CB - Education 2004

2004

CB -- Education

Historische Schulbücher der Sondersammlung Cassianeum in der Universitätsbibliothek Augsburg [Historic School Books from the Cassianeum Special Collection of the Augsburg University Library]. Augsburg: Universitätsbibliothek, 2002. 60 p. ill. 25 cm. Manual + CD-ROM. ISBN 3-936504-01-6: EUR 15 (Universitätsbibliothek Augsburg, Sekretariat, D-86135 Augsburg, e-mail: dir@bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de) [04-1-266]

It is well known that few bibliographies of school textbooks exist, and that a good catalog of a good collection of such books could be very helpful. This CD-ROM does not, strictly speaking, describe a special collection of books, but rather the portion of the Augsburg University Library’s general collection consisting of school textbooks published before 1920 and any later reprints of them. There are 15,665 physical volumes (8,847 single-volume works and 2,723 multi-volume works) in the cataloged set, the main body of which was purchased by the library from the Cassianeum, a pedagogical foundation endowed by publisher Ludwig Auer. More than two-thirds of the volumes were published between 1860 and 1909. The collection covers a wide range of subjects from handwriting to religion to sports. For schoolbooks in the subjects of German, history, geography, and citizenship, as well as for Realienbücher (a sort of illustrated reference work or almanac typical of the late 19th and early 20th centuries), one will find more in the catalogs of the Bestandskatalog der deutschen Schulbücher im Georg-Eckert-Institut erschienen bis 1945 (see RREA 8:196).

Unfortunately, the subject headings and keywords leave much to be desired, mainly due to the decision to use German subject cataloging rules that do not serve users of a specialized collection like this well at all, and the equally wrongheaded decision to use modern subject words to describe older concepts such as Realienbuch that have no exact modern equivalent. Given these limitations, and considering that all these titles can also be found in the online library catalog, this CD-ROM is not recommended as a reference source. [us/rb]

Das österreichische Schulbuch im 18. Jahrhundert: aus dem Wiener Verlag Trattner und dem Schulbuchverlag [The Austrian Textbook in the 18th Century: From the Viennese Publisher Trattner and the Textbook Publishing Company]. Ingeborg Jaklin. Wien: Edition Praesens, 2003. 299 p. ill. 25 cm. (Buchforschung: Beiträge zum Buchwesen in Österreich, 3). ISBN 3-7069-0213-3: EUR 38.90 [04-1-267]

Luckily, the genre of textbook bibliography has begun to receive more attention in the last few years. However, for lack of an overall bibliography, it has been necessary to rely on a variety of indexes that partially close the gaps. Some examples of these are Historische Schulbücher der Sondersammlung Cassianeum in der Universitätsbibliothek Augsburg (see RREA10:188), the Bestandskatalog der deutschen Schulbücher im Georg Eckert Institut erschienen bis 1945 (see RREA 8:196), and the Fibel-Findbuch:“Fi-Fi”: deutschsprachige Fibeln von den Anfängen bis 1944: eine Bibliographie (see RREA 9:137).

This current work is a careful and successful depiction of the environment and conditions of textbook publishing in the 18th-century Habsburg crown territories. Four glossaries of terms—book trade, school, historical terms, and German legal terms—clarify concepts used in the following sections of the volume: (1) the life and work of publisher Johannes Thomas von Trattner; (2) book publishing in Vienna in the 18th century (both in general and with regard to Trattner‘s role in it); (3) the Austrian school system in the 18th century; (4) the Publishing Company of German School Institutions (today the Austrian Text Book Publishing Company); (5) aspects of Trattner‘s text book production. The tabular listing of 219 textbooks is based on 47 of Trattner’s publisher catalogs. Each textbook annotation includes the author, title, number of volumes, subject, price, and several other details. The author also noted if there were differences among the various catalogs. [us/hsb]

Montessori: bibliografia internazionale; international bibliography; 1896-2000. Ed. Clara Tornar for the Istituto Superiore di Ricerca e Formazione dell’Opera Nazionale Montessori. Roma: Edizioni Opera Nazionale Montessori, 2001. xcvii, 1,539 p. ill. 29 cm. + 1 CD-ROM. EUR 92.96 (Edizioni Opera Nazionale Montessori, Via di San Gallicano, 7, I-00153 Roma, e-mail: info@montessori.it) [04-2-512]

There are now two international bibliographies giving an almost complete picture of the numerous works by and about the Italian pedagogue Maria Montessori that have appeared in so many countries and languages. The first is the Maria-Montessori-Bibliographie: 1896-1995 edited by Winfried Böhm, with 14,400 entries (see RREA 5:185); the second is the present volume with 12,831 numbered entries—covering monographs and journal, newspaper, and other articles—published only two years later by the Montessori Institute in Rome. Four sections encompass (1) works by Montessori, listed chronologically by date of publication; (2) literature about Montessori; (3) internet documents; (4) appendix, listing 221 articles that were overlooked in the compilation of section 2. The entries, carefully crafted according to ISBD principles, are largely annotated, an improvement over the previously mentioned German Montessori bibliography. Indexes—of authors, publication years, countries of publication, languages—and a group of 38 subject headings all refer back to the numbers of the entries. The printed bibliography, which is difficult to use because of its bulk, is based on a database also available on CD-ROM. [sh/hh]

