Johanneum Foundation

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 52 ° 31 '26.5 "  N , 13 ° 23' 32.1"  E

Johanneum Foundation
Logo of the Johanneum Foundation
Type Evangelical-Theological Convict
address Tucholskystraße 7
10117 Berlin
state Berlin
Regional church Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia
university Humboldt University of Berlin
founding year 1869
Ephorus Torsten Meireis
Study Inspector Gideon Roeder
Website URL www.stiftung-johanneum.de
alternative logo

In accordance with its purpose, the Johanneum Foundation maintains a student residence in Berlin (Mitte district) called "Johanneum", primarily for students of the theological faculty of the Humboldt University of Berlin , but also for other disciplines.

history

founding

The foundation was established in 1869 by Count Leopold Sedłnitzky von Choltiz as a free foundation. The purpose is to maintain a dormitory for theology students of the theological faculty of the then Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität (today Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin ) at Artilleriestraße 6A (today Tucholskystraße 7) in Berlin-Mitte. The deed of foundation therefore states:

" I am giving the Royal Friedrich Wilhelms-Universität zu Berlin in the form of a present certificate of the established foundation, for the best student of Protestant theology, the house sub no. 6a on Artillerie-Strasse. "

- Count Leopold Sedłnitzky von Choltiz

At the same time, the founder provided his foundation with a capital of 25,000 thalers and gave it the name "Johanneum". However, the founder did not succeed in establishing an institutional connection with the Alma Mater Berolinensis, so that the first Ephorus of the Johanneum, Isaac August Dorner, was given this task. The Ephorus finally succeeded in solving the legal question: by the Royal Cabinet Order of April 22, 1872, the Johanneum Foundation was recognized as a free and independent institution.

In the address at the opening of the Johanneum, the founder justified his initiative as follows:

“ I found myself urged to buy and furnish this house after I had noticed many times how a large part of our theology students, far away from the university, widely dispersed in the big noisy city, often have to live in very unfavorable surroundings and therefore have to live there cannot take advantage of the university. It must therefore have seemed to me desirable to be able to offer at least some of them, in the vicinity of the university, in more favorable surroundings. […] I had the intention to unite a number of theology students every year, of whom it is known that they are diligent in the power of faith and love to prepare themselves for the higher teaching office and pastoral care. I am convinced that those who strive seriously towards the same lofty goal will unite in mutual love and friendship, mutually support, encourage, encourage, edify one another in all that is good and strive to achieve ever increasing perfection. "

- Count Leopold Sedłnitzky von Choltiz

Benefactor

Leopold Count Sedłnitzky von Choltiz (1787–1871) came from the Moravian-Silesian nobility. As early as 1789 he was canon in the Breslau bishopric and, after a successful career, finally in 1835 after a unanimous election, Prince-Bishop of the diocese of Breslau. But after he came into conflict with Rome over the question of mixed marriages and was also accused of not having issued a pastoral letter since his election , he finally had to have Pope Gregory XVI. offer his resignation, i.e. his resignation, and thus resigned from his office in 1840. He was appointed Prussian Council of State ( Real Secret Council ) by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV and from then on lived in Berlin. For a while the count still attended church services in the Saint Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin and only appeared in full episcopal regalia. By studying the Bible , however, the count gained a new understanding of faith and grace even earlier . This change of heart finally resulted in his unexpectedly public converting to the Protestant church. The then Consistorial Councilor Carl Stahn wrote :

" Then it happened unexpectedly and without previous announcement that the dear man, [...], on the morning of Sunday Quasimodogeniti, April 12, 1863 [...] appeared in the sacristy of the church among the confessors. […] When he left the church to celebrate the Sacrament, we greeted each other […] with a warm handshake, but he seemed to refuse more than one. It was generally evident that he was diligent in avoiding any outward look at this moment. "

- Konsistorialrat Stahn

From then on he dedicated himself to promoting the training of Protestant clergymen and, in addition to the "Paulinum" dormitory for Protestant high school students (later a preachers' seminar) in Berlin, he also founded the Johanneum Foundation.

