Chapter 2: An unwilling apprentice

Solitude Castle

Among their silent tears, the clumsily reassuring words of their parents and the boisterous orders of the officers, the new pupils have made their entries into the courtyard of the former ducal orphanage. Most would, naturally, regard this school only with fear and suspicion. Solitude Castle, in which the former orphanage, now a military academy, was located, is an imposing building made of clear stones which has nothing to particularly attract the mind of a youngster. Seen from the castle, its regular, Greek-like pillars could give it the appearance of a temple, however, even under the pale January sun-rays, when the stones appear almost white, it could only inspire but coldness and severity to the new pupils.

Even if Solitude Castle was built with many circular figures, its architecture could not lend to it a feminine character; something was missing in order to give the occasional visitor a positive, generous or calm feeling. Maybe the absence of appropriate gardens around the building was also responsible for this absence of pleasant feelings. The reputation of the castle has, indeed, damaged the value of its architecture. Even the youngest among the pupils have already heard something about it, and it is only naturally that the castle is always associated with a feeling of respect and fear in those young minds.

Immediately after their entry into the courtyard, would the new pupils feel and realize what a military academy was made about. Order and obedience were, naturally, the principles guiding this academy, and the pupils could only rapidly enough learn the meaning of these words, otherwise the severity of the rules would punish them equally rapidly, as some unfortunate ones have already experienced.

Already during its times as sheer orphanage, would Solitude Castle be inhabited by poor and defenseless children, and just as the other ducal orphanages of this time, the Duke was master of the lives of these orphans, and already then, so the rumor goes, physical punishments was already part of the military-like education, in an attempt to mold these children into obedient soldiers. The orphans were mostly coming from the ducal servants' and soldiers' families, and were considered as the personal possession, if not physically, also mentally of the landlord.

As the wars of the Prussian kingdom, however, would become more pressing and show its nose also in the dukedom of Wurttemberg, a better use of these orphans were found: they would be raised into efficient and fearless officers for the unending wars or excellent administrators for the kingdom.

Unaware of this reality, many pupils were only told, mostly from their parents, that studying at the military academy would offer them the best perspectives of a good future in the homeland, and an entry there should, only but be considered as the best thing in their life.

The first day

As soon as the school was grounded in supplement of the orphanage in his castle, Duke Karl Eugen of Wurttemberg, in order to reach such great goals for his land, would also bring the sons of his poor officers and soldiers with good academic records, in his famous academy. For the first time, the orphans educated there would be sitting side by side with other pupils from different backgrounds.

Reviews

[Mauricio Montoya]

Solitude castle was originally designed to act as a place of quiet, reflection and solitude that’s how it got its name, but later built as a hunting lodge between 1764 and 1769. In this story I’m reading it has become an orphanage. I did some research so I’m amazed on how your story coincides with history. I’m no expert when it come to writing but I can commend you for a great job you’re doing on putting together this story. All I can say is keep on writing.

[patricia]

an interesting chapter. Thankyou