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Alexander von Humboldt: „Bericht ueber die Versammlung Deutscher Naturforscher und Aerzte in Heidelberg, in September, 1829 [...]. Rede, gehalten bei der Eroeffnung der Versammlung Deutscher Naturforscher und Aerzte in Berlin, am 18ten September, 1828“, in: ders., Sämtliche Schriften digital, herausgegeben von Oliver Lubrich und Thomas Nehrlich, Universität Bern 2021. URL: <https://humboldt.unibe.ch/text/1828-xxx_Rede_gehalten_bei-12-neu> [abgerufen am 28.03.2024].

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Titel Bericht ueber die Versammlung Deutscher Naturforscher und Aerzte in Heidelberg, in September, 1829 [...]. Rede, gehalten bei der Eroeffnung der Versammlung Deutscher Naturforscher und Aerzte in Berlin, am 18ten September, 1828
Jahr 1830
Ort Boston, Massachusetts
Nachweis
in: The North American Review 31:68 (Juli 1830), S. 85–93.
Sprache Englisch
Typografischer Befund Antiqua; Auszeichnung: Kursivierung, Kapitälchen; Fußnoten mit Asterisken und Kreuzen; Besonderes: Paragraphenzählung.
Identifikation
Textnummer Druckausgabe: IV.94
Dateiname: 1828-xxx_Rede_gehalten_bei-12-neu
Statistiken
Seitenanzahl: 9
Zeichenanzahl: 21322

Weitere Fassungen
[Rede, gehalten bei der Eröffnung der Versammlung deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte in Berlin, am 18ten September 1828] (Hamburg, 1828, Deutsch)
Alexander von Humboldt’s Rede bei Eröffnung der Versammlung deutscher Naturforscher und Aerzte (Frankfurt am Main, 1828, Deutsch)
M. de Humboldt (Paris, 1828, Französisch)
Rede, gehalten bei der Eröfnung der Versammlung deutscher Naturforscher und Aerzte in Berlin am 18 Sept. 1828 (Augsburg, 1828, Deutsch)
[Rede, gehalten bei der Eröffnung der Versammlung deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte in Berlin, am 18ten September 1828. Von Alexander von Humboldt] (Paris, 1828, Französisch)
Bruchstücke aus der Rede Alexander’s v. Humboldt bey Eröffnung der Versammlung deutscher Naturforscher u. Aerzte in Berlin, am 28. Sept. 1828 (Gotha, 1828, Deutsch)
Mowa Alexandra Humboldta, miana na piérwszém posiedzeniu (Vilnius, 1828, Polnisch)
[Rede, gehalten bei der Eröffnung der Versammlung deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte in Berlin, am 18ten September 1828. Von Alexander von Humboldt] (Berlin, 1828, Deutsch)
Account of the great Congress of Philosophers at Berlin on the 18th September 1828. Communicated by a Correspondent (Edinburgh; London, 1829, Englisch)
Amtlicher Bericht über die Versammlung deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte zu Berlin im September 1828, erstattet von den damaligen Geschäftsführern A. v. Humboldt und H. Lichtenstein. Nebst einer lithogr. Sammlung eigenhändiger Namenszüge der Theilnehmer (Berlin, 1829, Deutsch)
Eröffnungsrede (Leipzig, 1829, Deutsch)
Bericht ueber die Versammlung Deutscher Naturforscher und Aerzte in Heidelberg, in September, 1829 [...]. Rede, gehalten bei der Eroeffnung der Versammlung Deutscher Naturforscher und Aerzte in Berlin, am 18ten September, 1828 (Boston, Massachusetts, 1830, Englisch)
Congress of philosophers (New York City, New York, 1830, Englisch)
Congress of philosophers (Baltimore, Maryland, 1830, Englisch)
Account of the great Congress of Philosophers at Berlin, on the 18th of September, 1828 (London, 1830, Englisch)
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Bericht ueber die Versammlung Deutscher Natur-forscher und Aerzte in Heidelberg, in September, 1829.Von F. Tiedemann und L. Gmelin. [Report of theProceedings at the Meeting of German Naturalists andPhysicians at Heidelberg, in September, 1829. By F. Tiedemann and L. Gmelin.] Heidelberg. 1829.

