Fridolin Friedmann
Encyclopedia
Fridolin Friedmann was a progressive German-Jewish educator. He taught at the Odenwald School and was later headmaster at the Landschulheim Caputh, both in Germany. He accompanied several Kindertransport
s to England, remaining there himself in 1939. He began teaching at Bunce Court School
in 1946, hired by Anna Essinger
to replace her, but she decided to close the school in 1948. He then taught at several other places before retiring. In retirement, he gave lectures about Jewish history.
, Bavaria
. He attended the universities of Munich, Heidelberg, Cologne
and Erlangen, receiving his doctorate
in philosophy in 1925 with a dissertation on Moses Mendelssohn
. He was a strong believer in the importance of the arts, particularly music, in the education of children.
In 1925, Friedmann began teaching at the Odenwald School, a private
boarding school
in Heppenheim
, Germany. In 1926, he began teaching at Samson School, a Jewish school in Wolfenbüttel
. In July 1928, he passed his science exam in Cologne
and in October 1929, he passed his teaching exam in Berlin. For a time, he conducted scholarly research in Königs Wusterhausen
and in 1932, he was hired to be the director of Landschulheim Caputh. He was granted his teaching certificate from the Potsdam school administration on May 2, 1932, less than a year before the Nazi Party seized power
and shortly thereafter, began to prohibit Jewish educators from teaching at "German" schools, requiring that they work at strictly Jewish schools. In 1937, while continuing to teach in Caputh
on the weekend, Friedmann began working at a private secondary school (realgymnasium) in Berlin which had been set up by the Berlin Jewish community. Following Kristallnacht
, in November 1938, England agreed to accept 10,000 refugee children and a series of Kindertransport
s were set up. Friedmann accompanied several of them, remaining himself in 1939.
After the war, Friedman was in charge of reception centers for children survivors of the Holocaust. In 1946, he was hired by Anna Essinger to teach and become the new headmaster at Bunce Court School, a German-Jewish school that had been a community of refugee children and adults during the Nazi era and World War II
. After the war, it took in a number of children survivors of Nazi concentration camps. The relationship with Essinger, who had been the sole headmistress of the school since its inception in Germany in 1926, was difficult and Friedmann left. Bunce Court School closed in 1948.
Friedmann taught at Carmel College, both at its first location in Greenham
, then in Wallingford. He retired in 1961. He continued to lecture on Jewish history, speaking at Leo Baeck College
and City Lit.
Kindertransport
Kindertransport is the name given to the rescue mission that took place nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. The United Kingdom took in nearly 10,000 predominantly Jewish children from Nazi Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and the Free City of Danzig...
s to England, remaining there himself in 1939. He began teaching at Bunce Court School
Bunce Court School
The Bunce Court School was an independent, private boarding school in the village of Otterden, in Kent, England. It was founded in 1933 by Anna Essinger, who had previously founded a boarding school, Landschulheim Herrlingen in the south of Germany, but after the Nazi Party seized power in 1933,...
in 1946, hired by Anna Essinger
Anna Essinger
Anna Essinger was a German-Jewish educator. At the age of 20, she went to finish her education in the United States, where she encountered Quakers and was greatly influenced by their attitudes, adopting them for her own...
to replace her, but she decided to close the school in 1948. He then taught at several other places before retiring. In retirement, he gave lectures about Jewish history.
Biographical details
Friedmann was born in BurgkunstadtBurgkunstadt
Burgkunstadt is a town in the district of Lichtenfels, in northern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Main, 15 km west of Kulmbach, and 24 km southeast of Coburg....
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. He attended the universities of Munich, Heidelberg, Cologne
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
and Erlangen, receiving his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in philosophy in 1925 with a dissertation on Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn was a German Jewish philosopher to whose ideas the renaissance of European Jews, Haskalah is indebted...
. He was a strong believer in the importance of the arts, particularly music, in the education of children.
In 1925, Friedmann began teaching at the Odenwald School, a private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in Heppenheim
Heppenheim
Heppenheim is the seat of Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Bergstraße on the edge of the Odenwald.- Location :...
, Germany. In 1926, he began teaching at Samson School, a Jewish school in Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick...
. In July 1928, he passed his science exam in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and in October 1929, he passed his teaching exam in Berlin. For a time, he conducted scholarly research in Königs Wusterhausen
Königs Wusterhausen
Königs Wusterhausen is a town in the Dahme-Spreewald district of the state of Brandenburg in Germany.-Geographical location:Königs Wusterhausen – or "KW" as it is often called locally – lies on the Notte Canal and the river Dahme southeast of Berlin...
and in 1932, he was hired to be the director of Landschulheim Caputh. He was granted his teaching certificate from the Potsdam school administration on May 2, 1932, less than a year before the Nazi Party seized power
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
and shortly thereafter, began to prohibit Jewish educators from teaching at "German" schools, requiring that they work at strictly Jewish schools. In 1937, while continuing to teach in Caputh
Caputh
Caputh is a village in the municipality of Schwielowsee, Potsdam-Mittelmark, Brandenburg, Germany.Caputh got a railway station in 1904...
on the weekend, Friedmann began working at a private secondary school (realgymnasium) in Berlin which had been set up by the Berlin Jewish community. Following Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
, in November 1938, England agreed to accept 10,000 refugee children and a series of Kindertransport
Kindertransport
Kindertransport is the name given to the rescue mission that took place nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. The United Kingdom took in nearly 10,000 predominantly Jewish children from Nazi Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and the Free City of Danzig...
s were set up. Friedmann accompanied several of them, remaining himself in 1939.
After the war, Friedman was in charge of reception centers for children survivors of the Holocaust. In 1946, he was hired by Anna Essinger to teach and become the new headmaster at Bunce Court School, a German-Jewish school that had been a community of refugee children and adults during the Nazi era and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, it took in a number of children survivors of Nazi concentration camps. The relationship with Essinger, who had been the sole headmistress of the school since its inception in Germany in 1926, was difficult and Friedmann left. Bunce Court School closed in 1948.
Friedmann taught at Carmel College, both at its first location in Greenham
Greenham
Greenham is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as Greneham.It is situated just to the south-east of Newbury and is in the West Berkshire district of England....
, then in Wallingford. He retired in 1961. He continued to lecture on Jewish history, speaking at Leo Baeck College
Leo Baeck College
Leo Baeck College is a rabbinical college and centre for Jewish education located in north London. As well as being the smallest academic college in England, it is also the largest Jewish Progressive University and Rabbinic College in Europe....
and City Lit.