page_title: Johann Bernhard Basedow
section_title: The Elementary Book and Philanthropinum
hierarchical_section_title: Johann Bernhard Basedow / The Elementary Book and Philanthropinum
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Vergnügungen der Kinder. c) Tänzer und Tänzerinnen. Der zuschauende Großvater. (Beschreibung lt. Quelle)
context_page_description: Johann Bernhard Basedow was a German educational reformer, teacher and writer. He founded the Philanthropinum, a short-lived but influential progressive school in Dessau, and was the author of "Elementarwerk", a popular illustrated textbook for children.
context_section_description: In 1768, strongly influenced by Rousseau's ideas on education in Emile, Basedow published a book, Vorstellung an Menschenfreunde für Schulen, nebst dem Plan eines Elementarbuches der menschlichen Erkenntnisse ("Idea to philanthropists for schools, along with the plan of an elementary book of human knowledge"). He proposed the reform of schools and of the common methods of instruction, the establishment of an institute for qualifying teachers and solicited subscriptions for the printing of a new, illustrated, book, Elementarwerk ("Elementary Book"), where his principles were to be explained at length. He realized it is the responsibility of all of society to support these important education reforms intended to improve the quality of teaching, remove brutal treatment of students in all forms and replace it with compassion and understanding, and the introduction of new teaching materials and books to help students learn. He proposed his reform project to wealthy individuals who he knew were interested in helping humanity and soon received financial support. Initially he gathered over twenty thousand thalers and in 1774 he was able to publish Elementarwerk in four volumes, with illustrations by Daniel Chodowiecki. The Elementarwerk contained a complete system of primary education, intended to develop the intelligence of the pupils and to bring them, so far as possible, into contact with realities, not with mere words; it was the first picture textbook for children to be published since the "Orbis Pictus" of Comenius in 1664. There was also a companion "Methodenbuch" (Method Book) to assist teachers and parents.
  This financial support from "friends of humanity" (Philanthropy = love of humanity), established Basedow as the founder of the philanthropic movement and he developed the first philanthropic concept. Philanthropy was integral to the forwarding of the education reform movement and could not have been successful otherwise.
  Basedow was a friend of Goethe, and through him made the acquaintance of Prince Franz of Anhalt-Dessau, who became a firm supporter of Basedow's plans for educational reform and agreed to back the founding of a new school, the Philanthropinum, in Dessau. The school opened in December 1774, its keynote being, "everything according to nature". Rich and poor were to be educated together, the curriculum was practically-based and conducted in German (rather than Latin or Greek), handicrafts were taught, there was an emphasis on games and physical exercise, and school uniform was made simple and more comfortable. Although the school was open for only a relatively short time until 1793, its reforming influence proved to be considerable and inspired the founding of many similar institutions in Germany and abroad.
caption: Illustration from "Elementartwerk": Children's amusements, Dancers with Grandfather looking on (1774).
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