20.
TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, CANTON OF AARGAU
Aarau,
7/IX/96
Department of
Education of Canton
Aargau.
I
was
born in Ulm
on
14 March 1879 and at the
age
of
one year
got
to Munich, where I lived
until
the winter of 1894-95. There I attended
the
elementary
school and the
Luitpold
gymnasium
up
to
(but
not
including) grade
7.
Following
that, until the fall
of
last
year
I
lived in
Milan,
where I continued
my
studies
privately. Since
last
autumn I have been
attending
the Kantonsschule in Aarau, and I
am now
taking
the
liberty
of
applying for
the matura
examination.
After that
I intend to
study physics
and
mathematics
at Department 6 of the
Federal
Polytechnikum.
Albert Einstein
21.
MATURA
EXAMINATION (A)
GERMAN:
"SYNOPSIS
OF
GOETHE'S
GÖTZ VON
BERLICHINGEN"
[18
September
1896,
7
-
9:20 A.M.]
Albert Einstein
SYNOPSIS
OF
GOETHE'S
GÖTZ VON
BERLICHINGEN
Two
knights, Berlichingen
and Weislingen,
were
intimate
friends
during
their
youth,
but then due to the
differences
in their
characters and
inclinations,
their paths of life take different
directions.
Götz
von
Berlichingen,
a man
of strong and
independent
character, is determined to
assert
his immediacy [exclusive
dependence
on
the
emperor
and
Reich, i.e.,
nondependence
on
the feudal
princes]
at all costs. From his castle he offers
energetic
resistance to the
attacks of the
Reich princes, especially
of the Bishop of Bamberg.
In
contrast,
Weislingen,
who is
a
talented and
definitely
good-natured
man
but
with
little
strength
of
character, lives at the
court of the
Bishop
of
Bamberg, having exchanged
the sweat and toil of
freedom for the
ease
and comfort of the life at court.
Götz and
Weislingen
thus become
open
enemies. Götz succeeds in
capturing the onetime friend of his youth. No
sooner
has he thus
humiliated him than all the
rancor
he had
harbored
against him
disappears.
He
gladly
allows his
sister
Maria
to become
engaged
to
Weislingen,
and
only
sets forth
the
condition that
Weislingen
move
with her to his abandoned castle and avoid
Bamberg.
The Bishop learns about
this and is
of
course
disconsolate
at
losing Weislingen.
However,
Liebetraut,
a
servant at the
Bishop's
court who is
a
sly
fox of the
highest
order and knows well
Weislingen's weaknesses,
offers to
bring Weislingen
back by
any means
provided
he'll be authorized to mix into his conversation
something
about Adelheid
von
Walldorf,
a
most
beautiful
widow
visiting
with the
Bishop.
14