Proceedings of the Estates of the Kingdom of Württemberg

[p. 478]

|478| Germany’s independence, have instilled in the German youth at the universities a higher interest than the mere direction upon the immediate future acquisition of bread and upon provision; it has also bled in part for the purpose that the German countries should receive free constitutions, and has brought with it from the battlefield the hope of a future further working for this and of an efficacy in the political life of the state. Since it procures for itself the capacity for this through scientific training and devotes itself chiefly to the service of the state, is it, like the whole scientifically cultivated estate, which for the most part gives itself the same vocation, for this very reason to lose the capacity to become members of estates of the realm, representatives of the people?

There is here still the important circumstance to be taken into consideration, that the change in the relationship of the former princely servants constitutes a significant moment in the transition of Germany from earlier shapelessness and barbarism to the rational condition of a life of the state. – Something on this circumstance can be cited from the appendix to the 25th part of the proceedings; there, p. 25, it is mentioned with regard to the thirteenth and the following centuries that the chamber offices were at first entrusted for the most part only to persons of the knightly estate, with a receipt of considerable revenues from landed estates and from the prestations of the subjects, who, however, found a pretext for giving up the exercise of the office, which had become burdensome, and for having it administered by an administrator (Pflegverweser) from the burgher estate, with an allotment of a lesser enjoyment. Later these, like the bailiff, judicial and other offices, were transferred merely to persons of the burgher estate, who, however, regarded this not, as later, as a favour but as a great burden, and had to accept it; nor was this burden forced upon anyone for too long; it counted as a special favour to be spared such offices,

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