Autobiography of Friedrich Froebel Part 12

Froebel determines to become an architect, and sets out for Frankfurt to study there. Becomes, however, teacher in the Model School at Frankfurt, on Gruner's invitation. Visits Pestalozzi, at Yverdon, for a short time.

1807. He becomes tutor in the family of Herr von Holzhausen in the suburbs of Frankfurt.

1808. He goes to Pestalozzi at Yverdon with his pupils.

1809. He draws up an account of Pestalozzi's work for the Princess of Rudolstadt.

1810. Froebel returns to Frankfurt from Yverdon.

1811. He goes to the University of Gottingen.

1812. He proceeds thence to the University of Berlin.

1813. Froebel, Langethal, and Middendorff enlist in Lutzow's regiment of Cha.s.seurs, a volunteer corps enrolled to take part in the resistance to Napoleon's invasion of Prussia.

1814. Jan. 5th.--Birth of Elise Froebel (Madame Schaffner), Christian's youngest daughter.

After the Peace of Paris (May 30th, 1814) Froebel is appointed a.s.sistant in the Mineralogical Museum of the University of Berlin, and takes his post there in August.

1816. Nov. 13th.--Froebel founds his "Universal German Educational Inst.i.tute" in Griesheim.

1817. Transference of the School to Keilhau. Arrival of Langethal and Middendorff.

1818. First marriage of Froebel.

1820. Christian Froebel arrives at Keilhau with his wife and daughters Froebel writes "To the German people."

1821. Froebel publishes (privately) "Principles, Aims, and Inner Life of the Universal German Educational Inst.i.tute in Keilhau," and "Aphorisms."

1822. He publishes the pamphlets "On German Education, especially as regards the Universal German Educational Inst.i.tute at Keilhau,"

and "On the Universal German Educational Inst.i.tute at Keilhau."

1823. He publishes "Continuation of the Account of the Educational Inst.i.tute at Keilhau."

1824. He publishes the pamphlet "Christmas at Keilhau."

1826. Marriages of Langethal and Middendorff. Froebel publishes the "Education of Man" ("Menschen Erziehung"). Later he founds the weekly _Family Journal of Education_.

1827. Letter to the Duke of Meiningen (translated in this present work), uncompleted, probably never sent to the duke.

1828. Letter to Krause (partly translated in the present work). Barop formally becomes a member of the Educational Community at Keilhau.

1829. Plan for a National Educational Inst.i.tute in Helba, under the auspices of the Duke of Meiningen, now completed, the whole Keilhau community having worked upon it under Froebel's direction.

1830. Death of Wilhelm Carl, one of the Keilhau community, by drowning in the Saale.

1831. Froebel breaks with the Duke of Meiningen, and gives up the Helba project.

Visit to Frankfurt, and meeting with Schnyder.

Acceptance of Schnyder's offer of his Castle at Wartensee.

Opening of the Inst.i.tution at Wartensee by Froebel and his nephew Ferdinand.

1832. Barop goes to Wartensee. Transference of the School from Wartensee to Willisau. Froebel pays a short visit to Keilhau.

1833. Froebel brings his wife to Willisau. The Bernese Administration invites him to consider a plan for the foundation of an Orphanage at Burgdorf. He is appointed lecturer for the Repet.i.tive Courses for young teachers held there. Langethal comes from Keilhau to Willisau, Barop returns to Keilhau.

1835. Froebel, his wife, and Langethal undertake the foundation of the Orphanage for Bern, in Burgdorf. Middendorff and Elise Froebel go from Keilhau to Willisau and join Ferdinand Froebel there.

Froebel writes "The New Year 1836 demands a Renewal of Life."

1836. Froebel and his wife leave Burgdorf for Berlin. Ferdinand Froebel and Langethal take over the direction of the Orphanage.

1837. Opening of the first Kindergarten in Blankenburg.

1838. Commencement of Froebel's _Sunday Journal_.

1839. Froebel and Middendorff go to Dresden. Death of Madame Froebel.

1840. Guttenberg Festival (400th anniversary of the invention of printing). Opening of the Universal German Kindergarten at Blankenburg, as a joint-stock company. Froebel and Middendorff in the following years make several journeys from Keilhau to various parts of Germany endeavouring to promote the erection of Kindergartens.

1848. General Congress of Teachers, called by Froebel, at Rudolstadt.

Second journey of Froebel to Dresden in the autumn.

1849. Froebel settles at Liebenstein intending to train Kindergarten teachers there. Work at Hamburg, first by Middendorff, then by Froebel.

1850. Froebel returns to Liebenstein. Through the influence of Madame von Marenholtz-Bulow he receives the neighbouring country seat of Marienthal from the Grand Duke of Weimar for the purposes of his Training College. Foundation of a new _Weekly Journal of Education_ by Froebel, edited by Lange. Marriage of Elise Froebel to Dr. Siegfried Schaffner.

1851. Jan. 9th.--Death of Christian Ludwig Froebel.

July.--Second marriage of Froebel, with Luise Levin. First appearance of the _Journal for Friedrich Froebel's Educational Aims_.

1852. April.--Froebel is called to join the Educational Congress at Gotha, under the presidency of Theodor Hoffman.

June 21.--_Death of Froebel._ His educational establishment at Marienthal is removed to Keilhau, under the superintendence of Middendorff. Madame Luise Froebel also a.s.sists to train students in the methods of the Kindergarten at Keilhau.

1853. Middendorff enthusiastically received at the Congress at Salzungen, when addressing it on the Froebelian methods.

Nov. 27th.--Death of Middendorff. Madame Luise Froebel, for a time, directs Keilhau.

1854. Madame Luise Froebel goes in the spring to Dresden, to a.s.sist Dr.

Marquart in his Kindergarten and training establishment for Kindergarten teachers. Madame Marquart had been a pupil of Froebel. Keilhau ceases to be a training school for Kindergarten teachers.

In the autumn Madame Luise Froebel accepts the directors.h.i.+p of the Public Free Kindergarten in Hamburg, and trains students there. (She is still actively employed at Hamburg in the cause of the Kindergarten; 1886.)

First introduction of the Kindergarten system into England by Miss Praetorius, who founds a Kindergarten at Fitzroy Square.

Madame von Marenholtz Bulow, who was the support of Froebel's latest years, whose influence with the Grand Duke of Weimar procured him Marienthal, and whose whole leisure and power was devoted to his service, and to the interpretation of his ideas, comes to England to lecture and write in support of the cause of the Kindergarten. Publishes a pamphlet on "Infant Gardens," in English.

Madame Ronge introduces the Kindergarten system at Manchester; and shortly afterwards the Manchester Kindergarten a.s.sociation is founded.