The Montessori CD-ROM can be used in an Italian or in an English version. More users will probably prefer the English, but first one must wade through the installation process in Italian computerese. The help screens are also only in Italian, but the search process can be carried out in English. One can search by selected fields from the catalog entry, not including keywords, or one can do an “expert search” using words from any field. No truncation is provided for. The results display is very unsatisfactory and must be saved to a clipboard in order to process it, e.g., into a printed list. Moving back and forth in the search or refining one’s search is cumbersome. [us/hh]

Die Matrikel der Universität Greifswald und die Dekanatsbücher der Theologischen, der Juristischen und der Philosophischen Fakultät 1700-1821 [The Matriculation Records of the University of Greifswald and the Deans‘ Books of the Theology, Law, and Philosophy Faculties, 1700-1821]. Ed. Roderich Schmidt and Karl-Heinz Spiess. 3 vols. Stuttgart: Steiner, 2004. xxii, 472, 474, viii, 207 p. ill. 25 cm. (Beiträge zur Geschichte der Universität Greifswald, 6). ISBN 3-515-08044-9 (set): EUR 140 [04-1-269]

Die Studenten der kgl. Universität Greifswald 1821-1848: kommentiertes Verzeichnis nach der Matrikel und den Akten des Universitätsarchivs [Students at the Royal University of Greifswald, 1821-1848: Annotated Index Based on Matriculation Records and Documents from the University Archives]. Ed. Dirk Alvermann and Barbara Peters, for the Rector of the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald. Greifswald: Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität, 2003. 256 p. 21 cm. (Lege artis). ISBN 3-86006-222-0: EUR 14.50 (Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität, Presseund Informationsstelle, Baderstr. 1, D-17487 Greifswald, e-mail: pressestelle@uni-greifswald.de) [04-1-270]

Nordische Studenten an der Universität Greifswald in der Zeit von 1815 bis 1933 [Scandinavian Students at the University of Greifswald during the Period 1815 to 1933]. Jana Fietz. Stuttgart: Steiner, 2004. 265 p. ill. 25 cm. (Beiträge zur Geschichte der Universität Greifswald, 5). ISBN 3-515-08084-8: EUR 36 [04-1-271]

University matriculation records are important historical sources for individuals, as they contain hundreds of thousands of names, including many that otherwise could not be located at all, or only in very in obscure sources. These records are particularly relevant to the fields of university, academic, and educational history. Over 100 years ago, Ernst Friedländer published the matriculation records of the University of Greifswald from its establishment in 1456 to 1700, but work on a continuation got bogged down. Now two titles that cover the period from 1700 to 1848 have filled this gap. The three-volume work Die Matrikel der Universität Greifswald und die Dekanatsbücher der Theologischen, der Juristischen und der Philosophischen Fakultät 1700-1821 treats an era during which Greifswald, along with the rest of West Pomerania, belonged to Sweden as an imperial fiefdom. During this time, the government in Stockholm paid little attention to the university. In the 18th century, it ranked third from last among German institutions of higher learning. As with all university matriculation records of the early modern period, the completeness of the entries for Greifswald is uneven; sometimes they offer only a name and hometown, and at other times substantially more information, such as other schools attended, family members, etc. The Greifswald matriculation records, however, also at times go beyond the usual chronological listing of students by including other information related to university life. It is fortunate that these records could be combined with those of the deans’ books, as the latter provide exceedingly fertile source material for further research. (While the deans’ books utilized here cover the theology, law, and philosophy faculties, a portion of the medical faculty dean’s book, which was severely damaged during World War II, has also been published: Geschichte der Medizinischen Fakultät Greifswald: Geschichte der Medizinischen Fakultät von 1456 bis 1713; Stuttgart, 2002). The Greifswald matriculation records and deans’ books are made accessible by a personal and geographical name indexes. A desirable addition to this set would have been a substantial introduction addressing the role of the University of Greifswald in the early modern university system.

In 1815, after the Congress of Vienna, West Pomerania fell to Prussia, and the university in Greifswald was reorganized in accordance with the Humboldtian university reform. Die Studenten der kgl. Universität Greifswald 1821-1848 does not attempt to deliver a full-text edition of the matriculation records, but rather lists the attendees of the university in tables and a standardized entry format. Each entry includes the student’s name, subject of study, origin, date of birth, and father’s occupation; supplemental information is added from documents from the university archives. A personal name and place index complete the volume.

