Ernst Wildi

Ernst Wildi, the longest official rector at the Trogen Cantonal School
(1904–1937)

Ernst Wildi (born August 27, 1878 in Huttwil ; † January 11, 1939 in Trogen ; resident in Wiggiswil ) was rector of the Trogen Cantonal School (KST) for 33 years and shaped the school and its development from 1904 to 1937 in a sustainable manner. His work during this time shows an exemplary image of everyday life at high school in Switzerland and documents one of the most formative phases in the history of the Trogen Cantonal School.

Life

Ernst Wildi's new home: Trogen (village square), around 1920

Ernst Wildi grew up as a farmer's son in Huttwil in the canton of Bern , attended grammar school in Burgdorf and then came to the ETH Zurich , where he completed the subject teacher examination for natural science subjects with a focus on chemistry in 1901 . In the spring of the same year, the Trogen Cantonal School (KST) was looking for a substitute teacher, and 23-year-old Wildi applied. Although he did not intend to stay in Trogen, this Appenzell Ausserrhoder municipality was to become his adopted home. In October 1903, the then rector Heinrich Theodor Wiget resigned from his headmaster's office and a successor was sought. Although Wildi was the second youngest of the ten teachers and had only worked at the school for two and a half years, he was temporarily assigned the management of the school and, together with his recently wedded wife Bertha, the management of the boys' convent . Until his resignation in October 1937, Ernst Wildi was always in the service of the canton school and shaped the institution like no other rector before him through his effort and initiative. Shortly after his retirement he died in January 1939 at the age of 61 in Trogen, where he was buried.

Contribution to the school

→ Main article : Trogen Cantonal School

Reorganization from 1904 to 1907

The Trogen Cantonal School: Knabenkonvikt (in the foreground) and "Old School House", around 1910

Already at the beginning of his career as headmaster Ernst Wildi, barely 26 years old, faced one of the greatest challenges in the history of the KST: After the school had existed for 83 years (founded in 1821), it was urgently necessary to bring the institution to the 20th century adapt. A commission formed especially in 1904 analyzed the school operations and was able to present its results in January 1906, which were unanimously adopted in the Cantonal Council on May 21 . The reorganization essentially consisted of four points:

• The own maturity with the grading scale from 1 to 6 was introduced.
• Girls have now been officially admitted to the school.
• The school fees for students living in the canton have been canceled.
• The former “school boarding school” became a “State Konvikt for Boys” with a Konviktleiter.

The proposal to incorporate a pedagogical department at the KST had no chance in the Cantonal Council . As early as the 1820s, teachers were briefly trained at the school, and in 1863/64 negotiations even took place with the canton of Glarus to run a joint teachers' seminar in Trogen. Another attempt in 1896 did not lead to the goal either. Under Rector Ernst Wildi (the headmaster's title was now officially “Rector”), the resolutions passed were implemented in an intensive year of work. This included a newly capped curriculum , regulations for the Konvikthausordnung for dispensation, shadowing , entrance examinations and disciplinary regulations. At the same time, the school's statutes were also revised: One of the most important changes was that girls were now also mentioned. The first female students were taught at the KST as early as 1895; The initiative to take girls in came from Rector August Meier, who wrote to the Cantonal School Commission about this: «For the current year I would like to ask you a question that over time will become important for our school. More and more people are trying to open up new areas for their daughters and this has also happened in many places in the field of science. The discussion of the question of whether our school should also open the way for girls to study. [...] I got the idea from my daughter 'Adelina', who is in the first year of the girls' secondary school, proves to be capable and very likely wants to study. " In 1907, Article 1 of the reorganized cantonal school contained the provision: "As far as the circumstances allow, girls should also be admitted." Further milestones after the reorganization were the formation of the pension fund for cantonal school teachers in 1917 and the introduction of manual skills lessons in 1919.

Growing number of students

Graphic of the increasing number of students under Rector Wildi

The school flourished under Ernst Wildi and the number of students increased every year. When he took over the rectorate in 1904, the school had 101 students. By 1937 the number had almost quadrupled to 384 ( the number of pupils in Trogen also increased during the First World War , while other middle schools recorded falling numbers). This meant that in the meantime even a number of learners who wanted to attend the KST had to be turned away without an entrance examination (in 1927, for example, there were 30 students). In the first half of the 20th century, there was always a proportion of foreign and non-cantonal students at the canton school who were sent to Trogen by their parents because the KST enjoyed the reputation of a small and therefore well-arranged school and also the rural village off the beaten track the urban distraction. The fact that the Trogen Cantonal School was able to record growing numbers of pupils was all the more remarkable as the school management was forbidden from advertising the school. In 1933 Wildi wrote to the Cantonal School Commission: “Although there has been absolutely no advertising for the school for 30 years - in contrast to before [the only exception was a brochure printed in 1903 by Wildi's predecessor Theodor Wiget] - although not even in the Appenzell newspapers can publish the entrance exam - except in the official gazette - while the canton school St. Gallen publishes its exams in the Appenzeller newspaper, despite the crisis, the number of pupils rose steadily from below 100 to 300. " And in 1934 in a letter to the Landammann : “If you know the history of the canton school, you know how pessimists declared it absolutely impossible that a higher secondary school could ever exist in Trogen next to St. Gallen . And now it is in pile without the slightest advertisement. "

The reasons for the increasing number of pupils were mostly due to the reorganization of 1904: The number of Appenzell pupils had tripled as a result of the decision to abolish school fees for pupils living in the canton. In addition, girls were also admitted; In 1921 this was already 13% of all learners (in March 2016 girls made up 54% of the grammar school section). The canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden also awarded scholarships for poor students. For all these organizational reasons, however, the reputation of the school, which was mainly shaped by the influence of the headmaster, played a role that should not be underestimated: It began with Wildi participating in the reorganization phase of the school and then the KST strictly , but was able to lead fairly according to his ideas and shape it with the right faculty.

The fact that more and more students had to be taught in the two buildings became an increasing problem. In 1918 , the State Economic Commission declared the space available for 207 students to be untenable. For this reason, the project of an extension was considered. However, this was rejected by the citizens of the Landsgemeinde in 1920. There were also increasing voices from the people and the authorities that the KST had to restrict itself: For example, in 1927 the school was asked to adapt to the available space, introduce a numerus clausus , and send students to the nearby St. Gallen canton school or no longer accept foreign and non-cantonal students. Wildi was always combative towards such tones; He wrote in this regard to the Cantonal School Commission: «We have often had to take a position on this issue, in submissions to the State Economic Commission , the educational authorities, the government council, the cantonal council, always having the unfortunate experience that it was not just people's groups who are far removed from higher education, but also members of the authorities do not want to see that the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden also has to fulfill its cultural obligations towards the federal fellowships, even if this causes expenses. "

The large number of students also had a positive influence on Trogen, as most of the students lived in the village during their school days (only students who lived in the canton were usually given a place in the Konvikt). So it came about that most of the cantonal school teachers ran a boarding school with their wives and several families from Trogen in order to offer students accommodation and at the same time to secure additional income . The private pensions thus formed an economic factor that should not be underestimated, so that in the 20th century 49 pensions offered space for almost 260 students. In a speech to the community in 1936, Rector Wildi commented on this: “More than perhaps this or that person in the community, but also what we at the school like, Trogen and the canton school are tied to fate. If the school is flourishing, this will assert itself through the whole community in a way that one will perhaps only really appreciate when the "high tide" that has ruled our school for years is over. […] Now, thank God in Trogen, through the school we have a means to at least to a certain extent control the crab, bring merit and life up our green hills. "

School evening

School evening 1925: Theater performance of Der Geizige von Molière (3rd from left: Max Schmidheiny as Lakai ‹Brindavoine›)

The fact that theater is played at the KST corresponds to a long tradition that has its origins in a proposal by Rector Wildi. In 1911 he wanted to connect the people who had to do with the canton school through a joint event. The idea of ​​a school evening, which was held every February and on which, in addition to music from the cantonal school orchestra and dance, a play was also performed by the students emerged. Encouraged by the success, it was decided to keep the newly introduced event. On the school evening in 1936, Ernst Wildi recalled: «If I were a fan of anniversary celebrations, I would have to give an anniversary speech this evening, because for the 25th time we are celebrating the school evening, which I suggested to my colleagues in 1911 because the number of students was growing. because living in the various boarding houses threatened to split up, while it was my aim to wrap the whole student body with a ribbon. The number of schoolchildren has grown to an extent that could never have been anticipated, and the school evening is therefore more necessary than ever. 25 years ago we also set ourselves the goal of better contact between the alumni and the school, which, to our blessing, became the truth in an exhilarating way. " In the second half of the 20th century there was a separate theater company: the basement theater of the Trogen Cantonal School . The school evening, which was once initiated by Ernst Wildi, took place until 1967 in the hall of the “Krone” restaurant in Trogen. When the host at the time no longer granted the right to host the event, the annual school evening was held on the school premises until 1984. Although this event no longer exists today, the theater at the Trogen Cantonal School still enjoys a high priority.

