Education and Upbringing in Pietism

Pietism in Halle sought to achieve a fundamental improvement of society through the education and upbringing of boys and girls of all social classes. For August Hermann Francke, education for a true Christian way of life went hand in hand with the imparting of specialist knowledge and a broad general education, in order to train both qualified professionals and responsible members of society. The teaching content varied widely and was strongly practice-oriented. It ranged from religious instruction to languages and natural sciences to rhetoric and calligraphy, and even included technical and handicraft lessons. For the instruction methods, observation and experience played a major role, for which numerous collections of teaching aids and various school gardens were created. This use of realia for teaching purposes was the beginning of the »Realschule« system in Germany.

Francke also established the first teacher training college in Germany. There, gifted students were trained specifically to teach at his institutional schools. This led to the development of the professional teaching career. Numerous pupils and students from Halle spread Francke’s reforms throughout Germany and beyond. The introduction of compulsory schooling in Prussia and the state’s responsibility for organising a nationwide elementary school system were – with reference to the demands of the Reformation – significantly influenced by Pietism.