Friedrich Beust
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Beust (August 9, 1817 – December 6, 1899), German
soldier and political activist and Swiss
reform pedagogue, was the son of Prussian Major Karl Alexander von Beust. Beust was born in the Odenwald, in whose great forests, as a young man, he observed Nature in her large and small aspects and collected her creatures. He learned to ride a horse in the royal stables. In 1834, he became an ensign in the 17th Prussia
n regiment. Under the guidance of a captain, he drew maps in his free time. He entered the division school at Düsseldorf
where he was especially interested in geography
which students of Karl Ritter
were teaching. He continued his studies of cartography
and also science, especially anatomy
. In 1845, he was ordered to Fortress Minden, where he came to the conclusion he could not fit into Prussian military discipline, bitterly resigned in 1848, and became a political activist.
In 1848 he was delegate from the Cologne Workers' Association to the Second Democratic Congress held in Berlin. At the Congress he spoke in favour of the "Demands of the Communist Party in Germany" which were written by Karl Marx
and Frederick Engels. This was the Communist League's political programme for the revolution.
Beust took over the operations of the republic
an Neuen Kölnischen Zeitung when the previous publisher, Friedrich Annecke, was arrested for reporting on the Frankfurt Democratic Congress. Despite the efforts of Annecke's wife, Mathilde Franziska (née Giesler), the newspaper was suppressed. He got to know Ferdinand Freiligrath
who was helping Frau Annecke put out the Westfälischen Jahrbuch, and who, anticipating the coming emigration which would be necessary, wrote him some letters of introduction to people in Paris
. He also got to know the social democrat Karl Marx
, who was putting out the Neuer Rheinischer Zeitung with Freiligrath. He took over the command of the Cologne
militia, and when it interfered with the departure of Prussian troops to Düsseldorf to dissolve a regiment there, a state of siege
— Belagerungszustand — was declared for Cologne and Beust's arrest was sought for high treason. At that point he emigrated to Paris. Later he was elected to the military commission for the Baden
-Palatinate uprising. Beust soon saw that the chaotic leadership, among other things, would not allow the uprising to accomplish anything useful, and after the Ubstadt und Waghäusel
battle, lost through ineptitude, he fled with a detachment across the Swiss border at Rheinfelden
on June 15.
Beust settled in Zürich
where he learned the trade of a pedagogue with the innovative teacher Meier while studying botany
and chemistry
at the university. He obtained an appointment at Karl (nephew of the famous Friedrich) Fröbel's school. Until 1850 another of the teachers at the school was Wilhelm Liebknecht
, the Marxist founder of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany.
At this point, he stopped using "von" when he gave his name, but he never formally renounced his claims to nobility. Seeing a return to Germany was out of the question, he joined A. Kirchner in the leadership of his establishment. In 1854 he married Anna Lipka a cousin of Friedrich Engels
.
Then he founded his own school, and for the rest of his life devoted all his resources to that, and became a Swiss citizen. The school taught 25 children, and was attended by children living in Zürich and those of well-situated families in Germany. Among them was Ferdinand Fröbel, a grandson of Theodor a brother of Karl Fröbel. Emilie Michaelis, a leader of the Fröbel movement in England said of the school that it was a, 'truly remarkable institution' adding, after referring to Fröbel and Pestalozzi, that, 'this school stands alone in its complete fulfilment of these great educationists'
Beust remained active in socialist politics joining the International Workingmen's Association
which became known as the First International in 1886. In 1894, Beust's son, Dr. Fritz von Beust (1856-1908), took over its direction. Beust was especially interested in the teachings of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
and Fröbel on activities for children, and himself published works on early childhood education.
When he died, he was one of the last of the “48ers” living in exile.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
soldier and political activist and Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
reform pedagogue, was the son of Prussian Major Karl Alexander von Beust. Beust was born in the Odenwald, in whose great forests, as a young man, he observed Nature in her large and small aspects and collected her creatures. He learned to ride a horse in the royal stables. In 1834, he became an ensign in the 17th Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n regiment. Under the guidance of a captain, he drew maps in his free time. He entered the division school at 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...
where he was especially interested in geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
which students of Karl Ritter
Karl Ritter
Karl Ritter was a German diplomat, ambassador to Brazil, a member of the Nazi Party, Special Envoy to the Munich Agreement, a senior official in the Foreign Office during World War II, and convicted war criminal in the Ministries Trial.-Life:Karl Ritter was a graduate in law, and was appointed to...
were teaching. He continued his studies of cartography
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
and also science, especially anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
. In 1845, he was ordered to Fortress Minden, where he came to the conclusion he could not fit into Prussian military discipline, bitterly resigned in 1848, and became a political activist.