100 year celebration

Theater group from the Trogen Cantonal School rehearsing the centenary of the play Hans Waldmann , 1921

On February 1, 1821, the canton school of the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, at that time still called "teaching and education institution for the sons of the educated classes", opened with three teachers and 17 students in the old Konvikt . The first rector was Johann Conrad Zuberbühler , who had been a student and assistant to Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi for seven years . As the centenary of the KST approached, Ernst Wildi wrote to the canton school commission at the beginning of November 1920, presenting the program that had been put together by the teaching staff and asking for its approval. One of the items on the program was the play Hans Waldmann ( Hans Waldmann , military leader and mayor of Zurich , 1435–1489) by Adolf Vögtlin . Wildi wrote: “We chose Adolf Vögtlin's tragedy because it is unknown, has been performed once and has to be gripping. True to the tradition of our school, which was primarily intended to serve patriotic purposes when it was founded, we decided on a patriotic drama that also shows its relationship to today's troubled times by transporting us back to a period of history in which that too People called for new rights and city and country faced each other. We are not allowed to advance to the celebration with a superficial comedy or with something trite , and a commers like the one that other cantonal schools organize is not in the style of our school. " The play and most of the other proposals were approved, and shortly afterwards, KST students designed invitation postcards with the program on the back. These were sent to all parents, former students, members of the authorities and dignitaries ; Advertisements in newspapers outside the canton were dispensed with.

Since Ernst Wildi was not a fan of big festivities, the "Centenar celebration" from April 1st to 3rd, 1921 was relatively modest: On Friday evening, the premiere of Hans Waldmann's production for schoolchildren and parents was in the hall of the "Löwen" inn in Speicher , then the KST Orchestra played, followed by dance. The public celebration took place on Saturday afternoon in the Trogen church, and in the evening the official guests and former students were invited to the “Löwensaal” warehouse. In addition to the orchestra, theater and dance, photographs from the life of the cantonal school with appropriate verses were shown. On Sunday afternoon, the three-day celebration in the "Krone" in Trogen ended with a meeting of former students.

Chronicler of the school

The fact that the first 120 years of the Trogen Cantonal School and its educational development are documented in detail has to do with the fact that Ernst Wildi was active as a chronicler of the KST in two respects: On the one hand, as part of the centenary of the KST, he had the school history until 1921 edited and published in the 207-page commemorative publication Die Appenzell a. Rh. Kantonsschule in Trogen published for the centenary ; on the other hand, like no other headmaster, he had used the school's annual reports to describe the events of the previous school year in great detail.

Festschrift

Wildi's 207-page commemorative publication for the 100th anniversary

On November 3, 1920, Wildi presented his publication project in a letter to the canton school commission and justified its necessity: “A commemorative publication is to be created for the anniversary, containing the history of the canton school, for which the undersigned is currently collecting material. This commemorative publication will of course incur significant costs, but with a school like ours [...] it is a direct necessity that the laborious development and development of the institution be compiled and presented to the present generation. I'll do my best to make it worth reading. " Wildi expected at least 700 copies, budgeted 2,500 francs for printing costs and asked for time off for the extensive research. On December 2nd, he received the following answer in this regard: "We inform you that the Cantonal School Commission willingly accepted your request for a dispensation for 2-3 weeks in the last quarter of the current school year for the preparation of the commemorative publication for the upcoming anniversary celebrations." The task of documenting the first 100 years of school history was a particular challenge in a time without well-developed transport links, public catalogs and the Internet. Wildi describes the effort involved in this in the foreword of the festschrift: “Apart from the sketches of the history of the canton school by Dean Heim, published in the [first] annual report 1874/75, and the report by Pastor Schlegel von Trogen, written on the occasion of the reorganization in In 1905, all material was scattered in archives and records. I brought it together from the minutes of the teaching staff, the supervisory, maturity and state school commission, the ethics commission, the grand council, the two-time district administrator. I rummaged through all the correspondence accessible to me, all the Appenzell monthly papers and Appenzell yearbooks, the annual reports, the reports of the State Economic Commission and all publications that were accessible to me and related to local and school history. Since files and protocols are often one-sided, I did not shy away from the effort of leafing through entire volumes of old daily newspapers and questioning older students. […] With the time sacrifice that the history of the school required of me, I carry the Canton of A.Rh. to thank you for entrusting the management of the institution to a young man at a critical point in time, who found life's purpose and happiness on the friendly green hills of the Appenzellerland. " For a historical look back, from the founding of the KST and its development in all its phases up to 1921, Wildi used 120 pages. He described the current state of the school at that time on the remaining 80 pages, detailing the organization, curriculum, authority, cadet corps , teachers, school life, Konvikt, buildings and finances.

Annual reports

In addition to the historically valuable testimony of the Festschrift, Wildi also wrote the annual reports in which he provided information about the previous school year, the Matura exams, the subject matter, teaching aids, and student and teacher directories. Up until 1904 the rectors needed an average of 25 pages for the annual reports, but after Wildi took over the management of the school, the number of pages grew steadily in the years to come. In 1910 there were 43 pages, twelve years later 69, and in 1925 the annual report had grown to 80 pages. The main reasons for this were that Wildi wrote increasingly detailed chronicles. Theodor Wiget, Wildi's predecessor, usually described the past year on one page, while Wildi, for example, needed 36 pages for his “news from the school year” in the 1934/35 annual report, followed by student essays on excursions and reports from the Trogen cadet corps and the Konvikt. In 1925 the Cantonal School Commission therefore criticized the high printing costs. Wildi then justified himself: “I would not change the scope of the report. [...] He must all be Switzerland. Middle schools are delivered by the federal Authorities demanded and again and again from libraries at home and abroad. […] For the canton's reputation alone, it should therefore have a certain salary and a decent form. For a year I sent it to our students - by the way, only one copy comes to a house […] - free of charge. Also, because we have no special printed curricula and regulations to mail, the report serves as a complete guide to our school conditions when parents inquire about our school. Incidentally, I save on office items and printed matter where I can. " In fact, the volume of annual reports continued to grow in the years to come. When Wildi wrote his last annual report in 1937, it was 109 pages.

Construction of the gym

Gymnastics in the first half of the 20th century

At the beginning of the 20th century, the sport enjoyed increasing popularity, so that it found its way into school lessons. However, the Trogen Cantonal School lacked a gym. This was to change in January 1927: At that time, Ernst Wildi met Josef Fenkart (a patron of the KST, whose sons attended school) on the Gäbris for a hike, while Fenkart told the rector that he wanted to give the canton school a gym. Two days after this meeting, Fenkart died of a stroke , and the construction of the gym seemed a long way off. In a meeting with Wildi, however, the widow and the other heirs confirmed that they wanted to carry out the last will of the deceased. The rector then wrote to the cantonal council in September 1927: "An important gift is now in very safe prospect for the school, thanks to the will of all four beneficiaries of the Fenkart family."

