MY LIFE



PART I

1813-1842



I was born at Leipzig on the 22nd of May 1813, in a room on the
second floor of the 'Red and White Lion,' and two days later was
baptized at St. Thomas's Church, and christened Wilhelm Richard.

My father, Friedrich Wagner, was at the time of my birth a clerk
in the police service at Leipzig, and hoped to get the post of
Chief Constable in that town, but he died in the October of that
same year. His death was partly due to the great exertions
imposed upon him by the stress of police work during the war
troubles and the battle of Leipzig, and partly to the fact that
he fell a victim to the nervous fever which was raging at that
time. As regards his father's position in life, I learnt later
that he had held a small civil appointment as toll collector at
the Ranstadt Gate, but had distinguished himself from those in
the same station by giving his two sons a superior education, my
father, Friedrich, studying law, and the younger son, Adolph,
theology.