Goethe, The Brothers Grimm, and Academic Freedom

In his inaugural lecture, Professor Paulin addresses the much-discussed subject of academic freedom. He explores the roots of the term in its original German context (notably the university reforms initiated by Wilhelm von Humboldt in 1810) and shows how early reforming ideas were not properly implemented until the age of Bismarck. Two cases illustrate the conflict between state and academic freedom before 1865: Goethe and his struggle with 'radical' professors; and the Grimm brothers, dismissed in 1837 from their chairs in Gottingen. Both examples illustrate the long and arduous process that led eventually to one of Germany's most prized academic assets: the right of the professor to teach and conduct research without direct state interference.