The Condition and Tendencies of Technical Education in Germany Part 4

First--that of engineering and architectural drawing.

Second--modeling department.

Third--the department of decoration, housepainting, etc.

The session covers both winter and summer months, the winter term, as in other cases, being the better attended. Other typical Gewerbeschulen are located at Grenzhausen and at Reimscheid. Applicants for admission must have prepared in the Volksschule or elementary school. The programme comprises the German language, French, English, literature, plane and descriptive geometry, physics, chemistry, drawing, mechanics, machine construction. The preparation here obtained fits the partic.i.p.ants to enter the higher schools, or to act as foremen and masters. These schools also lead up to the industrial schools of Bavaria, of which we shall now speak.

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS OF BAVARIA

(Industrieschulen)

The industrial schools of the Bavarian Kingdom stand out as a distinct cla.s.s of educational inst.i.tutions. Here, since 1872, there has been a clean cut system, presided over by a Minister of Education. While the quality and character of the work done are quite similar to that taken up in the secondary schools elsewhere, the inst.i.tutions are in some respects more exactly defined and supervision and instruction in the schools of weaving, woodcarving, basketmaking, pottery, violin making, etc., is frequently superior to that in some other locality.

The age of admission is sixteen years, two years being the usual length of course; the education of the Real-Schule is a requisite, or failing this, an examination must be taken. In 1901-1902 the Munich schools had an enrollment of 241 students, distributed as follows: mechanical engineering 124; chemical engineering 27; architecture 62; commercial 28. The graduates are fitted to occupy positions of trust and prominence in the various industrial pursuits of the country and to enter the technical colleges.

The Industrieschulen of Bavaria are four in number, located at

Augsburg Kaiserslautern Munich Nuremberg

they having been established in 1868. Advanced courses are offered in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, building construction, and commercial education. The school at Wurzburg is of a somewhat superior order, although secondary in its tendencies, machinery construction and electro-technics being given attention.

In the mechanical engineering course the following subjects are studied:

elementary mathematics descriptive geometry calculus surveying physics German French English mechanics machine work machine construction mechanical drawing practical work.

In the chemistry course the curriculum is made up of

mathematics physics chemistry mineralogy German French English machine construction laboratory work.

The building construction course offers language, mechanical drawing and architecture.

V

HIGHER TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

Technische Hochschulen

We have at this point in our study reached the schools of highest rank offering training of a technical character, called variously technical high schools, technical colleges, or polytechnics, the Technische Hochschulen. These schools are not high schools in the sense that the term would be applied to our American inst.i.tutions, but are rather schools of collegiate grade, ranking in fact, as the t.i.tle indicates in the university cla.s.s. While not exactly comparable to our engineering schools, they approach more nearly these than they do any other of our American educational inst.i.tutions.

Before the beginning of the century just closed it was apparent to some German minds more far seeing than the rest, that schools of a higher than secondary rank must be inaugurated to offer training in the sciences; give opportunity to show the application of science to the arts; and prepare young men to grapple with scientific industrial problems such as were constantly springing up. Should the university attempt such work? An effort was made looking toward this end. It was at once evident that here was not the place to begin. The university was an inst.i.tution in and of itself. Its methods, curriculum and aim were fixed, owing to long established customs. It had a certain work to perform, its own peculiar function to fulfill, and traditional and cla.s.sical tendency were too strong to be checked in their movement, or to allow a branch stream to flow in and thus add to or modify the existing content.

The war for industrial supremacy, between England and Germany particularly, was a prominent factor leading up to the establishment of technical schools in the latter country. Germany saw the necessity for heroic action, and her people, anxious to improve from the standpoint of her industries at home not only, but that they might rival and surpa.s.s their neighbors across the "Silver Streak" readily took up the cry for advanced scientific training. This then was the object of the Technische Hochschulen:[2]

"They were intended to secure for science a foothold in the workshop, to a.s.sist with the light of reasoned theory the progress of arts and industry, till then fettered by many a prejudice and hindered through lack of knowledge; on the other hand, they sought to raise that part of the nation engaged in industry to such a love of culture as would secure to it its due measure of public respect."

