Franz Volkmer

Franz Volkmer

Franz Volkmer (born February 12, 1846 in Schönau near Landeck , district of Glatz ; † February 17, 1930 in Niederlangenau , district of Habelschwerdt ) was a German pedagogue , didactic and local history researcher . From 1877 to 1908 he was director of the Habelschwerdter teachers' college.

Life

Franz Volkmer was the son of a teacher. After graduating from the Glatzer royal high school, he studied philosophy and natural sciences at the University of Breslau from 1865 , where he received his doctorate in 1869. In 1870/71 he took part in the Franco-German War as a volunteer in the medical service. In 1871 he passed the state examination in mathematics, physics and philosophy and in the same year became a teacher at the Catholic Matthias Gymnasium in Breslau . As early as 1874 he became director of the newly founded teachers' college in Zülz, Upper Silesia . Three years later he was transferred to the Habelschwerdter teachers' seminar, which under his leadership made a major contribution to the development of the educational system and reached a high musical level. In 1880 a new, representative seminar building with significant urban planning was inaugurated.

In addition to his work as a seminar director, Volkmer increasingly turned to the science of history and wrote numerous local history essays on the history of the Glatzer country . Since this was neglected by the regional historical academic research, Volkmer pursued already at the end of the 1870s together with the Habelschwerdter school prefect and later great dean Edmund Scholz (1835-1920) the plan to publish their local history writings in their own journal. This first appeared in 1881 under the title "Quarterly publication on the history and local history of the County of Glatz". It was supposed to “collect source material for a later possible historical work in a purely objective way”, whereby above all the handwritten historical records of the old master of Glatzer historical research Joseph Kögler were to be evaluated and printed. In addition, in addition to local history, the magazine should also include articles on the Glatzer dialect, customs, weather observations, etc. include. Edmund Scholz was responsible for volumes I to IV, volumes V to X were edited and edited by Franz Volkmer together with the Regens des Glatzer Gymnasialkonvikt Wilhelm Hohaus (1844–1909). After Franz Volkmer could not pursue their work on the magazine for health reasons and Wilhelm Hohaus for professional reasons, it had to be stopped in 1891. The “Blätter für die Geschichte und Heimatkunde der Grafschaft Glatz”, which appeared between 1911 and 1920 and which were enclosed with the magazine “Die Grafschaft Glatz” published by the Glatzer Mountain Association , can be regarded as its successor .

Franz Volkmer left behind a large number of publications. In addition to his local history and editorial work, he also collected folk songs and legends and also recorded customs. As a didactic specialist, he made a great contribution to the 300-page history of education and teaching , which was used in teacher seminars throughout Germany and was reprinted fifteen times. He also participated in teaching programs for general schools and teacher training.

For his services, Franz Volkmer was awarded the title of school councilor in 1892 , which at that time was not yet used as an official title. In 1899 he was made an honorary citizen of the city of Habelschwerdt and in 1909 an honorary member of the Association for the History of Silesia . On the occasion of his 75th birthday, in 1921 he published volume 5 of the Glatzer Heimatschriften as a festschrift. He also received the Order of the Red Eagle 3rd Class and the Papal Order Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice . He died in Niederlangenau in 1930 and was buried in the Habelschwerdter cemetery.

In 2009 a plaque was placed in his memory in the entrance hall of the former Habelschwerdter teachers' college, which is now the Bystrzyca Kłodzka grammar school .

Works

• Quarterly publication on the history and local history of the County of Glatz (published and edited together with Wilhelm Hohaus), Habelschwerdt.
• Historical sources of the County of Glatz (together with Wilhelm Hohaus):
  • Volume 1: Documents and registers on the history of County Glatz up to 1400 . Habelschwerdt 1883.
  • Volume 2: Documents and registers on the history of County Glatz from 1401 to 1500 . Habelschwerdt 1888.
  • Volume 3: Constitutiones Synodi Comitatus Glasencis in causis religionis . The deanery books of Christophorus Naetius (1560) and Hieronymus Keck (1631). Habelschwerdt 1884.
  • Volume 4: The oldest town book on Glatz (1324–1412). Habelschwerdt 1889.
  • Volume 5: Oldest Glatzer Office Book or Man Rights Negotiations (1346-1390). Habelschwerdt 1891.

(The 6th volume was edited by Berthold Bretholz in 1927 and published by the Glatzer Heimatkunde association.)

• History of education and teaching , textbook for teachers' seminars.
• History of the Catholic School Teachers Seminar in County Glatz . Habelschwerdt 1880.
• History of the deaneries and vicars of the County of Glatz , Habelschwerdt 1894.
• History of the stand Habelschwerdt , Franke bookstore, Habelschwerdt 1897.

Articles (selection)

• The elementary school teachers of the County of Glatz 250 years ago , VGH 1886.
• The privileges of the nobility and the royal cities of County Glatz from January 15, 1629 , VGH 1887/87.
• Georg von Podiebrad and the events of his time in the Glatzer Land . VGH VI, pp. 177-206.
• A list of 115 essays and other writings appeared in the 1921 Festschrift on Dr. Franz Volkmer's 75th birthday .

literature

• Arno Herzig , Małgorzata Ruchniewicz : History of the Glatzer Land . Hamburg-Wrocław 2006, ISBN 3-934632-12-2 , pp. 10, 17f., 367, 371, 375 and 378.
• This: Franz Volkmer (1846–1930) . In: Schlesische Lebensbilder Volume X. ISBN 978-3-7686-3508-0 , pp. 159–164.
• Festschrift on Dr. Franz Volkmer's 75th birthday . Glatzer Heimatschriften Volume 5, 1921.