„Jahresberichten” jako źródło do historii edukacji (na przykładzie sprawozdań wschodniopruskich szkół średnich z XIX wieku)

Abstract

„Jahresberichten” As the Source of the History of Education (the Example of the Secondary School Reports in the19th Century East Prussia) Summary One of the most important tasks of the Prussian secondary schools, reformed in theyears 1808–1812, was the publication of annual school reports. That type of documentsis of early modern origin but these were the Prussian authorities that througha series of regulations gave them during the 19th century a unified character. Thepurpose of this article is to characterize that type of source and evaluate its significancefor historical-educational research on the example of the 19th century secondaryschool reports in the province of East Prussia. The first step is to emphasize the opportunity of getting to know, thanks tothose publications, some of the scholar achievements of secondary school teachers, as a scientific treatise, written by one of them, was supposed to be an integral partof school reports. These dissertations allow us to get acquainted not only with theviews of teachers on the issues of pedagogy, but also to become familiar with the research on the regional history as well as the history of individual schools. Equally important to the education historian is the second essential part of school reports, comprising information about schools (Schulnachrichten), the material covered,teaching methods, modes of teaching, students’ number, origin and confession aswell as teachers’ records.The school reports do not reflect all the aspects of Prussian school in the 19th century and an education historian, seeking to obtain a more complete picture, hasto look for informations in other sources such as daily newspapers, science magazines,correspondence, memoirs or other archival documents. There is no doubtthat the printed reports constitute a primary source of the history of male secondaryeducation in the 19th century Prussia. They contribute greatly to the state ofknowledge on legal, cultural and social aspects of the history of education.