Reinhard Kuhnert (didactic)

Reinhard Kuhnert (2015)

Reinhard Kuhnert (born January 6, 1939 in Königsberg (Prussia) ) is a German language teacher , professor and university politician as well as local politician . From 1978 to 1990 he was the rector of the Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Education .

Life

Career

Reinhard Kuhnert was born on Epiphany in 1939 as the son of a municipal official and his wife in Königsberg in East Prussia . His father died in the first days of World War II . At the beginning of 1945 the flight took place over the frozen fresh lagoon and with a ship to Hamburg, from there to Schiphorst in Schleswig-Holstein . From 1946 to 1950 he attended elementary school in Schiphorst and then because of the English lessons in Sandesneben and then from 1951 the grammar school in Bad Bramstedt . After graduating from high school in 1958, he studied at the University of Hamburg with Rudolf Haas and the University of Munich with Wolfgang Clemen and from 1960 to 1961 at the University of Liverpool with Kenneth Muir .

He started his career in 1965 in the secondary school service of the state of Bremen . Kuhnert his doctorate in 1970 at the University of Hamburg Dr. phil. with the work Studies on Christian Content in Shakespeare's Romances - An Inquiry into the Light of the Theology of Shakespeare's Era .

In 1971 he moved to Schwäbisch Gmünd as a lecturer , and in 1973 he was appointed professor for English and didactics at the Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Education (PH), where he dealt with the didactics of English language and literature . First he investigated the problem of literary evaluation for literature lessons at the university. But then the focus of his academic work became the didactics of cultural studies. He directed his work towards the realization that information is also communication, and put this into practice theoretically and in school, since traditional cultural studies were geared towards pure information about the country and people and shied away from communicative and argumentative processing. In this context, he also integrated the European dimension into cultural studies and literature lessons in universities and schools, as it was first required in Article 126 of the Maastricht Treaty on February 7, 1992.

From 1976 to 1978 he was also prorector of the PH Schwäbisch Gmünd and from 1978 to 1990 its rector . From 1978 to 1980 and from 1986 to 1990 he was deputy chairman of the state rectors' conference at universities of teacher education. From 2000 to 2004 he was dean of Faculty II. In October 2004, Kuhnert retired . He made the bow tie his trademark.

He has been with the pedagogue Adelheid Kuhnert, b. Jakubowski married. In 1967 the son Nikolai was born.

University rector

PH Schwäbisch Gmünd

Kuhnert became university rector at a difficult time. At that time, the universities of teacher education (PHn) were successively transformed into a university structure under university law, while the number of students broke away. After the expansion phase from 1964 to 1977 there was a contraction phase due to the collapse of the teacher labor market. The state government of Baden-Württemberg closed 4 out of 10 PHn.

In order to maintain the Schwäbisch Gmünder PH, Kuhnert, as rector, took numerous drastic measures, which were approved by state politicians and his own region. His aim was both to maintain the main task of “teacher training” in its continuity and to shape its necessary change. This change should take place in the development of networks in the form of “ educational partnerships ”. In addition to the well-known teacher training-related further and advanced training, a non-teaching-related training was created, which was particularly in demand in the economy and society of the East Wuerttemberg region. From all projects of this time (e.g. discovery of senior students) the most sustainable offer should be that of the “senior university”. Founded in 1982 in the first third of the Kuhnert rector's office, it was unique and unique at the time .

Other contact studies during his time as rector were foreigner education (1979), traffic education together with the German traffic education institute Schorndorf, information organization (KIO) together with the Chamber of Crafts Ulm and the IHK Ostwuerttemberg, a computer education center and a center for surface technology Schwäbisch Gmünd, which together with the Degussa / Umicore and the Research Center for Precious Metal Chemistry FEM since 1987. The “Study Center” project of the Fern-Universität Hagen in southern Germany together with the Gmünder PH could be realized from 1985 onwards together with the Technical Academy of the large company Zahnrad-Fabrik (ZF) Friedrichshafen and the city of Schwäbisch Gmünd.

In addition, Kunert strengthened the research performance , which has greatly increased the reputation of his university. In the interests of continuity, he was also able to demonstrate this increase in quality, which was already done through a first “University Bibliography 1962–1984”, then through two more and the annual research reports. Kuhnert achieved important impulses for PH's own research by granting him the right to award doctorates, which was initially shared with a university . With the acquisition of the Dr. paed. by Gerd Brucker from Ludwigsburg - later professor of biology and its didactics at the Weingarten - took place the first promotion in Schwabisch Gmund on November 2, 1983, also the first in a PH in the state of Baden-Württemberg at all. The two “doctoral supervisors” were Dieter Rodi (Gmünd) and Alexander Kohler (University of Hohenheim). Since the PH exercised its right to award doctorates at a high level and did not handle it in an inflationary manner, as many universities initially feared, the state parliament granted it the undivided right to doctorate on March 28, 1987.

