Johann Christian Josef Abs (26 August 1781 in

Wipperfürth 310px, Map of the city 250px, Town hall Wipperfürth () is a municipality in the Oberbergischer Kreis of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, about 40 km north-east of Cologne, and the oldest town in the Bergischen Land. History The eldest d ...

– 15 April 1823 in

Königsberg Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...

) was a German

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

. In the year 1799 Abs gave his vow in the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

Hamm Hamm may refer to: Places ;Germany: * Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia, a city north-east of Dortmund * Hamm (Sieg), a municipality in the eponymous ''Verbandsgemeinde'' in the district of Altenkirchen, Rhineland-Palatinate * Hamm, Bitburg-Prüm, part ...

and adopted the name of Theodosius. In 1806 he became head of the claustral school of

Halberstadt Halberstadt (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, the capital of Harz (district), Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town ...

. In this school, he accepted children without considering their ages, confessions, classes and sex. He often recruited his assistants among his pupils. His teachings included Bible studies, health and a tutorial in

measurement Measurement is the quantification of attributes of an object or event, which can be used to compare with other objects or events. In other words, measurement is a process of determining how large or small a physical quantity is as compared to ...

. With the time, his method of teaching approached more and more that of

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 ...

. In 1810 Abs left the claustral school and announced the creation of a "

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. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...

for boys and girls". One year later, he published a tract on his adaptation of the teaching methods of Pestalozzi. In the feeling that a woman's care is beneficial for his pupils, he quit the priesthood in 1813, adopted the Evangelic confession and married a former assistant of his. According to the eighth annual report of his institution, the school consisted of a care station for orphaned children, a preparation school for children who are not yet ready for their first lessons, an education school for children whose parents were unable to care for them themselves and finally a public school open for everyone who wishes to use his common sense. In 1815 Abs became head of the regional

orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...

and combined it with his elementary school and a teacher seminary. Foreign governments sent young men to him to learn his methods of teaching. In 1818 he followed a call to Königsberg where he became director of the royal orphanage. He successfully held this position until his death in 1823.

Sources

* ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie''
online version
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abs, Johann Christian Josef 1781 births 1823 deaths People from Wipperfürth Heads of schools in Germany German Friars Minor 19th-century German educators People from the Principality of Halberstadt