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ALLGEMEINE DEUTSCHE SCHULZEITUNG

1839 — 1840

Address Before the Society by FRITZ O. EVERS, Pastor of Zion Church

Heinrich Scheib was elected pastor of

Zion Church on October 18th, 1835. With

him a new era began in German life in

Baltimore. His well-trained scientific

mind, his balanced judgment, his univer-

sal knowledge, his magnetic personality,

his uncommon talents as preacher and

teacher soon made him a prime mover

along all avenues of progress. A new

day had dawned. This new day also

called into light and life the much neg-

lected field of education of our youth.

The precarious, yea disgraceful, condi-

tion which Scheib discovered in the pa-

rochial school of Zion Church led him

to radical measures. The old school was

discontinued. An entirely new school

was started. It opened on November 21,

1836, with seventy-one children and two

teachers. In this great institution mod-

ern principles of education prevailed;

principles at that time ultra-modern and

today, after almost one hundred years,

still modern. The school's aim was "edu-

cation" as against "instruction." The

guarded and guided development of the

personality of the child was its goal,

rather than the cultivation merely of

mind and intellect Pastor Scheib was a

born educator. He spent his youthful

enthusiasm—he was just on the brink

of thirty then—upon this young insti-

tution and the ideals which it endeav-

ored to realize. Additional to the nu-

merous annual reports on the progress

of the school, we possess a document

which, on the broadest basis, presents

and promotes the world of thought

from which this educational ideal had

grown: A school-paper, an educational

magazine, of national ambitions.

On Saturday, June 15th, 1839, the

first issue of the "Allgemeine Deutsche

Schulzeitung" appeared. The paper

announced itself as a bi-weekly. As

editors H. Scheib and P. M. Wolsieffer

are named. It was printed by L. B.

Schwarz.

Out-of-town subscribers were served

by the railroad service, i. e. express.

Later, when irregularity in delivery

brought complaints, the postal service

was used. Agents were named in the

following states and cities: Pennsyl-

vania, New York, New Jersey, Ohio,

Kentucky, District of Columbia, South

Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri,

Massachusetts, Louisiana and Canada.

Philadelphia had two agents, one of

whom was the well-known book dealer,

John George Wesselhoeft; Harrisburg,

Allentown—here by the physician, Dr.

Wilhelm Wesselhoeft, cousin of the Phil-

adelphian; Wilkes-Barre, Erie—here by

the publisher Fr. Stohlmann; Sachsen-

burg in Butler County; New York and

Albany; two agents in Newark; Cincin-

nati and Lancaster, Ohio; Louisville;

Washington; Charleston, S. C.; Indian-

apolis; New Albany and Evansville, In-

diana; Belleville—by the famous Dr.

Gustav Körner, and Highland, Ill.; St.

Louis and Herman (this was a settle-

ment of German immigrants, having for

their purpose the forming of a German

state within the Union); Boston, New

Orleans and Montreal. This list offers

an enlightening cross-section of German

intellectual life throughout the then

settled regions of the United States.

The single number had eight pages,

eleven by nine inches in size, three col-

umns wide. The paper was good and

durable in quality. To my knowledge

only two bound copies of the 26 issues

that have appeared are preserved.

The value of this publication is found

in its very conception, its high idealistic

aims and its radically progressive pro-

gram, as well as in the sane, common-

sense judgment it reflects on all ques-

tions pertaining to the welfare and

training of the child. It was a school-

paper, not only meant for teachers, but

even more for the intelligent parent.

In its history it but repeats one of

the many sad chapters in the venture-

some undertakings of this kind in past

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German-American life. It died of

anemia at the end of the first year of

publication. The doleful announcement

of its discontinuance appeared in No. 25.

The number of paid subscriptions at

$1.50 a year, or six subscriptions for

five dollars, was frankly given as 202.

Assuming all arrears as paid up and

making deduction for agents' commis-

sions, etc., we arrive at a possible total

income of $252.50. The expenses were

for—

The first three numbers.. .$ 68.92

The remaining 23 at $18.25

each

.................................... 419.75

The paper carrier in Balti-

more at $1.50 an issue.. 39.00

Postage, writing and wrap-

ping paper, etc

............... 52.00

A total outlay of $597.67, and a clear

loss of $345.17.

The valedictory in No. 26 shows good

humor on the part of the editor and a

far-sighted plan for a real effective dis-

semination of educational ideals.

"Not unlike the actor who unsuc-

cessfully bids for the applause of his

unappreciative audience, yet withdraws

from the stage with a low bow of thanks

to them, so we, in this, our valedictory,

cannot do less than express our thanks

and gratitude to the appreciative few

who so kindly and liberally encouraged

us with their help and patronage.

