In those days
students formed secret societies; societies full of strange
ritual, which pushed devotion to fanaticism, which stopped at
nothing, not even assassination. To exterminate the French, to
regain their ancestral privileges, to rescue their country from
its prostrate humiliation, many sacrificed their lives and their
fortunes.
Napoleon found no means of reaching these patriots, for they
could not be purchased. This convinced Napoleon of their
earnestness, for he could buy kings and princes. The students
were invisible, implacable, and many a brilliant officer of the
imperial guard disappeared, never to return.
This historic relic of the Konigstrasse had been the
headquarters of one of the branches of these numerous societies;
and the students still held to those ancient traditions. But men
and epochs pass swiftly; only the inanimate remain. This temple
of patriotism is simply an inn to-day, owned by one Stuler, and
is designated by those who patronize it as "Old Stuler's." It is
the gathering place of the students. It consists of a hall and a
garden, the one facing the street, the other walled in at the
rear.
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