The old university

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The old university is a novella by Wilhelm Raabe , written in the summer of 1858 and published in October of the same year under the pseudonym Jakob Corvinus in Westermann's Illustrirte Deutsche Monatshefte . In 1862 it was published together with other stories by Raabe in the collection “Confused Life - Novellas and Sketches” by Carl Flemming in Glogau (reprints 1896, 1901 and 1905). See #first edition .

The novella combines the historically guaranteed celebration of the memory of the former Julia Carolina University of Helmstedt, held in May 1822 , a meeting of graduates of the University of Helmstedt, which closed in 1810, on May 29, 1822, with a novel-like plot about passionate jealousy and old blood guilt Raabe may have been inspired by the grave slab of student Alexander Kock, who died in 1584 after a duel, in St. Stephen's Church (Helmstedt) .

content

Pastor Adam Cellarius lives with his daughter Ehrhardine in the small Harz village of Sachsenborn. Ehrhardine's mother died early. The pastor had sent the daughter to work as a nurse to a sickly aunt in Jüdenstrasse in Göttingen . Just as a young student from America wanted to approach Ehrhardine, the sullen aunt had passed away. The pastor then called the daughter back to Sachsenborn.

In Helmstedt , Adam meets his old friend and current enemy Siegfried Hartriegel during the above-mentioned meeting of former students. Adam's brother Ernst was stabbed to death 30 years ago in a duel by Siegfried as a student. The friends had fought for Antonie. Adam absolves Antonie, who has been lying in the cemetery for a long time, of guilt. He forgives Siegfried. Adam is going home. A young man joins him on the way. He poses as Dr. med. George Dogwood from Tuscaloosa , USA. Ehrhardine and George, Siegfried's son, become a couple. Adam thanks God for this providence.

reception

The novella was discussed by Gustav Hauff in 1863, by Wilhelm Schrager in 1931 and by Wilhelm Fehse in 1937 .

expenditure

First edition

  • Westermann's Illustrirte Deutsche Monatshefte Nro. 25 - October 1858, pp. 1–11 ( Westermanns Jahrbuch der Illustrirten Deutsche Monatshefte. A family book for the entire intellectual life of the present . Fifth volume, October 1858 - March 1859. Braunschweig 1959.) books.google , books.google , archive .org , MDZ
  • Tangled life. Novellas and sketches by Wilhelm Raabe (Jakob Corvinus). 263 pages. Carl Flemming, Glogau 1862 (The old university. The Junker von Denow. From the life book of the little schoolmaster Michel Haas. Who can turn it around? A secret ) books.google , books.google

Used edition

literature

  • Fritz Meyen: Wilhelm Raabe. Bibliography. 438 pages. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1973 (2nd edition). Supplementary volume 1, ISBN 3-525-20144-3 in Karl Hoppe (Ed.): Wilhelm Raabe. Complete Works. Braunschweig edition . 24 vols.
  • Cecilia von Studnitz : Wilhelm Raabe. Writer. A biography. 346 pages. Droste Verlag, Düsseldorf 1989, ISBN 3-7700-0778-6

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ von Studnitz, p. 309, entry 9 books.google
  2. ↑ Friedrich Karl von Strombeck : Celebration of the memory of the previous Julia Carolina University of Helmstedt, held in May 1822 . Helmstedt 1822. books.google
  3. ↑ Hoppe and Rohse in the edition used, p. 592 books.google
  4. ^ Wilhelm Fehse : Wilhelm Raabe. His life and his works. Vieweg, Braunschweig 1937, p. 123 f. books.google
  5. ^ City of Helmstedt, St. Stephani, grave plate of Alexander Kock: German inscriptions online. In: inschriften.net. Retrieved January 17, 2015 .
  6. ^ The name of the village was invented by Raabe (Hoppe and Rohse in the edition used, p. 597, entry 359.3 books.google ).
  7. ↑ Meyen, p. 316
    • Gustav Hauff : Blätter für literary entertainment , Leipzig 1863, No. 10, p. 179 books.google ;
    • Wilhelm Schrager: Alt-Helmstedt. Blätter für Heimatkunde , Vol. 13, Helmstedt 1931, No. 11, pp. 1–4.
    • Wilhelm Fehse: Wilhelm Raabe. His life and his works. Vieweg, Braunschweig 1937, p. 123 f. books.google .
    Meyen's portrayal that in addition there was or contained Ernst von Wolnahm : bright spots from contemporaneity. 2. From Sperlingsgasse to Krähenfelde . “Bayreuther Blätter”, vol. 4, Bayreuth 1881, no. 12, p. 357 archive.org and p. 358–364 archive.org a review of the old university , cannot be traced; the novella or the anthology Confused Life are not even mentioned there.