Theodor Fliedner
Encyclopedia
Theodor Fliedner was a German Lutheran minister and founder of Lutheran deaconess
training. He is commemorated as a renewer of society
in the Calendar of Saints
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
on October 4.
in the Taunus
, the son of a Lutheran minister. Pastor Fliedner studied theology
and was, for a time, a house teacher. In 1821 he assumed the pastorate in the poor municipality of Kaiserswerth (now in Düsseldorf
). When the town could no longer support church and ministry due to an economic crisis, he undertook journeys to collect donations. Beginning in Westphalia
, he also went to the Netherlands
and England
.
s. In England he met with Elizabeth Fry
, who demonstrated her work among her nation's impoverished and imprisoned people. He returned home not only with a large financial collection for his municipality but also with new ideas about social work among the disadvantaged.
He began by working among inmates at the Düsseldorf Prison, preaching the Gospel
and ministering to spiritual and physical needs. He walked to and from Düsseldorf every other Sunday until a regular prison chaplain was appointed. The German prisons were then in a very bad state; but those interested in their improvement banded together, and in 1826, Fliedner created the Rhenish-Westphalian Prison Society (Rheinisch-Westfälische Gefängnisgesellschaft). Fliedner realized that the first step must be toward looking after the prisoners on their release, and accordingly, in 1833, he opened at Kaiserswerth a refuge for discharged female convicts. To better support and teach Kaiserwerth's children, he founded a school in 1835 which became the venue for a women teachers' seminar.
In many cities, there were no hospital
s at that time. Following somewhat the model of the early Christian Church's
diaconate, incorporating ideas learned from Fry and the Mennonites, and applying his own thoughts, Fliedner developed a plan whereby young women would find and care for the needy sick. For this, he needed to create an institute where the women could learn theology and nursing skills. He opened the hospital and deaconess training center in Kaiserswerth on 13 October 1836. Gertrud Reichardt was the first deaconess commissioned by the new school. One of the associated Kaiserwerth professional schools was later named in her honor.
After his wife died in 1842, he found a new life companion (and important employee) in Caroline Bertheau. They opened institutes for the deaconate in 1844 in Dortmund and in 1847 in Berlin with the support of King Frederick William IV of Prussia
, and his Queen, Elizabeth. Flieder's attention became completely focused on this aspect of the ministry and in 1849 he turned completely to working with the deaconate, including increasing activity abroad.
Fliedner's movement has been cited as the model for the Inner Mission
movement which Johann Hinrich Wichern
developed.
, Strasbourg
, Utrecht
, and elsewhere. By the time of his death in 1864, there were 30 motherhouses and 1600 deaconesses worldwide. By the middle of the 20th century, there were over 35,000 deaconesses serving in parishes, schools, hospitals, and prisons throughout the world.
A sign of the international respect Fliedner garnered is that his most famous pupil came from outside Germany. Florence Nightingale
, then a crusading English health care
reformer
, visited Kaiserwerth in 1846 and came away favorably impressed. She later returned for nursing studies and graduated in 1851. Today, one of Düsseldorf's hospitals bears her name.
Deaconess
Deaconess is a non-clerical order in some Christian denominations which sees to the care of women in the community. That word comes from a Greek word diakonos as well as deacon, which means a servant or helper and occurs frequently in the Christian New Testament of the Bible. Deaconesses trace...
training. He is commemorated as a renewer of society
Renewers of society
Renewers of society is a title given by the Lutheran Book of Worship to selected individuals commemorated in its Calendar of Saints whom it sees as having contributed dramatically to the development and vitality of society...
in the Calendar of Saints
Calendar of Saints (Lutheran)
The Lutheran Calendar of Saints is a listing which details the primary annual festivals and events that are celebrated liturgically by some Lutheran Churches in the United States. The calendars of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod are from the...
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
on October 4.
Background
Fliedner was born in EppsteinEppstein
Eppstein is a town in the Main-Taunus-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany.-Geographical situation:Eppstein lies west of Frankfurt am Main, around 12 km north east of the state capital Wiesbaden, and is at the edge of the Taunus mountains....
in the Taunus
Taunus
The Taunus is a low mountain range in Hesse, Germany that composes part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. It is bounded by the river valleys of Rhine, Main and Lahn. On the opposite side of the Rhine, the mountains are continued by the Hunsrück...
, the son of a Lutheran minister. Pastor Fliedner studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and was, for a time, a house teacher. In 1821 he assumed the pastorate in the poor municipality of Kaiserswerth (now in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
). When the town could no longer support church and ministry due to an economic crisis, he undertook journeys to collect donations. Beginning in Westphalia
Province of Westphalia
The Province of Westphalia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Kingdom of Westphalia, which was a client state of the First French Empire from 1807 to 1813...