Gym. Linocut by drawing teacher Otto Schmid , 1929

Construction began at the end of the year. This meant a considerable additional workload for Wildi. To make matters worse, due to communication problems and misunderstandings, Wildi increasingly found himself in the role of the “buffer” between the Fenkart family, construction management, the canton school commission and the government. The problems came to a head in January 1928, when the government council suspended the planning of the gym site as a result of the construction cost review. After all the efforts, this was such a big disappointment for Wildi that on January 28th he threatened the government council with his resignation: «To my great regret I have to declare that if in a matter not as important as this The leveling of the gymnasium actually results in such discrepancies, if my view of what a Swiss canton school needs differs so much from the views of leading men in the canton that I then no longer feel capable of continuing to run the Appenzell canton school lead and take responsibility for their leadership. [...] But if it turns out that the now somewhat confused gym matter is not based on misunderstandings, but on fundamentally different views that cannot be brought together, I will resign as teacher and rector at the beginning of the new school year next October Submit." It is unclear whether Wildi also played va banque . In any case, the canton gave in immediately, and government councilor Johann Jakob Tanner replied just two days later: “It never occurred to me to even mentally reproach you. I would have completely lacked any documentation. The question of whether you have ever seen the canton on the right and saved for it is not even discussed. You know & have to deduce from my behavior that I value your work and your person highly. You enjoy the same esteem from the cantonal authorities and the people. So there can be no question of 'drawing the conclusions'. I would urge you to give up any thought of resigning from the rectorate. [...] So far I have always considered you to be the good spirit of the canton school. Stay it, stay it past my term in office. You are doing the canton a great service. "

Ernst Wildi was convinced and the construction work continued, so that at the end of October 1928 the new gym was ready for occupancy. The inauguration took place on November 3rd and 4th, and in his ten-page inauguration speech, Wildi once again emphasized the importance of physical education for a contemporary school: «In all civilized countries [...] in the last 20 years, starting from motherland England, the Sport took an unexpected boom. The conviction that our way of life needs to be supplemented by physical activity penetrated ever wider circles. For primitive man, life and physical exercise were one. But civilization has pushed us away from natural forms of life, threatening our health and joie de vivre. "

Construction of the "Red School House"

As soon as the labor-intensive period of building the gymnasium was over, Ernst Wildi's next project was already on the agenda: the extension to the Trogen Cantonal School, which various contemporaries described as Wildi's life's work. However, this construction project should not be carried out without problems and discrepancies, so this time Wildi took his threat seriously and submitted his notice of termination before construction began.

prehistory

Rector Wildi (left) in the shell of the “Red Schoolhouse” with drawing teacher Otto Schmid (right), 1931

The lack of space due to the increasing number of pupils was the reason why the canton school urgently needed a new school building. As early as 1915, a private room in the village had to be rented for lessons. In order to do justice to the increasing number of pupils, the canton examined in 1919 to expand the KST with the property of the armory of Trogen. However, this project was dropped in favor of a new building. Trogen agreed to contribute 100,000 francs for an additional building. On December 19, 1919, the Cantonal Council granted a loan of 12,000 francs to open a competition among several architects without a dissenting vote. The winner was the project called “ Johannes Kepler ” by the architects Ziegler & Balmer . The canton's population had to vote on this on April 26, 1920. The rules of procedure for the rural community of the template has been brought closer for a new building the vocal citizens among others, the following argument: "Anno 1900 was one of our district school 119 students, in 1919 it was the 231. This increase in the number of students is due to different circumstances: Once the steady internal expansion of the school, the good quality of the teaching staff and the corresponding management. " The Landsgemeinde was asked to accept the loan of 380,000 francs for the extension. To the disappointment of all concerned, the majority rejected this plan, even after three votes.

In order to cope with the lack of space, the president of the KVT (canton school association Trogen, the association of former KST students), Otto Ritzmann, wanted to sell his house as an extension in 1924. This offer was also not pursued further. In 1928 the reconstruction of the Honnerlag family's double palace was considered; but this idea was also judged to be unsuitable in comparison to the new building project. Instead, the winning project "Johannes Kepler" from 1920 began to be adapted to the current conditions so that the supplementary building could be presented to the electorate at one of the nearest rural communities. The new plans by the architects Ziegler & Balmer were studied by the rector and the teaching staff and subsequently exemplified Wildi's character trait of asserting himself when it came to school matters and that he was a foreign word to bow down in front of academics and authorities. In a letter dated February 26, 1929, Wildi informed the architect Hans Balmer about the appraisal of his plans: “We cannot agree to you in the present form. [...] The ground floor plan doesn't satisfy us at all. Even with the 1920 plan, I did not agree that a classroom that was so heavily used as the one for natural history and chemistry should only receive light in the afternoon, while the chemical collection and the little-used laboratory should have the most beautiful location. And now the new design shows further deterioration despite the removal of the rectorate's room. " The following are the descriptions of the defects. Then Wildi delivered actions instead of words: “So the chemistry teacher and I designed a new floor plan for the ground floor, which I am enclosing. It provides the classroom with sunshine, reduces the laboratory space, and gives the collection for natural history more space. […] The flagpole that you might need once every 100 years is undesirable. The tower solution is unanimously not understood and rejected. " Four days later, Balmer replied: “I received your honored letter of February 26th. As far as I have seen the task to date, the changes and difficulties you want can be incorporated into the preliminary project. I will therefore take the liberty of making the changes for the time being and then presenting the new solution to you. "

After the preliminary project had been worked out, in 1929 Wildi resorted to a method that was extremely progressive for the time to advertise the extension building in front of the upcoming Landsgemeinde: 16 mm film recordings (shot by high school student Werner Landolt), which showed KST student activities demonstrated in various towns in the canton. However, the growing enthusiasm for the upcoming project was overshadowed by an accumulation of difficulties.

Problems

«Red School House». Linocut by the drawing teacher Otto Schmid , 1931

A little over a year after the construction problems in the gymnasium, Wildi faced complications again in the early summer of 1929; this time in connection with the planned new building: The trigger was an advertisement printed in the newspapers for the 1929 government council election, which made propaganda for Hans Konrad Sonderegger as the new chief judge. At that time, Sonderegger was President of the KVT and stood against Government Councilor Willi and National Councilor Hofstetter . It quickly became clear that the former KVT President Ritzmann and a teacher from the canton school were behind this campaign (meaning Otto Schmid ). On May 1st, Wildi received a letter from an acquaintance in which it said, among other things: “ I am told by a reliable source from Gais that, in his displeasure with the outcome of the chief judge elections, Mr Hofstetter was making the claim that the action was for Dr. HK Sonderegger assumed the canton school. [...] As I was told, there is a risk that this will be carried out by Dr. Hofstetter allegedly here and there made assertions in Gais to a certain dissatisfaction against the canton school. " Wildi's answer followed immediately: “Besides, the matter leaves me personally indifferent. If the need for a supplementary building does not arise before such machinations, then tant pis for the school. For me the measure is already full, and I will no longer bear the responsibility for the school, which of course does not prevent me from looking as far as possible as long as I work on it. " Despite the harsh tone of Wildi's words, the matter did not leave him quite as "cold" as he had written: If the mood against the cantonal school and thus against the extension building should actually develop, the upcoming extension building for the upcoming rural community in April 1930, like as early as 1920, to be rejected again. In addition, Wildi got caught between political fronts with which he had nothing to do. On May 6, he wrote angrily and resignedly to the government council: “We were as astonished and surprised by the advertisements in Trogen as any other party comrade in the canton. We had no idea where the shots were coming from at first until it leaked through. [...] This eternal 'having to worry' for the relatively small sum that the supplementary building requires before the rural community, this constant 'having to defend oneself' for the 'school' after soon a generation of youth and the canton with all their might tried to serve really becomes too burdensome for me. Little by little I almost got into a mood of 'sausage' and I have to defend myself against not simply saying: the canton will soon do what it wants with new buildings and schools! With great respect, E. Wildi. "

If that wasn't enough, in July 1929 the canton school was again caught in the crossfire of criticism. This was preceded by a rascal bombardment with pine cones from an ambush at the KST cadets during a hike. The students suspected that the Young Socialist Party of St. Gallen was behind the attack and tore their red party flag from them during a rally. The conflict degenerated so that next Rector Wildi also National Howard Eugster intervened and began to make because of the forthcoming rural community vote for the extension concerns. In a letter to Wildi he wrote, among other things: «Above all, I am very sorry that you have been preoccupied with this matter. [...] And secondly, I would be sorry if this incident had encouraged you to resign yourself. I fully understand how uncomfortable you must be with such things. I would like to grant you from the bottom of my heart if, spared from them, you could live in school all by yourself. Wouldn't it be possible to leave these external matters, which are not directly related to the running of the school, to a deputy director? Because you see, Mr. Rector, I'll tell you frankly: the canton school will no longer be what it is now if you are no longer the rector. " In the end, the dispute ended unexpectedly when a group of the then popular migratory bird movement intervened and declared that they had shot at the cantonal school cadets.

