Lecture XXXVII (Nr. 0491)

[486] connection with the university problem, that the Social Democratic party, when it was in power in Hamburg, has founded a theological faculty five years ago–a thing UNHEARD OF in the 19th century, and even in the first half of the 20th. But now, after the Second World War, it happened that those who were most radically anti-religious, anti-ecclesiastical, anti-theological, felt (partly under the education they got as refugees in this country) the need for a theological faculty even in the new universities. It may be of personal interest for you that this summer,

for the second time, I will teach at that university in the newly founded theological faculty. What does that mean? That means, first, that the leaders even of a formerly absolutely secular and anti-religious movement [such] as the Social Democratic party was in the 19th century in Germany, felt the need to have, not a Queen (nobody would say that), but at least something else (I will come to this instantly) which is represented by the theological faculty, namely symbols creating community again: the universitas as community. And the need for symbols explaining this community was certainly felt by the founders of this new faculty, and whatever its function may be (I will speak directly about it later on), it was something which they felt was lacking in the education. The actual education was given at the German universities

not by the university, but by the fraternities, which played a much greater role there than in this country, and often a very destructive role; but in any case, a kind of educational role, if you subsume miseducation under the general concept of education, which is also the case on other places of the world. [some laughter] In any case, they had MUCH more influence than