Chronicle of Nietzsche 's Life 3561865
February: "I have definitely setded on philology." Involuntary visit to a
brothel. Letter to his mother: "My recent experiences have been limited
to enjoying the arts." N.'s fraternity brothers call him 'loony" because
"whenever he was not on campus, he could usually be found at home
studying and playing music" N. avoids the carnival in Cologne.
Semester break in Naumburg. Quarrel with his mother because N.
refuses to take communion. Return to Bonn. Submits to a duel as a rite
of passage. A witness reports: "The two adversaries bumbled around
directing blows to their bandaged arms for the course of eleven minutes.
Nietzsche got a superficial cut on the bridge of his nose that was about
two centimeters long." Close friendship with Cad von Gersdorff and
Erwin Rohde. N. is disgusted with the "beer materialism" of the
Franconia. Leaves Bonn. 'Ί fled from Bonn like a refugee." Switch to
Leipzig, where his favorite teacher, Ritschl, had accepted a professorship.
October: The Schopenhauer experience. "A need for self-knowledge and
even self-doubt took hold of me with great force. My troubled, melan-
choly diary entries of that time with their poindess self-accusations and
their desperate search for sanctity and transformation of the entire core
of mankind are testimony to this change of oudook." Founding of the
"Philological Club." N. gives up tobacco and alcohol, but becomes a reg-
ular at the pastry shop, where he consumes large quantities of cakes and
pies.
1866
Lengthy hikes in the vicinity of Leipzig. Describes a storm as follows:
"How different the lightning, the storm, the hail, free powers, without
ethics! How happy, how powerful they are, pure will, untarnished by
intellect!" (April). Admires Bismarck and declares his solidarity as an
"enraged Prussian" (July). Writes about Bismarck's military policy:
"Ultimately this Prussian manner of getting rid of princes is as easy as
can be" (July). N. describes his reaction to Prussia's "national program"