I'm back again with what probably is another simple-minded question but the list members have been so generous with their answers to my other questions that I'm hoping that perhaps someone can help me out.
What kind of education would the children of the Heuerleute in Oldenburg have had in the middle of the nineteenth century? My great great grandfather (Johann Heinrich Bergmann) was a tenant farmer in Damme but only a few years after the family's arrival in the U.S. in 1870, he was on the school board in Stearns County MN and his daughter, my great grandmother Berardina, was the first teacher in one of the small district schools there. She must have had some kind of schooling but would it have been enough for her to teach? I know that there were Progymasia all over Germany at the time but am not sure how the Heuerleute would have fit into this scheme or indeed whether she would have attended such a school.
I'd be most grateful for any help in this area and/or suggestions for further reading.
Margot King
What were Progymasia?
Incidentally, my grandparents were born about 1900 into families who owned
small farms near Osnabruck or Visbek. Each had about a 6th or 8th grade
education I was told. Grandma was raised to be a cook and a maid; Grandpa
apparently became a wagon wheel maker and one of his wagons is still in the
barn there in Erlte. I'm guessing these were traditional school/career
outcomes for that time.
CG
I don't know what the schooling system was for sure. I think my
g-grandfather attended the common schools through age 14.
Regarding, teaching in small district schools in rural America, the
country school I attended had lots of old books in a cabinet in the
basement from the time when it had been a "normal school." As I
understand it, the people who completed 8th grade there could do an
additional year, after which they were prepared to teach.
Marilyn
Hello Margot,
I have the history of the School in Damme, it is a long story, but in German language.
About 1830 was in Damme two main schools (for boys "Knabenschule" for girls "Mädchenschule") each with only one class-room, together 2 teacher and 232 kids! 1863 started the two class system with three teachers, boys and girls are the first three school years together in a class.
In additional to this was there 13 side schools in the Bauernschaften(farm groups) like Borrighausen, Haverbeck, etc.
This was also only one class room for girl and boys, 1830 80-110 kids, but about 1870 only 50-70 kids because a lot of families emigrated to the States. There are trained teachers at the schools since about 1830, but all must have a small farm for live, the income was very bad.
Since 1866 has Damme an additional school "Höhere Bürgerschule" like a high school with several classes. After this school they could go to Münster to the education as a teacher.
I think, also the Heuerleute children could go to the Höhere Bürgerschule.
I hope help,
Werner
Dear Werner,
You're marvellous and once again I thank you for all your help. I did discover a bit of general information about the German school system in the 19th century but nothing as specific as what you've sent me. But as usual, I have more questions! What precisely were the "side schools" on the Bauernshaften? On what grounds would each Bauerschaft be chosen to house such a school or was the choice up to the owners of the Bauernschaften? What kind of qualifications would the teachers have to have -- or were they simply drawn from the local clergy? On the basis of what I've read, I presume that the students would have been taught reading, basic arithmetic, writing and catechism.
Thank you again. I'll send you a copy of my funny small family history once I'm satisfied that there aren't too many errors in it.
Margot
Margot,
as time went on education became ever more regimented in the various
German states. They were in the forefront here among all countries in
the world and the German educational system became an example others
would follow.
The outlying farm groups (Bauerschaften) had a choice of sending their
kids to the main school or starting their own. They mostly chose the
latter because of distance. It could also be 'controlled' a bit better
at home if the need for help on the farm arose. Kids pretty much had
to work and at 14 you were supposed to be done with all that schooling
and earn a living. Only the höhere Bürgerschule offered a way up the
line and out of a very basic education. Later it became the Gymnasiums
in regional cities but travel arrangements had to be possible.
During much of the early to mid 19th century the single class for all
students was the norm with the church custodian, organist etc (Küster,
Ludimagister, etc) being the designated school teacher. A bunch of my
ancestors served in this function in the Osnabrück area in Lutheran
parishes. In Prussian controlled areas these teachers were often
retired or cashiered former soldiers. The idea was that discipline was
more important then lots of school learning. Many of these school had
a hard time when it was time to harvest the fields as the students
mysteriously got sick and couldn't be in school. Some schools even
fined the parents because of this absenteeism. The clergy might have
taught religion but typically they were above the menial task of
teaching. Teachers really did not enjoy much prestige and were very
poorly paid. It had to be a labor of love and very hard work.
