German-English Public Schools
The first German school house established in Baltimore was in 1758 at the S.E. corner of Holliday and Saratoga Sts. Several German schools had various degrees of success and Scheib’s, Knapp’s, Deichmann’s and other private or parochial schools were conducted with great success. The benefit was not intended to insure to German children only in being taught English, but to American children being taught German.
Long before the public schools were instituted by the State Legislature, there were parish schools operated by the churches. Many of the German Protestant schools were backed by funds from Germany.
Many U.S. schools adopted German concepts of early childhood education, higher education for girls, music and manual arts, vocational education and structured teacher training and certification. The first successful Kindergarten was founded in 1856 by German immigrant Margarete Mayer Schurz, wife of Carl Schurz in Watertown Wisconsin.
In rural areas, it wasn’t uncommon to find both public and private parochial schools teaching exclusively in German. It wasn’t feasible in most large cities, however, a few such as Baltimore, Cincinnati and Cleveland found it not only feasible but preferable to operate bilingual public schools.
Problems that led to the closing or demise of the German-English Schools:
- Decline of immigration from Germany
- The First World War
- Inter-marriages with non-Germans
- Marriages of persons of German descent who had lost the art of German speech
In 1870 when the use of German as an every day language was at its’ peak, the demand for instruction in it in the public schools became insistent.
In 1873 a resolution was reported by the Joint Committee on Education of the City Council of Baltimore and unanimously adopted by both branches requesting the Board of School Commissioners ‘to consider the propriety of introducing the study of the German language in the public schools of the city. The matter was referred to a special committee of the Board. They reported that it was inexpedient to introduce the study of the language in the Grammar Schools and that the best method would be to establish separate schools in which the English and German languages could be simultaneously taught.
Around this time, they established one school as a sort of test. Anyone who wished to learn the German language with their English studies would be eligible for enrollment. Almost immediately upon its establishment several hundred pupils applied for admission. The following year two additional schools were established. About 1500 pupils entered within weeks of their opening. Of these students all but five were pay students. The fee at the time was a $4 book fee per annum.
By 1875 four English German schools had been established and were in regular session. The following information was taken from a 1876 catalog of schools and univerisites:
* English German School, No. 1, Biddle Street, near Fremont. 9 Teachers. 575 Scholars.
A. T. King, Principal.
V. Scheer, Vice-Principal.
* English German School, No. 2, 174 Hamburg Street. 12 Teachers. 558 Scholars.
Richard Grady, Principal
Philip Wacker, Vice-Principal
* English German School, No. 3, Trinity Street, near Exeter. 15 Teachers. 615 Scholars.
C. W. Virtue, Principal.
J. H. H. Maenner, Vice-Principal
* English German School, No. 4, Aisquith Street, near Fayette. 4 Teachers. 67 Scholars.
E. M. Jackson, Principal. C.O. Schoenrich, Vice Principal
Number 5 (1876) Fremont Street near Lombard
(According to Rippey’s Directory of 1888, the schools were located at: )
No. 1 English-German — Druid Hill avenue near Biddle.
No. 2 English-German — Charles and Ostend.
No. 3 English-German — Baltimore opposite Lloyd.
No. 4 English-German — Chase and McDonogh.
No. 5 English-German — Fremont Avenue and King.
In 1878 a movement began to make ‘English-German’ schools tax free, eliminating the $4 book fees.
In 1879 the names were changed from ‘English-German’ schools to ‘Public Schools’.
In 1880, there were still only five schools with total enrollment of 3440 pupils. By 1883 the enrollment was 3869 and school Number 2 was given a new building at the corner of Charles and Ostend Streets. It was over crowded before it started and an addition was provided in 1884. School Number 5 had 900 pupils and was built to accommodate 600.
In 1885 enrollment had risen to 4616.
In March 1886 a course of study in German for grades 1 to 8 was adopted. The goal ‘every effort should be made towards giving pupils the ability to speak and write German correctly’.
In 1887 the name of the schools was changed back to the English-German schools. In 1888 and 1889 enrollment grew to 5030. In 1893 enrollment was at 5439. In 1897 this number rose to 6780 and it 1899 it was 6931.
In 1890 about one fourth of Baltimore families spoke German in their homes and businesses. Up to the mid 1800’s it is safe to say that nearly as many people of all ages spoke German as spoke English only.
In 1900 a new building for Number 5 was completed at Lexington Street near Fremont Avenue.
In 1903 in a report by the new Superintendent of Schools, James H. Van Sickle, noted that there were thirteen schools that were either wholly or in part English-German schools. Children who attend them are usually of German parentage.
Elementary school German language enrollments were at their peak between 1880 and 1910.
Until the onset of World War I German was taught in the public schools. It came to a complete halt at this time. It is estimated that as lat as 1910 nine million people in the U.S. still spoke German as their mother tongue.
**June 4, 1923 a Supreme Court decision, "Meyer vs. the State of Nebraska" , a knowledge of the German language by itself could not be regarded as harmful and that the right to teach and the right of parents to have their children taught in a language other than English was within their liberties guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.
**In 1925, the Supreme Court ruled ‘Pierce vs. the Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary’ that children between the ages of eight and sixteen were not bound to attend a public school.
