The Ernestine Gymnasium (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

name: Ernestinum, used in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

) is a humanistic and modern gymnasium in

Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the Gotha (district), district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine House of Wet ...

, Germany, the successor of the Illustrious Gymnasium (''Gymnasium illustre''), founded in 1524, which in 1853 was merged with the recently founded ''Real-Gymnasium Ernestinum'', named in honour of

Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ernest I (german: Ernst Anton Karl Ludwig; 2 January 178429 January 1844) was the last sovereign duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (as Ernest III) and, from 1826, the first sovereign duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (as Ernest I). He was the father of A ...

. The merged school continued to be known as the ''Ernestinum''. Until 1947, when it was closed, it was considered the oldest gymnasium in the German-speaking world. It was re-founded in 1991, shortly after

German reunification German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...

History

The school's earliest forerunner was a Latin school at the parish church of St Mary, which is mentioned in 1291.Christoph Köhler ''et al.'' (eds.), ''Festschrift zum 475-jährigen Schuljubiläum des Gymnasium Ernestinum Gotha 1524–1999'' (Gotha, 1999), p. 8

On 21 December 1524, the school was founded by

Friedrich Myconius Friedrich Myconius (originally named Friedrich Mekum and also Friedrich Mykonius) (26 December 1490 – 7 April 1546) was a German Lutheran theologian and Protestant reformer. He was a colleague of Martin Luther. Myconius was born in Lichtenfels ...

, a friend of

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

, in the cloister of the Augustinian monastery of Gotha, which was in the process of being dissolved, and was given the Latin name ''Gymnasium Gothanum''.150 Jahre Gymnasium Ernestinum Jahresheft 2008/09
at ernestinum-gotha.de, accessed 17 September 2020 As a result of the Reformation, in the middle of the 16th century the curriculum was changed significantly, under the direction of (1562–1568). His focus was grammar, the understanding of Roman authors, and careful written work by the students, and he also introduced

declamation Declamation (from the Latin: ''declamatio'') is an artistic form of public speaking. It is a dramatic oration designed to express through articulation, emphasis and gesture the full sense of the text being conveyed. History In Ancient Rome, decla ...

.Historia Gymnasii Ernestini 1524–2014
at ernestinum-gotha.de, accessed 17 September 2020 Around 1600, the school's name was honoured by the addition of "illustrious" by Duke John Casimir of Saxe-Coburg. Under the rector Andreas Wilke (1592–1631) the number of schoolmasters and classes increased. In the 17th century, the school was further sponsored by Duke Ernest I of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He gave asylum to sons of persecuted Lutherans from Hungary, Silesia, Poland, Russia, and Scandinavia, who joined the school. Under the rector

Andreas Reyher Andreas Reyher (4 May 1601Julian calendar, Julian - 12 April 1673Gregorian calendar, Gregorian) was a German teacher, education reformer and lexicographer. Life Provenance and early years Andreas Reyher was born at exactly midday in :de:Hein ...

(1641–1673), the Gotha school system was reformed on the principles of

Wolfgang Ratke Wolfgang Ratke (also Wolfgangus Ratichius or Wolfgang Ratich) (18 October 157127 April 1635) was a German educational reformer. Biography Early life He was born at Wilster, Holstein,Leichpredigt: Meyfart, Johann Matthäus: Programma Publicum In ...

, and the school became known internationally. The number of subjects increased, with the introduction of Mathematics, poetry, and history, and for the first time there was teaching in German. Rhetoric, logic, ethics, and metaphysics, were taught in the ''Selecta'', or final year.Köhler ''et al.'' (1999) By 1723, the school was already known as the ''Gymnasium Ernestinum''. In the 18th century, the Enlightenment reshaped education in much of northern Europe, and the school received great support from Duke Ernest II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, guided by the principle that good education in all subjects was essential for the economic and political stability of the Duchy. Under Johann Gottfried Geißler as rector (1768–1779), the time given to ancient languages was reduced in favour of the

natural sciences Natural science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeatab ...

and German, English, and French literature. The school enjoyed notable rectors, including Friedrich Andreas Stroth (1779–1785), and Friedrich Wilhelm Döring (1786–1833), and also renowned schoolmasters such as

Johann Georg August Galletti Johann Georg August Galletti (19 August 1750 – 16 March 1828) was a German historian and geographer. Galletti was born in Altenburg. His fame is not based on his merits as an academic, but on his reputation as the creator of a few hundreds ...

