Johann Ernst Henfling

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Johann Ernst Henfling (born August 13, 1691 in Walchenfeld ( Franconia ), † August 31, 1720 in Meiningen ) was a German businessman , lawyer and promoter of higher education in Meiningen.

Life

Johann Ernst Henfling was born in the Franconian town of Walchenfeld as the son of a pastor. He has suffered from poor health since childhood. At the age of 18 he began training as a businessman in Darmstadt . He then came to Meiningen in 1711 and took private lessons from Inspector Weinrich, the director of the illustrious Lyceum in Meiningen, in order to be able to study law, history and philosophy in Jena from 1714 . After completing his studies, he did administrative work for a short time in the Wasungen department of the Duchy of Saxony-Meiningen and then continued his studies in Halle (Saale) . In 1719 he returned to Meiningen, where he died in 1720 after a serious illness.

Knowing about his serious illness, he wrote his will early on. In this he decreed that his extensive fortune should be used for the establishment of a boarding school and the creation of another class at the Meininger Lyzeum illustrious. This should increase the efficiency of the school and give school graduates direct access to a university. Furthermore, a foundation allowed the less well-off to visit the lyceum. From 1730 to 1742 his decrees were implemented. The school moved to a new building in 1821 and was called Gymnasium Bernhardinum from then on . In 1945 the school was named "Henfling" and since 1990 has been called "Henfling-Gymnasium".

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