Adam Mickiewicz's First Lecture in College De France 1840-1844 (Lecture‪)‬

Translator's Introduction (2008) During the time he lived in Western Europe as an emigre poet, Adam Mickiewicz was twice invited to serve as professor of literature at institutions of higher learning. In 1839-40 at the University of Lausanne he lectured on Latin literature. In 1840 he accepted the Chair of Slavic Literatures at the prestigious College de France. Supported by the French government, this was the first Slavic Literatures professorship in Western Europe. Mickiewicz began teaching there on December 22, 1840 and delivered his last lecture on May 28, 1844. In his inaugural lecture he defined his teaching objectives and emphatically articulated several tangential themes including his concern about speaking in a foreign language and, on a different level, his desire for the unity of European nations.