Yellow brochure

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Title page of the "Yellow Brochure" (1887)

The Yellow Brochure (actual title The Higher Girls' School and Its Purpose ) is a work by Helene Lange on the education of girls and teachers. Access to academic training is required. Helene Lange, Minna Cauer , Henriette Schrader-Breymann , Anna Luise Dorothea Jessen, Marie Loeper-Housselle and Ms. Eberty submitted the brochure to the Prussian House of Representatives and the Prussian Ministry of Education on January 9, 1888 as an accompanying document to a petition . The House of Representatives did not deal with the petition, the government rejected it after a year, but Helene Lange became widely known as a result. The name yellow brochure was given to the font after the color of its cover.

Structure and content

The Yellow Brochure has 63 pages and is written in continuous form. It begins with the following demands:

  1. A greater participation of the teachers in the lessons in the "middle and upper level of the public higher girls' schools". The subjects religion and German should be taught by female teachers without exception.
  2. The establishment of public institutions for the scientific training of teachers.

In the accompanying letter, Helene Lange justifies and comments on these demands. In her opinion, the woman is particularly suitable for teaching at the secondary girls' school, since she can act as a role model for the students and empathize with them better. Especially in the "ethical subjects" (German, religion and history), the subjects of " education ", women have better access to the students than a teacher. For example, a one-on-one conversation between a pupil and a teacher is not possible for moral reasons, which, however, can become a “main educational measure” through the teacher. Furthermore, girls can only be educated to be human and feminine through women. To Helene Lange, it only seems logical that the woman, who already takes the leading part in raising the home, should also be active in school education.

In order to do justice to the educational task in school, the previous training by the teacher seminar is not sufficient. This would only convey “half education” and would not give women the opportunity to teach at the same educational level as teachers. In addition, the woman loses her femininity by imitating the behavior of the teacher. Helene Lange writes: "The half-education , especially in connection with long-term routine, produces that distorted image of the teacher that is reminiscent of the sergeant." Teacher training should develop from a superficial and general, privately organized seminar to training in special state institutions as is already the case with teacher training. The woman should be trained in the state institutions to become an independently thinking teacher with well-founded specialist knowledge. This would enable her to teach in senior classes and take over the management of the school.

In order to take the wind out of the sails of possible critics, Helene Lange attached importance to gender balance in teaching. She wished for more teachers in the girls' school, but they should not completely replace the teachers. Men should continue to teach "mind culture" (grammar, arithmetic, science and geography).

Overall, the demands are aimed at strengthening the girls' secondary school, which includes not only a qualitative improvement in teaching, but also state recognition as an institution qualifying for graduation . At the same time, Helene Lange calls for better training for teachers in order to strengthen this female professional field and to help it achieve better social recognition.

argumentation

In her argument, Helene Lange refers not only to her time, but also to attempts at change that lie in the past. In this context Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi and Betty Gleim are mentioned. It is also important to Helene Lange to look to the future. This includes a special appeal function. This is shown in the sentence "(...) for the sake of your own daughters, on whom the well-being of the coming generation depends". In addition, she invokes u. a. on the patriotism of the readers and the Petitions Committee. She writes: “The spirit of the fatherland rests in its daughters. It is from them that it is warmed, enlightened and excited. And just as female nature is treated, foolishly or wisely, it will give back to the fatherland and its sons a thousandfold or fail, in wisdom or in folly. "

The reasoning in Helene Lange's text is based on the gender difference. The emotional and psychological differences between men and women that were conceived in the 19th century are not questioned, but rather consciously used for their own arguments. Helene Lange argues that it is precisely because of the differences in nature that it is so existentially important to let women teach.

The main argument for the increased use of female teachers arises from the vocation of women to be the “educator of the nation”. The arguments are strategically chosen. Common views of society are taken up and formulated in the text in such a way that they can ultimately only speak in favor of improving women's education. In this context, it is interesting that Helene Lange does not believe in unchangeable “natural structures”. Rather, the construction of gender roles is characterized by strong social influence, which is expressed in the following quote: “For us [the authors of the petition], who do not believe in this immutability of natural features, on the contrary, we are firmly convinced of it tremendous influence that social habits and the type of employment have on the formation or regression of natural structures (...). "

A problem is already addressed here that is discussed today under the term “ gender ” and contrasted with the term “ sex ” (biological gender).

effect

The “Yellow Brochure” was published “in order to interest as wide a group as possible in the issues raised here and to get them to sign.” The petition itself had no direct political effect. So the matter was not even discussed among the MPs. However, the script met with great public interest. The press reported and a broad discussion was initiated.

Ultimately, the “Yellow Brochure” can be regarded as the starting point for the Prussian girls' school reform, which was finally achieved in 1908.

literature

  • James C. Albisetti: Girls and Women Education in the 19th Century. Klinkhardt, Bad Heilbrunn 2007, ISBN 978-3-7815-1509-3 .
  • Edith Glaser: What is an educational classic? Helene Lange and the stylization of the “Yellow Brochure”. In: Ariadne. Forum for women's and gender history. Issue 53/54, 2008, ISSN  0178-1073 , pp. 18-29.
  • Cordula Koepcke: women's movement. Between the years 1800 and 2000. Glock and Lutz, Heroldsberg near Nuremberg 1979, ISBN 3-7738-4022-5 .
  • Helene Lange: The higher girls' school and its purpose. Accompanying letter to a petition to the Prussian Ministry of Education and the Prussian House of Representatives. Oehmigke, Berlin 1887, (Also in: Helene Lange: Kampfzeiten. Essays and speeches from four decades. Volume 1. FA Herbig, Berlin 1887, pp. 7–58).
  • Else Schmücker: women in social responsibility. Luise Otto-Peters, Helene Lange, Pauline Herber, Elisabeth Gnauck-Kühne, Hedwig Dransfeld, Selma von der Gröben, Alice Salomon, Elly Heuss-Knapp. Schöningh, Paderborn 1962.