudence.— 31 to 33, Seminary of Political Science. — 34, 38, 40, 42, 45, 

 Institute of History of Ancient Art.— 39, Staircase.— 4 3, Hall of Egyptology.— 44 to 47, Institute and Lecture Hall for History of Art.— 48, Library of 

 this Institute. 



problem. Under the group is the inscription in Roman 

 letters : LITTERIS et patri.e. In five niches under the 

 windows of the upper floor, and between the five columns, 

 are five bronze busts, representing the five faculties in the 

 persons of Saint Paul, Solon, Aristotle, Hippocrates, and 

 Archimedes. Two other niches on the right and left of 

 the live columns contain female statues personifying 

 Strasburg and Germany. There are also thirty-six stone 

 statues at the angles of the building. As will be seen 

 from the plans (Figs. 3 and 4) the central block and each 



ments and the class rooms in the wings. The seminaries 

 of the faculty of philosophy and the collections of 

 archaeology and historical art are placed, along with the 

 aula or great theatre on the higher storey. The plans 

 were drawn by Prof. Warth of Carlsruhe, who also directed 

 the works of construction from 1874 to 1884. 



The official rooms of the secretary and of the rector, 

 spacious in proportion, occupy the south wing of the 

 ground floor, along with the senate hall and the music 

 hall : for musical science enters also into the curriculum 



Fig. 5. — The Institute of Chemistry. 



of the wings encloses an internal court. The central court 

 is glazed, and constitutes an enormous hall, the Salle des 

 Pas Perdus (Fig. 2), 92 feet long, 82 feet wide, and 52^ 

 feet high. The galleries of the upper floor open upon this 

 hall, which is lighted exclusively from the top. The in- 

 auguration ceremony was held in this hall. All official 

 notices are posted here or in the side alleys. In allocating 

 the various rooms of the building the architect placed on 

 the lower storey the offices of the administrative depart- 



Fig. 6. — The Institute of Physics. 



of the University. In the richly decorated hall for meet- 

 ings of the senate the ceiling is particularly noticeable. 

 On the left of the entrance in the north wing of the ground 

 floor the corridors lead to the professor's parlour and to 

 the lecture-rooms of the various faculties. These lecture- 

 rooms contain altogether 963 seats, varying in individual 

 rooms according to the varying requirements from 27 to 

 20S places. With the exception of two, the seminaries 

 for practical studies are placed on the higher floors, so as 