, Johann Friedrich Salomon Kaltwasser, Adolf Heinrich Friedrich von Schlichtegroll, Johann Kaspar Friedrich Manso, and Friedrich Jacobs. In 1807, the future philosopher

Arthur Schopenhauer Arthur Schopenhauer ( , ; 22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860) was a German philosopher. He is best known for his 1818 work ''The World as Will and Representation'' (expanded in 1844), which characterizes the phenomenal world as the prod ...

was admitted to the schoolDavid Cartwright, ''Schopenhauer: A Biography'' (Cambridge University Press, 2010, ), p. 128 and in 1808 was expelled for a prank.Arthur Schopenhauer
at brandeis.edu, accessed 23 September 2020 Ernestinum Gotha 16

Between 1837 and 1838, a new school building was built in the classical style in the Bergallee. However, the school was challenged by a new competitor, founded in 1836 by the reigning Duke for the benefit of the bourgeoisie, the ''Real-gymnasium Ernestinum'', which had a chiefly scientific and mathematical curriculum. At the older school, chemistry, physics, and geology began to be taught as separate subjects, and the modern languages French and English overtook Latin in importance. On 12 April 1859, the Illustrious Gymnasium and the Ducal Realgymnasium were merged into a single school, which was named ''Gymnasium Ernestinum Gothae'' in honour of Duke Ernest I of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The new school was given a new rector,

Joachim Marquardt Karl Joachim Marquardt (19 April 1812 – 30 November 1882) was a German historian and writer on Roman antiquities. In his later life he was Rector of the Ernestine Gymnasium, Gotha. Biography Marquardt was born at Danzig.

, (1859–1882), notable for securing discipline without harsh punishments. The school grew, gaining an auditorium, new library rooms, and a gymnasium. Medaille Karl Joachim Marquardt 1883

Following Marquardt's death in 1882, the school commissioned a medallion to commemorate him, made by the local engraver Ferdinand Helfricht. Heinrich Anz (1914–1935) continued to lead a humanistic grammar school under the Weimar Republic.Helge Matthiesen, ''Bürgertum und Nationalsozialismus in Thüringen: das bürgerliche Gotha von 1918 bis 1930'' (G. Fischer, 1994), pp. 12, 46 A new rector, Otto Küttler (1938–1945), took the school through the Second World War, when it suffered from masters and boys departing on military service. During the war the school library was evacuated to

Friedenstein Palace Friedenstein Palace (german: Schloss Friedenstein) is an early Baroque palace built in the mid-17th century by Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha at Gotha, Thuringia, Germany. In Germany, ''Friedenstein'' was one of the largest palaces of its time and ...

. The school was by then considered the oldest grammar school in the German-speaking world. After the war, the school found itself in the

Soviet occupation zone The Soviet Occupation Zone ( or german: Ostzone, label=none, "East Zone"; , ''Sovetskaya okkupatsionnaya zona Germanii'', "Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany") was an area of Germany in Central Europe that was occupied by the Soviet Union as a ...

. With the introduction of a new educational system, a humanistic grammar school was no longer required. The last Abitur exams were held in the 1945/46 school year, and in the spring of 1947, the school was closed.Detlef Ignasiak, ''Das literarische Gotha: von den Anfängen bis zum Ausgang des 20. Jahrhunderts'' (Quartus-Verlag, 2003), p. 372 (in German) On 10 April 1947, the boys were transferred to a school called the Arnoldischule. The former school buildings were taken over by a new middle school, and then in 1959 by a polytechnic high school, which in 1965 was named POS Albert Schweitzer.