On May 12, 1871, Sedlnitzky also donated 36,000 thalers to the construction of a Protestant Konvikt in Breslau, the "Graf von Sedlnitzky'sche Johanneum Foundation" at Sternstrasse 38, which serves to train Protestant theologians.

After the turn of the century

After the turn of the century, foreign students were also among those who shaped the inner life of the house. In addition to prayer, there were regular theological convict exercises. From the 20s of the 20th century, female students also lived in the Johanneum.

After the Second World War, the house was badly damaged and only habitable again a few years after the end of the war. It continued to serve as a dormitory for theology students and maintained close contact with the Theology Section at the Humboldt University in Berlin (the section also held courses in the Johanneum and there was a certain ideological collaboration).

Since 1991 the foundation has been subject to state supervision by Berlin, in accordance with the provisions of the Berlin Foundation Act. A few years ago, the building was completely renovated and a third is now available to students from other disciplines in order to promote interdisciplinary exchange.

Evangelical-Theological Convict “Foundation Johanneum” in Berlin

The foundation is in close contact with the theological faculty and also with the Evangelical Church in Berlin . This is also clear from the fact that three university professors from the theological faculty as well as the pastor from the surrounding parish and a member of the consistory for Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia are members of the foundation's board of trustees. Famous former Konviktualen are u. a. Otto Eißfeldt , Kurt Aland , Heinrich Bornkamm , Walther Zimmerli and Christoph Demke .

Johanneum today

There are currently 30 Konviktuales living in the Johanneum, who benefit from the accommodation that the Foundation supports. The spiritual life in the Johanneum and the community are still very important. In addition to prayer, there are also convict exercises that are organized by the inspectorate or designed by the students themselves (the foundation has not employed its own repeaters).

Bibliotheca Johannei

The Johanneum has a specialist library with the subjects of the Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, Systematic Theology, Practical Theology and Philosophy. The founder's former library, which he bequeathed to the Johanneum in his will, forms the basis.

The Bibliotheca Johannei comprises around 10,000 volumes. The library is divided into two parts in terms of inventory and layout:

  1. a modern study library (including source editions, reference works, commentary series, introductory literature);
  2. a historical collection that goes back to the private library of the founder Leopold Count Sedłnitzky von Choltiz and has an important collection of church history from the 19th century.

In 2014 the library was redesigned and repositioned. The architect's office wolff: architects provided the design.

organization

The management is incumbent on a board of trustees consisting of seven members. The Ephorus or the Ephora preside over the Board of Trustees. In 2006, following a change in the statute, it was also stipulated for the first time in history that a student is a full member of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees appoints an inspector for the day-to-day affairs and administration of the house.

List of the ephors

literature

  • Hut im Gurkenfeld - Festschrift for the hundred and twenty-five years of existence of the Free Johanneum Foundation. Berlin 1994.
  • The Johanneum in Berlin in the first quarter of a century of its existence, 1869-1894. Berlin 1894.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ § 1 deed of foundation, a copy is in the Evangelical Central Archive in Berlin.
  2. ↑ Quoted from: Hut im Gurkenfeld - Festschrift for the hundred and twenty-five years of existence of the Free Johanneum Foundation. Berlin 1994, p. IV.
  3. ↑ Isaak August Dorner (Ed.): Self-biography of Count Leopold Sedlnitzky von Choltitz. Berlin 1872, p. 148.
  4. ↑ Michael Sachs: 'Prince Bishop and Vagabond'. The story of a friendship between the Prince-Bishop of Breslau Heinrich Förster (1799–1881) and the writer and actor Karl von Holtei (1798–1880). Edited textually based on the original Holteis manuscript. In: Medical historical messages. Journal for the history of science and specialist prose research. Volume 35, 2016 (2018), pp. 223–291, here: p. 277.
  5. ↑ Library Johanneum, wolff: architect. Retrieved September 18, 2015 .