He is considered as übervater of conspiracy. It is hardly noticed any more that Professor Weishaupt was a leading mind in a center of Enlightenment. Today Ingolstadt may be white-blue Bavarian province - in the 18th century it was a cosmopolitan focus of European progress.

Picture left: Ingolstadt, first half of the 17th century.

In 1472 the first Bavarian national university was created in Ingolstadt. For the first years of its existence it was, besides Prague and Vienna, one of the most important universities of all German-speaking countries. The fact that Adam Weishaupt taught here, the founder of the Illuminati, made the university still more legendary.

Weishaupt’s work was one of the reasons for Mary Shelley to choose Ingolstadt as location for her novel “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus” (published in 1818). Her husband, the poet Percy Bisshey Shelley, is said to have been close to the ideas of the Illuminati.

The 19th century was a new epoch. It was the time of the large cities, the industrialization and unrestrained capitalism. And the 19th century was the time of Enlightenment. A modern picture of man was developed. The success of the Illuminati mainly comes from this new school of Enlightenment.

Adam Weishaupt’s Childhood and Study

Adam Weishaupt was born on February 6th, 1748, in Ingolstadt. His father was a professor for jurisprudence. The young Weishaupt attended the Jesuit High School in Ingolstadt. With 15 years he left school to study philosophy, history and political sciences.

The young Adam Weishaupt was educated in the spirit of the Enlightenment by his father and his godfather Adam Ickstatt. Immediately after completion of his studies he began to work according to these teachings. Being thirsty for knowledge and ambitious  he soon became an opponent of the Jesuit order. Since the order of the Jesuits controlled the university Weishaupt made himself enemies.

Weishaupt’s Career

In 1768 Weishaupt received a doctorate in philosophy; four years later he became professor for church law.

So Weishaupt was professor for natural and church law in Ingolstadt. This position had been filled out by Jesuits for 90 years. The Enlightener Weishaupt, however, became very popular. Thus, the beginner and competitor made himself enviers in the old guard. Even many years later he calls Martin Lehenbauer his worst enemy, a consequence of his feuds with the Jesuits. These attacks against Weishaupt should later become a heavy burden for the professor …

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Read the 2nd part, "The occult and private life of Weishaupt"