Breslau. The Referendar.

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 133 SIM/5
  • Dates of Creation
      April 1831 to July 1834
  • Physical Description
      140 pieces. Condition: many pieces are abraded on edges.

Scope and Content

The fifth volume of papers concerning Heinrich Simon contains materials recording the time he spent in Breslau, from April 1831 to July 1834, working as a Referendar[According to the material in this volume a law student was called Auskultator after passing the first law examination and Referendar after the second. In volumes 3 and 4, covering the time after Heinrich Simon's first examination, both terms were used. To simplify matters, in the catalogue Heinrich Simon is called Referendar until the time when he passed the third examination.] at the Oberlandesgericht (Supreme District Court) and preparing himself for the third law examination. There are documents such as papers relating to the court, his training and learning, personal accounts, several notes and correspondence. Some of the items relate to the case of the duel he was involved in. Other noteworthy events are his journey to Prague, stays in spas and his editing of a book about Prussian law in 1832/33.

Materials referring to Heinrich Simon's work at the court in Breslau and his preparation for the third examination include items such as an application by Heinrich Simon concerning the case of the duel, dated spring 1831 (5); a letter from the president of the court in Glogau concerning Heinrich Simon's application to have the date of his examination brought forward, dated 28 May 1831 (6); a reply to this application from the Ministry of Justice advising Simon of his appointment as Referendar, having passed the second examination, and of his employment at the Königliches Oberlandesgericht Breslau, dated Berlin 27 May 1831 (9); a letter to Heinrich Simon concerning his employment in Glogau, dated 17 Jun 1831 (17); a letter from the Königlich Preussisches Kammergericht (Royal Prussian Supreme Court) to Herrmann Simon concerning the case of Heinrich Simon and its expenses (35); a letter to Heinrich Simon from the salary office regarding repayment, dated Berlin 16 Feb 1832 (46, 46a); and a letter from the Königlich Preussisches Kammergericht to Heinrich Simon concerning repayment (55, 55a, 56).

In addition, there are copies of documents from the personal file of Heinrich Simon: an order dated 6 Jun 1831 (18); a reference dated 27 Jun 1831 (19); a note dated 11 Nov 1831 (20); and a note concerning the occupation of the Referendare (29). There are also several papers relating to cases, actions and hearings undertaken by or involving Heinrich Simon (28, 39, 62, 89, 107, 110).

Relating to the third law examination are notes and the written part of the examination called "Relation" or "Probe-Relation", referring to the work he later would have to do, begun Aug 1831 (23), 24 Oct 1833 (102), 6 Jan 1834 (103) and Jan/Feb 1834 (112); a note concerning the "Probe-Relationen" (122); preparation planning (128); and several letters or drafts of letters concerning his application for the third law examination, some belonging to his personal file, including required papers and certificates (104, 125, 129, 130, 136, 136a, 137, 139, 140). Piece 104 includes Heinrich Simon's curriculum vitae in Latin (105). Records relating to the editing and compilation of books by Heinrich Simon include: a calculation of the number of words fitting onto a printed sheet and, on the reverse, a list of contents of the book (41, 42); a contract between August Heinrich Simon and the Bookshop August Schulz & Co. concerning Heinrich Simon's sale to the Bookshop of the publishing rights for a book about the Prussian Law of Guardianship edited by him, dated Breslau 13 Aug 1832 (75); an action of Heinrich Simon against August Schulz & Co. because of non-compliance with the contract, dated Breslau 16 May 1834 (76); verdict and reasons concerning this action (77); several letters from August Schulz to Simon (64, 92, 101, 118); and a letter dated 31 Dec 1833 which Heinrich Simon wrote to the Minister of State sending him a copy of the book (106).

In addition, there are drafts of letters and papers (81, 84, 90, 115); notes (36, 58, 82, 83, 88, 115a, 119, 121); a list of personal belongings (36a); personal accounts such as a diary note (10), a diary page (31) and calendars with remarks for 7 Apr to 31 Dec 1831 (1-4) and 15 to 21 May 1834 (132a). Three bills record Heinrich Simon's stays at health resorts: Reinerz, 30 Jun until 5 Aug 1831 (13); Reinerz, 6 Jul to 29 Jul 1833 (99); and Cudowa, 28 Jul to 12 Aug 1833 (98). Several pieces refer to his journey to Prague in 1832: travel planning (65), Heinrich Simon's Prussian passport for travelling abroad to Prague (66), diary entries and notes (67-71, 73, 74) and a theatre programme from Prague (72).

Miscellaneous documents include: a little book Die Verständige und Vorsichtige Braut (The Sensible and Cautious Bride), with a note of where and when it was bought (30); a map of the earldom of Glaz made by Heinrich Simon in Reinerz, 15 Jul 1831 (32); a draft of a letter to the editors of the Schlesische Cholera Zeitung (Silesian Cholera Newspaper), dated 13 Oct 1831 (37); a copy of the edition of the newspaper in which this letter was printed, 15 Oct 1831 (38); a poem "to Heinrich Simon", dated 29 Oct 1832 (79); a printed cutting "Sehr klug und glücklich ist der Mann, Der in die Zeit sich schicken kann." (Very clever and happy is the man who can adapt himself to the present time.), with written remarks on the back (94); a draft "Ehrenrettung der preussischen Juristen" (clearing of the names of the Prussian lawyers) by Heinrich Simon (117); supplement to no. 98 of the Breslauer Zeitung (Breslau newspaper), dated 29 Apr 1834 (124); and "Hymnus auf einen Dukatenscheisser" (hymn to somebody made of money), names missing (127).

Heinrich Simon corresponded with the following people: his close family (to his family 14, 16, 33, 34; from his family 15, 22, 95-97); Heinrich Gräff (9, 48-54, 85, 86, 134); Auguste Gräff née Simon (54); his friend and colleague Julius Hoffmann (27, 45, 60, 91); his uncle Heinrich Simon in Berlin (109, 111, 133); his former school teacher Eduard Kaiser (43); his relative Lewald (80); and several friends and colleagues (7, 8, 21, 24-26, 40, 44, 57, 59, 61, 63, 78, 87, 93, 100, 113, 114, 116, 126). Other letters sent to Heinrich Simon are pieces 108, 120, 123, 132. Piece 11 is a letter concerning Heinrich Simon's wish to borrow a pair of pistols, dated June 1831. Piece 12 is a letter to Heinrich Simon from a friend concerning the stay in Reinerz in 1831. Piece 135 is a fragment of a letter.