| THE ROYAL PRUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND THE FINE ARTS. BERLIN. |
By EDWARD F. WILLIAMS,
CHICAGO, ILL.
II.
History of the Royal Prussian Academy of Science and the Fine Arts from its reorganization under Frederich the Great till his death in 1786.
UNDER the patronage of the new king, which was continued with increasing sympathy during the forty-six years of his reign, the academy in Berlin acquired world-wide influence. The Literary Society of Berlin, Which had been a serious rival, was united with it, and the new organization was named The Royal Prussian Academy of Science and the Fine Arts. The king had intended, it is thought, that Voltaire should be its president, but for some reason, greatly to the mortification of the Frenchman, Francis Algaratti, of Paris, was given that honor. But he did not retain it long.
The king was anxious to have Wolff, the philosopher, in the academy as a representative of the thought of the new time, and Maupertuis, of Paris, as a representative of the attainments and the spirit of Sir Isaac Newton. Wolff did not care to leave his professorship in Halle, and though Maupertuis was made one of 'The Immortals' of the French Academy in 1743, he came to Berlin in 1741, and at the king's wish, assumed control of the academy and continued at its head till his death on July 17, 1759. In 1743 the last volume of the Berlin 'Miscellanies' was issued. The academy now entered thoroughly into an era of reorganization. Its publications became cosmopolitan in character. Even if expenses increased the income grew. Men of distinction began to think favorably of Berlin as a home, and of membership in the academy as desirable. New societies for the study of natural history and literature, for which the inefficiency of the academy had furnished an excuse, were united with it on the broad plan of Leibniz. In the reorganized institution there were to be classes for the study of physics, mathematics, philosophy and philology, with a director at the head of each class. There were to be 24 members, and these were to be selected by the king from lists of names placed in his hand. The members of the old academy were all retained, but new men of the highest standing only were granted membership in the new institution.
