Carl Witt (philologist)

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Carl Witt (1836)

Carl Witt (born August 31, 1815 in Königsberg i. Pr. , † November 2, 1891 ibid) was a German high school teacher in the province of East Prussia . As a liberal he was a member of the Prussian National Assembly .

Life

As the second son of a destitute Königsberg town musician , Witt had eleven siblings. Despite all the tightness, he attended the old town high school (Königsberg) . After graduating from high school , he enrolled like two brothers at the Albertus University in Königsberg at Easter 1834 to study German and history , and later also ancient languages and French . In the sheets of memory (Schmiedeberg) a student portrait watercolor of him has come down to us.

After he had passed a very good exam in 1841, he made his way first as a private tutor and assistant teacher at the Altstädtisches Gymnasium, the Realschule in Elbing , the Burgschule (Königsberg) and the Höhere Töchterschule in Gumbinnen . In 1845 he was permanently employed as a senior teacher at the Progymnasium in Hohenstein . There he met Leopold von Hoverbeck , with whom he remained on friendly terms throughout his life.

Prussian National Assembly

As Hoverbeck was enthusiastic about the German Revolution of 1848/49 , Witt was elected to the Prussian National Assembly for Osterode . He got involved in the left center and failed with the Waldeck charter . When Otto Theodor von Manteuffel adjourned the Prussian House of Representatives and moved it to Brandenburg (Havel) , Benedikt Waldeck , Julius Gierke , Karl Rodbertus and Witt applied to protest and continue to meet in Berlin .

They considered the government measures illegal and on November 15, 1848 promoted a tax refusal , but were in a losing position. Witt did not go to Brandenburg, but returned to East Prussia . In a letter to his constituents, he described what had happened as unlawful and the effectiveness of the new chamber invalid. He saw the main obstacle to political progress in the ignorance of the German and Masurian craftsmen, peasants and workers. Therefore, from April 1, 1849, he published the Osteroder village newspaper in German and Polish - for one silver groschen a month. Written by Witt alone, the contributions in simple language “stood up for the unity of Germany under the King of Prussia as German Emperor and fought Austria's anti-German egoism, Russia, Denmark and mostly provided objective information about the planned constitutions for Prussia and Germany State budget, jury courts, the Institute of Landscape, etc. Ä. " (ADB). Hoverbeck contributed two economic essays. At the end of 1849, denunciations at the provincial school board led to disciplinary proceedings against Witt, which were suspended .

Koenigsberg

Since he could not afford to be engaged to a young cousin of Hoverbeck, Witt remained a bachelor . He moved to live with his mother and a sister in Königsberg and lived on private lessons. As a result of harassment, Karl Otto von Raumer forced the stubborn liberals to return to Hohenstein and await the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings without employment. When he was back in Königsberg at the end of 1850, the police tried in vain to forbid him from teaching privately. In 1851, he was transferred from the Disciplinary Court and relieved of his office by the Prussian State Ministry . Witt gained more and more respect and support among the Königsberg population. The directors of the grammar schools , important university professors like Eduard von Simson , the provincial school council and others valued him as a teacher and a person. When the reign of Friedrich Wilhelm IV came to an end, Witt asked to be reinstated. He followed Franz August Eichmann's advice and in the summer of 1858 declared in writing that he “wanted to try to educate the youth in love for the king and fatherland”. Only Raumer missed the remorse and refused the request.

On his new estate, Hoverbeck set up a “Wittstübchen” for his friend. With the Prussian minister of education Moritz August von Bethmann-Hollweg he used himself for his re-employment. She succeeded in Easter 1860 as a scientific assistant teacher at "his" old town high school, which was under municipal, non-state administration. Now 45 years old, he had to make do with 300 thalers ; but he found the first day of school “one of the most beautiful of his life”. The joy of teaching was thanked him with all-round love and admiration. As a second senior teacher , he was given the character of a high school professor in 1881 . Retired in 1884, he was still a member of the municipal school council in 1885/86. He had been a National Liberal since 1867 and died at the age of 76.

Publications

  • Greek stories of gods and heroes . Told for the youth. 1845, 5th ed. 1885.
  • To Latin elementary lessons . Hohenstein 1848
  • About school-based maintenance of memory . Koenigsberg i. Pr. 1873.
  • The Trojan War and the Homecoming of Odysseus. Told for the youth . 1883.
  • Life pictures from old Iceland . Prussian Provincial Leaflets 1859.
  • Kant's thoughts on the inhabitants of the stars . In: Old Prussian monthly . 1885.
  • Historical records from closer home . Self-published, Salzgitter 1883.
  • The brave ten thousand. An ancient war story told for boys . Waag, Stuttgart 1888
    • New edition under the title The brave ten thousand , with pen drawings by Max Slevogt . Bruno Cassirer, Berlin 1922.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kössler's 19th Century Teachers' Dictionary (GEB) (PDF; 5.6 MB)
  2. ↑ a b c d e program Königsberg i. Pr. Old Town High School 1887
  3. ↑ Hohenstein Progymnasium program

Web links

Wikisource: Karl Witt  - Sources and full texts
personal data
SURNAME Witt, Carl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Witt, Karl Alexander Viktor (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German classical philologist and high school teacher, liberal politician, member of the Prussian National Assembly
DATE OF BIRTH August 31, 1815
PLACE OF BIRTH Koenigsberg i. Pr.
DATE OF DEATH November 2, 1891
Place of death Koenigsberg i. Pr.