[Footnote 2: Note on the earlier History of the Technical High School in Germany by A. E. Twentyman in Special Reports on Educational Subjects, London, Vol 9, page 468.]

The dates of the founding of the now existing Technische Hochschulen vary somewhat, certain of the schools growing out of a foundation which at the beginning was of a low or intermediate grade. Several of the schools have pa.s.sed through a period of transition or reorganization state during the course of their existence. The inst.i.tution, and time of establishment of each are as follows.

Berlin, 1799 Carlsruhe, 1825 Munich, 1827 Dresden, 1828 Stuttgart, 1829 Brunswick, 1835 Darmstadt, 1868 Aachen, 1870 Hannover, 1879

In 1799 was inst.i.tuted in Berlin the Bauakademie, a State inst.i.tution whose purpose was set forth in the royal decree thus:

"To train in theoretical and practical knowledge capable surveyors, architects, civil engineers, and masons, princ.i.p.ally for the King's dominions, but foreigners may find admittance if no disadvantage accrue thereby to the King's subjects."

Later, in 1821, Gewerbeschule came into existence, and in 1879 the union of these two formed the Berlin Technische Hochschule which is located in Charlottenburg, a suburb of the city. Owing to the high standards of this inst.i.tution, it is styled the Konigliche Technische Hochschule.

Since its reorganization the plans of the other schools of like character have been modified in accordance with the Berlin scheme.

The preparation necessary for admission to the Hochschulen is equivalent to that demanded by the university proper. The age of admission probably never drops below seventeen, the average age being considerably greater.

Men of mature years and of wide experience and training avail themselves to the privileges offered. The courses are from three to four years in length.

[3] "The new universities thus developed have the purpose of affording higher instruction for the technical positions in state and community service, as well as in industrial life, and of cultivating sciences and arts which are intimately connected with the field of technology (Berlin provisory statute, 1879). They prove themselves equal to universities in the following points: they claim for their matriculated students the same preparatory education required by the old universities, namely, nine years at a cla.s.sical high school; they grant and insist upon perfect freedom in teaching and learning; and are under the direction of rectors elected for one year, instead of having princ.i.p.als chosen for life as in secondary schools."

[Footnote 3: Report of the United States Commissioner of Education, 1897-1898, page 70.]

It may be said here that an exception to the rule of the annual election of the administrative officers, is furnished in the example of the Munich school, which retains a permanent Director as the custom prevailed in times past.

Unless otherwise qualified, students must have prepared in the Industrieschule, the Gymnasium, the Real-Gymnasium or in the trade or building schools. In lieu of this an examination is demanded.

Twenty-four is the minimum age of graduation.

In tracing the development of these schools from unpretentious beginnings to their present high standards of excellence, we see that more and more they have become unified in purpose and similar in curricula. In the early days too, the qualifications for admission, their dynamic government, and educational standards were lower and more diversified than we find them to-day. Sustained by the State and each administered by its board or council, they are doing a work which cannot be excelled by the universities themselves.

The organization of departments of work offered is approximately the same in all schools. In Berlin there are six departments:

first, general school of applied science; second, general construction engineering; third, machine construction; fourth, naval engineering; fifth, chemistry and mining engineering; sixth, architecture.

Special attention is given certain subjects in one or another of these schools; civil or mechanical engineering, building construction, industrial chemistry, etc. An agricultural department is maintained at Munich, and a forestry department at Carlsruhe. That a knowledge of the application of electricity is considered essential in our modern methods is shown in the fact that all students in departments of machine construction engage in the study of electro-technics.