, he also went to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Career
In the Indies he became acquainted with the ancient church office of deacon while spending time among the MennoniteMennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
s. In England he met with Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry , née Gurney, was an English prison reformer, social reformer and, as a Quaker, a Christian philanthropist...
, who demonstrated her work among her nation's impoverished and imprisoned people. He returned home not only with a large financial collection for his municipality but also with new ideas about social work among the disadvantaged.
He began by working among inmates at the Düsseldorf Prison, preaching the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
and ministering to spiritual and physical needs. He walked to and from Düsseldorf every other Sunday until a regular prison chaplain was appointed. The German prisons were then in a very bad state; but those interested in their improvement banded together, and in 1826, Fliedner created the Rhenish-Westphalian Prison Society (Rheinisch-Westfälische Gefängnisgesellschaft). Fliedner realized that the first step must be toward looking after the prisoners on their release, and accordingly, in 1833, he opened at Kaiserswerth a refuge for discharged female convicts. To better support and teach Kaiserwerth's children, he founded a school in 1835 which became the venue for a women teachers' seminar.
In many cities, there were no hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s at that time. Following somewhat the model of the early Christian Church's
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
diaconate, incorporating ideas learned from Fry and the Mennonites, and applying his own thoughts, Fliedner developed a plan whereby young women would find and care for the needy sick. For this, he needed to create an institute where the women could learn theology and nursing skills. He opened the hospital and deaconess training center in Kaiserswerth on 13 October 1836. Gertrud Reichardt was the first deaconess commissioned by the new school. One of the associated Kaiserwerth professional schools was later named in her honor.
After his wife died in 1842, he found a new life companion (and important employee) in Caroline Bertheau. They opened institutes for the deaconate in 1844 in Dortmund and in 1847 in Berlin with the support of King Frederick William IV of Prussia
Frederick William IV of Prussia
|align=right|Upon his accession, he toned down the reactionary policies enacted by his father, easing press censorship and promising to enact a constitution at some point, but he refused to enact a popular legislative assembly, preferring to work with the aristocracy through "united committees" of...
, and his Queen, Elizabeth. Flieder's attention became completely focused on this aspect of the ministry and in 1849 he turned completely to working with the deaconate, including increasing activity abroad.
Fliedner's movement has been cited as the model for the Inner Mission
Inner mission
The Inner Mission was a movement of German evangelists, set up by Johann Hinrich Wichern in Wittenberg in 1848 based on a model of Theodor Fliedner...
movement which Johann Hinrich Wichern
Johann Hinrich Wichern
Johann Hinrich Wichern was a founder of the Home Mission movement in Germany.-Biography:...
developed.
Legacy
Because of these efforts, deaconess institutes arose in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
, and elsewhere. By the time of his death in 1864, there were 30 motherhouses and 1600 deaconesses worldwide. By the middle of the 20th century, there were over 35,000 deaconesses serving in parishes, schools, hospitals, and prisons throughout the world.
A sign of the international respect Fliedner garnered is that his most famous pupil came from outside Germany. Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
, then a crusading English health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
reformer
Reform movement
A reform movement is a kind of social movement that aims to make gradual change, or change in certain aspects of society, rather than rapid or fundamental changes...
, visited Kaiserwerth in 1846 and came away favorably impressed. She later returned for nursing studies and graduated in 1851. Today, one of Düsseldorf's hospitals bears her name.
Selected works
- Kollektenreise nach Holland und England (1831)
- Liederbuch für Kleinkinderschulen (1842)
- Kaiserswerther Volkskalender (ab 1842)
- Armen- und Krankenfreund (ab 1849)
- Buch der Märtyrer und anderer Glaubenszeugen der evangelischen Kirche (1850)
- Kurze Geschichte der Entstehung der ersten evangelischen Liebesanstalten in Kaiserswerth (1856)
Other sources
- Wentz, Abdel Ross Fliedner the Faithful, Biography of Theodore Fliedner (The Board of Publication of the United Lutheran Church in America. 1936)
- Winkworth, Catherine Life of Pastor Fliedner of Kaiserwerth (1867)(Kessinger Publishing, LLC. 2008)
- Sticker, Anna Theodor und Friederike Fliedner (R. Brockhaus Bildbiographien. 1989) German
- Kruczek, Dietmar Theodor Fliedner: Mein Leben, für das Leben. Eine Biographie über den Gründer der Kaiserswerther Diakonie (Neukirchen-Vluyn: Aussaat, 1999) German