The Tübinger Stift () is a hall of residence and teaching; it is owned and supported by the
Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg, and located in the university city of
Tübingen, in South West Germany. The Stift was founded as an
Augustinian monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. After the
Reformation
The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
, in 1536,
Duke Ulrich turned the Stift into a seminary which served to prepare
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
pastors for Württemberg. To this day the scholarship is still given to students in preparation for the ministry or teaching in
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...
. Students receive a scholarship which consists of boarding, lodging and further academic support.
Some of the well known "Stiftlers" are the astronomer
Johannes Kepler and his associate, statesman
Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg, the poet
Friedrich Hölderlin who had as roommates the philosophers
G. W. F. Hegel
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a 19th-century German idealism, German idealist. His influence extends across a wide range of topics from metaphysical issues in epistemology and ontology, to political phi ...
and
Friedrich Schelling (although the latter was five years their junior),
[A solid fraternal and close ]friendship
Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague.
Althoug ...
began between the three, which was followed by uninterrupted correspondence throughout their lives. This happened when, immediately after graduation, they ventured into precarious work as tutors in different cities. There was no lack of new momentary reuniins: between Hegel and Hölderlin, in Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
; then between Hegel and Schelling, in Jena. the theologians
David Friedrich Strauß,
Johann Albrecht Bengel,
Friedrich Christoph Oetinger,
Ferdinand Christian Baur and
Eberhard Nestle, and the philologist
August Pauly.
The curriculum included two years of philosophical studies and three years of theological studies.
The teaching staff imparted a traditional type of education, applying strict discipline and considerable censorship on the students' readings.
Nonetheless, during Hegel's tenure, students privately had access to the 'forbidden' texts of
Spinoza,
Kant and
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
.
Alumni
*
Nikodemus Frischlin, poet, playwright, humanist, mathematician, astronomer (1547–1590)
*
Michael Maestlin, astronomer, mathematician (1550–1631)
*
Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg, Statesman (1568–1634)
*
Johannes Kepler, astronomer (1571–1630)
*
Johann Valentin Andreae, theologian (1586–1654)
*
Wilhelm Schickhardt, theologian, astronomer, universal scientist (1592–1635)
*
Johann Albrecht Bengel, theologian (1687–1752)
*
Friedrich Christoph Oetinger, theologian (1702–1782)
*
Karl Friedrich Reinhard, French politician and diplomate (1761–1837)
*
Karl Philipp Conz, poet, writer (1762–1827)
*
Friedrich Hölderlin, poet (1770–1843)
*
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a 19th-century German idealist. His influence extends across a wide range of topics from metaphysical issues in epistemology and ontology, to political philosophy and t ...
, philosopher (1770–1831)
*
Friedrich Schelling, philosopher (1775–1854)
*
Gustav Schwab, minister, poet, writer (1792–1850)
*
Ferdinand Christian Baur, theologian (1792–1860)
*
August Pauly, philologist (1796–1845)
*
Wilhelm Hauff, writer (1802–1827)
*
Wilhelm Waiblinger, poet, writer (1804–1830)
*
Eduard Mörike, minister and poet (1804–1875)
*
Friedrich Theodor Vischer, writer, professor of literature (1807–1887)
*
David Friedrich Strauß, theologian, philosopher, writer (1808–1874)
*
Hermann Kurz, poet, writer (1813–1873)
*
Eduard Zeller, theologian, philosopher (1814–1908)
*
Georg Herwegh, poet, revolutionist (1817–1875)
*
Ferdinand von Hochstetter, geologist, naturalist (1829–1884)
*
Albert Schäffle, economist, sociologist, politician (1831–1903)
*
Eberhard Nestle, theologian, orientalist (1851–1913)
*
Hans Vaihinger, philosopher (1852–1933)
*
Johannes Hieber, politician (1862–1951)
*
Karl Heim, theologian (1874–1958)
*
Edwin Hoernle, politician (1883–1952)
References
Sources
* Martin Leube: ''Das Tübinger Stift: 1770 – 1950; Geschichte des Tübinger Stifts.'' Stuttgart, Steinkopf (1954)
* Reinhard Breymayer: ''Freimaurer vor den Toren des Tübinger Stifts: Masonischer Einfluss auf Hölderlin?'' In: ''Tubingensia: Impulse zur Stadt- und Universitätsgeschichte. Festschrift für Wilfried Setzler zum 65. Geburtstag''. Hrsg. von Sönke Lorenz und Volker
arlSchäfer in Verbindung mit dem Institut für Geschichtliche Landeskunde und Historische Hilfswissenschaften der Universität Tübingen. Redaktion: Susanne Borgards. (Ostfildern:) Jan Thorbecke Verlag, 2008 (Tübinger Bausteine zur Landesgeschichte, 10), pp. 355–395. .
External links
Tübinger Stift
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tubinger Stift
University of Tübingen
Seminaries and theological colleges in Germany
Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg
Buildings and structures in Tübingen