Rede, gehalten bei der Eroeffnung der Versammlung DeutscherNaturforscher und Aerzte in Berlin, am 18ten September, 1828. Von Alexander von Humboldt. [Address deliv-ered at the opening of the Meeting of German Naturalistsand Physicians at Berlin, on the 18th of September, 1828. By Alexander von Humboldt.] Berlin. 1828.

Among the most striking characteristics of the present age,are the general facility of communication existing between thenations of the West, the Europeans and their American descen-dants, and the readiness with which each of them receives fromevery other, whatever may be usefully applied to its own con-dition and circumstances. The late wars in Europe broughtthe people of different countries into closer connexion than be-fore, and thus gave birth among them to feelings of mutualrespect; while, by rendering them weary of military glory, theytended also to awaken a more general fondness for science andthe arts of peace. Even England has cast away many of herancient prejudices, and has become more willing than formerly,to receive instruction from other nations. The Frenchman nolonger regards Paris as the only city worthy of the attention ofa traveller: the Spaniard begins to be sensible of the absurdityof his foolish pride; Russia herself will soon be included in |86| the circle of civilization; and many of the prevailing miscon-ceptions and false opinions respecting the East, are beginningto disappear. The Chinese are no longer looked upon as merebarbarians: we have, in short, discovered, in the language ofa common German proverb, that there are men beyond themountains. The world is daily becoming more enlightenedand more just. Before the people of the United States, liesthe whole Western continent, spread out like the prospect fromthe summit of a mountain—vast, animated, and various; andwe are enabled, by the unexampled quickness of our commu-nications with other countries, to adopt immediately from themall their valuable and useful improvements. The Latin lan-guage, which, in the middle ages, was the only medium ofintercourse among men of learning, is now supplanted by severalothers. Books are published at the same time, in two or threedifferent dialects; and it has become indispensable for everywell-educated man, to be familiar with some other, beside hisvernacular tongue. We would not be understood to adoptthe common opinion, that the progress of civilization has beenretarded by the barriers interposed between nations, by thedifference of their languages: nor do we consider it as at allunfortunate, that a single language does not universally prevail.On the contrary, we are convinced, that the great variety ofthe tongues and dialects spoken by her inhabitants, is one of thecauses of the superiority which Europe, a small and insignificantportion of the earth, has obtained over the rest of the Easternhemisphere. Polite literature is divided, not according tocountries, but according to languages: and it passes in eachthrough the same gradations, from the earliest efforts of epicand lyric song, to refined description and attic wit; as thenation, which speaks it, passes itself through the various stagesof civilization. This remark, however, cannot with justice beapplied to the exact sciences, to the literature of the mechanicarts, or to geography. Still, if one language only had beenspoken in Europe, our admiration would hardly have been atthe same time excited by Camoens, Ercilla, Dante, Ariosto,the Nibelungenlied, and Milton. If the Danes had spoken thesame language as the Germans, Denmark could hardly haveproduced so many distinguished writers in the short intervalbetween Holberg and Oehlenschlaeger. We will even gofurther, and assert, that the human intellect would not haveattained to its present degree of developement in so many |87| departments, and with so many shades of difference in each, ifthe ideas of all men had been necessarily expressed in the sameidiom. Language and ideas exert a constant and reciprocalinfluence; and it is one of the principal charms of the study ofa new language, that it discloses to us new ideas. The Association, the title of whose eighth report is placedat the head of this article, appears to us to be one of the moststriking effects of the increased facility and desire of commu-nication between different countries. Knowledge is certainlyrapidly advancing. We do not accord in opinion with those,who claim for the present age a superiority in every branch ofcivilization, science and art; and who forget, in their admira-tion of Fulton, that the application of the paddle-wheel, or eventhe mere wheel, to the propulsion of vessels, was an improve-ment as great as his: but we believe, that particular ages havebeen distinguished by certain peculiar attainments; and thatthere has been very little, if any, increase of skill in moderntimes, though the diffusion of it has become more general andrapid. We are of the opinion just indicated, that every remark-able age has applied its ingenuity and activity to some particulardepartment, in which it has excelled preceding and subsequentones. The favorite studies at the present day are naturalphilosophy, geography, statistics, and the application of scienceto the arts; and the zeal and success with which they have beencultivated, cannot be too highly praised. The Association of German naturalists and physicians isnovel, we may say, unique in its character; and it well de-serves to be imitated in other countries. It promises, as thereader will hereafter perceive, to be the means of effecting—what is most earnestly to be desired—a scientific union of theGerman and French nations: and we deem it, therefore, notunimportant to give some account of its character and history. In a country, in which natural philosophy is so important anobject of general pursuit as it is in Germany, and in which somany professors of the healing art are distinguished, as their an-nual discoveries and publications abundantly prove, for scientificattainments, it was desirable, that men of science should becomepersonally acquainted with each other; in order that they mightmore readily exchange ideas, aid one another in their respectiveplans, and communicate more directly and with greater rapidity,information that could not well be conveyed through the mediumof printed transactions; that they might, in short, enjoy the |88| animating and inspiring influence of the living word, and con-solidate, as far as might be practicable, the union of the greatrepublic of letters. In the address, of which the title is pre-fixed to this article, Baron Humboldt remarks, that ‘theancients felt the value of the living word, the inspiring influencewhich superior minds exert over others, and the enlighteningeffect of free and friendly intercourse on the state of opinionand the direction of inquiry.’ The character of this Associa-tion may be more accurately described, by contrasting it withtwo institutions of an opposite character. It is not an academyof sciences, the purpose of which is, to aid profound thinkers inpursuing their deep and solitary researches into the recesses ofknowledge, and to publish learned transactions. Its immediateobject is to produce a general animation, and a rapid interchangeof ideas. On the other hand, it bears no resemblance to theschools of the middle ages, with their cold and vain displays ofcontroversial ingenuity. It aims at the discovery of truth byconversation, and not at the exhibition of dialectic skill. As theedifying and happy influence of public religious services is uni-versally acknowledged, while private devotion is also an incum-bent Christian duty, so these disciples of science expect anddesire to edify one another by their combined, as well as bytheir separate labors. The union in an actual community ofmen, whose purposes are the same, and who labor in the samecause of art, science, politics, and religion, but who are scat-tered over a vast extent of country, cannot fail to have a verysalutary effect. It is also the object of this Association, to be-come acquainted with the various museums, collections, andother treasures of science, in different parts of Germany; andits meetings are held in successive years, at different places,alternately in the northern and southern parts of that country.* Professor Ludwig Oken may be considered as the founder
* This Association will doubtless remind the reader of Klopstock’s Republic of the Learned, though there is, in fact, no real resemblancebetween them. Oken was at one time a professor at the University of Jena; but in1820, the Duke of Saxe-Weimar was compelled by the Prussian govern-ment to dismiss him, on account of his political opinions. He lived forsome time at Aargau in Switzerland, and has lately been appointedprofessor at the University of Munich by King Louis of Bavaria; whodoes not seem inclined to tread in the footsteps of the Holy Alliance.The article ‘Oken,’ in the ‘Biographie des Contemporains,’ is not, inall respects, accurate.
|89| of this interesting and useful institution. Its origin and charac-ter will be best explained by a view of its constitution, of whichthe following is a translation.
  • ‘§ 1. On the 18th of September, 1822, a number of Germannaturalists and physicians formed an Association at Leipzic, whichbears the name of the Association of German Naturalists andPhysicians.
  • ‘§ 2. The principal object of the Association is to afford thenaturalists and physicians of Germany an opportunity of becomingpersonally acquainted with one another.
  • ‘§ 3. Every author of a work on natural philosophy or medicineis considered as a member.
  • ‘§ 4. Inaugural dissertations are not regarded as scientific worksfor this purpose.
  • ‘§ 5. There is no election of members, and no diplomas are given.
  • ‘§ 6. Any person employed in the study of natural philosophyor medicine, is permitted to attend the meetings.
  • ‘§ 7. No absent member has a right to vote.
  • ‘§ 8. All questions are decided by a majority of votes.
  • ‘§ 9. The meetings are held annually with open doors. Theybegin regularly on the 18th of September, and continue severaldays.
  • ‘§ 10. The place of meeting is annually changed. At eachmeeting, the place where the succeeding one is to be held isdetermined.
  • ‘§ 11. A president (Geschaeftsfuehrer) and secretary, whomust reside at the place of meeting, manage the affairs of theAssociation until the succeeding meeting.
  • § 12. The president fixes the time and place of meeting, andregulates the proceedings. He must, therefore, receive previousinformation when any paper is proposed to be read.
  • § 13. The secretary makes a record of the proceedings, keepsthe accounts of the Association and maintains its correspondence.
  • § 14. These two officers sign in the name of the Association.
  • § 15. They notify the authorities of the place where the nextmeeting is to be held, and also give public notice of the same.
  • § 16. At each meeting, officers are chosen for the next year.If the persons elected decline, the officers make another choice;and may also, if necessary, change the place of meeting.
  • § 17. In the event of the death of one officer, the survivorappoints another. If both shall die, the officers of the precedingyear resume their offices.
  • § 18. The Association makes no assessment, and holds noproperty, with the exception of its records. Whatever may beexhibited, continues to belong to the exhibiter.
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  • § 19. The expenses of the meetings are defrayed by the mem-bers present.
  • § 20. No change can be made in the constitution, until afterthe first five meetings.
This institution accords so well with the spirit of the age, orat least with the spirit of the Germans in their ardent pursuitof natural science, that its meetings which were held for thefour last years at Dresden, Munich, Berlin and Heidelberg,were remarkably brilliant. The meeting at Heidelberg in 1829was attended by two hundred and seventy-three naturalists andphysicians, among whom were individuals from all parts ofGermany, and from Switzerland, Poland, Denmark and Tus-cany; together with seven from England, nine from France,and five from the Netherlands. This meeting was rendered particularly interesting by thepresence of Baron de Ferussac, director of the ‘Societé duBulletin universel pour la propagation des connoissances scien-tifiques et industrielles, * who appeared as the representative ofthat Association, and for a purpose which will be best explainedby the following letter, addressed by him to the president ofthe Society.

