Editing Franz Kafka (section)

=== Education ===
[[File:Prague Palace Kinsky PC.jpg|thumb|[[Kinský Palace (Prague)|Kinský Palace]] where Kafka attended [[Gymnasium (Germany)|gymnasium]] and his father owned a shop|alt=An ornate four-storey palatial building]]

From 1889 to 1893, Kafka attended the German boys' elementary school at the {{lang|cs|Masný trh/Fleischmarkt}} (meat market), now known as Masná Street. His Jewish education ended with his ''[[bar mitzvah]]'' celebration at the age of 13. Kafka never enjoyed attending the synagogue and went with his father only on four high holidays each year.{{sfn|Kafka-Franz, Father|2012}}{{sfn|Stach|2005|p=13}}{{sfn|Brod|1960|pp=26–27}}

After leaving elementary school in 1893, Kafka was admitted to the rigorous classics-oriented state [[Gymnasium (Germany)|gymnasium]], {{lang|de|Altstädter Deutsches Gymnasium|italic=no}}, an academic secondary school at Old Town Square, located within [[Kinský Palace (Prague)|Kinský Palace]]. German was the language of instruction, but Kafka also spoke and wrote in Czech.{{sfn|Hawes|2008|p=29}}{{sfn|Sayer|1996|pp=164–210}} He studied the latter at the gymnasium for eight years, achieving good grades.{{sfn|Kempf|2005|pp=159–160}} Kafka received compliments for his Czech, but never considered himself fluent in the language. He spoke German with a Czech accent.{{sfn|Koelb|2010|p=12}}{{sfn|Sayer|1996|pp=164–210}} He completed his [[Matura]] exams in 1901.{{sfn|Corngold|2004|p=xii}}

Kafka was admitted to the {{lang|de|[[German Charles-Ferdinand University|Deutsche Karl-Ferdinands-Universität]]|italic=no}} of Prague in 1901. He was originally admitted for philosophy, and he had additionally signed up for chemistry.{{sfn|Karl|1991|p=148}} Kafka began studying chemistry but switched to law after two weeks.{{sfn|Diamant|2003|pp=36–38}} Although this field did not excite him, it offered a range of career possibilities, which pleased his father. In addition, law required a longer course of study, giving Kafka time to take classes in German studies and art history.{{sfn|Brod|1960|pp=40–41}} He also joined a student club, {{lang|de|Lese- und Redehalle der Deutschen Studenten|italic=no}} (Reading and Lecture Hall of the German students), which organised literary events, readings and other activities.{{sfn|Gray|2005|p=179}} Among Kafka's friends were the journalist [[Felix Weltsch]], who studied philosophy, the actor [[Yitzchak Lowy]] who came from an orthodox [[Hasidic]] Warsaw family, and the writers [[Ludwig Winder]], [[Oskar Baum]] and [[Franz Werfel]].{{sfn|Stach|2005|pp=43–70}}

At the end of his first year of studies, Kafka met [[Max Brod]], a fellow law student who became a close friend for life.{{sfn|Gray|2005|p=179}} Years later, Brod coined the term {{lang|de|Der enge Prager Kreis}} ("The Close Prague Circle") to describe the group of writers, which included Kafka, Felix Weltsch and Brod himself.{{sfn|Spector|2000|p=17}}{{sfn|Keren|1993|p=3}} Brod soon noticed that, although Kafka was shy and seldom spoke, what he said was usually profound.{{sfn|Brod|1960|p=40}} Kafka was an avid reader throughout his life;{{sfn|Brod|1960|p=14}} together he and Brod read [[Plato]]'s ''[[Protagoras (dialogue)|Protagoras]]'' in the original [[Ancient Greek|Greek]], on Brod's initiative, and [[Gustave Flaubert]]'s {{lang|fr|[[Sentimental Education|L'éducation sentimentale]]}} and {{lang|fr|[[The Temptation of Saint Anthony (novel)|La Tentation de St. Antoine]]}} (''The Temptation of Saint Anthony'') in French, at his own suggestion.{{sfn|Brod|1966|pp=53–54}} Kafka considered [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]], Flaubert, [[Nikolai Gogol]], [[Franz Grillparzer]],{{sfn|Stach|2005|p=362}} and [[Heinrich von Kleist]] to be his "true [[blood brother]]s".{{sfn|Gray|2005|pp=74, 273}} Besides these, he took an interest in [[Czech literature]]{{sfn|Hawes|2008|p=29}}{{sfn|Sayer|1996|pp=164–210}} and was also very fond of the works of [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]].{{sfn|Brod|1960|pp=51, 122–124}}{{sfn|Stach|2005|pp=80–83}} Kafka was awarded the degree of Doctor of Law on 18 June 1906{{efn|Records of the university list June as Kafka's graduation month, as well was some secondary sources (Murray), while Brod lists July, possibly confusing the date with that of an exam three years earlier, on 18 July 1903.{{sfn|Murray|2004|p=62}}{{sfn|Brod|1960|p=78}}{{sfn|German University Prague – Doctor of Law|1906}}{{sfn|German University Prague – Exam|1906}}{{sfn|German University Prague – Exam|1905}}{{sfn|German University Prague – Exam|1903}}}} and performed an obligatory year of unpaid service as a law clerk for the civil and criminal courts.{{sfn|Steinhauer|1983|pp=390–408}}