BERLIN, UNIVERSITY OF. One of the most important universities of the world, and also one of the youngest. After the disasters of 1806 and 1807 in the war with Napoleon, King Frederick William III., in September, 1807, established in Berlin an academy or uni versity, fo which he called many of the most noted of German scholars. including some who had been connected with the University of Halle, suppressed by Napoleon. The brilliant success of the new university was chiefly due to Wilhelm von Humboldt (elder brother of Alexander von Humboldt), a scholar, statesman, and adminis trator. As first Minister of Education in 1808, he brought the direction and support of the uni versity into the hands of the Ministry of the Interior, and greatly enlarged its scope, and in 1809 the King, by royal order, finally established the university on its present basis. The chief feature of the new organization was the stress laid on securing men of the first order of ability to fill the professional chairs. A yearly income of 150,000 dialers and the royal palace of Prince Henry were assigned to the foundation, and the university began its brilliant career. Its facul ties comprise theology, jurisprudence, medicine, and philosophy (arts and science). It had in 1901 more than 11,000 students, of whom 6160 were matriculated. These were divided as follows: Theology, 282; jurisprudence, 1498; medicine, 1067; philosophy (philosophy proper, philology, and history), 995; mathematics and science, 818; finance and administration, 141; pharmacy and dentistry, 304. The university also includes several 'institutions,' comprising the seminars, the institutes of physics and physiology, clinics, museums, and observatories.
The university is supported by the State, and is under control of the Minister of Education. The administration is in the hands of the rector and senate, the so-called 'plenum' or full body of pro fessors, and the faculties. A full account of the organization may be found in the article UNI VERSITY, section German, ele. Here it is enough to say that the university is practically a self governing body, with corporate freedom and re sponsibilities. It has police and judicial powers over its members, exercised by the administration and a university eourt. Men of all nationalities are admitted, and women (not German) to cer tain lectures under some restrictions. The choice of professors for distinguished excellence is still maintained, and the long list of great scholars connected with the university includes among others the Grimm brothers, Ilegel, Scherer, Bopp, Ranke, Niebuhr, Savigny, Lepsius, Karl Ritter, Dove, Gneist, Trendelenburg, Helmholtz, and many more still on the roll of active teachers. The University Library consists of over 160,000 volumes and more than that number of univer sity and school 'theses,' etc. The chief library facilities for students are to he found, however, in the Royal Library. which eontains over 1,000, 000 volumes and 30.000 MSS., including a col lection of over 13,000 Oriental MSS. The libra ries of the Reichstag (100,000 volumes), of the Royal War Academy (90,000 volumes), of the Royal Wilhelm's Academy (60.000) , and the Royal Prussian and Royal Secret Archives, and other collections, are accessible.