Philipp Jakob Völter

Philipp Jacob Völter (born September 26, 1757 in Metzingen ; † June 5, 1840 in Heidenheim an der Brenz ) was a German boys schoolmaster , music director , elementary school teacher and writer in the school system.

Life

Philipp Jacob Völter was born on September 26, 1757 in Metzingen as the third child of the local schoolmaster Friedrich Wilhelm Völter and his wife Maria Magdalena, née Kühfuß. He came from one of the oldest and most important Metzingen families. Philipp Jacob received his first school education as well as basics in ancient languages and music from his father and his older brother Michael. From 1772 he received a place in the scholarship institution of the Esslingen Latin School, the Collegium Alumnorum, where he was instructed in ancient languages, geography, natural history and music by Rector Wilhelm Köstlin and Vice Rector Georg David Schmid. His wish to study theology in Tübingen failed for financial reasons, as his older brother was already studying theology.

At the age of 18, Völter was elected by the upper office and magistrate of the city of Heidenheim on June 28, 1776 for the newly created position of a third schoolmaster and commissioner at the German school in Heidenheim. At the same time he fulfilled the office of music director and organist of the town church of St. Michael.

During his time at the Württemberg elementary school, Völter was confronted with serious deficiencies in the training of the employed teachers, their salaries, the classrooms and the quality and selection of the subject matter. Because of the miserable remuneration, soldiers, farmers or craftsmen in Württemberg often applied for the advertised teaching positions at elementary schools until the 18th century. The poor pay usually required additional income from employment as a church servant, organist or other temporary work. The school buildings were often in a dilapidated condition and had little equipment. Not infrequently, the teacher's family's living room was used as a classroom. In addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, church learning content took up a large part. These very unsatisfactory conditions prompted Philipp Jacob Völter to draw attention to the knowledge gained from his own experience through writings as a man 'from below' and to contribute to the reform of the primary school system of that time.

First, in 1793, Völter supplemented the Württemberg proverbs - biblical texts for schoolchildren to memorize - with comments and prayers in order to educate the pupils about the meaning of these biblical sayings as a guiding principle for their own lives. In the following, Völter published articles on school lessons, the tasks of school teachers and school discipline both in the magazine “Taschenbuch für deutsche Schulmeister” (1786–1797) published by Pastor Christoph Ferdinand Moser (1759–1800) and in that of Pastor Moser and Pastor Christian Friedrich Wittich (1757-1818) as a sequel to the journal “Der Landschullehrer” (1798-1801).

"The new country school teacher"

After the death of Pastor Moser, the publication of “Der Landschullehrer” was stopped and colleagues asked Philipp Jacob Völter to continue the publication of the journal or a similar magazine. In 1802 Völter published the first volume of "Der neue Landschullehrer", which appeared from 1808 under the title "Theoretical-practical manual for German school teachers and educators" and from 1813 as a "magazine for German elementary school teachers, parents and educators". The magazines always pursued the same goals: They should serve the German teaching staff as an open medium, communicate their professional concerns and provide information about new pedagogical and philosophical thoughts on teaching. Further training events and school reforms were announced and school books were reviewed.

As a summary of his more than 30 years of experience as a primary school teacher and his numerous comments on primary schools, Philipp Jacob Völter published a manual in 1810 “Practical instructions for all official duties and relationships of a German elementary school teacher with regard to the purposes of the Pestalozzian style of teaching”. A second, expanded edition appeared in 1819.

family

Since 1782 Philipp Jacob Völter was married to the butcher's daughter Maria Magdalena Moser from Heidenheim. Of the ten children they shared, only a few of whom reached adulthood, the first-born Heinrich Bernhard (1784–1847) became a paper manufacturer. As an engineer and inventor, his son of the same name developed the first large-scale systems for paper production on a wood basis, which were awarded several medals and prizes at industrial and world exhibitions.

literature

Gisela Judith Fähndrich, Völterbuch 2005, edited by Wolfgang Völter, Tübingen, Gulde-Verlag, ISBN 3-924123-58-6 .
Heinrich Voelter's birthday is 200 years old, Heidenheimer Zeitung, 30.12. 2016.
The man who dedicated himself to paper, Schwarzwälder Bote, December 31. 2016.
The Völterei and its big ones, Südwestpresse, 31.12. 2016.
From chewing gum and snail slime, Stuttgarter Zeitung, 11./12. 2nd 2017.
The chemistry is right, Eßlinger Zeitung, 22./23. 7th 2017.