The courses of study are to-day upon more of an elective basis than formerly although even now the results of the work of Nebenius are clearly seen. The success of the Hochschulen is due to the efforts of Nebenius more than to any other one man. His ideas were worked out at Carlsruhe and in greater or lesser degree incorporated into all the schools. It was insisted by him that a proper foundation must be laid before any successful special technical training can be had. Preliminary work must be mastered and a natural sequence of studies followed. To this end a fixed graduated course is recommended, the student to be promoted as ability may determine. The one course plan however has been subst.i.tuted for the several.[4]

[Footnote 4: "Programm der Konigl. Technischen Hochschule zu Hannover, 1901-1902, page 90. Den h.o.r.ern bleibt die Wahl der Lehrfacher frei uberla.s.sen, fur ein geordnetes Studium empfiehlt sich aber die Beachtung der folgenden Studien und Stundenplane."]

The following table compiled from various sources will give some idea of the extent of the work as carried on in Berlin. The school has a library of 54,000 volumes; a student body of upwards of 4,500 and a modern equipment throughout.

-------------+---------+---------------------------------------+----------- Departments | No. | SUBJECTS |No. of | of | |Professors | courses | |and | | |Instructors -------------+---------+---------------------------------------+----------- General | 58 | Mechanics, Physics and general | 33 Science | | science studies; literature, | | | French, English, Italian, law, | | | political science. | -------------+---------+---------------------------------------+----------- Civil | 34 | Mechanics, railway construction, | 13 Engineering | | bridges, ca.n.a.ls, harbors, hydraulics, | | | drainage, land surveying. | -------------+---------+---------------------------------------+----------- Mechanical | 54 | Kinematics, machine construction, | 23 Engineering | | mechanical technology, | | | machine design, water, steam | | | and electrical machines, | | | electro-technics, electro-mechanics, | | | electrical and railway | | | works. | -------------+---------+---------------------------------------+----------- Naval | 19 | Theory of ship building, | 6 Engineering | | cla.s.sification of ships, designing of | | | warships, boilers, machine | | | construction, practical | | | ship building. | -------------+---------+---------------------------------------+----------- Chemistry | 51 | Organic and inorganic chemistry | 27 and | | including physical, electro and | Metallurgy | | technological chemistry, | | | crystallography, metallurgy, foundry | | | work, cements, botany, | | | chemistry of plants and foods. | -------------+---------+---------------------------------------+----------- Architecture | 65 | History of art, architecture and | 36 | | ornament; building construction, | | | designing of buildings | | | in different materials and for | | | various purposes, preparation | | | of estimates, etc. | -------------+---------+---------------------------------------+-----------

The rivalry existing among the various schools is in some respects a point to be commended. Then, too, the idea taking form in the Hochschulen and being more fully appreciated by the educationalists of our own country, that each school should specialize along some particular line, is worthy of attention. Energy is saved thereby, and students may have the advantage of increased facilities in equipment and instruction. Many Americans are studying in these schools, possibly more in Munich than elsewhere. While thorough in their treatment of subjects, the practical side of the work is too much lost sight of in the theoretical treatment. Testing and applied work are certainly given considerable attention however. To quote Dean Victor C. Alderson of the Armour Inst.i.tute, Chicago, who says in reference to testing:

"Professors regard this work as professional practice, just as doctors, who are professors in medical schools, have an outside practice. The technical school allows the professors free use of the laboratories, but a.s.sumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the results or opinions expressed."

The degree of Doctor of Engineering is conferred by these inst.i.tutions, and that their work has been highly instrumental in developing the country cannot be doubted, especially in the line of applied chemistry in which branch of engineering Germany leads the nations. How closely the development of the industries of Germany are related to the work of the Technische Hochschulen it is difficult to say, but that these schools have shown through the accomplishments of their graduates that high standards of moral and intellectual training can be had in other than the traditional universities, and that as efficient social service can be rendered through the application of science to the arts and industries as by means of the languages, cannot be doubted.