Friedrich Dittes (23 September 1829 in Irfersgrün – 15 May 1896 in

Pressbaum Pressbaum is a town in the district of St. Pölten-Land in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. In 1881, Johannes Brahms completed his Second Piano Concerto while in the town. It belonged to Wien-Umgebung District Bezirk Wien-Umgebung was a D ...

) was a German-Austrian educator, known for his reform efforts within the Austrian school system. He studied various subjects at the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

, and in 1860 became sub-rector at a secondary school in

Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt (); ; ) is the third-largest city in the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden, and the fourth-largest city in the area of former East Germany after (East Be ...

. In 1865 he was named director of the teacher's college 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 district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...

, then three years later relocated to

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

as director of the Pedagogium (a training facility for teachers).Dittes, Friedrich
In:

Neue Deutsche Biographie (''NDB''; Literal translation, literally ''New German Biography'') is a Biography, biographical reference work. It is the successor to the ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB, Universal German Biography). The 27 volumes published thus far co ...

(NDB). Band 4, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1959, , S. 2 f.Friedrich Dittes. Radierung, 1872
AEIOU He was a disciple of philosopher

Friedrich Eduard Beneke Friedrich Eduard Beneke (; 17 February 1798 – c. 1 March 1854) was a German psychologist and post-Kantian philosopher. Life Beneke was born in Berlin. He studied at the universities of Halle and Berlin, and served as a volunteer in the Wa ...

, especially in regards to the latter's empirical approach to psychology and ethics. He was also influenced by the past work of educationist

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (; ; ; 12 January 1746 – 17 February 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach. He founded several educational institutions both in German- and French-speaking ...

and the contemporary teachings of Adolph Diesterweg. As an educator, Dittes believed that a school system needed to be essentially free from external pressures that included the clergy. From 1868 to 1896 he was editor of the journa
"''Paedagogium : Monatsschrift für Erziehung und Unterricht''"
The thoroughfare "Dittesgasse" in

Währing Währing () is the 18th Districts of Vienna, district of Vienna and lies in northwestern Vienna on the edge of the Vienna Woods. It was formed in 1892 from the unification of the older suburbs of Währing, Weinhaus, Gersthof, Pötzleinsdorf, Neus ...

(18th district of Vienna) is named in his honor.

Selected works

* ''Das menschliche Bewusstsein, wie es psychologisch zu erklären und pädagogisch Auszubilden'' (1853). * ''Das Aesthetische nach seinem eigenthümlichen Grundwesen und seiner pädagogischen Bedeutung dargestellt'' (1854) – The aesthetic represented by its unique fundamental essence and its educational significance. * ''Über die sittliche Freiheit, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Systeme von Spinoza, Leibnitz, Kant. Nebst einer Abhandlung über den Eudämonismus'' (1860) – On moral freedom, with particular attention to the systems of

Spinoza Baruch (de) Spinoza (24 November 163221 February 1677), also known under his Latinized pen name Benedictus de Spinoza, was a philosopher of Portuguese-Jewish origin, who was born in the Dutch Republic. A forerunner of the Age of Enlightenmen ...

Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (or Leibnitz; – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat who is credited, alongside Sir Isaac Newton, with the creation of calculus in addition to many ...

Kant Immanuel Kant (born Emanuel Kant; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, et ...

. * ''Lehrbuch der Psychologie'' (1873) – Textbook of psychology. * ''Praktische Logik. Besonders für Lehrer'' (3rd edition, 1873) – Practical logic; especially for teachers. * ''Lehrbuch der praktischen logik'' (6th edition, 1876) – Textbook of practical logic. * ''Geschichte der Erziehung und des Unterrichtes'' (9th edition, 1890) – History of education and teaching. * ''Schule der pädagogik. Gesammtausgabe der psychologie und logik, erziehungs- und unterrichtslehre, methodik der volksschule, geschichte der erziehung und des unterrichtes'' (4th edition, 1891) – School of pedagogy. Complete edition of psychology and logic, educational and teaching doctrines, methodology of the elementary school, history of education and teaching.HathiTrust Digital Library
(published works)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dittes, Friedrich 1829 births 1896 deaths People from Lengenfeld People from the Kingdom of Saxony German Lutherans Constitutional Party (Austria) politicians Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1873–1879) Austrian educational theorists 19th-century German educational theorists Leipzig University alumni