Resignation Wildis

Congratulatory telegram on the inauguration of the “Red Schoolhouse”, October 1931

When Ernst Wildi wrote on May 2, 1929, "I have enough food anyway, and I won't be responsible for school much longer," it was more than just a threatening gesture: at the beginning of 1930, he handed in his for the autumn of the same year Notice of resignation, in which he explained on seven pages the reasons why he no longer wanted to bear the burden of the rectorate. The main reasons he listed: his state of health, fatigue, responsibility, the position between the government and the teaching staff and the constant justifications that the KST was forced to give. Once again, Education Director Tanner Wildi asked to stay: «I would like to ask you warmly to come back to your decision to continue to hold your rector's office for an indefinite period. My request is caused by two circumstances. For once I would like to know that the management of the Cantonal School will continue to be in your trusted hands. They brought our canton school to a boom and a reputation that would hardly have been thought possible a quarter of a century ago. Then you know that the next rural municipality will be presented with the supplementary building to the canton school for voting. I fear that the construction plan will be endangered if their intention to resign becomes known. Because the Appenzell people have got used to thinking of the prosperity of the canton school as being linked to your rector's leadership. " On February 27, Wildi withdrew his notice and wrote to the canton school commission, among other things: «And my wife and I were so looking forward to the shifting of responsibility and worries, and I personally would like to have been at an age where you can still can learn something, stripped off the official with his special duties in order to be able to adjust my life differently, so that it is extremely difficult for us to get used to the idea: Now we have to pick up the sack again. Obviously I am not allowed to risk the supposed endangerment of the supplementary building, and so inevitably only one explanation is left: I will withdraw my request for resignation before hand. In the event of a negative decision by the Landsgemeinde or a feared failure of my wife's or my person's strength, I would then have to come back to my resignation. " As a condition for withdrawing the notice, Wildi asked, in view of a possible overload, that his number of compulsory lessons be reduced from 18 to 12, which was immediately approved.

realization

4th grade in the mercantile department in front of the “Red Schoolhouse”, 1934/35

On April 27, 1930, ten years after the extension had been rejected by the Appenzell people, the parish was faced with the same question again. This time, however, based on the “Johannes Kepler Project”, the proposal was accepted with a large majority. The excavation work began the following August, and in October 1931 the “Red Schoolhouse” was ready for occupancy. The inauguration took place on October 24th. Wildi gave a nine-page speech in the church in Trogen, and mayor Sturzenegger called Trogen a "university town". At the handover of the keys, Government Councilor Eugster said: “Today is a day of joy, especially for our deserved and honored Rector, for the teachers and for you, dear students. How did the face of our Lord Rector shine towards the Landsgemeinde when he saw the work, which may well be called his life's work, secured. " After the celebrations, Wildi reported to the government council on October 26th: “The inauguration ceremony went well. [...] Even the alumni, who turned up in unexpected numbers - the whole village square had to be used to park the cars - seem to have had a good time. At least 6 o'clock in the morning when I left it, the mood was still not clouded by any misery. Sunday, like the church celebration, saw a mass visit, which I am particularly pleased with, from among the simplest of the population. […] At times you could hardly get through the rooms, and it was directly touching how simple 'Burenmannli', old women were interested and asked about everything. […] As the rector, I am happy that the building, the rein and the festivities are over now, that we can work quietly again in our seclusion. "

Gliding

The pupil Kurt Rothenberger, sitting in the self-made glider «Kauz», 1928

Ernst Wildi's contributions to the school were also evident in his commitment to the student associations. The “Albatros”, one of the first Swiss gliding clubs , which was run by KST students , represented a worldwide specialty . The initiator of this was Helmut Berg from Speicher, who was then in the 4th grade of the technical department. In April 1927, the avid student sent Wildi a vacation request because he wanted to attend a gliding course in the Rhön for the whole of June . The rector was sympathetic to the young aviator's plans and wrote to the government council on April 26th: «Since the young mountain really creates with more than just superficial boyfriends enthusiasm for gliding. B. built a really splendid vehicle themselves through hard work - this is how the teachers want to accommodate the boy - exceptionally - and they apply for consent to the desired vacation. " This was approved and Helmut Berg traveled to Germany. 59 years later, he remembered that time and emphasized that without Wildi's repeated intervention, the Trogen cantonal students would never have accomplished such a pioneering feat and would have taken off into the air: “Since the program lasted beyond the end of the summer vacation, I set up a corresponding one Vacation request to the teachers' convention. As I later heard, Rector Wildi is said to have interjected - after being rejected by the teaching staff -: 'And if de Berg was missing, he wanted to be safe, had to go [And if the pupil Berg were to be absent from class because he was sick, it should work too]. ›» And further: «I wrote to Rector Wildi from the Rhön, with the help of slides available on loan, I could, if he so wished, orient him better about the entire teaching process. He wrote me on it that I should bring it with me. Back at school, I experienced Rector Wildi's enthusiasm for our hobby horse: He invited all students to the hall of the 'Krone' [restaurant in Trogen]. There I should describe the flight lessons I had experienced. […] Soon afterwards we founded - there were five to ten students - the Club 'Albatros', again with the consent of Rector Wildi and Dr. Rothenberger [physics teacher at the KST] as a 'controller' in what was then the physics room during the lunch break. [...] Of course, some parents of the club members were also restless and were afraid of air accidents. Again it was Rector Wildi who calmed her down and took over the supervision of Dr. Rothenberger emphasized. "

Play media file

Canton students in the air,
ca.1929

Helmut Berg was president of the «Albatros» association founded in 1928. All that was required to take part in flight lessons was the written permission of the parents. In the statutes, the purpose was described as follows: «Promotion of motorless flying through the construction of motorless aircraft and training on the same, as well as the implementation of model building courses. The 'Albatros' also seeks to promote the goals of the Swiss Aero Club , of which it is a subsection. " In the year it was founded, the following short message appeared in the Swiss Aero Review : “A few weeks ago, some students from the Trogen Cantonal School (Appenzell) joined forces under the name 'Albatros', an association for motorless flights. For the time being, a glider training aircraft of the type ' Zögling' of the Rhön-Rossitten-Gesellschaft was put into operation. Since one of the members had the opportunity last summer to receive special training in flight, construction and repair of this particular type on the Rhön, it will probably be possible to train without major difficulties after the machine is completed. Even if not all the money necessary for the construction has been collected yet, it is enough to be able to go to work unhindered for the time being. Interested parties want to contact Mr. Helmut Berg, Speicher bei Trogen, Canton Appenzell. " In order to finance the materials for the planned glider, the association organized public events with lectures by well-known flight pioneers (who waived a fee); the first was Walter Mittelholzer . Shortly afterwards, the students began building the first hang glider in the newly built gym, which they named “Kauz”. As early as October 1928 the glider was transported to the Hirschberg near Gais , and flight training began. In 1929 Helmut Berg flew from the five-country view to Altenrhein Airport in four and a half minutes .