Mr. President,

The directors of the Universal Bulletin have imposed uponme the duty of presenting myself before the meeting of German savans at Heidelberg, to express their wishes and their hopes. ‘The statutes of the Society, and the catalogue of its members,together with the other documents, which I have the honor topresent to you, will enable you to form a just idea of its character,and of its means of influence. ‘It is the object of that Association, which was instituted byvirtue of a decree of the King of France, issued on the 13th ofMarch, 1828, upon the report of the ministry and the councilof state, to establish a permanent connexion, and an active cor-
* The Bulletin Universel des Sciences et de l’Industrie is a periodicaljournal published at Paris, and divided into eight sections, of each ofwhich a number is issued monthly. Baron de Ferussac is the generaldirector. He is assisted by eight editors, one for each section. Thesections are arranged as follows. 1. For mathematical, physical andchemical science; 2. natural history and geology; 3. medical science;4. agriculture, horticulture, fishing, and sporting in general; 5. tech-nology; 6. geography, statistics, political economy, voyages and travels;7. philology, antiquities and history; 8. military science.—EncyclopœdiaAmericana.
|91| respondence between all the friends of science and the usefularts; to the end that the ideas and labors of each may be ren-dered accessible and useful to all; for without this the progressof all must of necessity be slow, and valuable results far lessrapidly effected.
‘This Association, which is peculiarly distinguished by itsuniversal character, belongs exclusively to no one nation, to nosingle school, to no particular doctrine. It professes to laborfor the public good. The most eminent friends of science inevery country are invited to become its members. They mustin every state constitute a committee for the encouragement ofscience, and for facilitating the labor and researches of scientificmen. They must form together the Senate of that general re-public of science and industry, which is every day so rapidlyincreasing with the progress of instruction and the culture of thehuman mind. ‘The unquestionable importance of such an organization tothe interest of science and men of learning, as well as to theprogress of civilisation, has induced the association which Ihave the honor to represent, to believe, that an object so elevatedand generous as theirs, will attract the attention of the assemblyof learned men, over which you preside. ‘For these reasons, the directors of the Universal Bulletin be-lieve, that it belongs to an assembly so remarkable and so solemnas that which is now convened in Heidelberg, to manifest theirfriendly disposition towards that Institution, by some public act;and I have accordingly been requested, Mr. President, to beg youto cause this letter to be read at one of the earliest meetings ofyour Association, and to ask that it may be noticed in the reportof your proceedings; and if these requests be not disregarded,that it may be made the order of the day for the consideration ofthe sections. ‘I have also, Mr. President, the honor to enclose six copies ofour documents, for the use of the several sections of the assembly.

