“Without Delay, I Set Out to Fulfill This Pleasant Duty”: The Role of Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe in the History of Kharkiv University Through the Prism of His Correspondence

Abstract

The article presents the first Ukrainian translation of several letters by the world-renowned German statesman, poet, writer, thinker, and naturalist, the founder of modern German literature Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) that shed light on his role in selecting the first professors for Kharkiv University. The author briefly outlines the course of Goethe’s communication with functionaries of the Kharkiv school district and Kharkiv University in the early years the 19th century, traces the history of the publication of Goethe’s letters, and notes that until now they have been largely neglected by students of the history of Kharkiv University. The article features seven letters, selected from the complete ‘Weimar edition’ of Goethe’s works and translated from the German with commentary. The earliest document is dated 27 November 1803, and the latest – 13 September 1804. The letters are addressed to the curator of the Kharkiv school district Count Seweryn Potocki, curator of the Vilnius school district Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, and German merchants and officials involved in the financial and logistical aspects of the relocation of the first German professors to Kharkiv. The correspondence revolves around the future professors of Kharkiv University J. B. Schad, J. L. T. Schnaubert, and M. G. Pilger and adjunct G. Reinisch; other candidates who in the end did not join the faculty of Kharkiv University for various reasons are also mentioned. The organization of the new professors’ research and teaching work at Kharkiv University and financial provision for them and their families are discussed. As a historical source, these letters give us insight into the complexity and fluidity of the process of putting together a faculty for the newly-established Kharkiv University.