In 1927 there were still 555 German-American private schools serving 35,000, but in 1936 that number dropped to 281 schools with 17,800 pupils[i].
Private German Schools:
Zion (Schreib) School (1836) * German American Zion School. Gay Street, near Fayette. Kindergarten attached. Rev. H. Scheib, Director. R. Ortman, P. Fehler, W. Haines, Z. Aulabaugh, A. Schmidt, A. Ehrhard, E. Wiegand, A. Brummer and N. Klassert, Assistants. Zions-Schule-incorporated in 1836, and in 1870 had over 800 pupils, with sixteen teachers, drawing salaries of $14,000, under the direction of pastor Scheib. Rev. Scheib retired in 1897 at the age of 88 after serving the church for 61 years.
NEED YOUR HELP TO FIND INFORMATION ON THESE ADDITIONAL PRIVATE GERMAN SCHOOLS:
Knapp’s School (1853) * Knapp, P. German and English Institute for Boys and Girls. at 29, 31 and 33 Holiday Street, opposite Lexington. F. Knapp, Principal. Th. B. Fax, E. M. Wilmer, Phil. Miller, F. Schraeck, A. Dietrich, L. Sequin, Mrs. Motz, Mr. Lederer, and Louis Enke, Assistants. Knapp-founded in 1853, had about 700 pupils
The Knapp School (called the F. Knapp Institute) was a German and English Boarding and Day School. It served both sexes. It was located in 1879, at 29-31-33 Holiday Street. It was founded by Frederick Knapp in 1853 and incorporated by the Maryland Legislature in 1863. By 1879, it had served more than 16,000 students. Classes were from Kindergarden to High School. German was taught in all grades/branches. German was the language of all resident teachers. Courses included Literature, Mathmatics, Science including Geology, Physiology, Hygiene, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Astronomy. There was also courses in Ancient and Modern languages including Latin, Greek, French, Spanish and Hebrew. There were instruction in vocal and instrumental music, and special branches that taught Mechanical and Free Hand Drawing, Bookkeeping, Needlework, etc. In 1876 a branch was opened to service the deaf. They had, at this time 12 instructors and one director.
Source: (The Year in Education 1879).
The ‘Independent Academy’/’Inving College’
The Academy was founded by Ferdinand Dieffenbach in 1853. It was located in Manchester, Maryland. It began operating with just two students.
Dieffenbach changed the name of his school for young men and boys to Irving College in 1858 in honor of the famous American author, Washington Irving. The scholars came primarily from Pennsylvania, Maryland and across the South including Texas. In addition to Greek, Latin, English grammar and foreign languages, the curriculum included mathematics and science plus quite a bit of military training. Dieffenbach, the President, spoke 7 different languages. By 1860 the two schools were large enough to require six instructors including one listed as a military inspector. “A sound mind in a sound body” was the College motto. Dieffenbach’s wife established a school for girls in 1858. It was called the ‘Manchester Female Academy’.
The school prospered and was a well-respected institution. Ferdinand Dieffenbach, unfortunately died at the very early age of 40. His family attempted to keep the college going, but the Civil War and inexperience took was hard on the college. It existed and was renamed ‘Irving Institute’ in the 1880’s but was ultimately sold at a public sale in 1898.
Dalrymple School-The Dalrymple's University School of Maryland was located on the south side of Mulberry, now the head of Cathedral and it cut through to Saratoga. It was also known as Dalrymple's Select School, located at 139 Lanvale Street.
Wacher Schule (1851)-Wacker-Schule-founded in 1851 in South Baltimore had about 400 students in 1870.
Reinhardt Schule (girls) Reinhardt, Misses M. & B. German and English School for Young Ladies. 30 North Greene Street, near Fayette.* Reinhardt-Schule for Girls-founded in 1861 offered a higher curriculum
Tome’s School-Tome’s School at Port Deposit, was one of the best preparatory schools for boys in the country. (Jacob Tome)
Küster Schule (girls)* Kuster, Miss A. English and German School for Young Ladies and Children. 39 Lexington Street, near St. Paul. Miss A. Kuster, Principal. E. Kuster, S. Harris and Kev. A. Grave, Assistants.
Diesterweg-Disterweg Institut-East Baltimore, had about 250 pupils in 1870.
Source: *George L.] [from old catalog] [Smith. Baltimore hand book of colleges, schools, libraries, museums, halls, &c. 1876.
Source: Undercurrents of German Influence in Maryland-A paper written by Prof. Albert B. Faust-Cornell University-February 21 1911
*Roland Academy. English, French and German Day School for Young Ladies. 253 West Hoffman Street, corner Druid Hill Avemie. Miss Rebecca McConkey, Principal.
*German American Zion School. Aisquith Street, between Jefferson and Orleans. G. P\\CIUS, Principal. H. G. Brown, F. Barthel, J. H. Lindermann. W. Mayer, F. Blume, Miss Maggie Dunlap and Mrs. M. Motz, Assistants.
* German American School. Central Avenue, near Fayette Street. Rev. L. 1). Maier, Director.
* Broadbelt, John E. English and German Boarding and Day School. 9 Aisquith Street, corner Jefferson.