Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi has for decades been acknowledged as the founder of pedagogy and as propagandist of a general education for all people. The memorial year 1996 (his 250th birthday) has put the "myth" Pestalozzi and Pestalozzi's reception into the middle of a scientific discussion. Afterwards the historical Pestalozzi seems more like a reactionary thinker, who founded his own reception only through successful self-portraying on the turn to modern times. But the recently, after 70 years of work, finished complete edition of Pestalozzi's works is asking for another discussion about the thoughts and ideas of it's author, to separate fundamentals and time-dependent issues, and to re-evaluate Pestalozzi's contribution to the origination and development of pedagogical thinking.

Periods of Life

Basic pages available in English