Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Hölderlin and Schelling were progressively like-minded fellow-students with whom he roomed and drank. Niethammer was probably, after Schelling, his most loyal friend. All three helped him find employment (though Schelling grew embittered by his success.) He cultivated the influential Goethe’s friendship, visited the exiled mathematician Carnot, and discussed Shakespeare with Tieck (who was unimpressed.) Fichte and the Schlegels were among the galaxy encountered in Jena. In Berlin, he taught the poet Heine and the engineer Roebling, and attended Fanny Mendelssohn’s celebrated musical events.