"To all who have read our paper, our

warm thanks are offered; especially are

we obligated to such friends who, in

one way or another, endeavored to fur-

ther the interests of our enterprise. To

our worthy colleagues in the field of

journalism we likewise commend our-

selves for a kind remembrance, thank-

ing them for the liberal attitude with

which they received us into their midst,

without ever using the pricks of their

wit on us. To the sincere one whom, by

some inadvertent sharp word or contro-

versial statement, we may have offend-

ed, we extend the hand of reconciliation

and beg his forgiveness; but as to the

insincere one—the hypocrite and dis-

sembler (Pharisee), we had a duty to

perform by holding the mirror up to

him and here no excuses are required.

"As much as we wish it, it seems that

another school-paper within the near

future is improbable. In consideration

of the great importance of constant sug-

gestions in the educational field, we can-

not omit a very grave word directed to

all publishers of German newspapers

. . . who have the opportunity to show

to a nation of free people the way to

its true happiness. Who better than the

free, independent press? . . . The press

has succeeded in spreading a general in-

terest in politics, why should it not be

able to carry on a similar activity in the

interest of the general education of the

nation ? Our local papers are very

large, they bring much material, but

alas, only much politics, and so much

politics that it becomes too much poli-

tics. How would it be if every pub-

lisher of a political paper would re-

solve, just for himself, to give one col-

umn, or only half a column, each week

to the cause of education? ... Or is not

the effort worth while to secure for the

German name the glory, that it was Ger-

mans who gave form and foundation to

the great national edifice of a general,

beneficial educational system?"

The contents of the volume of twenty-

six numbers are most instructive. What

has come directly from the fertile pen

of Pastor Scheib I cannot trace with

certainty. Comparing the style and gen-

eral tenor of most of the fundamental

articles on questions of education with

his sermons and his annual school re-

ports, I am led to believe that almost all

of the unsigned articles came from him.

In a series of seven articles, beginning

with the first issue, "Education in Gen-

eral" is treated in a most thorough and

surprisingly modern way. Psychology

surely is not an acquisition of these lat-

ter days. It forms the solid basis of his

dissertations in 1839. Eight articles in

all, spread over numbers three to ten,

give a comprehensive view of the entire

school system of those days. Private

schools predominated; church schools

came next in rank; common or public

schools, had just begun to take root in

the New England States. With utter

frankness he portrays the shortcomings

of the several systems. Private school

enterprises were mostly business enter-

[39]

prises, often not even headed by a

"school-man." Sons and daughters of

the rich were much coveted acquisitions

and to their whims the schools catered.

Scheib is profoundly suspicious of the

beginning influence of the female

teacher in the educational field, espe-

cially in public schools. He advocated

salaries enabling a teacher to live in

modest comfort, to remain in his posi-

tion and locality, and decently to rear a

family. As yet there was not a normal

school in the country. Scheib advocated

the creation of such institutions by the

state.

A very extended discourse on "Physi-

cal Education" covers twelve numbers.

The importance of the subject is appar-

ent from the fact that it is a lead-off

article in the first number. It is a com-

plete treatise on hygiene and sanitary

matters, starting with the baby and its

mother; sex problems are frankly dis-

cussed; the gospel of Mens sana in

corpore sano is ably proclaimed and

defended.

Space forbids giving a full review of

the vast and rich material which this

publication of almost one hundred years

ago contained. Ever and again, the

reader is surprised by the discovery of

the far-sightedness of the editor and the

perfect fit of his criticisms and his con-

structive suggestions to modern condi-

tions. However, there are a few phases

which I dare not pass over.

The religious views are frankly of the

liberal, rationalistic type. While there

are occasional tirades against the "Dun-

kelmänner," the entire subject is ap-

proached and presented in a spirit of

deep reverence. Ethics and religion com-

bined was his ideal of education.

References are frequently found to

conditions prevailing in Germany or in

Europe. A number of articles seem to

be reprints from German publications.

One interesting chapter in German-

American history is woven into the cur-

rent history of this year. The third con-

vention of Germans in the United States

was called to meet at Philippsburg,

Pennsylvania, on August 1, 1839—fol-

lowing two conventions at Pittsburgh,

the first October 18, 1837—the anniver-

sary of the victory at Leipzig over Na-

poleon in the War of German Libera-

tion. Here the creation of a Teachers'