Until the "Albatros" was dissolved, cantons sailed from the Hirschberg or the Hohen Buche (Trogen municipality) down into the valley; and this without a notable accident. The only accident in the course of the club's five-year history was caused by an expert from the Federal Aviation Office from Dübendorf . Rolf Stadler, then a member of the “Albatros”, described this in a letter from 1991 as follows: “In 1931, Mr. Spalinger [Jakob Spalinger, Swiss glider designer and aviation pioneer, 1898–1988] had to check our aircraft on behalf of the then air traffic control authority. During the first flight with the 'Marabu' [the second glider built], Mr Spalinger collided with the only tree far and wide near the landing field and damaged the aircraft. Actually he should have come again after the repair, but then never showed up. These are some memories of my time in Trogen with the Albatros club. Rector Wildi was very supportive of us at the time, although he told me later that he would never have believed that we would actually finish an airplane, let alone get it to fly. " In 1933 the association was dissolved due to the dwindling number of members and new regulations issued by the Federal Aviation Office. From 1936 to 1946 the "Modellbaugruppe Trogen", which built small gliders, was created, and between 1979 and 1986 the "Modellbaugruppe Albatros", which received the permission of its founder Helmut Berg for its club name, was active at the KST.

Work as rector

Everyday occurrences

Rector Wildi, surrounded by the teaching staff of the canton school, 1931

Wildi mainly taught biology. Elisabeth Pletscher , who was at the KST from 1921 to 1928, remembered his lessons in 1995: “At the canton school, people dealt intensively with current affairs. Rector Wildi, he was an officer, built contemporary history into the lessons: the last hour on Saturday was reserved for citizenship lessons with discussions and lectures. These special hours were especially valuable, especially since you didn't know the radio or television. " The main task of Ernst Wildi, however, was to keep the school going as the principal. This included, among other things, the preparation of the timetable, the organization of substitutes in the event of teacher absences due to illness, the writing of the annual reports, the clarification of enrollment questions and all parent contacts (this also included guided tours through the school for interested parents on weekends). In addition to all of this extensive work, there was written and personal contact with the authorities and bodies associated with the school: the Cantonal School Commission , the State School Commission , the Matura Commission , the State Economic Commission and the Education Directorate. Wildi also had to regularly punish guilty students, which often resulted in immediate expulsion from school. In order to maintain order at the canton school, the rector took regular walks during which he carried out a kind of village inspection. Regarding Wildi's all-encompassing influence, the former KVT President Otto Ritzmann noted: “You know that a teacher educates his students well is his duty. Wildi also raised his colleagues. "

Wildi boarding school

Wildi boarding house (left part of the house) in the Honnerlagschen Doppelpalast

Even in Wildi's time, most students were forced to live in Trogen during their school days , as public transport did not yet allow commuting (although the Trogenerbahn had connected St. Gallen with Trogen since 1903 , this was hardly affordable for most students). Students who lived in the canton was usually the seminary of the district school reserved. Since its capacity was limited, however, a number of private families from Trogen founded a pension in order to secure additional income in the difficult economic times. Most of the cantonal school teachers and their wives also opened boarding schools because the modest salaries at the time forced them to take such a step. Ernst Wildi's and his wife Bertha's boarding house was 260 meters northeast of the cantonal school, and they both lived in the left part of the Honnerlagschen double palace . Although Wildis had three employees for the 15 to 25 students at her boarding school, the task involved considerable effort and sacrifice; This is also evidenced by a letter from 1927 in which Wildi discusses the work of the pension management: “Certainly a pensioner, foregoing a nice family life, does the duplication with his wife primarily for his own future. But often, when, for example, the burden weighed on us too heavily, my wife and I said comfortingly: We are doing charitable work, not only for the boys entrusted to us, but also for the public by giving life and earnings to the Bringing the canton, making it easier for dozens of families to struggle to survive, and that gave us courage to pull the heavy cart on. "

Ernst and Bertha Wildi, ca.1916

Hans Bänziger lived in the Wildi guesthouse for four years, and his report from this time shows that for the principal, teaching and upbringing also had priority after school: «The Wildi couple impressed me precisely because of their diversity. [...] In Ms. Wildi we loved the extraordinary motherly charm. Of course, we only found out much later that she was always happy to help non-retirees. Old-fashioned discipline prevailed in the house. I cannot forget some scenes of physical punishment by the kadi [Wildi]. In one case, a smart, lazy boy even found out that Wildi's mountain boots were not soft. This little reminiscence is only noted here in order not to create the impression that I see the rector all too transfigured in my memory. During the meal we experienced the advantages and disadvantages of a strict hierarchy. At the top of the three horseshoe-shaped tables, the head of the house sat next to them, the high school graduates, and at the bottom Ms. Rector with the youngest. No pedantic attention was paid to table manners; only the final slogan ' table is lifted' might suggest associations with the military or Kommer rituals . [...] As a newcomer and third grader, I sat somewhere in the middle first and could respectfully look at the older ones. […] Sitting near me was Ueli Prager , whose displeasure I had aroused for a while, because my eager cello playing was obviously no feast for the ears for him. On the way to our suburb (and later when we were older at auslogiert Altherrs and Kriemler) he explained to me anyway once that it was worth the frivolous novel of a certain DH Lawrence ' Lady Chatterley's Lover to read>. […] The conclusion for me and probably most of the other pensioners: During the years in the boarding school, we have learned more for life - unfortunately, the hackneyed phrase is hardly replaceable - than in school. "

First World War

In addition to the daily work in school and boarding school, Wildi's time as rector also saw extraordinary events such as the First World War . After Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914 after the assassination attempt in Sarajevo , the Swiss army was mobilized on August 3 . All three main teachers at the Trogen Cantonal School, including Wildi as a lieutenant colonel in Rifle Battalion 4, were called up for military service. Keeping the school going was a major challenge, as deputies had to be found, the school program had to be changed and the question of the Matura exams had to be clarified (the Matura certificates were ultimately issued based on the school grades of the last four certificates). A three-page letter from 1915 to the Cantonal School Commission in which he explains in detail how the classes in Trogen are paralleled shows that Wildi had taken care of the school even during his active service.

poliomyelitis

The first vaccinations against polio took place in the early 1960s

In the 1930s, two epidemics of polio appeared in eastern Switzerland . The canton school also had to struggle with the dangers of the disease. In the summer of 1931 two students at the KST contracted poliomyelitis . Despite the catalog of measures by the Federal Health Office, one of the two died on June 15 as a result of the infection. During the summer vacation two cases of polio occurred again, this time in the population of Trogen. Ernst Wildi began to consult with doctors again and took the necessary measures: The holidays were extended by two weeks so that school did not start until September 1st; to compensate, the autumn vacation was shortened. Despite the previous death, Wildi initially found it difficult to reorganize the school, as a letter dated August 10 to a member of the cantonal school commission shows: «I had a lot to deal with with the medical director, the senior doctor and our Trogen health authority because mine In the view that the isolation of the sick and their relatives was far too lax; I think things are getting better in this respect now. On the other hand, the regulations that we should only open the school 14 days after the last poliomyelitis case in Trogen seem unbearable to me. What if another case occurs in Trogen at the end of the month? Should one then postpone school for another 14 days? It can be October or November before the school cart can run again! [...] I'm going to Bern for a few days today ; I haven't really had a happy vacation until now; the responsibility lay heavy on me. " After a meeting with the canton school commission, the annual gymnastics festival was canceled. Wildi informed the two gymnastics instructors about this and about his other concerns on August 24th: “I also brought the language to the intended KTV gymnastics festival, forgetting to mention the shooting day. But what Dr. Hörler advised, naturally applies to both events. He is of the opinion that the gymnastics festival should not be held, especially because of the dancing. Last week a case was reported from Heiden , who thought it was free from the disease, from Bühler and, I believe, from Rehetobel as well. As long as it spits all around us, absolute caution is required, unnecessary gatherings of young people must be avoided. [...] And if you then consider that it is about the life or the possible lifelong paralysis of young people, then very justified desires have to recede. Hopefully the schoolhouse inauguration doesn't have to be canceled. " The inauguration of the “Red Schoolhouse” on October 24th could then be carried out without any problems.