In general, Kuhnert made the following requirements for research at a university of education: On the one hand, research should be practice-related, i. That is, it serves to improve education and teaching in schools and universities, on the other hand it should be development-related, i. that is, it develops curricula, textbooks, work materials, media, and finally it should be theory-related, i. That is, it clarifies fundamental problems of the educational and teaching theory of the subjects.

Kuhnert's time as university rector is abundantly documented in various media and reports, such as the annual report to the Senate and the public. In 1987, Kuhnert also started its own scientific book series with his university - the "Gmünder University Series" (GHR). This publication - meanwhile more than 30 volumes - was founded with the intention of bringing and keeping the future orientation and scientific liveliness of the university in Schwäbisch Gmünd in the public consciousness.

Kuhnert also established contacts and cooperations through the ATEE - Association of Teacher Education in Europe - with the Teesside Polytechnic , then with the Birmingham Polytechnic , each with projects in "Multicultural Education".

Association of University and Science

Kuhnert's extensive experience from his work in the rectorate and in university politics formed the basis for his commitment at the federal level. From 1987 to 1999 he was - as the successor of the founding chairman and later honorary chairman Berndt Heydemann - elected federal chairman of the Association of Universities and Science in the German Association of Civil Servants in Bonn and Berlin . As a member of this top trade union, the VHW has a say in collective bargaining issues and, in particular, a right to be heard . Therefore, the education ministers at federal and state level are obliged to include the VHW in their legislative processes and thus in their university policy. This is how Kuhnert came into contact with all federal education ministers during his 12-year federal chairmanship.

During Kuhnert's tenure, German reunification took place in 1990 with the integration of the higher education landscape of the New Federal States (NBL) into the higher education landscape of the Old Federal States (ABL). In this contradicting process, Kuhnert played an active part with his board of directors and the state chairmen of the VHW. Thus he was also very familiar with the university policy problems in all federal states, especially in the NBL. He personally supports many problem solutions, such as in Brandenburg together with the VHW state chairman Ernst Schmeer and his deputy Bernd Meier , in Berlin together with the VHW state chairman Klaus Fuchs-Kittowski , in Saxony-Anhalt together with the VHW state chairman Gerhard Bergmann , in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania together with the VHW state chairman Peter Kosfeld , in Thuringia together with the VHW state chairmen Harry Rudolph , Gerhard Entreß and Michael Roth and in Saxony together with the VHW state chairmen Werner Kriesel and Jochen Klinger . He took stock of his commitment to the NBL in university politics in January 2012 at the VHW Berlin. He affirmed his maxim : whoever fights can win; who does not fight has already lost. His successor as federal chairwoman was Elke Platz-Waury .

German Red Cross

DRK Center Schwäbisch Gmünd (2015)

From 1989 to 2013 Kuhnert was President of the Schwäbisch Gmünd District Association of the German Red Cross . At the end of his term of office, a new DRK center was inaugurated in Schwäbisch Gmünd.

Member of societies

• German Shakespeare Society (since 1965)
• Society for Canadian Studies
• Association of Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE).

Participation in committees

• In 1984 Kuhnert was initially active as a regional spokesman for the citizens' initiative "Lindenfelder gegen Schießplatz".
• From 1989 to 2014 he had for the CDU a seat on the council of the Ostalbkreis district and served as councilor in the Municipal Council of the city of Schwabisch Gmund operates.
• From 1989 to 1994 he was deputy chairman of the CDU district parliamentary group .
• From 1994 to 2009 he was the CDU spokesman in the school and culture committee of the district council.
• Kuhnert is actively and successfully endeavoring to establish Schwäbisch Gmünd's town twinning . In 1982 he was one of the co-founders of a corresponding association, which he has headed continuously since 1987, and has been its honorary chairman since 2016 .
• From 1998 to 2002 he was the spokesperson for the English language faculty at teacher training colleges.
• In 2008 and 2009 he was a leading member of the citizens' initiative "Save the Old Post" - the Royal Württemberg Post Office at the Schwäbisch Gmünd train station.

Honors (selection)

• 1990 Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon , presented by Minister of Science Helmut Engler
• 2003 Honorary Chairman of the Baden-Württemberg University and Science Association
• 2000 honorary citizen of the Hungarian twin town Székesfehérvár
• 2001 Medal of Merit of the DRK Regional Association of Baden-Württemberg, presented by the Honorary President Ludwig Prince of Baden
• 2006 honorary citizen of the Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Education
• 2007 Decoration of Honor of the DRK Federal Association
• 2009 Henry Dunant badge of the DRK regional association Baden-Württemberg
• 2009 Badge of Merit in silver of the Baden-Württemberg City Council
• 2010 District Medal of the Baden-Württemberg District Assembly
• 2014 Honorary President of the DRK district association Schwäbisch Gmünd
• 2016 Federal Cross of Merit, 1st class , presented by Mayor Richard Arnold .

