Figure 1.--
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Figure 1.-- |
The foundation for German state-funded primary education was laid in the 18th century. The basic pattern of the „Volksschule“ (now called the „Grundschule“) was continued. The major development during the 19th century was the increasing number of children who were completed their primary schooling. The education of boys was given the greates priority. It became, however, increasingly common for girls to complere their primary school as well. Secondary education became increasingly important in the 19th century, although still only a small minority of mostly boys persued academic secondary education. The principal academic secondary school was the Gymnasium, although the realschule became increasingly important in the late 19th century. At about 18/19 years old the pupils finish secondary school with the „Abitur“ or „Reifeprüfung“ (in Switzerland „Matur“) allowing them to continue to a university. (Germany had no no under-graduate bachelors at earlier times, it is a new invention of politicians of the 2000s.) The boys completing their primary education began in the „Lehre“ when 14 years old which was a 3-year progeams, „Lehrlinge“. It is now called „Auszubildende“ oder „Azubis“ for short –, have to go for one day to a „Gewerbeschule“ or „Berufsschule“ giving some theoretical basis to the field of the „Lehre“.
The foundation for German state-funded primary education was laid in the 18th century. The basic pattern of the „Volksschule“ (now called the „Grundschule“) was continued. The major development during the 19th century was the increasing number of children who were completed their primary schooling. The education of boys was given the greates priority. It became, however, increasingly common for girls to complere their primary school as well.
Secondary education became increasingly important in the 19th century, although still only a small minority of mostly boys persued academic secondary education. The principal academic secondary school was the Gymnasium, although the realschule became increasingly important in the late 19th century.
Upper class children, beginning with 5–6 years of age, went to schools, privately paid by the parents, often also originially a „Stiftung“. With 9 or 10 years the upper class children, especially the boys, if their abilitities were good enough, entered a „Gymnasium“.
The principal academic secondary school was the Gymnasium. Latin was the beginning language, Greek the second one, much similar to the curiculum of the old „Klosterschulen“. French was the third language in the 19th century. (In modern times it has becone English.) In the 17th/18th and the beginning of the 19th century, during the Napoleonic area, a „Gymnasium“ (for boys) was founded in many German and German speaking towns and states. e.g., in Stuttgart the „Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium“ named after a well-known old Württemberg duke was founded as „Gymnasium illustre" (a french term !) in 1686; in Vienna, the Austrian capital, a gymnasium for boys was founded in 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars. The famous pupils were, among others, Johann Strauß and the last Austrian emperor Karl I. In Switzerland the „Gymnasium“ is usually called „Kantonsschule“ run by the respective government in the capitals of the Swiss cantones. The Swiss German schools are known for high academic syandards. All such schools in Germany are now very often called only „Oberschule“ or named with the name of a notable historical person.
Another secondary-level school was the „Realschule“/“Oberrealschule“. Here in the 19th century/beginning 20th century French as the first and only foreign language, later also English. The curriculum of the Realschule was more practical than at the Gymnasium. A greater emphasis was given to science and mathematics, There were also the „Realgymnasien“ which persued a curiculum something in between. There were for example two foreign languages.
At about 18/19 years old the pupils finish secondary school with the „Abitur“ or „Reifeprüfung“ (in Switzerland „Matur“) allowing them to continue to a university. (Germany had no no under-graduate bachelors at earlier times, it is a new invention of politicians of the 2000s.) Usually, till early 1950s, with 16 years old in Germany there was a first examination to prove the „mittlere Reife“; originally till the 1930s, the mittlere Reife allowed to shorten military service to 1 year leading to an officier carreer in the military reserve. Up to about 1960 about 8 percent of the children of an age-group went to a secondary school and later to an university, more in towns than in villages; now it is up to about 50 percent, about 30 percent going after school to an university.
The boys completing their primary education began in the „Lehre“ when 14 years old which was a 3-year progeams, „Lehrlinge“. It is now called „Auszubildende“ oder „Azubis“ for short –, have to go for one day to a „Gewerbeschule“ or „Berufsschule“ giving some theoretical basis to the field of the „Lehre“. There were also „Höhere Gewerbeschulen“/“Polytechnische Schulen“, e.g., for those finishing a „Mittelschule“ or early leaving higher, secondary schools. In medieval times it was common that a „Geselle“, i.e. a person who has completed a „Lehre“, went for „Wanderschaft“ in the European countries for some years before applying to be a „Meister“ (a status which allows to open a craftmen’s business and to educate „Lehrlinge“ by himself).
Again an example: In the last week when I was in Vienna I have seen two Zimmermanngesellen (carpenters) from Hamburg in Wanderschaft; it is easy to find them as, by tradition, they wear specific clothes.
Some of the „Technical Universities“ of present days partially originate from „Höheren Gewerbeschulen“/“Polytechnischen Schulen“ following a split in the latter schools 180 - 150 years ago. The historical development of the schools for Lehrlinge is interesting. They have evolved into the modern German "Technisal Universities" in the tertiary education levels. I read recently in a newspaper article about the 125 years anniversary of the "Technische Universitaet Berlin". In 1770 it was a "Bauakademie" (civil engineering academy). In 1799 it was named to be a "Gewerbeakademie" (industrial, trade, etc). In 1879 the "Koenigliche technische Hochschule" - as the similar technical universities at various towns in Germany (Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Munich, Darmstadt, ...), Switzerland (ETH Zurich), Austria (Vienna)with the right to promote students with the doctoral degree (Dr.-Ing.) about 1890. After World War II it was refounded by the British military administration in 1946. Famous students were Georg Schlesinger, Gustaf Hertz, Konrad Zuse. It now has about 33,000 students, about 20 percent of whom are foreign students.
The different kinds of German schools can be quite confusing. Readers might want to look at one German family to see how different kinds of schools were attended by the different family memmbers over time.
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