In the summer of 1936 cases of polio reappeared, this time first in the neighboring town of Speicher . As in 1931, a number of measures were taken to prevent the spread of the disease: above all, notification, isolation and disinfection. Teachers and students from Speicher were no longer allowed to attend the canton school, a ban was issued to go to the neighboring town, and the quarter ended eight days earlier. For a short time there was also a ban on peddling . During the summer holidays there was also a case of illness in Trogen, but it was mild, so that Wildi only asked for a certificate from the family doctor of the returning pupils.

Person Wildi

Ernst and Bertha Wildi at the graduation ceremony, 1933

Ernst Wildi is unanimously described by his contemporaries as strict but fair. He had clear principles ("What you are doing is what is important, that's why you should do it right."), And so you always knew where you were with him. A soft core was hidden behind the hard shell. Elisabeth Pletscher described his character as follows: «The long-time Rector Ernst Wildi played the absolute authority figure, he was not only in school, so to speak, but also in the village of the 'Pope'. Rector Wildi was an educator with extraordinary talent. Every single student was close to his heart, you could turn to him with all needs, questions and problems, he exuded trust and understanding. He was strict, often very strict, but never stubborn, always loving, discreet and helpful for the weaker. He did not tolerate injustices, he censured wrongdoers, but could also generously forgive when there was understanding and remorse. " And Hans Bänziger, who lived in Pension Wildi from 1932 to 1936, recalled: “In my opinion, Rector Wildi was not a 'village pope' or an 'absolute' authority figure, but simply a great personality, behind whose prominence and control there was a great deal of sensitivity . The transferred title “Kadi” (Arabic kadhi : “Judge”) was a good description of the influential position. In view of his severity, nobody would have thought of the horror picture of a German senior university director. He was a Bernese colonel, but different from what he says in the book. Not an 'intellectual', but simply an unusually clever man with a lot of compassion. [...] I only have two or three bowling evenings with the rector clearly in mind. One of us students was successful in aiming and the other was not. To the satisfaction of all of us, Kadi tried extremely hard. As far as I can remember, he did not take off his hat, and he kept the cigar or chub in his mouth. When it came to the drop, there was a small hop, combined with an elegant swing of the left leg. "

Ernst Wildi was especially notorious for his strict way of running the canton school. He cracked down when necessary to keep order. For example, in 1929 he reported in plain text to the government council: «Classes II and IV OR, in and of themselves not particularly talented, do not work as they should. I warned urgently and promised that we would start cleaning up unless another train came into the classes. The success of my warning was insufficient, and in order not to prevent the good elements of the class from moving forward, we removed the following students after a senior high school student in the fourth grade had been eliminated in July. [...] Four other students received the threat of remotion for next Christmas. " And when in 1935 the absences among the girls increased above average, he gave a lecture in front of the assembled schoolgirls, in which he spoke to their conscience: "Then I particularly fear the hysterical avoidance of the unpleasant, the flight into illness, which is the whole life can turn into disaster. […] How should we face the evil? I thought that in future I would ask the boarding school for a written apology from the girls. But I am not an office clerk who loves to write a lot, and I want to be associated with you with trust and not distrust. For the time being I am trying to appeal to your insight, to your perseverance, to your energy, so that you can at least reduce your absences to the inevitable minimum. Think of the servants, for example; I have three young girls in the house, at work from morning to night without complaining. [...] Otherwise we really like you in the classes, because you have a slightly finer tone. But you have to be brisk brooms, not dolls! " When Wildi gave his address to the assembled pupils and parents in 1936 at the annual school evening, he took the opportunity to underline his educational principles and demanded, among other things: “Simplicity, naturalness, a sense of duty towards comrades, parents and towards the country and people. Any trumpeting, any squandering of money, be it for toilets or other things, is undesirable as non-Swiss. Of course, we mustn't tolerate uncomfortable elements either. A canton school has to be an elite school that cannot avoid the difficult task of sifting away what, for one reason or another, is not suitable for studying. "

Ernst Wildi's visiting card shortly after he took up the position, 1902

Wildi was a critical observer of his fellow human beings and of humanity in general; It was not for nothing that he stated: "We regard civilization as a thin varnish over true human nature." Yet he was also known for his charity and helpfulness. For example, he repeatedly advocated that the pension benefits for the less well-off were reduced, or arranged for money, clothing and teaching materials to be donated. In 1936, for example, a father thanked him with the following words: “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Rector: I feel obliged to thank you warmly for the gifts you gave my son [name of the student]. At a time when the worker is struggling so hard, this is valued twice. I would like to close with a warm 'God bless you'. " Even when money was stolen in the gym's locker room, Wildi addressed the thief according to the family circumstances and wrote to his parents, among other things: “I cannot demand the replacement of the money from an unemployed family, and I want to cover the damage from the teaching material coffers . Of course, I don't want to abruptly turn the life curve [name of student], or harm him for his entire life. I will therefore not report to the teaching staff or the authorities. But [name of the student] receives the ultimatum, that is, if your son, despite my warning and warning, does not keep afloat against expectations, he would immediately be released from the school and referred to the juvenile court. Wildi also resorted to his own savings for the cantonal school: When there was a lack of finance for new cadet rifles in 1929, he wrote selflessly to the authorities: “The cadet commission applied for 45 of these weapons to be purchased. I will pay 10 pieces out of my pocket, so that there is still a display of 25 × 35 = 875.– for the canton. "

Resignation and premature death

Over the 33 years that Ernst Wildi worked as the rector of the Trogen Cantonal School, heightened work overload and fatigue became noticeable. The struggle with know-it-alls, critics and the authorities also sapped Wildi's health. As early as 1927, in an orientation in the municipal council regarding the financial participation in the extension building from 1931, Wildi stated cynically: “The way the gentlemen superiors behaved shows how necessary it is to educate sensible men in the country so that they can Authorities like to be better ordered. " And when the gymnasium was built a year later, he wrote to a friend: «One thought makes me a little bitter: When the school can breathe properly, my strength and that of my dear wife will be increased through the daily detailed work, which takes place mainly behind the scenes, will be paralyzed, and personally I will then no longer be able to enjoy the beautiful. " After the problems with building the gym, Wildi threatened to resign in January 1928. And when new differences emerged in the planning phase of the “Red School House” (including the advertisement that brought the KST into disrepute), he submitted his resignation in early 1929. On May 5th he informed an acquaintance: “But today, when the time of my resignation as teacher and principal is imminent, I am not putting any further burden on myself. How my future will shape, whether I will “shake the dust of Trogen off my feet”, I don't yet know myself. I only know that for health, personal and other reasons I do not want to continue the responsibility that has been on me for 25 years. [...] But I have become a pessimist through my precise knowledge of the development and position of the school. " Despite Wildi's clear words, the authorities were able to persuade the dutiful rector to withdraw his resignation.

Grave (with memorial plaque) of Ernst and Bertha Wildi in the cemetery in Trogen

Then the barrel overflowed with a reprimand from the State Economic Commission , because Wildi allowed himself to criticize the authorities in the annual report of the canton school 1935/36. As a result, he felt deeply hurt after all his efforts for the canton and the school and therefore submitted his definitive resignation in the spring of 1937. In the autumn of the same year he said goodbye to his work colleagues with the following words: «And now, dear colleagues, my song is over and with it my fight against petty things, against pinpricks, against slowing financial worries, against inadequacies in the seething youth and in myself. […] But my life's work was a success, because I made the last furrow in the field as straight as the first. I thank God, who gave me the strength and health for my work and allowed me to live with the youth for so many years. " On September 19, the canton students surprised their rector with a torchlight procession to Wildi's home; two weeks later he addressed his last speech to the pupils of the canton school, giving way to his bitterness again and then following educational admonitions for the last time: “There is now a rector in a small village with 300 to 400 living boys and Girl right between hammer and anvil. That's why you get tired over the years because of all the work and responsibility. The forces weaken, and if there are nudges from outside that one does not consider to be justified, then one day one simply no longer wants to, especially if one never only worked all night for the sake of wages, but rather for the sake of an inner obligation. It is also the fate of everything organic: what grew happily towards the light must one day humbly lean towards the earth again. Good for those who can give way to new forces before they are felt to be outlived! [...] And now allow me to make a few more requests and requests! Never forget that you are favored next to comrades of the same age who often have to earn hard living with strangers at an early age. [...] I ask you, write the word 'harmony' on the flag that should flutter in front of you in life. All one-sidedness is ugly, and every weight needs a counterweight. Give what is to the mind, what is to the body, what is of the body! […] Never tolerate uncomfortable showing off among yourselves; but take a firm stand against indecent comrades who abuse their superiority and intimidate others. [...] Serve your fellow human beings; you will experience how this enriches and makes us happy, while egoism cools everything in us. [...] And now I thank you all once again from the bottom of my heart for all your love, for all the trust you have shown me. Forgive me if I occasionally escape bad words when I am exhausted, if I have not always had enough control over my temperament. I never wanted to do an injustice. Don't forget me too quickly, and if I should still be able to do some service to this or that, my house will always be hospitable. " Wildi's last official letter was dated October 14th and was addressed to the Landammann : “Today I am resigning from my position as teacher and rector of the Appenzell Ausserrhodische Kantonsschule. I handed over all the necessary files to Doctor Wohnlich [Rector from 1937–1948]. [...] When I deregister from the Appenzell civil service, I urgently ask that the canton school commission not consider another farewell lesson. I am happy when the detachment is finally over. "