I am, with high respect, &c.

The meeting at Heidelberg was organized in four depart-ments; appropriated respectively to chemistry and natural phi-losophy, mineralogy and geology, botany, and medicine. Ageneral meeting and a separate meeting of each division wereheld every day. The session continued seven days: and we areastonished, on examining the report, to perceive how much sci-entific and practical information was communicated, in so short aspace of time. Reports of uncommon medical operations were |92| made; delicate chemical preparations were exhibited; new dis-coveries promulgated; new instruments brought into notice; anda great number of scientific treatises read. Letters were receiv-ed from learned men in many different parts of Europe, and inshort, more activity and zeal were displayed, on this occasion,than upon any former one of the kind. This meeting, however,was inferior in brilliancy to that which was held last year atBerlin, and at which, as we have already mentioned, BaronAlexander Humboldt presided. The short introductory dis-course, which he delivered upon that occasion, exhibited therefinement and elegance that belong to this distinguished philoso-pher, so well known throughout the world for his researchesand discoveries, in almost every department of natural science.Having mentioned the name of this great man, we cannot per-mit the occasion to pass without expressing our admiration ofhis elevated character—our deep sense of the services whichhe has rendered to the world by his indefatigable efforts inAmerica, Europe, Africa and more recently in Asia, and ourardent wishes that his valuable life may be long continued forthe instruction of both hemispheres. The meeting at Berlin was rendered, by the taste of BaronHumboldt, as pleasing as it was interesting and useful. Itsfirst session in the hall of the royal musical academy wasattended by more than five hundred persons, among whomwere some of the highest officers of state. To this succeededthe regular meetings. In the evening, a conversazione wasgiven by the President, in the great concert-room of the royaltheatre. This saloon, which is one of the most elegant inEurope, was arranged by Mr. Schinkel, the King’s architect,as a temple of German Fame. Within a semicircle of rays,opposite to the entrance, the names of the most distinguishedGerman naturalists were inscribed in characters of gold andsilver. On one side were placed the following lines of Goethe:
Es soll sich regen, schaffen, handeln, Erst sich gestalten, dann verwandeln, Nur scheinbar steht’s Momente still; Das Ew’ge regt sich fort in allen, Denn alles muss in Nichts zerfallen, Wenn es im Seyn beharren will.*

* Motion, action, formation, creation, change, are the laws of existence.Repose is a mere appearance, for the Universe is inspired in all its partsby a principle of constant activity; and ceasing to change is in otherwords ceasing to be.
|93| On the other side was inscribed the following passage fromSchiller:
Es entbrennen im feurigen Kampf die eifernden Kraefte, Grosses wirket ihr Streit, Groesseres wirket ihr Bund.*
The King and several of the princes attended this festival:which was rendered still more attractive by a full orchestra andthe first singers of the royal theatre. While the meeting con-tinued, the members were every day conveyed in carriages toa vast dining hall, in which were spread twenty tables, at eachof which twenty-four persons were accommodated. BaronHumboldt presided at the first table. No ladies were present,excepting the wives or daughters of such members as didnot reside in Berlin. The institution has been conducted with so much success,that it was proposed at the last meeting that the future onesshould occasionally be held in other countries, and it wasparticularly requested by Professor Oersted of Copenhagen,that the next might take place in that city; but the invitationwas declined for the present, principally because the Associationhad not yet met in several of the German cities, which containtreasures of natural science well worthy of their attention.Hamburg has been assigned as the place of meeting for thenext year. We should rejoice if the attendance there of someof our fellow citizens might produce a literary and scientificunion between two regions, separated only by an ocean, whichis found to oppose no obstacles of importance to our commer-cial enterprise. Boston, New-York and Philadelphia, are notreally more remote from Paris, than Warsaw, Stockholm,Lisbon, and many other European cities. The representativesof the United States would doubtless meet with a hospitablereception, and a cordial welcome from the inhabitants of acountry, which was styled by Madame de Staël ‘le pays despensées et de la bonhommie.

* The power of conflicting principles is increased by the ardor ofcontention; their strife produces much good, but their union still more.