Refounding in 1991

On 1 November 1991, following

, the Ernestine Gymnasium was re-established, with Lutz Wagner as ''Schulleiter'', or Principal, and in 1993 the first

Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

examinations took place, after a gap of 48 years. Until 1947, the school had been for boys only, but it was decided to make the newly refounded school coeducational.

Rectors

Basilius Monner Basilius Monner (1500 - 16 January 1566 in Jena) was a German jurist. Life Monner joined the Order of Saint Augustine in his youth. He enrolled at the University of Wittenburg at the height of the Reformation. In 1524, Monner became the Recto ...

(1524 to 1535)''Real-Enzyklopädie für protestantische Theologie und Kirche'', vol. 10 (1882)
p. 401
/ref>''Geschichte und Beschreibung des Herzogthums Gotha'', Volume 1 (Gotha: Carl Wilhelm Ettinger, 1779),
p. 245
/ref> *Laurentius Schipper (1535 to 1537) *Georg Merula (1537 to 1540) *Pankratius Sussenbach (1540 to 1561) *Cyriacus Lindemann (1562 to 1568) *Paul Schmidt (1568 to 1572) *Johann Meyer (1572 to 1580) *Johannes Dinckel (1580 to 1582) *Johann Helder (1582 to 1592) *Andreas Wilke (1592 to 1631) *Johann Weitz (1631 to 1640) *

(1641 to 1673) *Georg Hess (1673 to 1694)''Beihefte zu den Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für Deutsche Erziehings- und Schulgeschichte'', Volumes 18-21 (Berlin: A. Hofmann, 1909), p. 340 *Gottfried Vockerodt (1694 to 1727) *Johann Heinrich Stuss (1728 to 1768) *Johann Gottfried Geissler (1768 to 1779) *Friedrich Andreas Stroth (1779 to 1785) *Friedrich Wilhelm Döring (1786 to 1833) *Ernst Friedrich Wüstemann (1833 to 1856) *Eduard Adolf Jacobi (1833 to 1841) *Gottfried Seebode (1838 to 1841) *Valentin Rost (1841 to 1859) *

(1859 to 1882) *

Eduard Wilhelm Sievers Eduard Wilhelm Sievers (born 19 March 1820 in Hamburg; died 9 December 1894 in Gotha (town), Gotha) was a German Shakespeare scholar and professor in Gotha. Sievers descended from a hanseatic merchant family. He was cousin of the historian Gottlob ...

(1882 to 1883) *Eduard Heinrich Albert von Bamberg (1883 to 1910) *Ludwig Mackensen (1910 to 1914) *Heinrich Anz (1914 to 1935) *Otto Küttler (1938 to 1945)

Principal

*Lutz Wagner (since 1991)Dirk Bernkopf
“Ernestinum in Gotha”
12.11.2013, at thueringer-allgemeine.de, accessed 23 September 2020

Notable pupils

Veit Ludwig von Seckendorff Veit Ludwig von Seckendorff or Seckendorf (December 20, 1626December 18, 1692), Germany, German politician, statesman and scholar, was a member of the House of Seckendorff, a noble family which took its name from the village of Sugenheim, Seckendo ...

(1626–1692), attended the school from 1641 to 1642 * August Hermann Francke (1663–1727) *

Johann Friedrich Blumenbach Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (11 May 1752 – 22 January 1840) was a German physician, naturalist, physiologist, and anthropologist. He is considered to be a main founder of zoology and anthropology as comparative, scientific disciplines. He ...

(1752–1840), founder of the discipline of

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

, left the school in 1769 *

Adolf Stieler Adolf Stieler (26 February 177513 March 1836) was a German cartographer and lawyer who worked most of his life in the Justus Perthes Geographical Institute in Gotha. Although he studied law and would serve in government for his entire career, h ...