After resigning from office, Ernst Wildi intended to realize his writing plans. However, that did not happen. This was followed by a stomach ailment and cardiac paralysis, which made an operation indispensable. Wildi did not wake up from anesthesia and died around noon on January 11, 1939. The burial took place on January 14 in the crematorium in St. Gallen . In the obituary notice it was stated that if the deceased wanted to donate flowers, the poor should be remembered. On April 25th, the Trogen town council decided to make a memorial plaque with the following inscription for Ernst Wildi's grave by the sculptor Wilhelm Meier (student at the KST from 1894 to 1897):

«To our fellow citizen, sponsor and developer of the Trogen Cantonal School, the great school man, educator and friend of his youth, the exemplary citizen and patriot Rector Dr. H. c. Ernst Wildi - dedicated in gratitude by the Trogen community »

After the childless marriage, Bertha Wildi-Bruderer lived in Trogen for another 29 years and died in 1968. Her remains were combined with those of her former husband in a family grave.

Effect, afterlife

Ernst Wildi's work continued for decades after his death. In 1995, the “Arche”, the largest building of the cantonal school to date, was inaugurated. On this occasion, Willi Eugster (14th rector of the KST) described Ernst Wildi 56 years after his death as “the most important personality in the development of the canton school”. However, his numerous services to the school were recognized and honored during his tenure as principal.

Honorary doctorate certificate , awarded by the University of Zurich , 1923

Honorary doctorate

In 1923 the University of Zurich examined a corresponding application (which Wildi knew nothing about) and awarded him the honorary doctorate Dr. H. c. ( honoris causa ):

«The University of Zurich under the rectorate of Professor Dr. jur. utr. Ernst Hafter awards through the Philosophical Faculty under the Dean's office of Professor Dr. phil. et med. Arthur Wreschner with this certificate by virtue of her legal right to Mr. Ernst Wildi from Wiggiswil (Bern), Rector of the Trogen Cantonal School, who made the school entrusted to him an exemplary one through his superior pedagogical skills and his strong personality , the honorary dignity of a doctor of the Philosophy."

Rector Wildi Foundation

Shortly after Wildi's death, the "Wildi Foundation" was set up in the spirit of his charity. In 1939, the new rector reported in the bulletin of the former KST students under the heading “From the canton school community”: “Finally, I would like to mention a new philanthropic foundation that was established during the past year. I fulfill this chronicler duty with heartfelt thanks to the noble, self-sacrificing initiators and give one of the same opportunity to inform the other members of the KVT: Ing.Max Schmidheiny [student at the KST from 1921 to 1927 and pensioner at Wildi], Heerbrugg , writes : ‹After Rector Dr. Ernst Wildi some former Wildians decided to erect a memorial to their revered teacher in the sense that they organized a collection especially among the former retirees of Rector Wildi, which resulted in the beautiful amount of approximately CHF 20,000. The purpose of this fund is to set up a Rector Wildi Foundation with the aim of making it easier for able, poor canton students to graduate from the canton school. ›» Among the numerous donors were even former students who are now in Rio de Janeiro and New York lived.

Wildi's grave

The sandstone plaque at the entrance to the “Red Schoolhouse” has been a reminder of Wildi's work since 2019

As the 25th year of Wildi's death approached in 1963, Rector Walter Schlegel (2nd Rector after Wildi) received a letter from Durham, North Carolina , USA , from a former student: “Dear Rector, as a former canton student (Matura 1913) I visited Trogen again during my Swiss vacation. I noticed that the memorial plate donated by the Trogen community at the time for Rector Wildi is in the cemetery. In agreement with other alumni with whom I discussed the matter, I have the feeling that the cantonal school building itself would be a better place for the well-deserved report of honor. There she would be an ongoing inspiration for future generations of students. In the cemetery it is accessible to few and is observed by few. It would probably have to disappear there in time. I wrote to Mayor Niederer in the same spirit and I would very much appreciate it if you could decide to take a hand on the proposed solution. " However, nothing came of the application, as the decision of the former municipal authority, the placement on the grave, could not be revoked. Another proposal to commission a new memorial plaque for the school area was also not implemented. In 1994, the former canton student and Mövenpick founder Ueli Prager also contacted the village priest and wrote about the grave of Ernst Wildi: “I went to school in Trogen from 1929 to 1935 and I can look back on a very happy time. I retired to my dear teacher and educator, Rector Wildi, whom I remember with gratitude. I was recently in Trogen on a two-day homesick visit and, as in previous years, I was delighted and delighted by the Appenzell landscape, but also by the typical Trogen atmosphere. I was also on the grave of Rector Wildi and saw with a little sadness and sadness that the inscription is hardly legible and the stone is covered by some lichen . Even the flower care was not quite as I would have imagined for a man who deserves such great service for Trogen. " As a result, Prager financed the renovation of the grave monument for 3100 francs and, six years later, paid the grave maintenance through the Trogen municipality for the next two decades up to 2022; he wrote to his former canton schoolmates: “The little heap that still remembers our then rector has shrunk. Max Honegger and I of the pensioners in the 'Wildihaus' are staying. Yes, and after 20 years, the memories of all dear friends are probably gone! " With regard to the dissolution of the grave, the KST school management decided in 2019, exactly 80 years after Wildi's death, to transfer the memorial plate from the grave to the school campus. The location chosen was the “Red Schoolhouse”, which has repeatedly been viewed as one of Wildi's greatest contributions to the cantonal school. Since then, the memorial plaque designed by Wilhelm Meier has been hanging a few meters next to his fountain from 1965.

literature

• Jakob Heim: On the history of the Trogen Cantonal School. In: Program of the Appenzell Cantonal School. Self-published, Trogen 1875.
• Cantonal School Commission: Reorganization of the Cantonal School of Appenzell A.Rh. Opinion of the enlarged commission. Self-published, Trogen 1906.
• Ernst Wildi: Appenzell a. Rh. Canton school in Trogen for the hundredth year of existence. Self-published, Trogen 1921.
• Various: Rectorate correspondence from Ernst Wildi, 1905–1939. State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60.
• Max Amstein: In Memoriam Rector Wildi. In: KVT-Mitteilungen. No. 18. Self-published, Trogen 1939, pp. 1–28.
• H. Meili: On the 100th birthday of a. Rector Dr. H. c. Ernst Wildi. In: KVT-Mitteilungen. No. 57. Self-published, Trogen 1978, pp. 49-52.
• Walter Imhoof: Trogener memories from the time of the First World War. In: KVT-Mitteilungen. No. 64. Eigenverlag, Trogen 1985, pp. 15-19.
• Karl Barth: childhood memories of Trogen. In: KVT-Mitteilungen. No. 66. Eigenverlag, Trogen 1987, pp. 15-18.
• Heidi Eisenhut: The History of the Trogen Cantonal School. In: Special edition of the heartburn for the ark inauguration. Self-published, Trogen 1995.

