shadow of britain

Chapter 533 Sausage Tactics
Although the University of Göttingen is famous throughout Europe, Göttingen, where he is located, is not a big city.

Although Göttingen attracts many scholars, students and intellectuals to live here with its outstanding academic atmosphere and relatively quiet pace of life, its scale and development speed are relatively slow in terms of industrialization and urbanization.

The city's population is only about 10,000 to 12,000 people, and such a population size naturally cannot support a few decent pubs.

The oldest tavern here is the Ratskeller, the cellar tavern in the town hall that Heine mentioned to Arthur earlier. Its history can be traced back to the 13th century. It was once a place for city officials and dignitaries to dine and drink, but it was gradually opened to the public in the 17th and 18th centuries. The iconic old vaulted building and traditional German court cuisine are the pride of the Ratskeller.

As for Zum Schwarzen Bren (Black Bear Tavern), where a beer hall riot just took place, it is not only a gathering place for students, but also a place frequented by tourists.

The tavern that Bismarck brought Arthur to today is located in the city center of Göttingen. It is a place where residents near Göttingen often come to have a drink or two - Paulinerkeller, the Pauline wine cellar.

As the name suggests, this is a tavern founded by Paulin monks or worshippers.

The full name of the Paulin Order is 'The Priory of St. Paul', a Catholic monastic order founded in the 13th century and originated in Hungary and Poland.

The order is named after the first hermit in Christian history, 'Saint Paul of Egypt'.

The Paulin monks were known for their strict monastic life, emphasizing prayer, meditation and solitude.

Although the Paulin Order is not as well-known as the Benedictines and Franciscans, its influence in Central and Eastern Europe cannot be underestimated.

Paulin monks usually lived in monasteries in remote areas and led a simple life, so it was not surprising that Paulin monks appeared in a small place like Göttingen.

Arthur followed Bismarck down the steps and just as he entered the cellar tavern, he saw the Pauline Order's iconic 'Black Madonna' right in front of him.

The Virgin Mary is wearing a red robe decorated with gold edges, a dark blue cloak on her shoulders, and a golden crown on her head. Her face is solemn and her eyes are slightly closed, showing deep compassion and maternal love. In her arms is the newborn baby Jesus.

However, unlike the Madonna statues Arthur had seen elsewhere, the skin color of the Madonna statue in the Paulin wine cellar was a dark brown that was almost black, and it looked like it had been stained by candle smoke or oak.

However, although the statue of the Black Madonna enshrined here is very exquisite, the decoration in other places is very rough.

A long wooden table and stools take up most of the space. The tabletop is mottled from years of use and exudes the scent of ancient pine.

The ground was paved with stone slabs, which had been worn smooth and slightly uneven by hundreds of footsteps.

There are a few murals hanging on the walls, which are better than nothing. The murals either depict farmers working scenes or some common religious themes such as the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, the Baptism of Jesus, and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

There were several wine barrels in the corner, with corks and wine utensils piled randomly beside them.

Since the lighting conditions in the cellar were poor, a few small and narrow skylights were opened in the pub to let in more light. Judging from their size, it was estimated that only during the day could a few rays of sunlight be allowed to shine in obliquely.

But apart from these unpleasant places, Arthur felt pretty good here.

Because the atmosphere here is very much like the countryside of York, completely unlike the coldness of London and the impetuousness of Paris.

The air is filled with the aroma of malt and hops, mixed with the smell of tobacco and barbecue, creating a unique atmosphere.

In the evening, the pub was filled with all kinds of sounds: the rough laughter of men, the sound of dice rolling on the wooden table, the crisp sound of beer glasses clinking, and the busy movements of the proprietress behind the counter. A shaky kerosene lamp hung under the narrow skylight, and the dim light made the whole room look warm and a little dim.

Most of the customers here are farmers, craftsmen and vendors in towns and villages. They are simply dressed, their skin is rough due to years of hard work, and their faces are ruddy and weathered by the sun.

Men usually wear linen or coarse cloth work clothes and wide-brimmed felt hats. Perhaps because it is cold at night, some people can be seen wearing woolen cloaks to keep warm.

