Chapter 2: An unwilling apprentice
Solitude Castle
Among their silent tears, the clumsily reassuring words of their parents and
the boisterous orders of the officers, the new pupils have made their entries
into the courtyard of the former ducal orphanage. Most would, naturally, regard
their new elementary school only with fear and suspicion. Solitude Castle, in
which the former orphanage, now a military academy, was located, is an imposing
building made of clear stones which has nothing to particularly attract the
mind of a youngster. Seen from the castle, the ducal elementary school, with
its regular, Greek-like pillars could have the appearance of a temple, however,
even under the pale January sun-rays, when the stones appear almost white, it
could only inspire but coldness and severity to the new pupils.
Even if Solitude Castle was built with many circular figures, its architecture
could not lend to it a feminine or sympathetic character; something was missing
in order to give the occasional visitor a positive, generous or calm feeling.
Maybe the absence of appropriate gardens around the building was also
responsible for this absence of pleasant feelings. The reputation of the castle
has, indeed, damaged the value of its architecture. Even the youngest among the
pupils have already heard the fearsome rumors about it, and it is only natural
that the castle is always associated with a feeling of respect and fear, even
in those young minds.
Immediately after their entry into the courtyard, the new pupils would feel and
realize what a military academy was made about. Order and obedience were,
naturally, the principles guiding this academy, and the pupils could only
rapidly enough learn the meaning of these words, otherwise the severity of the
rules would punish them equally rapidly, as some unfortunate ones have already
experienced with the loud warnings of the attending officers about their
misbehavior.
Already during its times as sheer orphanage, would Solitude Castle be inhabited
by poor and defenseless children, and just as the other ducal orphanages of
this time, the Duke was master of the lives of these orphans, and already then,
so the rumor goes, physical punishments was already part of the military-like
education, in an attempt to mold these children into obedient soldiers. The
orphans were mostly coming from the ducal servants' and soldiers' families, and
were considered as the personal possession, if not physically, also mentally of
the landlord.
As the wars of the Prussian kingdom, however, would become more pressing and
show its nose also in the dukedom of Wurttemberg, a better use of these orphans
were found: they would be raised into efficient and fearless lower ranking
officers for the unending wars, or into excellent administrators for the
kingdom.
The first day
As soon as the elementary school was grounded in supplement
of the orphanage in his castle, Duke Karl Eugene of Wurttemberg, in order to
reach such great goals for his land, would also bring the sons of his poor
officers and soldiers with good academic records, in his famous academy. For
the first time, the orphans educated there would be sitting side by side with
other pupils from different backgrounds.
Unaware of this reality, the new pupils were only told, mostly from their
parents, that studying at the military academy would offer them the best
perspectives of a good future in the homeland, and an entry there, should only
but be considered as the best thing in their life.
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