Chapter 18: Duke Charles August pulls the strings

The permission to marry

 

After a few days were he would swear and damn all the administrators in Weimar, Schiller began to see the positive aspects of his nomination. First of all, being able to carry the title of a professor was  in itself a great achievement, knowing all the detours that he had to take to land this title, which was to crown all his previous writings. Jena University was a prestigious institution, known for its ground-breaking works in various fields and looking at the name of some prominent past and current colleagues, he could not but feel a little boost in his pride. Being recognized as an equal to some of these revered colleagues really filled his pride.

 

Yes, the vacant chair and the title was for a Philosophy Professor and yet he would teach History. Yes, the chair was given to him without any payment, but if he feels good enough in his field, if he should possess enough passion for his subject, then he should have enough paying students enrolling in his lecture even in the most modest auditorium. 

 

All he has to do now, is prepare his first lecture, upon which his glory and fortune should all rely. The Schiller who was now preparing his lecture with fire and passion, is a conquering professor, a professor who did not want to miss his entry into this temple of Prussian excellence in teaching and research. Indeed, he was well aware that there are still some reluctance to be overcome within the academic community at Jena University, but he was determined to assert his competence and eloquence in his first lectures.

 

For that end, he would then prepare a set of first lectures for the various students at the university and another one for the inner circle of administrators and professors. He still did not give up the idea of becoming a writer in Weimar, and this nomination in Jena, which he first considered as an appointment geared at sending him away from the centre of power, he would use to broadcast and boast his governance style.

 

He would then write three other lectures for this inner circle: these would be „The advent of Moses“, „The legislature of Solon and Lycurgus“ and „On the human being transition into Freedom and Humanity: facts about the first human society according to Mosaic documents.“, three lectures in which he would assert his proficiency in anything concerning governance.

 

Officially, he had earned his Philosophy Professor title for his recognized work „The partition of the united Netherlands from Spanish ruling”,  but Schiller was determined to conquer the minds and hearts of these prominent with his next lectures. Afterwards, so the newly appointed professor would count, these officials would do the rest of the job.

 

As he was preparing his next step in his already successful and yet so hectic professional life, he realized that at least with this nomination, he would get the permission to marry his long-time, Charlotte Lengefeld. At the age of 30, which was quite late for marriage for men of his generation, Schiller would now put all his hopes, all his energy into this unusual appointment at Jena University.

 

With this disguised ban from Weimar, the city of his professional and political dreams, he would devise a turnaround strategy aimed a giving him a better use of his skills. The former officer would search all venues and combinations to make of his exile in Jena into the most important weapon for his future profession in Weimar. With determination, with skilful moves, he would write the book of his future life, in which he was, at the same time, the author and the subject.