(1775–1836), at the school 1786 to 1793, geographer * Joseph Meyer, 1807 *

, 1807, expelled 1808 *

Christian Ludwig Brehm Christian Ludwig Brehm (24 January 1787 – 23 June 1864) was a German pastor and ornithologist. He was the father of the zoologist Alfred Brehm. Life Brehm was born in Schönau near Gotha on 24 January 1787. He was educated at University ...

, to 1808, ornithologist * Friedrich Wilhelm Carl Umbreit (1795–1860), theologian, was at the school 1809 to 1814 *

Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer (10 January 1800 – 21 June 1873) was a German Protestant divine. He wrote commentaries on the ''New Testament'' and published an edition of that book. Biography Meyer was born in Gotha. He studied theology at Jena, ...

(1800–1873), theologian, left the school in 1818 with the title of ''primus omnium'' *

Raphael Kühner Raphael Kühner (22 March 1802 – 16 April 1878) was a German classical scholar. He was born in Gotha and educated at the Illustrious Gymnasium and the University of Göttingen. From 1824 to 1863, Kühner taught classes at the lyceum in Hanover ...

, to 1820 *

Karl Ernst Georges Karl Ernst Georges (; 26 December 1806, Gotha – 25 August 1895, Gotha) was a German classical philologist and lexicographer, known for his edition of Latin-German dictionaries. From 1826 to 1828 he studied classical philology at the Universi ...

, returned to the school as a schoolmaster from 1839 to 1856 *

Ernst Behm Ernst Behm (4 January 1830 – 15 March 1884) was a German geographer and statistician who was a native of Gotha. After leaving the Ernestine Gymnasium, Gotha, Behm studied medicine and sciences at the Universities of Jena, Berlin and W ...

, to 1849 * Christian Behrens (1852–1905), sculptor, left the school in 1870 *

Hans Freiherr von Wangenheim Hans, Baron von Wangenheim (1859 – 26 October 1915) was a diplomat for Imperial Germany. He died of a stroke, diagnosed most likely as 'neurasthenic' tendencies. Life Hans von Wangenheim was a German noble born in Gotha, where he was educate ...

, diplomat, German Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire 1912–1915 * Hans Dominik (1872–1945), German science fiction and non-fiction author, science journalist and engineer * Hans Hahn (1914–1982), Second World War ace fighter pilot * Werner Leich (born 1927), later Lutheran bishop in Thuringia, was at the school from 1939 to 1942, when he volunteered for the ''Luftwaffe'', and again from 1945 to 1947, after the war.

Notable staff members

* Johann Kaspar Friedrich Manso, 1783 to 1790, historian and philologist *

, Latin master, 1778 to 1819, became famous for his whimsical sense of humour *

Friedrich August Ukert Friedrich August Ukert (28 October 1780 – 18 May 1851) was a German history scholar, teacher and humanitarian. He was born in Eutin, Bishopric of Lübeck. From 1800 he studied philology at the University of Halle as a student of Friedrich August ...

, schoolmaster from 1808 * Carl Anton Bretschneider, (1808–1878), mathematician * Hermann Wagner (1840–1929), geographer and cartographer, taught classes in mathematics and natural history at the school from 1864 to 1876 *

Kurd Lasswitz Kurd Lasswitz (german: link=no, Kurd Laßwitz; 20 April 1848 – 17 October 1910) was a German author, scientist, and philosopher. He has been called "the father of German science fiction". He sometimes used the pseudonym ''Velatus''. Biograph ...

(1848–1910), schoolmaster from 1876 to 1910, teaching maths, physics, and philosophy

Robert Markley Robert Markley is an American academic and author who is noted for his contributions to eighteenth-century studies, science studies, and science fiction. He is the W.D. and Sara E. Trowbridge Professor of English at the University of Illinois at U ...

, ''Dying Planet: Mars in Science and the Imagination'' (Duke University Press, 2005)
p. 127
John J. Pierce, ''Foundations of Science Fiction: A Study in Imagination and Evolution'' (Greenwood Press, 1987), p. 74

Notes

External links

Gymnasium Ernestinum Gotha Trailer
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{{authority control Gotha Gymnasiums in Germany 1524 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire