Magdeburg, Wilhelmine

Educator, head of a girls' boarding school

born: 02.11.1807 in Hachenburg

died: 09.03.1878 in Wiesbaden

Magdeburg, who is considered one of the pioneers of women's and girls' education in Nassau, grew up in Idstein. She received an exceptionally comprehensive education for a girl of her time from the pedagogue Gottlieb Anton Gruner, who taught her together with his daughters in his home. Gruner later supported Magdeburg in founding her private school. Early on, she had the desire to become a teacher herself. In 1830/31, she went to Paris to acquire the French language skills that were part of girls' education in German aristocratic and middle-class homes.

After her return, she went public in Wiesbaden in 1831 with the announcement that she wanted to found a "daughters' educational institution". In addition to religion, the girls were to be taught German, French, English, natural history, history, arithmetic, painting, music and handicrafts, among other subjects.

Founded in 1832, the institute, which also included a boarding school, met with great interest, so that a new building in Marktstraße/Mauergasse could be occupied as early as 1836. Magdeburg was supported by her sister Sophia in housekeeping. The girls were soon able to train as teachers themselves, which opened up their own career prospects.

In 1875, the author Karoline Braun, a sister of Karl Braun, published the book "Erziehungsresultate" (Educational Results), in which she wrote about her time at the reformatory. Despite the different names and locations, it allows conclusions to be drawn about life in the Wiesbaden boarding school. In 1862/63, Magdeburg left the management of her institute to two graduates of the reformatory.