How did Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel begin his university career at Jena?

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel began his university career at the University of Jena in January 1801, following the death of his father in 1799, which provided him with a modest inheritance. This financial independence allowed him to take the risk of becoming a privatdozent, or unsalaried lecturer.1

To qualify as a university teacher, Hegel submitted a dissertation that reflected the influence of his friend Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling, who was already a professor at Jena. His initial academic work, including his first publication, Differenz des Fichte’schen und Schelling’schen Systems der Philosophie (1801), further aligned him with Schelling’s philosophy of nature, though Hegel’s own distinct views soon began to emerge. During his first winter session (1801–02), he delivered lectures on logic and metaphysics to a small group of about 11 students.1