Johann Valentin Meidinger

Johann Valentin Meidinger (born May 1, 1756 in Frankfurt am Main ; † December 17, 1822 there ) was a German teacher of French and Italian and a textbook author.

Together with his older brother Johann Nicolaus Meidinger (1752–1828), Johan Valentin Meidinger worked as a private teacher for French and Italian in Frankfurt from 1779 onwards, with the approval of the magistrate. Also in 1779, the two brothers had submitted an application to the city administration to found a school for French and Italian, which was rejected by the magistrate. The "Etablissement et pension francoise en faveur d'un certain nombre de jeunes gens choisis de l'un et de l'autre sexe" by Nicolas Hyacintes Paradis de Tavannes (1733 - after 1781) had just closed in Frankfurt, with the one had not had a good experience.

Established and renowned textbooks and grammars of French and Italian came from Meidinger. In 1783 he self-published the Practical French Grammar, which allows you to learn this language thoroughly in a very new and very easy way in a short time . The book became one of the most popular textbooks of its time: at least 37 editions were published by 1857 , with a total of 250,000 copies, not including reprints and pirated prints. A special version for children ( first lesson in the French language for children in primary schools ) reached at least 26 editions. Meidinger also published a German textbook for the French market and an Italian grammar, both also in several editions.

Contrary to what the title of the book suggests, Meidinger hardly provided any practical application examples. Rather, the work is structured as a textbook on grammar , the rules of which are explained in detail in the individual chapters and assigned to memorize using word lists. The Meidinger method found numerous imitators, for example the Erlangen university professor Johann Christian Fick , who published a practical English language teaching for Germans beyderley sex in 1793 and explicitly referred to Meidinger.

The success of the book also had a curious consequence. In the appendix of his book Meidinger cited some popular anecdotes as translation examples. His name became a standing term: a “Meidinger” was a long-known anecdote or an outdated joke.

He was married to Susanna Maria Schmidt. Her sons were Johann Heinrich Meidinger (1792–1867), Johann Valentin (1797–1851; bookseller, father of Bertha, who married Karl Gutzkow ) and Johannes (1799–1843; pastor in Niederrad , father of Heinrich Meidinger ).

literature

• Wilhelm Stricker:  Meidinger, Johann Valentin . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 21, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1885, p. 189.