1816: the Grandest Tour

Germany: Chapter 8

The next day they met Karl and Dittmar in the afternoon, after both had finished their classes. They showed them the town first, which was small but quaint enough. The universally campus, on the other hand, was sprawling and featured corners of surprising beauty.

Outside one main building, erected in the previous century, a whole expanse of immaculate hedges were laid out. The hedge walls formed squares, with intricate curved patterns inside them visible from above. Along with many elegant trees and other greenery the academic structures were perfectly framed in an atmosphere at once calm and stimulating.

"Upon my honor the place is lovely," said Tobias in genuine wonder. "Better than Cambridge, some of these gardens."

George felt just a shade more partisan for his alma mater, but held his peace as their hosts beamed with pride.

Karl explained which faculties occupied each building, and when his visitors asked he told them something about his own studies. He was in training to become a Lutheran pastor. Last year his course had been interrupted by the Hundred Days campaign, and he'd joined the Bavarian army as a soldier-chaplain. He briefly saw action at Waterloo, and marched victorious into Paris the following month. George and the others were quite impressed by this, and the self-effacing way he talked of it. They began to have an inkling why he enjoyed such respect from his fellow students.

"The victory was glorious, yes," Karl said in summing up his tale. "But in the peace afterwards, many of us felt betrayed."

George was about to ask Karl further what he meant, but a crowd had started to form around them. As at the inn last night most were friends of Dittmar's and Karl's, but several others were simply intrigued at the sight of foreigners. Karl made a few introductions and the group continued walking toward the field at the center of campus.

On reaching the quadrangle the surroundings seemed tranquil and mild. The sun shone (unusual in this cold summer) and the only wind was a pleasant easterly breeze. To George it seemed the perfect weather to stretch out on the grass, but for some reason the whole group had stopped. George noticed the Germans were all looking over in silence to the far end of the field, where another group was milling around. Nothing seemed unusual about these other students, yet several of Karl's friends were now muttering under their breath or even spitting in contempt.

"Who are they?" George asked.

"The Landmannschaft, Franconia," Karl said with a sigh.

George had no idea what to make of these two words, which could have been one long word as far as he knew. He looked at Tobias but his friend, too, shook his head blankly.

"Arrogant swine!" a student snarled, and not so low this time.

It was clear some ill feeling existed between Karl and Dittmar's group and the others. But to George, Tobias, and Isaac the reason for it was not apparent in the slightest. They didn't get a chance to ask, either, because the group started to move almost of its own accord, inexorably toward their foes. Karl seemed uneasy about this and tried to counsel against a confrontation, but to no avail. Dittmar, for his part, looked absolutely itching for a standoff.

As they approached the 'Landmannschaft,' the members of this group took notice and marched resolutely towards them. On closer inspection, George could see that the young men in this party did wear noticeably finer clothes, and had smirks of self-satisfaction to match.

The two gangs stopped within a few yards of each other, and despite his reluctance before Karl stood firmly at the front. The leader of the opposite group said something to Karl that George couldn't catch, but it was plainly a nasty barb. Karl's reply, in its tone at least, was mild and dignified. Students in the back rows of each group started trading insults, and on the fringes of both some were edging dangerously close to their rivals. Karl and a few cooler-headed friends held out their arms to calm the others, and appeared to warn their comrades that a brawl was ill-advised. The 'Landmannschaft' did look to have more hands at the ready, and George began to feel quite nervous.