They sat at a long table, guzzling locally brewed beer and discussing crops, livestock and the year's weather.

A few young people gathered together playing cards or dice, occasionally letting out cheers or sighs of disappointment.

The pub owner was a quiet middle-aged man with a thick beard. He just silently accepted the customers' orders and served the guests. In his spare time, he would use a white cloth to wipe the beer glasses he had just washed.

If he paused in wiping the glass, it must be that a new customer pushed the door open and entered the pub.

The tavern owner watched the two guests sit down, put down the cup in their hands and asked, "What would you like to drink?"

Bismarck placed his hands on the bar and ordered skillfully: "A bottle of white wine from the Rhine Valley, and a serving of roast pork knuckle with potato dumplings."

After saying that, he turned his head and said to Arthur: "The beer here is good, you can try it."

Arthur asked, "In that case, why don't you order a beer?"

Bismarck skillfully removed the cork from the wine and poured himself a full glass. "My mother was afraid that I would develop an alcohol addiction in college, so she forbade me to drink beer. But I was a good kid, so I didn't drink if she didn't allow me to. Wine and soju are the same anyway."

Arthur glanced at the rebellious boy, shook his head and laughed twice, then pointed to the wooden menu hanging above the boss's head and said, "A glass of dark lager and a plate of steaming white sausages with sauerkraut."

After hearing this, the boss turned around and took out sausages and sauerkraut from the boiling pot behind him and placed them in front of Arthur.

Arthur was just about to start eating when suddenly, the boss handed him a small plate with two dark green pickles neatly placed on it.

Then, he took the initiative to pour Arthur a small glass of light yellow cider.

Before Arthur could ask, the quiet boss spoke up, "I see you're a stranger. Is this your first time in Göttingen? Consider this a gift from me. As for the cider, it's a specialty here. If you don't try it, your trip would be in vain."

When Arthur heard this, he knew that his previous feeling was correct. This place is indeed similar to the country pubs in York. Although it is a bit rustic and looks a bit backward, it is very humane. In this kind of rural pub, wine is not just a drink, and eating is not just a meal. It is more like a social tool between neighbors.

People use glasses to celebrate, express friendship, and even resolve disputes.

In places like this, news in the village always spreads the fastest. Whether it is a neighbor's marriage or a new policy in the city, it will always be discussed heatedly in the pub.

Religious beliefs are also an integral part of this kind of pub. Although no one usually pays attention to the crosses and saints in the corners, religious festivals are often the busiest time in the pub.

Arthur smiled and raised the glass of cider to the boss and shouted: "Cheers, sir, to the Virgin Mary and to Göttingen."

Several drunkards sitting next to Arthur, whose faces were flushed with drink, laughed and raised their glasses: "That's right! Cheers to the Virgin Mary and to Göttingen. May we all have a good harvest this year!"

Seeing this, the boss smiled shyly and nodded slightly in response to the guests' toast.

When Bismarck saw that Arthur had become friends with the guests in the tavern so quickly, he couldn't help but look up to this British knight.

He said, "I heard you were from London. I didn't expect you to be so successful in the countryside."

"Is it strange?" Arthur took a sip of beer and let out a long sigh of satisfaction. "I have to correct you. I am not from London. I am a real country bumpkin. Of course, I don't mean that I am an American. I am a proper gentleman from York, England, not some old-fashioned New Yorker from America."

"Of course I know." Bismarck replied sourly: "If you were not an Englishman, how could you become the academic director of the University of Göttingen at this age? A German petty bourgeois professor like Dahlmann would never be able to become the president of the University of Göttingen even if he worked hard all his life."

"Ok?"

Although Arthur had been in in-depth communication with Bismarck for several days, it was the first time he heard the truth from this guy.

Arthur asked, "Otto, I don't agree with your point of view. Although I haven't revealed this point of view to anyone yet, as the country's special representative of the University of Göttingen, I am actually considering recommending Professor Friedrich Dahlmann as the new president of the University of Göttingen. If he performs well in this position, I would not be surprised if he is elected to the cabinet of the Kingdom of Hanover and serves as a cabinet minister in the future."