In 1848 he was delegate from the Cologne Workers' Association to the Second Democratic Congress held in Berlin. At the Congress he spoke in favour of the "Demands of the Communist Party in Germany" which were written by Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
and Frederick Engels. This was the Communist League's political programme for the revolution.
Beust took over the operations of the republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
an Neuen Kölnischen Zeitung when the previous publisher, Friedrich Annecke, was arrested for reporting on the Frankfurt Democratic Congress. Despite the efforts of Annecke's wife, Mathilde Franziska (née Giesler), the newspaper was suppressed. He got to know Ferdinand Freiligrath
Ferdinand Freiligrath
Ferdinand Freiligrath was a German poet, translator and liberal agitator.-Biography:Freiligrath was born in Detmold, Principality of Lippe. His father was a teacher. He left a Detmold gymnasium at 16 to be trained for a commercial career in Soest...
who was helping Frau Annecke put out the Westfälischen Jahrbuch, and who, anticipating the coming emigration which would be necessary, wrote him some letters of introduction to people in Paris
Paris
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...
. He also got to know the social democrat Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
, who was putting out the Neuer Rheinischer Zeitung with Freiligrath. He took over the command of the 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...
militia, and when it interfered with the departure of Prussian troops to Düsseldorf to dissolve a regiment there, a state of siege
State of Siege
State of Siege is a 1972 French film directed by Costa Gavras starring Yves Montand and Renato Salvatori.-Summary:...
— Belagerungszustand — was declared for Cologne and Beust's arrest was sought for high treason. At that point he emigrated to Paris. Later he was elected to the military commission for the Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
-Palatinate uprising. Beust soon saw that the chaotic leadership, among other things, would not allow the uprising to accomplish anything useful, and after the Ubstadt und Waghäusel
Waghäusel
Waghäusel is a German town located in the Rhine valley in the south-western state of Baden-Württemberg. Waghäusel consists of 3 townships which are the core city , Kirrlach , and Wiesental [as of March 31, 2006]...
battle, lost through ineptitude, he fled with a detachment across the Swiss border at Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden is a municipality in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, seat of the district of Rheinfelden. It is located 15 kilometres east of Basel. The name means the fields of the Rhine, as the town is located on the Hochrhein. It is home to Feldschlösschen, the most popular beer in...
on June 15.
Beust settled in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
where he learned the trade of a pedagogue with the innovative teacher Meier while studying botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at the university. He obtained an appointment at Karl (nephew of the famous Friedrich) Fröbel's school. Until 1850 another of the teachers at the school was Wilhelm Liebknecht
Wilhelm Liebknecht
Wilhelm Martin Philipp Christian Ludwig Liebknecht was a German social democrat and a principal founder of the SPD. His political career was a pioneering project combining Marxist revolutionary theory with practical, legal political activity...
, the Marxist founder of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany.
At this point, he stopped using "von" when he gave his name, but he never formally renounced his claims to nobility. Seeing a return to Germany was out of the question, he joined A. Kirchner in the leadership of his establishment. In 1854 he married Anna Lipka a cousin of Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
.
Then he founded his own school, and for the rest of his life devoted all his resources to that, and became a Swiss citizen. The school taught 25 children, and was attended by children living in Zürich and those of well-situated families in Germany. Among them was Ferdinand Fröbel, a grandson of Theodor a brother of Karl Fröbel. Emilie Michaelis, a leader of the Fröbel movement in England said of the school that it was a, 'truly remarkable institution' adding, after referring to Fröbel and Pestalozzi, that, 'this school stands alone in its complete fulfilment of these great educationists'
Beust remained active in socialist politics joining the International Workingmen's Association
International Workingmen's Association
The International Workingmen's Association , sometimes called the First International, was an international organization which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing socialist, communist and anarchist political groups and trade union organizations that were based on the working class...
which became known as the First International in 1886. In 1894, Beust's son, Dr. Fritz von Beust (1856-1908), took over its direction. Beust was especially interested in the teachings of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach....
and Fröbel on activities for children, and himself published works on early childhood education.
When he died, he was one of the last of the “48ers” living in exile.