Johannes Schult

Johannes Daniel Friedrich Schult (born January 22, 1884 in Hamburg ; † April 19, 1965 ibid) was a German teacher , high school councilor and politician .

Live and act

Johannes Schult was the son of a shoemaker, his mother a daughter of Daniel Bartels . He spent his childhood in modest circumstances in the east of his hometown. Schult first attended an elementary school and from 1898 at the age of only 14 the teachers' college. This can be described as unusual in view of the economic situation. After the end of the training in 1904 he received a position as an assistant teacher. In 1907 he passed the second state examination. He then worked as a permanent employee at several elementary schools. He also made it a point to get involved in training and further education outside of school.

He became a member of the Society of Friends of the Patriotic School System at an early age . From 1906 he was involved in the youth movement of the SPD in Hamburg and gave courses and lectures there from 1909. In addition to his job, he attended lectures and courses that took place at the General Lecture System at Hamburg University until 1910 . He was also involved as a teacher in workers' education. August Hellmann presumably arranged this teaching activity . Through his work as a lecturer, Schult gained prominence in social democratic circles.

The First World War largely interrupted Schult's work. From January 1915 to July 1916 he had to do military service and achieved the rank of non-commissioned officer. He then taught at a primary school and from 1917 worked as an assistant teacher in advanced training schools in Hamburg. The high school authorities employed him from 1920 as a further education teacher. He also worked for the employment office, where he dealt with youth issues and was chairman of the youth and education committee. He had acquired the necessary skills in relation to working with young people and adult education through previous extracurricular activities. In the position at the employment office, he focused on solving problems on the labor market through increased educational measures. Among other things, he called for compulsory schooling to be extended. From 1918 to 1920 Schult took on a post as secretary of the Socialist Workers' Youth and worked in the working group of social democratic teachers.

Since 1919, Schult was a member of the Hamburg parliament as a member of the SPD . Here he participated in several committees that dealt with questions about education and the constitution. He was a member of the university committee and founding member of the Hamburger Volkshochschule and one of the first lecturers there. The teaching activities at other schools became less and less aware of Schult and ended the school service in 1921 with a paid leave of absence. Instead, he became involved as a school councilor for the vocational school authority from 1923 and as its high school councilor from 1926. Since there was no compulsory university training for vocational school teachers at the time, Schult advocated establishing a corresponding training. Schult, who was at times also regarded as a nationally valued speaker, wrote numerous essays at this time. In it he addressed questions about youth and the organization of vocational schools. He also created teaching materials that could be used on political and civic topics.

When the National Socialists seized power , Schult's membership in the Hamburg Parliament, which he resigned on April 1, 1933, ended. Six days later, he was given leave under the Law Restoring the Civil Service . He retired in September 1933. Until the end of the Second World War , Schulte worked, among other things, as a sales representative. After the failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944 , the National Socialists arrested Schult and other like-minded politicians in August 1944. Schult, who had six children at the time, was physically unharmed in the Hamburg police prison and in the Fuhlsbüttel concentration camp .

In July 1945, Schult took over the post of high school council again. In this role he managed the entire vocational and technical school system. From 1948 he worked again as a lecturer until he retired in 1950. He then continued to do voluntary work, including as a board member and until the end of the 1950s as chairman of the board of the adult education center. In addition, he dealt intensively with the workers 'and workers' youth movement and wrote several papers on this. Schult also wrote a work on vocational schools and an autobiography, which, however, remained unpublished.

Johannes Schult died in April 1965 in his hometown.

Honors

In 1959, the Senate of Hamburg awarded Johannes Schult the silver medal for loyal work in the service of the people. In the same year he was made an honorary lecturer at the adult education center. The Johannes-Schult-Weg in Volksdorf has been a reminder of the former pedagogue and politician since 1968 .

Works (selection)

• History of the Hamburg workers 1890-1919 . Hanover, Dietz, 1967.
• The citizen. A reference work on public affairs . Villingen / Black Forest, Neckar-Verl., 1959.
• Departure of a youth. The way of the German workers' youth movement . Bonn, Verl. Schaffende Jugend, 1956.

literature

• Anne-Kathrin Beer: Schult, Johannes . In: Franklin Kopitzsch, Dirk Brietzke (Hrsg.): Hamburgische Biographie . tape 4 . Wallstein, Göttingen 2008, ISBN 978-3-8353-0229-7 , pp. 315-317 .