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Johannes Falk - A fascinating man

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Germany
Johannes Daniel Falk was a person, beeing far ahead of his time.
He was born in Danzig in 1768 and died 1826 in Weimar, Thuringia. But Weimar never forgot him.

An evangelic writer and poet, BUT the most important thing about him ist the fact, that he was a father of the new age (youth) social work, as we would say today. He had an intrepid believe. His principle was: "Educating TO freedom through educating IN freedom"

When at some time he was interviewed, he said:

"AND ALL THIS WITHOUT CHAINS, WITHOUT ENFORCEMENT, WITHOUT HITTING, WITH TOTALLY UNLOCKED DOORS AND GATES.


THEY COULD ALL EASILY RUN AWAY, BUT NO ONE RUNS AWAY. THAT'S BECAUSE WE FORGE OUR CHAIN INSIDE US AND WE DESPISE THE CHAINS, THAT PUT ON US FROM OUTSIDE!"

In his very young years, he was already known for his sharp humor and his talent for languages. He was a youngster, who totally hated the arrogant estate-based society.

Wieland invited him to Weimar. He consorted with Herder and Goethe, too, but never became a friend of Goethe, for obvious reasons. Super-bourgeouis people like Goethe..... ;)

His talent for languages found his peak in the time of the french occupation, when he did all he could as a dolmetcher to ease the situation for all people. He was a freelance publicist and from 1806 a political operative and even the dolmetcher of the french town major.
In 1807, he was designated as a Legation Councilor by Duke Carl August of Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach.

In 1813, the situation turned bad again, so bad, that there had to be happen something. Falk and Carl Friedrich Horn (Weimar Diocese preacher) started, what we would call a social-aid-organisation, today, to save as much homeless kids as possible. Falk stopped all his former work as writer and publicist.

In 1826, he died of Sepsis. His wife died in in 1841. But Johannes and his wife lost many of their own kids, sadly.

Three years after his dead, in 1829/30, when the Falk Institute was taken over by the Grand Duchy of Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (Grand Duchess Maria Pawlowna, since 1828), the institute was given a brandnew building, folksy still called the "Falkhome".

And finally, the old, historical "Falkhome" was my Kindergarten from 1988 to 1990!

But man, was Johannes Falk an open-minded guy, or what? :)
 

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Tiki Tom

My Mail is Forwarded Here
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Oahu, North Polynesia
Thanks. My initial thought was “never heard of him.”
But it turns out that I have heard of him, but didn’t know it. He wrote “O du Froehliche”, which is one of my favorite Christmas songs. :)
A multi-talented “renaissance man” (though he lived after the renaissance). All the more admirable, since he came from a humble background and that was a barrier in those days.
 
Messages
12,422
Location
Germany
I forgot:
In the 90s, my Kindergarten left the "Falkhome", which was of course in the need of redevelopment! Through the 90s, it was totally refurbished and prepared for usual rental apartments. But the inner yard of my Kindergarten ist curiously still existing. I will show pictures on the next occasion.
 

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