Publications

• Studies of Christian Contents in Shakespeare's Romances - An Inquiry into the Light of the Theology of Shakespeare's Era. Dissertation, University of Hamburg 1970.
• Literary evaluation. In: Knowledge at a Glance. Herder Verlag, Freiburg i. B. 1973.
• Aspects of textbook criticism - for the didacticization of American studies at the upper secondary school level. In: Timely schoolwork. H. 26, 1973, 32 pages.
• Contrasting grammar and language lessons. In: German lessons in discussion. Research reports. UTB, Vol. 40. Paderborn 1974, 2nd edition 1979.
• Children in the Northern Ireland Conflict. In: Cultural learning in English lessons. ISL, Vol. 25. Paderborn 1981.
• German immigrants to the USA. In: English-American Studies. 1984, no. 6.
• Check everything, but keep the good. 160 years of teacher training in Schwäbisch Gmünd. In: Einhorn Jahrbuch. 1984.
• Artist and colonizer - the German-Canadian Johann Albrecht Ulrich de Moll alias William Berczy from Wallerstein. In: Rieser Kulturtage. Vol. 10, 1994/1995.
• Johann Albrecht Ulrich Moll alias William Berczy. In: Pictures of Life from the Ries. Edited by Kavasch, Lemke, Schlagbauer. Rieser Kulturtage, Nördlingen 2002.
• Deinsularization as England's new role in a globalized world? In: Europe - concepts, everyday political life, educational drafts. Gmünder University Series. Vol. 21 Schwäbisch Gmünd 2002.
• The European dimension in teacher training is nothing without the Christian dimension. In: God and Reason. Edited by Peter Zöller-Greer, HJ Hahn. Lit Verlag, Berlin 2009.
• Values ​​education in English lessons in elementary, secondary and secondary schools. In: Foreign Language Lessons Today. Edited by Wolfgang Gehring. Oldenburg 2006.
• Where the "blackbirds" fledged. 150 years of teacher training in Schwäbisch Gmünd. In: Ostalb Unicorn. No. 150, June 2011, pp. 77-79.
• Schwäbisch Gmünd becomes a university town - 50 years of the University of Education. In: Einhorn Jahrbuch. 2012, p. 123 ff.
• For a culture of helping - the new DRK building in Gmünd. In: Einhorn Jahrbuch. 2013, p. 87 ff.

Editorial activity:

• Series “Information on Language and Literature Didactics” (ISL). 41 volumes. Schöningh Verlag, Paderborn 1975–1984 (with Dietrich Boueke, Norbert Hopster and Albert Klein).
• Association magazine "VHW-Mitteilungen". Bonn and Berlin 1987–1999 (editor and multiple author).
• Gmünd University Series (GHR). Volumes 1 to 10. University of Education, Schwäbisch Gmünd 1987–1990.

literature

• Gerhard Fritz (Hrsg.): The PH Schwäbisch Gmünd from 1962 to the 1990s - a balance. In: Historical Campus Guide Schwäbisch Gmünd. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012, pp. 82–91.
• On the 65th birthday: PH Rector in difficult times - In the DRK family. In: Rems Zeitung , January 5, 2004.
• For his 70th birthday: His trademark is the bow tie. In: Rems Zeitung , January 5, 2009.
• Honored with the Henry Dunant plaque - 70th birthday reception. In: Rems Zeitung , January 10, 2009.
• Happiness found in the state - Reinhard Kuhnert receives the highest award from the DRK regional association. In: Gmünder Tagespost , January 10, 2009.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Reinhard Kuhnert in Kürschner's German Scholars Calendar Online (as of December 27, 2013)
2. ^ Dataset of the dissertation on d-nb.info (as of December 27, 2013)
3. ↑ Kuhnert in the list of authors Gott und Vernunft on composia.de (as of December 27, 2013)
4. ↑ ^{a b c} Article Prof. Dr. Reinhard Kuhnert celebrates his 75th birthday on Monday January 4, 2014 on rems-zeitung.de
5. ↑ Annual reports of the rector Prof. Dr. Reinhard Kuhnert. 11 volumes. Schwäbisch Gmünd 1978 to 1990.
6. ^ Gerhard Fritz (ed.): Historical campus guide Schwäbisch Gmünd. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012. ISBN 978-3-936373-85-1 .
7. ↑ Circular 2/2005 ( Memento of the original dated December 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. of the Baden-Württemberg University and Science Association, p. 2 (as of December 27, 2013) 
8. ^ VHW communications. Vol. 39, 2012, no. 2, pp. 23-26.
9. ↑ Article Large change of guard at the Gmünder DRK district association from November 28, 2013 on rems-zeitung.de
10. ↑ Record of district council member Kuhnert on ostalbkreis.de (as of December 27, 2013)
11. ↑ City council Kuhnert data set on schwäbisch-gmünd.de (as of December 27, 2013)
12. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original dated February 13, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on ph-gmuend.de (as of February 13, 2016) 
13. ↑ Article: Reinhard Kuhnert now honorary president of the DRK district association Schwäbisch Gmünd from January 23, 2014 on rems-zeitung.de
14. ^ Federal Cross of Merit 1st class yesterday evening in the Preacher's Refectory to Prof. Dr. Reinhard Kuhnert awarded. REMS-Zeitung, April 30, 2016, p. 21.