August Ernst Zwitzers

August Ernst Zwitzers (born February 28, 1834 in Nordhorn , † January 23, 1921 in Emden ) was a German teacher and pastor.

Life

August Ernst Zwitzers was the son of the school teacher Hendrik Zwitzers and his wife Herbarta Mathilde, née Roskott. From Michaelis 1847 to Easter 1852 he attended the secondary school of the Georgianum grammar school (Lingen) in Lingen . He then wanted to attend a teachers' seminar in Osnabrück , but instead decided to work as an assistant teacher at the educational institution of the Church Council Dr. Dammann in Hameln . From the fall of 1853 he worked as a teacher at a grammar school in Lingen.

Zwitzers acquired knowledge independently, for example to be able to become an elementary school teacher. From 1855 he ran a private school in Nordhorn and passed the teacher examination at the Oberkirchenrat in Bentheim . He aspired to the higher teaching post and from the spring of 1859 he attended the University of Göttingen, where he also became a member of the Hercynia Göttingen Progreß fraternity . After two semesters of mathematics, natural sciences and modern languages, he passed the Matura examination at Easter 1860. Until autumn 1862 he then attended the theological faculty for five semesters, where he learned Protestant theology and German. He then temporarily headed the von Dammann school in Hameln.

On December 3, 1862, Zwitzers passed the first theological exam at the Classis of Reformed preachers in Bentheim. He then worked as the 2nd main teacher at the school teachers' seminar in Aurich , where he campaigned for physical education. On March 28, 1865 passed the examen pro ministerio before the Coetus . On April 23, 1865 he took over a pastorate in Bedekaspel . On December 20, 1874, he was inaugurated as pastor of Hatzum .

On March 12, 1877, Zwitzer's work as a theologian ended. From then on he worked as director of the Kaiserin-Augusta-Viktoria-Schule in Emden . The educational institution existed since autumn 1872 and was very popular. Zwitzers tried to implement bourgeois, enlightened principles. This included school education for girls, training to become a teacher and physical education for all students. He presumably co-founded the teachers' seminar in Emden, which arose together with the municipal daughter's school. After opening at Easter 1879, he headed this facility. In 1908 he implemented the girls' school reform in Emden. On April 1, 1911, he retired as a "school councilor".

Zwitzers was married to Johanne, geb. Nellner, whose father worked as a Lutheran pastor in Westrhauderfehn . The couple had two sons and six daughters.

Honors

• In 1911 he was awarded the Silver Medal of Honor of the City of Emden for his work.

Works

From 1873 to 1884, Zwitzers published the twelve volumes of the "Ostfriesisches monthly newspaper for provincial interests". He wanted to present “the existing in the light of our provincial prehistory”. He considered “church and school affairs”, “a diverse discussion of social damage”, “provincial and communal self-government”, “health care”, “trade and traffic, agriculture and industry” as important aspects. In addition, there were technical schools and necrologists from "deserving dead" including "advertisements and reviews of good books". So Zwitzers wanted to create a practical, not an edifying sheet.

The monthly sheets with 48 pages each were published by Tapper & Sohn in Aurich . They are probably the best source for the period of East Frisian history. Some of the texts are still important today. It is unclear which of the contributions Zwitzer wrote himself, but texts with a "Z." can be ascribed to him. He mostly dealt with issues of school pedagogy and school policy. In 1882 he showed sympathy for the emerging regional church. The Inner Mission was of particular concern to him . This could help to counteract the social democracy, which wants to slowly destroy the fear of God in the population.

Due to revisions, Zwitzers repeatedly looked for an editor for the monthly newspaper. Readers appealed to the magazine to be given due consideration and to remain faithful to it. Despite this, no further paper appeared after the June 1884 issue.

Zwitzers also wrote several school books:

• 1857 the elementary book on the Dutch language .
• In the years 1870/71, 1878/79 and 1891 on geography.
• 1879 on the history of the Prussian state.
• 1881 about Middle High German poetry
• 1882 on the history of antiquity.
• 1891 about church history.
• 1904 about biblical history.

literature

• Hans Georg Ulrichs: August Ernst Zwitzers . In: Martin Tielke (Hrsg.): Biographisches Lexikon für Ostfriesland. Ostfriesische Landschaftliche Verlags- und Vertriebsgesellschaft, Aurich 2001, Vol. 3 ISBN 3-932206-22-3 , pp. 443-446.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ see paragraph 254
2. ↑ see paragraph 254