Bismarck felt itchy all over his body when he heard this: "Really? Dahlmann is lucky, but I still don't think he can achieve anything great in the future. You, a foreigner, don't understand German affairs or the politics here."

"how do I say this?"

Arthur looked at the young man in front of him who was just eighteen years old, and thought it was really funny that he was commenting on politics at this age.

Although he was Bismarck, he was still only Bismarck at the age of 18. The biggest crisis he had encountered so far might have been debt and being put in solitary confinement.

As for politics, if you haven’t experienced those magical events yourself, you will never understand how bad things are.

But Bismarck didn't care what Arthur thought of him, and the eighteen-year-old would never think that his political views were bad.

Bismarck said angrily.

"In all of Germany, in Prussia and Hanover, foreigners are treated with too much favour! Our government sincerely believes that foreigners are superior to Germans. They feel that we, the country nobles, do not have the talents they expect and need for politics, and are incapable of making up for the deficiencies in various departments.

My mother sent me to Göttingen to study law, but what good was a university degree? In Prussia, a juror of the Court of Appeal or a government judge with no connections to cabinet ministers and senior officials had little hope of participating in Prussian politics unless he spent decades climbing the monotonous official ladder, attracting the attention of his superiors and getting promoted.

But in the diplomatic world, some candidates, because they are rich and powerful, or happen to know foreign languages, especially French, can turn it into a reason for preferential treatment. Even if their foreign language level is only that of a restaurant waiter or a head waiter, they can easily obtain a certificate to be admitted to diplomatic posts in our country.

I'm not kidding you, because through my grandfather, I once knew a lot of old Prussian envoys. They knew nothing about politics, and in their reports, they only talked about things they could talk about fluently in French, but they got high positions just because they were familiar with French, which was ridiculous!

Our most distinguished marshals, such as Blücher, Gneisenau, and Goben, were not of Prussian origin. Nor were the civil servants Stein, Hardenberg, Motz, and Grolmann. Our politicians are like saplings in a nursery, which must be transplanted in order to fully develop their root system.

Arthur drummed his fingers on the table. He pondered, "So this is why you're causing trouble at school? You think studying law in Göttingen is useless and won't help you in your future?"

"Isn't it!" Bismarck rolled his eyes and took a sip of wine. "Most of the professors here are sick, and the students here are sick too! This place is full of the same narrow-minded, mean petty-bourgeois views as my mother. Oh, by the way, in most cases, they call it liberalism. Just like the hero here, Heinrich Heine, he is a typical liberal petty-bourgeois!"

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but feel that this kid was even more difficult to deal with than he was back then.

When Arthur was studying at the University of London, although he had a bad relationship with his supervisor, he had a good relationship with his classmates and he liked the school which was like a construction site at the time.

But Bismarck's dislike for studying not only included professors, but also classmates and schools.

For a young man who received compulsory education in Prussia, even the University of Göttingen, which Heine considered authoritarian and conservative, was too free for Bismarck.

In the University of Göttingen, which was clamoring to support the Frankfurt students, Bismarck was indeed an outlier.

However, for Arthur, if everyone thought like Bismarck, the job of the special representative of the country would not be so difficult.

Arthur took out the letter that Bismarck's mother had sent to the school and said to him in a serious tone, "Otto, I think you should really read this letter carefully. I know you don't like school, but if you continue to treat your studies like this, I'm afraid you will have no choice but to join the army."

"Join the army?" Bismarck asked suspiciously, "Why?"

"Because your mother asked the school to tell you that you now have only two choices, either graduate from college or join the army to earn some money for yourself. However, I also understand your pessimism about the future, and you think that a college diploma is useless. To some extent, I agree with your point of view. A college diploma alone is indeed useless, but if you successfully graduate from the law major and can do your job well, I can issue a school recommendation letter to the Prussian judicial department to introduce them to Mr. Otto von Bismarck, an outstanding graduate of the law major of the University of Göttingen."

At this point, Arthur paused. He calmly cut the sausages on the plate, one slice at a time. "As far as I know, in order to work in the Prussian court, one must pass two judicial examinations. And the pass rates for these two judicial examinations are not very high, right?"

(End of this chapter)