Peter Franz Miller

Peter Franz Miller (written in the baptismal register Peter Franziscus Möller ; baptized on April 2, 1745 in Schluckenau / Northern Bohemia; † 1823 ) was a Bohemian teacher, cantor, composer and author.

Life

As a child of poor weavers, he learned the weaving trade from his father. After completing his apprenticeship, he moved from his hometown to the neighboring Saxon village of Sohland on the Spree and worked as a journeyman with a local master weaver. The schoolmaster Küchler from Sohland frequented the master’s house, and he noticed Miller's extraordinary talent. He explained to the young Miller that he had the talent to be a teacher and, with the consent of the master, began to give him lessons. Miller learned quickly. As the name day approached the bailiff of Schluckenau , Schwab, Küchler asked his pupil to write a letter of congratulations on the occasion, which Miller did. The bailiff was so impressed by Miller's presentation of the text and its content that he offered Miller to teach his daughter and two foster children in future reading, writing and arithmetic. Miller accepted the offer. When practicing reading with his students, Miller replaced the then still common spelling method with the phonetic method. This was invented by Valentin Ickelsamer in the 16th century , but remained largely unknown and only prevailed in the German-speaking area in the course of the 19th century. During the piano lessons the children were taking, Miller watched with interest and asked the bailiff to allow him to practice. In a short time he had not only learned to play the piano, but he was also able to play the organ, which he also did at Sunday services. Word of Miller's talents got around among the city officials, and so a private girls' school was set up, of which he became the director. Now Miller, who until then had no certificates whatsoever, took the teacher examination in Leitmeritz . Miller was now a teacher of the boys' and senior classes at the Schluckenau city school. Miller enjoyed the favor of his Leitmeritz bishop Ferdinand Kindermann von Schulstein , who had made a name for himself as a school reformer and promoter. Due to his ability, Miller became cantor at the town church of St. Wenceslas after the previous cantor had died in 1789.

Miller found time to write down his educational and life experiences in school and textbooks, some of which appeared in several editions. Some of the books were also published in Bohemian and Hungarian. Miller also emerged as a poet and composer of hymns. The most famous of the church compositions is "Es ist vollbracht" for 4-part mixed choir, organ and 4 trombones.

Miller died on February 7, 1823 during a class. He was buried in the cemetery surrounding the Schluckenau church. Miller was married twice. He only had female offspring.

Former students placed a tombstone for him and had the following text engraved on him below the personal details of the deceased: “The teachers will shine like stars in the night sky. Dan 13.3. Let this divine word also be fulfilled in the good! Dedicated by his students. ”- After the grave was abandoned, the stone was moved a few meters and is now a memorial stone near the main entrance of the church. The German Cultural Association in Schluckenau had the monument renovated and presented it to the public again on August 22, 2017. - Logically, the well-deserved son of Schluckenau was also mentioned in the dictionary on the history of the Bohemian lands.

Publications

• Warning for the inexperienced youth, or collection of 257 unfortunate stories from the book of experience. Prague 1811, third edition
• Call to imitate good children, or 100 traits of filial virtue. Buchler, Prague 1803.
• The German Archimedes. A collection of 12,000 practical school and household accounting tasks. 1st part, Bautzen 1805, 2nd part Bautzen 1810, 3rd part Bautzen 1811.
• Book of fire containing 156 true stories of conflagrations. Prague 1819.
• Morals in proverbs for dictation. Bautzen 1821.
• School primer. (Unfinished manuscript).

Literature and references

Yearbook for teachers, parents and educators. 16th year 1850. Prague, on commission from Kronberger, pages 18–33

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Helga Hoskova in "Our Netherlands", episode 816, November 2017, page 332
2. ↑ Biographical Lexicon on the History of the Bohemian Lands. Collegium Carolinum Munich. 1974