The Story of My Life — Volume 06

Fresh from graduation, the narrator wanders through Bohemia, drifting between the towns of Hosterwitz, Blasewitz and Dresden. He spends evenings with his uncle’s Austrian lieutenant son and his comrades, debating the Italian struggle for unification, while also cherishing quiet moments with his mother and aunt back home. The yearning for academic freedom grows stronger as he imagines studying under renowned scholars and hearing the lyrical verses of a budding poet celebrating student liberty.

Arriving in Göttingen, he finds the campus quiet and the student coffee‑house closed, prompting a detour to the royal gardens of Cassel where old school friends reappear, rekindling youthful enthusiasm. The camaraderie of the university corps soon envelops him, with noble peers—future princes and a future Prussian official—sharing songs, excursions, and fencing bouts. These early university days pulse with optimism, friendship, and the promise of a life devoted to learning and adventure.