Web links

Sander .: Völter. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie 40 (1896) (deutsche-biographie.de). German biography, pp. 404-407 .; accessed on October 7, 2019

Individual evidence

↑ The alphabet sayings of the new Wirtemberg Spruchbuch broken down into questions and answers, with edifying applications and prayers, by Philipp Jacob Völter, boys' schoolmaster in Heidenheim. With the gracious permission of a duke. Consistoriums. Stuttgart with Christian Gottlieb Erhard, 1793.
↑ Paperback for German schoolmasters for the year 1786. Edited by Christoph Ferdinand Moser, pastor in Wippingen and Lautern. Ulm by Johann Conrad Wohler (1786–1797). With contributions by Philipp Jacob Völter.
↑ The country school teacher. Published by Christoph Ferdinand Moser, pastor of Herbrechtingen and M. Christian Friedrich Wittich, pastor of Wittershausen, in Wirtembergischen .Ulm in Wohlerschen Buchhandlung (1798–1801). With contributions from Philipp Jacob Völter.
↑ The new country school teacher. A continuation of the country school teacher by Moser and Wittich. Edited by Philipp Jacob Völter, school teacher in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Tübingen bey Jakob Friedrich Heerbrandt (1802–1807).
↑ Theoretical-practical manual for German school teachers and educators. Edited by Philipp Jacob Völter, school teacher in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Tübingen bey Jakob Friedrich Herbrandt (1808–1812)
↑ Magazine for German elementary school teachers, parents and educators. Edited by Philipp Jacob Völter, school teacher in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Tübingen bey Jakob Friedrich Heerbrandt (1813–1816).
↑ Practical instruction in all official arrangements and circumstances of a German elementary school teacher with regard to the purposes of the Pestalozzian way of teaching. Collected from 34 years of comments and experience and presented by Philipp Jacob Völter, school teacher in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Heilbronn at JDClaß 1810.

personal data
SURNAME	Völter, Philipp Jakob
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Völter, Philipp Jacob
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German boy schoolmaster, music director, elementary school teacher
DATE OF BIRTH	September 26, 1757
PLACE OF BIRTH	Metzingen
DATE OF DEATH	June 5, 1840
Place of death	Heidenheim an der Brenz

[1] The alphabet sayings of the new Wirtemberg Spruchbuch broken down into questions and answers, with edifying applications and prayers, by Philipp Jacob Völter, boys' schoolmaster in Heidenheim. With the gracious permission of a duke. Consistoriums. Stuttgart with Christian Gottlieb Erhard, 1793.

[2] Paperback for German schoolmasters for the year 1786. Edited by Christoph Ferdinand Moser, pastor in Wippingen and Lautern. Ulm by Johann Conrad Wohler (1786–1797). With contributions by Philipp Jacob Völter.

[3] The country school teacher. Published by Christoph Ferdinand Moser, pastor of Herbrechtingen and M. Christian Friedrich Wittich, pastor of Wittershausen, in Wirtembergischen .Ulm in Wohlerschen Buchhandlung (1798–1801). With contributions from Philipp Jacob Völter.

[4] The new country school teacher. A continuation of the country school teacher by Moser and Wittich. Edited by Philipp Jacob Völter, school teacher in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Tübingen bey Jakob Friedrich Heerbrandt (1802–1807).

[5] Theoretical-practical manual for German school teachers and educators. Edited by Philipp Jacob Völter, school teacher in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Tübingen bey Jakob Friedrich Herbrandt (1808–1812)

[6] Magazine for German elementary school teachers, parents and educators. Edited by Philipp Jacob Völter, school teacher in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Tübingen bey Jakob Friedrich Heerbrandt (1813–1816).

[7] Practical instruction in all official arrangements and circumstances of a German elementary school teacher with regard to the purposes of the Pestalozzian way of teaching. Collected from 34 years of comments and experience and presented by Philipp Jacob Völter, school teacher in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Heilbronn at JDClaß 1810.