Fred
Dear Fred,
You people really are amazing!
The reason I'm so interested in the schooling (apart from general curiosity) is that my great grandmother (the daughter of a Heuerman) in Damme was the first teacher in a small district school in Stearns County and from what I recall my family saying about her, she clearly had educational aspirations for herself and her children -- or at least for her sons, if not her daughters, although the youngest did make it to university in the early 20s. Would she have had enough training at the school on the Meyer-Holzgrefe estate (Volkschule? Dorfschule? Landschule?) to enable her to teach once the family arrived in the U.S. in 1870? I doubt that she went to Normal School but I gather that the requirements for teaching weren't all that strict at the time.
Thanks again!
Margot
Dear Werner,
After I replied to the messages from you and Fred, I realized I forgot to ask about the book you mentioned in your email of 13-Oct-06:
I have the history of the School in Damme, it is a long story, but in German language.
Did you mean a book or a manuscript? If the former, could you give me the author and title and I'll see if I might be able to get a copy through inter-library loan?
Thank you.
Margot
Margot King
margot.king@ca.inter.net
Hello Fred,
thank you for help.
Werner
Just another quick comment on schooling. I'm about to depart for
Charleston, SC from our current place at Williamsburg, VA. Been
travelling and we are slowling heading back to Florida for the winter.
My interest in the schooling issue comes from the fact that my
gr...grandfather became Ludimagister in Hilter, Westphalia after being
discharged from the Prussian service as a Feldjäger out of the Ansbach
Jägercorps in Bissendorf. Now how did he get enough education to
teach, play an organ and become the second in charge at the parish
church in Hilter? That has been a puzzle to me as well as Margot.
I came to the conclusion that today's educational standards don't
match. We need to think differently. 8 years of school seemed to have
gone a little farther back then. We know of many people who went to
Harvard and other universities in their early teens. Today that would
be an extreme anamoly. My Feldjäger's children presumeably were taught
by him and all became well educated and could write like a college
student today. The penmanship was immaculate. One went on to study at
the gymnasium and became a preacher and then switched to Catholicism
in the US to become or try to become a RC priest. I have copies of his
letters stored at the U. of Notre Dame's archives. He also taught
ancient languages presumeably Greek and Latin. It all boggles the mind
as to how much these folks learned in such a short time compared to
today's lengthy school years.
Anyway, got to to go and get on the road. We have 800 miles to cover today.
Fred
I made a booboo. I meant 8 hours to drive not 800 miles. The mind does
strange things early in the morning. Anyway, we are here in Mt
Pleasant just outside of Charleston, SC. Out by the highway it seems
everybody is selling baskets made out of reed straw. Seems to be part
of the age old culture of the black folks who live here. I'll have to
go and check this out.
Fred
Hello Margot,
in additional what I told about the school in Damme.
The Meyer-Holgrefe estate is located in the Bauernschaft (farm group) Holte-Bokern. This Bauerschaft is the smallest in the parish Damme and close to the parish, Therefore there was not and own side-school and kids must go to the main-school (Knabenschule) in Damme.
The Visitation report of 1862 listed that the following subjects were taught: religion, reading, writing, speaking, arithmetic, object-lessons, world chronicle, singing.
All children were required to attend school between 6 and 15 years.
The daily lessons time was of 8-12 hours and from 1 to 4 hours in the winter and summertime.
In the Bauerschaften was the lessons time in the summer only between 8-12, in the afternon the kids must work on the fields.
You can therefore assume that the education was better at the main-school and the change was much bigger to come to the higher school and later to the Normalschule, but for this the need money.
That's all what I could find.
Werner Honkomp
Dear Werner,
I'm running out of superlatives! Thank you very very much. It was precisely this kind of information that I was looking for.
Margot