The German rural boarding school movement (german: Landerziehungsheimbewegung) is a model of rural

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

education designed to function more like a live-in community than traditional schooling models. The German pedagogue

Hermann Lietz Hermann Lietz (28 April 1868, in Putbus, Dumgenevitz auf Rügen – 12 June 1919, in Haubinda) was a German Progressive education, educational progressive and theologian who founded the German ''Landerziehungsheime für Jungen'' (country boarding s ...

provided the philosophical underpinnings for the movement to create these schools in the early 20th century.

Background

The pedagogue

was raised in a rural setting, which he came to believe were the best environments for youth development.

Lietz schools

Lietz opened his first rural boarding school in the mountainous Ilsenburg in 1898. He opened additional schools in ( Thuringia) in 1901;

Bieberstein Palace, Hesse Bieberstein Palace (''Schloss Bieberstein'') is a baroque palace that was built between 1710 and 1740 by Bamberg architect, Johann Dientzenhofer. It is located in the parish of Hofbieber, which is part of Langenbieber, and about 2 km south of ...

, in 1904; and an orphanage (''Landweisenheim'') in

Veckenstedt Veckenstedt is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Nordharz Nordharz (literally "North Harz") is a municipality in the district of Harz, i ...

in 1914. Lietz's followers would open additional schools beyond his four. Lietz created a plan in 1911 to have his schools governed by a trust, but died in 1911 before the plan could be executed. His followers completed the ''Stiftung Deutsche Landerziehungsheime'' trust in 1920, which continues to exist to the present day in supporting the '.

Influence

Lietz's method influenced Kurt Hahn in the creation of the Schule Schloss Salem and his Outward Bound experiential learning program. The Germany rural boarding school movement also influenced the United World Colleges and similar schools internationally. Japanese education reformer Kuniyoshi Obara said he wanted "to be Lietz in Japan" and his

Tamagawa Gakuen is a school in Machida, Tokyo, Japan, covering education from primary school to university. The school was founded by influential Japanese education reformer, Kuniyoshi Obara was an influential Japanese education reformer and publisher. Obara l ...

school took influence from the Lietz's model.

Background

Lietz schools

Influence

References

Bibliography

Further reading