Nordische Studenten an der Universität Greifswald in der Zeit von 1815 bis 1933 by Jana Fietz is not a reference work but a specialized university history that includes 19 tables and maps. During the time period under study, 329 northern European students were matriculated at Greifswald, 300 during the Weimar Republic alone. For our purposes, the fact-packed list of northern European students at Greifswald (appendix 1) is the most interesting aspect of this work.

These outstanding editions of matriculation records and deans’ books, as well as Fietz’s thorough treatment, offer important building blocks for Greifswald, German, and Swedish university history. They are nicely supplemented by the first four volumes of the series Beiträge zur Geschichte der Universität Greifswald [Contributions to the History of the University of Greifswald] (Stuttgart, 2002). In addition, work has begun on a lexicon of the professors at the University of Greifswald. One hopes that further substantial works related to the university’s history will appear in 2006, in tandem with its 550th anniversary. [mk/tl]

Verfasserlexikon zur Studenten- und Universitätsgeschichte: ein bio-bibliographisches Verzeichnis [Lexicon of Authors of Student and University Histories: A Biobibliographical Catalog]. Friedhelm Golücke. Köln: SH-Verlag, 2004. 366 p. 25 cm. (Abhandlungen zum Studenten- und Hochschulwesen, 13). ISBN 3-89498-130-X: EUR 38 [04-2-513]

Golücke himself wrote most of the approximately 400 articles included in this volume; the rest of the articles are signed. In this book, in fact, the history of universities most often means the history of student societies, and many of the authors covered were society members. Only a few were not German, and most are from the 19th and 20th centuries. Fortunately a few authors are included who view the student societies with a critical eye. Each article is divided into two parts: a biography and a bibliography, which usually includes only the works relating to the history of universities. Only one person in the 10 photos on the book cover is shown wearing a colorful fraternity cap; if funding had permitted including a photo with each article, we undoubtedly would have seen more of these. One token photo of a woman appears too, but few women are to be found in the lexicon. It appears that the history of student societies is a male thing. [sh/vh]

Die Lehrkräfte der Universität Helmstedt (1576-1810) [The Faculty of Helmstedt University (1576-1810)]. Ed. Sabine Ahrens. Helmstedt: Landkreis Helmstedt, Amt für Schule, Kultur und Sport, 2004. 273 p. ill. 22 cm. (Veröffentlichungen der Kreismuseen Helmstedt, 7). ISBN 3-937733-70-1: EUR 20 (Landkreis Helmstedt, Postfach 1560, D-38335 Helmstedt, e-mail: kreismuseum@landkreis-helmstedt.de) [04-2-517]

A recent surge in biographies of professors has resulted in historical reference works for faculty at the universities of Ingolstadt, Landshut, München, and Heidelberg, while lexicons for Greifswald and Halle are now in the works. With Sabine Ahrens’ work, an index to virtually all Helmstedt professors is now available. Prior to its dissolution in 1810, Helmstedt University was a significant Lutheran institution, at which a number of well-known teachers were employed, not the least of which was the Italian humanist Giordano Bruno (1548-1600). Around 400 biographies of professors, adjunct faculty, and language instructors are found here with all requisite life details plus a bibliography of works, sometimes even a guide to relevant archival materials at the State Archive in Wolfenbüttel, and cross references from standard biographical works as well as from specialized research literature. For some professors it was possible to list dwelling places in Helmstedt and burial plots—useful for family and local history, though some of the houses and plots no longer exist. A source index is followed by an index of persons, including all those named within the articles. The articles are thoroughly researched, a fact that can be attributed in large measure to the individual works of previous Helmstedt biographers, such as Paul Zimmer for the years 1574-1636, William Kelly for the theological faculty, Werner Kundert for the law faculty, and Michaela Triebs for the medical faculty. Further adjunct faculty might have been identified through intensive study of University of Helmstedt course catalogs. An index linking professors to their various departments would have been helpful, as well. In sum, this is a useful reference work for the full range of Helmstedt faculty, though it does not reach the depth of the Heidelberg and Ingolstadt works. [mk/rdh]

Die Ehrendoktoren der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität in den Bereichen Naturwissenschaften und Medizin: eine Bildergalerie [Recipients of Honorary Doctorates Bestowed by the Friedrich-Schiller-University in the Disciplines of the Natural Sciences and Medicine: A Picture Gallery]. Ed. Joachim Hartung and Andreas Wipf. Weimar: Hain-Verlag, 2004. 214 p. ill. 22 cm. ISBN 3-89807-064-6: EUR 15.30 [04-2-518]

Portraits of 189 individuals of achievement in the natural sciences and medicine who received honorary doctorates from the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena between 1808 and 2002 are arranged chronologically in this catalog. It also includes nonscientists who through their activities brought about or supported advancements in science and medicine, e.g., technologists, industrial leaders, artists, publishers, and politicians. Information beneath each portrait includes name, birth and death dates, discipline, academic title, offices, type and date of honorary doctorate, occasion and justification of the honorary degree. [sh/mjc]

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