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Jelgava Gymnasium

Coordinates:56°39′0″N23°43′45″E/ 56.65000°N 23.72917°E/56.65000; 23.72917
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Historical building of Academia Petrina (now Ģederts Eliass Jelgava History and Art Museum)

Jelgava GymnasiumorAcademia Petrinais the oldest higher educational establishment inLatvia.[1]Based on an idea byFriedrich Wilhelm von Raison[de],it was established inMitau,capital of theDuchy of Courland and Semigallia,by DukePeter von Bironin 1775. The duke wanted to attract professors likeImmanuel KantandJohan Gottfried Herder,but they refused.

After thepartitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth,Jelgava became part of theRussian Empireand the gymnasium unsuccessfully petitioned to become a university.[2]Nevertheless, it became an important cultural hub not only for Latvians, but alsoLithuanians.[3]Many famous professors had lectured in Academia Petrina for exampleJohann Benjamin Koppe(1775),Johann August von Starck(1777–1781) andWilhelm Gottlieb Friedrich Beitler[de](1775–1811).

During World War I, the school was evacuated toTaganroginRostov Oblastwhile its 42,000-volume library was burned by troops ofPavel Bermondt-Avalov.[4]During World War II, the historical school building was almost completely destroyed, therefore school was reestablished in new premises. The original building was later restored and now functions as theĢederts Eliass[lv]Jelgava History and Art Museum.

Name

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  • 1775 Academia Petrina[5]
  • Gymnasium Petrinum[6]
  • since 1837: official name in GermanGouvernements-Gymnasium
  • 1934 to 1940:Hercoga Pētera ģimnāzija(Herzog-Peter-Gymnasium)[7]
  • after 1945: Jelgavas 1. vidusskola (Jelgavan Secondary School Nr. 1)
  • 15. August 1991: 1. Gymnasium
  • 2012: Jelgavas Tehnoloģiju vidusskola (Technical Secondary School Jelgava)

History

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The establishment of the academy was based on an idea byFriedrich Wilhelm von Raison:"But the whole province owes him excellent thanks for the effective part, which he took at the foundation of the Mitauian Gymnasium. He was actually the one who persuaded Duke Peter to do so; it was he who corresponded with Sulzern regarding the plan to be drawn up and because of the appointment of the first teachers and he who prescribed the books for the library and the instruments for the observatory; just as he also continuously participated in the perfection of the institute until his death".[8]

The intention was to establish a completeuniversitywith all four faculties in Mitau. This plan was rejected because of Kurland's dependence on Catholic-Polish rule. Under the law ofPolanda university could not be founded without the consent and confirmation of the Pope, and it was unclear whether and when the permission by the papal curia to establish a Protestant theological faculty could have been obtained. Therefore, this intention was abandoned and it was decided to found anacademic gymnasiumwhich - half school, half university - should enjoy all the rights of a university, with the exception of the privilege of granting academic dignity.[9]

People

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Notable students

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Name Birth Death Later occupation
Jānis Čakste 1859 1927 President of Latvia
Alberts Kviesis 1881 1944 President of Latvia
Antanas Smetona 1874 1944 President of Lithuania
Ernestas Galvanauskas 1882 1967 Prime Minister of Lithuania
Mykolas Sleževičius 1882 1939 Prime Minister of Lithuania
Krišjānis Barons 1835 1923 Latvian folklorist
Kārlis Mīlenbahs 1853 1916 Latvian philologist
Wincenty Lutosławski 1863 1954 Polish philosopher

Teachers

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Name Birth Death Occupation at the school
Johann Melchior Beseke 1746 1802 Jurisprudence
Johann Benjamin Koppe 1750 1791 1775, Greek language
Johann August von Starck 1741 1816 1777–1781, Philosophy
Wilhelm Gottlieb Friedrich Beitler 1745 1811 1775–1811 mathematics
Johann Jacob Ferber 1743 1790 physics and natural history
Johann Georg Eisen von Schwarzenberg[de] 1717 1779 1776–1777
Heinrich Friedrich Jäger 1747 1811 1775–1789
Johann Nicolaus Tiling 1739 1798 1775–1798
Johann Gabriel Schwemschuch 1733 1803 1775–1798
Matthias Friedrich Watson 1733 1805
Johann Gottlieb von Groschke 1760 1828 natural history and chemistry
Johann Daniel von Braunschweig 1786 1857 1817–1837
Charles Toussaint 1813 1877 French
Magnus Georg Paucker 1787 1855 1813–1855 mathematics und astronomy

References

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  1. ^Peck, Bryan T. (24 January 2019).Education, the Baltic States and the EU.Nova Publishers.ISBN9781590337097.Retrieved24 January2019– via Google Books.
  2. ^Vihalemm, Rein (30 September 2001).Estonian Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science.Springer Science & Business Media.ISBN9780792371892.Retrieved24 January2019– via Google Books.
  3. ^Sabaliunas, Leonas; Sabaliūnas, Leonas (24 January 1990).Lithuanian Social Democracy in Perspective, 1893–1914.Duke University Press.ISBN0822310155.Retrieved24 January2019– via Google Books.
  4. ^Stam, David H. (24 January 2019).International Dictionary of Library Histories.Taylor & Francis.ISBN9781579582449.Retrieved24 January2019– via Google Books.
  5. ^"Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek".portal.dnb.de.Retrieved24 January2019.
  6. ^'Universitäten im östlichen Mitteleuropa: Zwischen Kirche, Staat und Nation', S. 43https://books.google /books?isbn=3486845462
  7. ^"Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek".portal.dnb.de.Retrieved24 January2019.
  8. ^Allgemeines Schriftsteller- und Gelehrten-Lexikon der Provinzen Livland, Esthland und Kurland,bearbeitet vonJohann Friedrich von Recke,Karl Eduard Napiersky,Dritter Band, L-R, Mitau 1831, S. 461–463[1]
  9. ^"SITZUNGSBERICHTE JAHRESBERICHTE 1935/1936 DER KURZEMER (KURLÄNDISCHEN) GESELLSCHAFT FÜR LITERATUR UND KUNST – PDF".docplayer.org.Retrieved24 January2019.
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56°39′0″N23°43′45″E/ 56.65000°N 23.72917°E/56.65000; 23.72917


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