Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/234

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HEGOUMENOS


196


HEIDELBERG


centred about the classics and drew from them a new vitality. The school of Deventer made progress under his guidance; it was common for more than two thousand students to gather there, and these he inspired with zeal not only for their studies, but also for the high calling of an educator. It was his whole personality, his deeply religious mind, moral qualities, modesty and simplicity, the charm of his pure heart, added to his learning, that made such a deep impression. He was a real father to liis pupils, particularly to the poor, to whom he gave what he received from the rich. Shortly before his death he distributed all he had among the poor of Deventer, who amid tears and lamentations followed the remains of their benefactor. Among his most distinguished pupils were Erasmus, Murmellius, Mu- tianus, and others. He did not acquire prominence as a writer. His small treatises, letters and poems were published by Jakob Fabri in 1503, at Deventer. Reichling. Bcitrnge zur Charakleristik dtr H umanisten Aiei- ander Hegius, Joseph Hortcnius. lirc. in Picks. Monalschrifl fur rheinisch u-eslfiilisclie Geschirhl.iforsclning., III. 28.3-303: Mol- HUY.SEN-TROS.S, Alexander Hegius in Zeilschrift fiiT vaterland- ische Ge^chichle: XXI, 339-362; Geiger, Allegemeine Deutsche Biographic, XI, 283-285.

Patricius Schlager.

Hegoumenos. See Monasticism, Greek.

Heidelberg, University of. — Heidelberg, a city of 41,000 inhabitants, is situated in the Grand Duchy of Baden, on the left bank of the Neckar. From the obscurity of a legendary origin the city emerges into the light of history in 1214, when the Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II bestowed on Duke Louis I of Wittelsljach the dignity of Count Palatine of the Rhine on account of his faithful services; from that time, the fortunes of the Palatinate and its capital, Heidelberg, were bound up with those of its thirty counts and electors, until, by the Imperial Delegates Enactment of 180.3 at Ratisbon, it passed from the ranks of German states and was partitioned among the neighbouring states. The fame of Heidelberg is due to its university, which was foimded in 1386 by the warlike Rupert I of Wittelsbach when he was over seventy years of age, on the model of the University of Paris. I'he same prince erected the Heiliggeistkirche, formerly the university church, which contains the graves of the Palatine Counts of Wittelsbach. Mier Pope Urban VI had issued the Bull of authorization (23 October, 1385), the founder granted the university a succession of privileges, exemptions, and preroga- tives. It was to consist of fovir faculties, theologj', law, medicine and art. each to have its separate organ- ization. At first, the rector was electeil every qiiarter, after 1393 semi-annually, and after 1.522, annually, like the deans of the faculties. Teachers and students were provided with safe-conducts, were exempt from taxes and tolls in the electorate, and were granted all the privileges that obtained at the l'niver.sity of Paris. The Bishop of Worms, in whose diocese Heidelberg was situated, was judge in onlinary of the clerics. The regulations were publicly read and posted up in the Heiliggeistkirche every vear.

On 18 October, 1386, 'the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, the university was solemnly opened with Divine service, and the next day lectures on logic, exegesis, and natural philosophy were begun. Dr. Marsilius from Inghen. near .\rnheim, Guelderland, former representative of Xominali.sm in Paris, was chosen first rector. In accordance with the terms of the papal Bull of authorization, the provost of the cathedral of Worms acted as chancellor of the uni- versity, and until the end of the eighteenth century exercised in the name of the Church the right of su|>er- intending !in<l sanctioning the conferring of academic degrees, either in person or through a vice-chancrllor. Soon after the opening of the university the facuhics of theology and law were reinforced by bachelors and


licentiates from Prague and Paris. But as most of the students came from the Rhenish provinces, the custom followed by other universities of classifying them according to nationality, was not imitated here. The faculty of medicine was not organized until 1390. The faculty of arts, the atmatotius Universitatis mater, was here as everywhere else, the first in point of num- bers. St. Catherine was the patron saint and her feast day (25 November) was observed with great solemnity. In the first year of its existence the imi- versity had in its roll 525 teachers and students. The foundations of the celebrated library of Heidelberg were laid by means of donations from the tiishops, chancellors, and early professors. Louis III willed his large and valuable collection to the university. Later, when Otto Henry had added the gift of his books and MSS., the entire collection received the name of Biblio- theca Palatina and was considered the most valuable in Germany. At the instance of Elector Rupert III, later German king (1400-1410), Pope Boniface IX, in 1399, relinquished twelve important livings and sev- eral patronages to the university. Rupert's eldest son, Louis III, changed the Heiliggeistkirche into a collegiate church and united its twenty-four prebends


U.MVERSITY OF HeIDEI.HEKG

to the university, a measure sanctioned by Pope Martin V.

Nominalism had been prevalent from the time of Marsilius until after 1406, when .lerome of Prague, the friend of John Hus, introchiced realism, on which ac- count he was expelled by the faculty which, six years later, also condemned the teachings of John Wyclif. Several distinguished professors took part in the Council of Constance and acted as counsellors for Louis III who, as representative of the emperor and chief magistrate of the realm, attended this council and had Hus executed as a heretic. In 1432 the uni- versity, pursuant to papal and imperial requests, sent to the Council of Basle two delegates who faithfully supported the legitimate pope. The transition from scholastic to humanistic culture was effected by the learned chancellor and bishop, Johann von Dalberg. Humanism was represented at Heidelberg by Ru' dolph .\gricola, founder of the older German Human- istic School, the younger humanist Conrad Celtes, the pedagogue Jakob Wimphcling and that "marvel in three languages", Johann Keuchlin. The learned .i?^neas Silvius Piccolomini was chancellor of the uni- versity in his capacity of jirovost of Worms and, as Pope Pius II, always favoured it with his friendship and good-will. In"l4S2 .-^ixtus IV, through a papal dispensation, permitted laymen and even mamed men to be appointed professors in ordinary of medi- cine, and in 15.53 Pope Julius III sanctioned the allot- ment of ecclesiastical benefices to secular professors.

In -\pril, 1518. the .Vugustinian monks of Heidel- berg held a convention in their monastery in which Dr. Martin Luther from \\ itteiiberg participated. In a pubhc debate he maintained forty theological and