Seminary for the training of German-

English teachers had been resolved. The

project had not been carried out after

eighteen months. In Baltimore a meet-

ing of German residents was held which

elected Dr. Freytag as its delegate to this

convention. Pastor Scheib presided at

this meeting, Mr. Wolseiffer was the sec-

retary. A committee was authorized to

prepare a set of instructions for the

delegate. At a public meeting held in

Zion Church on August 28, Dr. Frey-

tag gave his report on the proceedings

of the convention. No. 7 of the "Schul-

zeitung" publishes this document. En-

thusiasm of the rosiest optimism fills the

report. We all have often succumbed

to the same temptation speaking and

hearing of German-American possibili-

ties. God grant that this enthusiasm—

though it far overshoots its mark—may

never be taken from us. It still remains

our greatest asset. Dr. Freytag in 1839

speaks of three million Germans—in

the United States—which number at the

rate of the immigration of his days he

expected to double in a few years! The

seminary—for which, in the meantime

by the getting together of $3,000, a

suitable property at Philippsburg had

been acquired—was now to be opened

on a grand scale. Seven directors were

elected; a charter from the State of

Pennsylvania was to be applied for. He

foresaw possibilities in this institution,

if only the one hundredth part of the

Germans could be enlisted, to make it

a university along German lines, which

would never want for the most excellent

of scientists, even such of wide Euro-

pean fame. "Why, the noted seven

professors at Göttingen University

would gladly have come, if we had been

able to provide a suitable field here for

them!" Freylag then announced the for-

mation of "Bildungsvereine" all over

the land, with annual dues of $3.00, in

support of the seminary. He suggested

that this matter be brought to the at-

tention of the German Society of Mary-

land, "which now perhaps has not a

hundred members, but which may grow

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to one thousand members, and this is a

small number compared with the total

number of Germans in Baltimore and

Maryland." Dr. Freytag, Dr. Wegner

and Pastor Scheib were constituted a

committee to confer with the German

Society. On December 13th, German

citizens of Baltimore met to organize a

"Verein für Schul- und Erziehungs-

wesen" and a constituting meeting was

called for December 30th in the German

schoolhouse on North Gay Street. The

constitution was published in No. 16.

The name was now "Bildungsverein von

Baltimore." Purpose is support of the

Philippsburg Seminary, provided that

this institution will actually be con-

ducted according to the principles laid

down in the report of the Committee on

Seminary at the Philippsburg Conven-

tion.

On March 7, 1840, Scheib reports on

the growth of the Baltimore Verein,

which gains new members at every meet-

ing and shows a splendid spirit and

understanding. The national fund does

not seem to grow. A depression is on

all over the country. Scheib says: "Of

course, the times are hard for very

many, but the worst is a mental state

of depression." He is enough of an

idealist to believe in the practicability

of raising the funds and maintaining the

institution through the formation of

these "Bildungsvereine," even though

they do not heed the clamor—even then

loud—for popular entertainment of its

members at meetings. From the Pitts-

burgher "Stadt- und Landbote" an ar-

ticle is reprinted in the first April issue

of 1840, in which the treasurer of the

Seminary Board of Directors reveals

that to his knowledge, nothing so far

has been done to even secure the char-

ter for the institution. On May 2nd,

1840, the full act of incorporation by

the Legislature of Pennsylvania is

printed.

So far the story from the "Schul-

blatt."

To complete this interesting chapter

of German-American history, I quote

from Faust—The German Element in

the United States, vol. II, p. 240.—"The

fourth convention which met at Phil-

ippsburg, August 9th, 1841, decided to

open the school on December 1st, of the

same year. This event was contempo-

rary with the attempts of Horace Mann

and Henry Barnard to establish normal

schools in Massachusetts and Connecti-

cut. But the seminary was destined to

be short-lived. The lower school was

prosperous for a time, but the normal

school was not. The parochial schools

were uncertain as to what position to

take in regard to the new venture. Cath-

olics and Protestants distrusted one an-

other, and both wished to retain their

own students. The founders of the in-

stitution were known to be free-thinkers,

and that circumstance restrained all de-

nominations from sending pupils. While

the Philippsburg plan thus failed, its

effect upon local schools was neverthe-

less stimulating. The wide interest that

had been aroused in matters of educa-

tion was a permanent benefit to the Ger-

man population."

I cannot part from my subject with-

out stating that this publication was

anything but a dry, scientific and un-

interesting paper. It vibrates with life

throughout. Therein are any number of

good stories. Scheib is at his best,

though, when he throws the dart of a

biting, caustic satire upon the self-satis-

fied, lazy, untrained, puffed-up school-

teacher of his days as a sorry type of

public educator. His "Lobrede auf

Thomas Faulbein, Schullehrer zu Distel-

hausen" for his "excellent loyal adher-

ence to the mechanical method of teach-

ing" is a perfect classic.

It has given me the greatest delight

to commune with the spirits of a time

removed from today by almost a cen-

tury, and to have found instruction and

inspiration at their feet which is eter-

nally useful and is destined to outlive

schemes, programs, projects of lesser

minds in our days. Truly, for a sector

of German and public life, for the cause

of education itself as of national con-

cern, Heinrich Scheib has attached to

himself "the glory that a German work-

man has given form and firmness to the

edifice of a general beneficial education

of the nation."

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