The Collegium illustre in

Tübingen Tübingen (; ) is a traditional college town, university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer (Neckar), Ammer rivers. about one in ...

was a ducal Court School from 1559 onwards, an academy between 1594 and 1596, and a

knight academy Knight academies were first established in Western European states in the late 16th century. They prepared aristocratic youth for state and military service. It added to the hitherto rudimentary education of the aristocratic youth natural science, ...

for young aristocrats in the

Duchy of Württemberg The Duchy of Württemberg () was a duchy located in the south-western part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was a Imperial Estate, state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1495 to 1803. The dukedom's long survival for over three centuries was mainly du ...

between 1596 and 1688. After its dissolution in 1817 the building of Collegium illustre became the home of the newly founded Wilhelmsstift, a residence hall for Roman Catholic theology students.

History

Previous history

At the place of former Collegium illustre and today's Wilhelmsstift a Franciscan monastery was located since 1272. The monastery also housed a house of studies. In the 15th century the house of studies became important because of his academic lectors. After the dissolution of the monastery in 1535 the building partly burned down in 1540.

Court School

In the year 1559

Christoph, Duke of Württemberg Christoph of Württemberg (12 May 1515 – 28 December 1568), ruled as Duke of Württemberg from 1550 until his death in 1568. Life Born in 1515, Christoph was the son of Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg and Sabina of Bavaria. In November 1515 ...

(1515–1568) had established a court school in the buildings that survived the fire of 1540. The court school was the first

in the German-speaking part of Europe. Its purpose was to prepare young aristocrats for civil service.

Academy

Duke Christoph, who was a deeply religious

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

, wanted to expand the court school to an academy. Therefore, he instructed his court architect to erect a four-wing complex in the style of

late renaissance Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it. ...

between 1588–1592. The portal is at the corner of the streets Lange Gasse and Collegiumgasse. Above the portal, there is still the coat of arms of the Duchy of Württemberg from the year 1593. As Duke Christoph died in 1568, and his son

Louis III, Duke of Württemberg Louis III, Duke of Württemberg, (; 1 January 1554, in Stuttgart – 18 August 1593, in Stuttgart) was a German nobleman. He was the Duke of Württemberg, from 1568 until his death. The only surviving son of Christoph, Duke of Württemberg, he ...

died in 1593 childless,

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Given name Nobility = Anhalt-Harzgerode = * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) = Austria = * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria fro ...

, Count of Mömpelgard - a branch of the

House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is an uradel, ancient German nobility, German dynasty and former royal family of the Kingdom of Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors ...

- became duke in 1593 and therefore opened the Collegium illustre on April 25, 1594. The first collegians were admitted on that day. Under the statutes of April 23, 1594 aristocrats, as well as bourgeois, could attend the academy. Two years later - on April 23, 1596, Duke Frederick I. changed the statutes of the Academy. From then on, aristocrats from all across Europe were admitted to the Academy. In 1609 the statutes were changed again. Henceforth only aristocrats were allowed to attend the Academy and only Aristocrats from the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. Therefore, it became a knight academy. In the year 1601 it was completely detached from the university and existed from then on as a legal, administrative and exempt corporation within the town, which served only for the education of young aristocrats. Instead of an academic director, the Academy was led by an aristocratic constable from that time on. At the Academy the young aristocrats were educated in horse-riding, equestrian vaulting, fencing, dancing according to the aristocratic education ideal. Besides the prospectus of the university the aristocrats were also educated in history, politics, law, Roman Law, Feudal Law, State Law, Sciences, modern languages, military technology and in the study of fortresses. The arcades and the spacious gallery courtyard were used for various events. The training in the courtyard could be watched from the floors. In the south western part of the building there was a Jeu de paume court, where the aristocrats could play. As with

Tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

a net was stretched across the room. At one side the net joined a gallery, which had a pent roof that was part of the court. From the gallery and the windows, spectator could watch the game. The Knight Academy had been the preferred educational institution for Protestant aristocrats from all across Europe, even Scandinavia, Poland, Hungary and the Habsburg monarchy. This changed in the course of the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

. In 1629, the Academy had to be closed temporarily, because the Catholic League occupied the Duchy and emperor Ferdinand II issued the

Edict of Restitution The Edict of Restitution was proclaimed by Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor in Vienna, on 6 March 1629, eleven years into the Thirty Years' War. Following Catholic League (German), Catholic military successes, Ferdinand hoped to restore control ...

.Prince-elector Maximilian I of Bavaria had the library dispatched to Munich. Throughout the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...

Jesuits came into town. There were attempts to convert the Knights Academy into a

Jesuit College The Jesuits (Society of Jesus) in the Catholic Church have founded and managed a number of educational institutions, including the notable secondary schools, colleges, and university, universities listed here. Some of these universities are in t ...

. Though the Jesuits moved to Rottenburg in 1649.

Final years

In 1648, after the end of Thirty Years' War

Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg Eberhard III (16 December 1614, Stuttgart – 2 July 1674, Stuttgart) ruled as Duke of Württemberg from 1628 until his death in 1674. Eberhard III became the heir under guardianship in 1628 during the Thirty Years' War at the age of 14 after t ...

sent his oldest son John Frederick to the Collegium in Tübingen. Other sons of high nobility were admitted as well. The Collegium illustre was officially reopened in 1653, as professors were appointed. Though the Academy could never regain its prosperity. It could not obtain the glamour of other Academies.

External links

Collegium Illustre on TÜpedia with historic prospects

state archive of Baden-Württemberg

Tübingen Collegium Illustre - Detailseite - LEO-BW

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collegium illustre

Universities and colleges in Baden-Württemberg Education in Tübingen Buildings and structures in Tübingen Tübingen, Collegium illustre 1559 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1817 disestablishments in Europe