Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Wander

Born Dec. 27, 1803, in Fischbach, Silesia; died June 4, 1879, in Quirl, Silesia. German teacher and democrat; follower of J. H. Pestalozzi and comrade of A. Diesterweg.

Protesting against the confessional separation of school affairs, Wander defended the idea of the creation of a single democratic school. He played an important role in the creation of local teachers’ groups (especially in Silesia) and in the organization of an all-German teachers’ union. During the Revolution of 1848-49 he supported the democratic forces. He was subjected to police persecution for his activities, and in 1850 he was removed from state service.

Wander was the author of numerous articles on social, political, and pedagogical themes. He upheld the necessity of educating children in the spirit of humanism and of preparing physically and spiritually developed, useful members of society. He was the author of many textbooks and methodological handbooks, as well as scholarly studies on philology. His Dictionary of German Proverbs and Sayings (1867-80, 5 vols.) is still valuable. For the 150th anniversary of Wander’s birth the German Democratic Republic established in his honor a medal that was awarded to workers in popular education who had achieved outstanding success in the struggle for the democratization of German schools.