The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-09-07
NO WOMEN ADMITTED
MISS LIDIA BLAICH'S EXPERIENCE
IN A GERMAN COLLEGE.
She Talks OF Her Trip Abroad Study
ing Pedagogy-How She Pr0fited
by the Lectures.

by the Lectures.
Miss Lydia Blaich. the first teacher to be
sent from the public schools OF this city
to Germany for study, under the auspices
Of the School Board and through the benef-
cence of the Gregg fund, has returned
home. Miss Blaich left. last September,
Tor Jena. She took with her a letter of
recommendation from Professor Rice, who
Is so we'll known as the best advertiser Of
the Indiana public schools and a writer of
articles on the school systems Of this coun-
try. This letter was to Professor Rein, Of
Jena. Miss Blaich was particularly fortu-
nate in being able to speak German. While
of German parentage. both parents came
to this country when they were children.
German was spoken in the household and
Miss Blaich always had the idea of study
ing German philosophy and she studied In
the public schools. She presented her letter
to Mrs. Rein, the Professor being away
from home at the time. Miss Blaich asked
the assistance of Mrs. Rein in finding a
place to live while there. Mrs. Rein invited
her to spend the afternoon and take tea,
and at the table she offered Miss Blaich a
home with them for five months. The
daughter OF the house was at Eisenach
and Mrs. Rein could accommodate her. In
this way Miss Blaich had peculiar adj
~vantages, for Professor Rein directed her
reading and studies.
In a conversation Miss Blaich was glad
to talk Of her student life OF one year in
Germany. She told OF the city Of Jena,
which has only about fifteen thousand in
habitants, and most OF these are con-
nected with the university and seminary.
Mr.. Rein took her for the first time into
the class room. Here were assembled some
sixty-six students, all men, Miss Blaich
being the first woman to enter the semi
nary. They were seated at small tables
drinking beer. ''They stopped dumbfound-
ed" said Miss Blaich, when they saw a
woman and were perfectly still in what
ever position they happened to be at the
Finally the Professor directed her
to the group Of American students who
were in one corner, and she went to them.
They received her kindly and she was
proud to let the Germans know how the
Americans treat women. Her study was the
Herbatian system of pedagogy. Professor
Rein. who is at the head of the Depart
pupil of the great Herbart himself. He was
the principal Of the school at Heidelberg
before being called to Jena. He is a man
been at the Jena University for ten years,
and was. at one time. director OF the semi
nary at Eisenach. His book. Outline Peia-
gogics." has been translated into English
by DR.. c. G. Van Lew, OF Illinois. and
another. The First School Year" is soon
to be translated. The system which Miss
Blaich studied Is considered the finest thing
of the kind in the world. There are three
departments. First, there is the culture
epoch, then the concentration and then the
nfh LNxrar r1An Aoa 20 lA a.
familiar with the theory of the system.
After this, the student goes to a class
and listens to the explanations and hears
the class taught, and in the third step the
student has a class and teaches. While the
student teaches, there are other students
in the room who watch everything done,
and the following day the students, to the
number of fifteen, who have heard the class
taught by a fellow, meet and discuss. and
~criticise the teaching In this the professor
dents say. When they have finished. the
professor criticises the teacher and then
crlticizes the critics. Any one going through
nue. for carelessness. A woman has never
yet been admitted to the lectures which are
given at the university. Miss Blaich went
to one of the leading members Of the Sem
ate and made a petition to be allowed to
attend the lectures. She was most kindly
received and he promised her assistance.
The matter was referred to others and, at
the proper time, when all were m
a vote was taken. 1t stood twelve In favor
ana thirteen against aliC wing IL. Inc cura-
tor, IN old man. had to give permission.
This he would not do. Miss Blsich was
asked what excuse he gave. and she sad
that the only ones she could find out were
hi If there were women In the room, the
attention Of the students would be de-
tracted from the lecturer and lecture, AMI
another reason was that IL women came in,
there would be so MANY OF them, that the
university would be crowded and new build
ings would have 10 be put up. The Duke
OF the province was applied TO. but was
obdurate. When any one asks why women
are not allowed in. the Old reason is given
that women should stay in their sphere
and then Goethe is quoted. So Miss Blaich
heard none of the lectures IL The university
though she heard many OF the same ones
delivered elsewhere.
After being there several months Miss
Blaich was Joined by another woman, from
America also. This one, O Miss Lang, was
armed with letters FROG Or. William p.
Harris and others, and Size went and pre-
sented her letters and made her application
to the old Duke. He Is seventy-eight. He
would not give permission 1t Is hoped that
when a new Duke comes In that he will
give his consent TO the innovation. Miss
Blaich and Miss Lang feel that they have.
opened the way a little for whoever may
come after them. Miss Blaich visited the
schools at Eisenach and Altenburg, and
also visited in Berlin. Paris and London
before returning home. She will address the
teachers Of the public schools this morn
ing at 8 o'clock. at High School hall. She
will be the critic teacher in the Normal
School. which opens Monday. and will put
to practical use her year of work in the
seminary at Jena.