Web links

Commons : Ernst Wildi  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Website of the canton school Trogen
• TWR Secondary School website
• Website of the Trogen Cantonal School Association
• Appenzell witnesses: 500 years of membership in the Swiss Confederation

Individual evidence

1. ^ Otto Ritzmann: Letter of April 7, 1923 to the University of Zurich . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden , D.027-60-5-17.
2. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Canton School Commission of November 2, 1927 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-1-07.
3. ^ August Meier: Letter to the Cantonal School Commission of June 11, 1895 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027.
4. ↑ Ernst Wildi: The Appenzell a. Rh. Canton school in Trogen for the hundredth year of existence. Self-published, Trogen 1921, pp. 106–110.
5. ↑ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Cantonal School Commission of July 23, 1933 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-07.
6. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Landammann from July 28, 1934 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-9-02.
7. ↑ Ernst Wildi: The Appenzell a. Rh. Canton school in Trogen for the hundredth year of existence. Self-published, Trogen 1921, pp. 167–173.
8. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Canton School Commission of November 2, 1927 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-1-07, pp. 3–4.
9. ^ Elisabeth Pletscher: Trogen, the school village in the twenties. In: KVT-Mitteilungen No. 74, self-published, Trogen 1995, pp. 71–73.
10. ↑ Ernst Wildi: Speech of March 1, 1936 at the Kirchhöri . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-43-5-05.
11. ^ Ernst Wildi: Address on the school evening in 1936 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-08.
12. ↑ Hanspeter Strebel, Kathrin Barbara Zatti: There are things that need time - Elisabeth Pletscher, contemporary witness of the 20th century. Appenzeller Verlag, Herisau 2005, ISBN 3-85882-410-0 , p. 213.
13. ^ Gerhard Falkner: Theater at the canton school. In: KVT-Mitteilungen No. 67, self-published, Trogen 1988, pp. 57-103.
14. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Cantonal School Commission of November 3, 1920 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-38-3-03.
15. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Cantonal School Commission of November 3, 1920 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-38-3-03.
16. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter from the Cantonal School Commission to Ernst Wildi dated December 2, 1920 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-38-3-03.
17. ↑ Ernst Wildi: The Appenzell a. Rh. Canton school in Trogen for the hundredth year of existence. Self-published, Trogen 1921, pp. 3–4.
18. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the government council of November 4, 1925 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-07.
19. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Government Council of September 6, 1927 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-47-1-07.
20. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Government Council of January 28, 1928 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-47-1-05.
21. ^ Government Councilor Tanner: Letter to Ernst Wildi from January 30, 1928 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-47-1-05.
22. ^ Ernst Wildi: Inauguration speech 1928 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-47-2-03.
23. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to Hans Balmer from February 26, 1929 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-1-01.
24. ^ Arnold Altherr: Letter to Ernst Wildi from March 2, 1929 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-1-01.
25. ↑ Dossier on the "Affair Landsgemeinde" from 1929 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-1-05.
26. ^ Arnold Altherr: Letter to Ernst Wildi from May 1, 1929 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-1-05.
27. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to Arnold Altherr from May 2, 1929 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-1-05.
28. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Government Council of May 6, 1929 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-1-05.
29. ↑ Howard Eugster: Letter to Ernst Wildi from July 2, 1929 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-4-10
30. ^ Dossier on the "Red Flag Affair" from 1929. State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-4-10.
31. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Cantonal School Commission of February 7, 1930 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-13.
32. ^ Education director Johann Jakob Tanner: Letter to Ernst Wildi dated February 1, 1930 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-13.
33. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Cantonal School Commission of February 27, 1930 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-13.
34. ^ H. Eugster: Speech on handing over the keys on October 24, 1931 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-3-03.
35. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the government council of October 26, 1931 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-3-03.
36. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Government Council of April 26, 1927 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-62-1-01.
37. ↑ Helmut Berg: Trogen on the rise - Aviation in connection with Trogen and Trogenern. In: KVT-Mitteilungen No. 66, self-published, Trogen 1986, pp. 63–75.
38. ^ Statutes of the Albatros Association of March 8, 1929 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-62-1-13.
39. ↑ Motorless flights in Eastern Switzerland . In: Swiss Aero Review , Zurich 1928.
40. ↑ Helmut Berg: Trogen on the rise - Aviation in connection with Trogen and Trogenern. In: KVT-Mitteilungen No. 66, self-published, Trogen 1986, pp. 63–75.
41. ^ Rolf Stadler: Letter to Frédéric Fischer from April 17, 1991 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-62-1-01.
42. ^ Elisabeth Pletscher: Processing 1. World War and contemporary history . In: Special edition of the heartburn for the ark inauguration , self-published, Trogen 1995, p. 10.
43. ^ Otto Ritzmann: Letter of January 23, 1948 to the gentlemen of the Rector Wildi Foundation . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-63-3-05.
44. ^ Elisabeth Pletscher: Trogen, the school village in the twenties. In: KVT-Mitteilungen No. 74, self-published, Trogen 1995, pp. 71–73.
45. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Canton School Commission of November 2, 1927 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-1-07, p. 8.
46. ↑ KVT-Mitteilungen No. 75, self-published, Trogen 1996, pp. 88–90.
47. ^ Dossier First World War . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-6.
48. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Cantonal School Commission of March 24, 1915 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-6-01.
49. ↑ Various: Correspondence on polio 1931 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-7-01
50. ↑ Ernst Wildi: Letter to Dr. E. Hörler from August 10, 1931 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-7-01
51. ↑ Ernst Wildi: Letter to E. Knellwolf and O. Eugster of August 24, 1931 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-7-01
52. ↑ Various: Correspondence on polio, 1936 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-7-02
53. ↑ KVT-Mitteilungen No. 18, self-published, Trogen 1939, p. 11.
54. ↑ KVT-Mitteilungen No. 74, self-published, Trogen 1996, pp. 71–73.
55. ↑ KVT-Mitteilungen No. 75, self-published, Trogen 1996, pp. 88–90.
56. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Government Council dated October 7, 1929 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-05
57. ↑ Ernst Wildi: Speech to the girls in classes IV-VI 1935 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-05
58. ^ Ernst Wildi: Address on the school evening in 1936 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-08.
59. ↑ KVT-Mitteilungen No. 18, self-published, Trogen 1939, p. 18.
60. ^ Letter to Ernst Wildi dated November 9, 1936. Appenzell Ausserrhoden State Archives, D.027-60-5-04
61. ↑ Ernst Wildi: Letter to parents from September 15, 1937 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-04
62. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Canton School Commission from 1929 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-42-1-03
63. ^ Ernst Wildi: Orientation in the Trogen municipal council of October 10, 1927 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-1-02.
64. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter from November 12, 1928 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-47-1-06.
65. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to C. Meyer dated May 5, 1929 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-48-1-02.
66. ↑ Various: Correspondence on the 1937 resignation . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-14
67. ↑ KVT-Mitteilungen No. 18, self-published, Trogen 1939, p. 26.
68. ↑ KVT messages, farewell speech to his students from the October 2, 1937 , no. 18, self-published, Trogen 1939, pp 30-33.
69. ^ Ernst Wildi: Letter to the Landammann from October 14, 1937 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-47-1-06.
70. ↑ Ceremonial handover of the anchor - The new Kanti schoolhouse was inaugurated with an official ceremony. In: Appenzeller Zeitung . 4th September 1995.
71. ^ Otto Ritzmann: Letter of April 7, 1923 to the University of Zurich . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-17.
72. ↑ KVT-Mitteilungen No. 18, self-published, Trogen 1939, p. 59.
73. ^ Donor list of the Rector Wildi Foundation from February 9, 1940 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-41-3-03.
74. ^ Frederick W. Stocker: Letter to Walter Schlegel from September 1, 1963 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-22.
75. ^ Ueli Prager: Letter to Pastor Ueli Schlatter from August 30, 1994 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-24.
76. ^ Ueli Prager: Letter to alumni of September 27, 2002 . State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden, D.027-60-5-24.