524 
Present State of the German Universities, [Jan. 1, 
Tor the Monthly Magazine. 
VIEWS of the PRESENT STATE of the GER¬ 
MAN UNIVERSITIES, particularly of 
the NEW UNIVERSITY p/ BERLIN ; by a 
GERMAN CORRESPONDENT. 
N the present age, when political 
metamorphoses succeed each other 
Tviih such astonishing rapidity, the 
deaths and births of Universities are 
likewise become common events in Ger¬ 
many— those venerable institutions which 
in former times did not arrive at ma¬ 
turity in less than a century, and were 
never extinguished, except by great pub¬ 
lic convulsions, or by the decay of de¬ 
crepitude.—The once-celebrated univer¬ 
sities of Helmstaedtf Altdorf and Tin- 
tehiy have expired within about two 
years, and many others are fast ao- 
proaching towards their dissolution! 
Kueiisz, one of the most assiduous pro¬ 
fessors of the University of Greifszoald^ 
says, in tlie preface to the fourth volume 
of his new History of Sweden: “ The 
school of learning, of whrch I have been 
a member, which subsisted for three cen¬ 
turies and a half, and which has by 
various means diffused knowledge and 
science through the world, and which 
the last sovereign of Pmnerania con¬ 
sidered as established by his fostering 
care for ever, is now threatened with 
annihilation.’^ 
A similar fate doubtless impends over 
the long-established seat of learning at 
Erfurt: that university containing, a few^ 
■weeks ago, but thirteen students ; and one 
of the professors, Dominlcus, whose 
learning and writings have spread his fame 
into foreign countries, having recently 
changed his vocation in the university 
into a stewardship in the novv-insignih- 
cant house of Erfurt! 
This melancholy state of ancient esta¬ 
blishments is however happily relieved 
bv the effulgent appearance of new lumi¬ 
naries, which are calculated to give fresh 
weight to the cause of learning in that 
part of Europe. The lover of literature, 
therefore, mast deiive satisfaction from 
the assurance published in the German 
papers, th.at the new University of 
Berlin was positively to be opened 
about the middle of October, when 
courses of lectures in the four faculties 
ere to be read. 
This spirited revival of learning in 
a state which politically labors under 
heavy embarrassments, cannot fail to in¬ 
terest; not only the natives of Genna;iy, 
but every well-wisher and promoter of 
science^ whether he live on the banks of 
A 
the Danube, the Rhine, the Elbe, or th® 
Thames. All those to whom the Kino 
entrusted the management of this con¬ 
cern, have, it appei.rs, individually done 
their duty, with praisewortliy solici¬ 
tude. It is indeed to be regretted 
that Humboldt has recently returned 
to politics; yet he is nevertheless so¬ 
licitous to advance the public lectures 
in Berlin; and the venerable Chancel¬ 
lor Hardenberg promotes their suc¬ 
cess as much as present circumstances 
permit. Prince Henry’s Palace, of 
which the King has made a present to 
the new university, will be the most 
magnificent, as well as the most conve¬ 
nient, Temple of Science in Europe; con¬ 
taining no less than ten spacious hails for 
lecturing, exclusively of a large assem¬ 
bly-room, to which the students may 
retire during intervening hours. Other 
parts of this palace are designed for 
Galleries of Works of Arts, and Mu¬ 
seums of Natural History. Here the 
famous Moitheric Cabinet of Anatomy, 
in conjunction with Liberkunic’s Pre¬ 
parations, the Great Mineral Cabi¬ 
net, the Hoffmann and Geresheim 
Cabinet for other departments of Na¬ 
tural History, and various other collec¬ 
tions, have been deposited in spacious 
and convenient rooms. 
Care has likewise been taken to select 
judicious and experienced professors and 
superintendants, who, with appropriate 
lectures and proper collections and de¬ 
monstrations, will be able to give anima¬ 
tion to those immense stocks of dead 
rareties and treasures. In comparative 
Anatomy and Zoology, the celebrated 
Rudolphy, of Grcifswald^ has been 
appointed, who, in his late work on in¬ 
sects, opened a new field in Zoology* 
The excellent Mineral Cabinet at Berlin, 
that precious relic of Karsten, will 
likewise be removed to the University- 
Palace. Professor Weiss, from Leip'> 
sic, is appointed its superintende!)t 
and lecturer. Far from insignificant or 
trifling are the presents of the patriotic 
Count Hoffmannsegg, author and edi¬ 
tor of the splendid Flora Lusitanica. 
More than thirty chests of tlie rarest 
natural curiosities from the Brazils and 
the irepical countries of Aynericay wliich 
is yet to be enlarged by exchanges made 
for articles from New South Wales and 
other southern co ? i?ifrieSy constitute 
the basis for a grand I\Iuseum of 
Natural History. Dr. Gersenheim, 
from Drcsdcyi, has, with the assistance of 
hb late friend Pallas and others,collected 
a Zoophytic Cabinet, no less valuable 
