• unspecified male vv: participating ensemble, vv

Prager Morgenpost 4/11/1862 published news about arrangements for the forthcoming festival to celebrate the anniversary of the birthday of Schiller (born 10 November 1759) . The correspondent reported that since the hundred-year festival of ‘our great national poet’ his birthday has been celebrated through a festival. The celebrations would take place over several days. ‘The Reading Room of the German Students begin [the celebrations] on Saturday with a concert and a social meeting. On Sunday the [music society] „Arion“ give an Academy [Akademie] in the Hall of Žofín Island with the participation of the ladies Gebhardt, Kainz-Prause [Kainz-Prauseová] and [Mr] Hardtmuth. Monday the singing society „Aede“. Tuesday will be perforned in the [German Estates] Theatre Die Braut von Messina. As we have heard, the Deutsche Casino and the German Gymnastic Society will also hold events during the festival period.’ The ‘concert’ taking place on Saturday actually constituted a meeting of the members of the Reading Room and of various other German-orientated societies at which numerous speeches were given, followed by an interval in which a chorus and the German national anthem were sung. The interval was followed by a social drinking occasion. 

The Tagesprogramm section of Bohemia 8/11/1862 noted: ‘7 o’clock in the Konvikt Hall: Schiller Festival of the Reading Room of German Students.’

No further details of this Reading Room event were published by Prager Morgenpost until the newspaper reviewed the occasion on 9/11/1862. The correspondent of that text related: ‘Schiller Festival of the Reading Room of German Students. The series of festivities, which our city is giving to mark the Birthday Festival of Schiller, commenced yesterday in worthy fashion by the Reading Room of German Students. It was an occasion that could claim to be completely German in name, as is generally the case [when arranged] by the German students... A dedicated festival committee, comprising three members of the Reading Room took the trouble to do the preparatory work for the festival, and we must say that they were entirely satisfactory in their success. The Konvikt Hall, in which the Commemorations took place was as tastefully as appropriately decorated. The walls were clad in simple white and decked with garlands of flowers. In the corners were green bouquets, in the middle of which were arranged flowers. At the rear was installed the bust of Schiller, bestowed with a laurel wreath. Opposite, at the other end were busts of their Majesties the Emperor and Empress. Along the side walls were busts of great German men, Göthe, Bürger, Klopstock and many others. The German flag was missing from the commemoration. The German colours were displayed nowhere. In the brightly lit hall a numerous crowd assembled by 7pm. The Reading Room of German Students made up the largest contingent. University students and students of the Technical School made up a fraternal congregation to celebrate the birthday of the great German poet. The assembled students were attired in full regalia and were a glorious sight. The German Gymnastic Society [Turnverein], the German singing societies „Arion“, „Aëde“ and „Flöte“ were represented by many members. Among the guests were men of Science and Industry. We noted the University Professors Dr Pierre, Dr Vesely [Veselý], Dr Schneider, the German councillor Mr Richard Dotzauer, the Estates official Dr Schmeykal, Mr Seutter von Lötzen and many others. In the gallery a garland of the most beautiful ladies assembled, which brought a particular brilliance to the festival. The celebration was opened by the President of the Reading Room with a speech...’ Details of this and further speeches given were related, following which the critic reported that the assembly gave ‘great, sustained applause’ to a performance by the German Singers [Singing Society] of the Lied „Vom Bodensee bis an den Velt“, which had to be encored. To end the ceremony the singers perfomed the German national anthem, which was also repeated. A drinking festival [Festkommers] continued until after midnight [listed as a separate event in the database].’ The singers performing on this occasion most likely were the members of the specified German singing societies.

Prager Morgenpost 10/11/1862 published a further, extended account of the ‘Festkommers’ of the Reading Room of German Students. The unspecified critic (although the review was prefixed by the signature of two parallel lines, ‘=’)  reported that the occasion ‘which followed yesterday’s Schiller Festival of the Reading Room for German Students, passed off in comfortable, cheery fashion... The student song „Gaudeamus igitur“ was vigorously given by the full chorus and evoked youthful reminiscences in the hearts of the elder participants of the festival.   The series of toasts began by Mr Seutter from Lötzen with a Hail to His Majesty the Emperor Franz Josef. The entire assembly arose from their seats and three times thundered Hail to His Majesty. The music continued with the national anthem, which was sung by all present. Toast followed upon toast, interspersed by many student songs, performed in cheerful and noble fashion by the musical ensemble. Several toasts were made to the poet-heroes Schiller and Göthe. Particular applause inspired a toast by Dr Kreuzberg to the Friends of Austria.’ This speech was particularly notable for the strength of its expression of pro-German sentiment among the native Prague German-Bohemian community.  

A review of the Schiller celebrations organised by the Reading Room for German Students was published by Bohemia 9/11/1862. The correspondent (signed with a compass-like arrow symbol) reported that ‘The series of festivities in commemoration of the great Poet [zum Andenken des Dichters] was begun by the „Reading Room of German Students“ yesterday evening in the Konvikt Hall with a Festival that was extraordinarily well attended. The members of the Reading Room, several hundred in number, and of the German Student-Association, for the greater part [attired] in their badges and colours, [and] the members of various German societies invited to the festival, filled the room to such a degree that the remainder of invited participants could only with difficulty find a free place. Of the latter we can note only in general that there were distinguished representatives from the University, the Polytechnic Institute, manufacturers’ and merchants’ professions, writers and scholars, journalists, artists etc. The fairer sex were numerous in attendance. – The Hall, in its simple, beautiful decoration made a surprisingly pleasant spectacle, the many felicitous speeches and the numerous toasts that made up the programme of the festival were inspiring.’ The review then noted that the speeches given opened with one by Mr Ludwig of the Reading Room committee. News was announced from the Schiller- and Goethe-library of the publication of three new works about Schiller’s life. During an interval before the beginning of the ‘Festcommers [lit. student drinking festival]’ a male voice chorus sang the German national anthem ‘das deutsche Vaterlandslied’ and ‘the beautiful „Vom Bodensee bis an den Velt“ in a happy manner, both songs on general demand having to be repeated.’ The following drinking festival, at which it was noted further speeches and toasts were given, continued ‘until after midnight,’

Interest in this event seems to have not been tempered by the performance on that same evening of Rienzi in the German Estates Theatre.