Dr François Adam Lejeune

(Born 1765 Verviers, Belgium – Died 10 Sept 1854 Frankfurt, Germany; Father: Adam Lejeune, b: 1742, Ensival, Liege, Belgium)

Dr. François Adam Lejeune, born in 1765 in Verviers (in the Low Countries), went for a short holiday, after his Doctorate examination, for a journey along the Rhein. While in Frankfurt-on-the-Main, he was called one night to the castle of a certain titled prince, on an emergency case. By his skill and his courteous manner, as well as his devotion to his calling, he made an excellent impression, and was persuaded to stay on, as personal physician to the titled gentleman. Eventually Dr Lejeune settled down in Frankfurt and married Helene Marie D’Orville, a girl of French Huguenot descent, as was Dr. Lejeune himself. His name was struck off the list of burghers in Verviers, and he became a burgher of the Asee City of Frankfurt, then under the Republic of France.

In 1806 Dr. Lejeune made a journey on foot to “Iverdon” (now Yverdun), after visiting Geneva. He had heard of the extraordinary Swiss school-master Pestalozzi and was curious to see him and his peculiar school. Several of Dr. Lejeune’s Swiss acquaintances advised him not to send his sons to Pestalozzi. They said that the man had a warm heart and a great love of children and that his little pupils certainly made astounding progress, in a short time. But the school seemed more fitted for the children of beggars and peasants, whose education could only be for 2 or 3 years, definitely not for the children of higher rank, who required higher education and long training. They also said that Pestalozzi seemed a bit of a crank (to use modern phraseology), that his imagination ran away with him and that his ideas came pouring out at such a rate that one could not follow half of what he said. They said that he was not a gentleman, that he spoke neither good German nor good French, that he was negligent about his appearance. However, Dr. Lejeune continued his journey and went to Iverdon.

I might mention here that Dr. Lejeune, throughout his long life, kept a most careful and detailed diary – which is still preserved by his descendants.

On August 30th, 1806, he wrote a long entry in his diary. The following are translations from the German:

August 30th, 1806

Pestalozzi received me in friendly manner, introduced me to his five assistants, and showed me over the school. He is certainly negligent in dress, and unkempt, but he has evidently a great love and understanding of children. The pupils, mostly about 6 to 18 years old, seem very intelligent and observant. It is quite extraordinary. I heard a lesson in Arithmetic and in Geometry, which was astonishing. The assistant teachers seemed filled with enthusiasm and were more than willing to describe the methods of teaching to me.

August 31st 1806

I spent all day at the school and was very much impressed. Pestalozzi seems to me a very warm-hearted and affectionate man. He loves his work. I saw none of the exaggerated demonstrations of affection towards his pupils that certain of my friends had spoken of with disapproval. He plays with the children and is fond of them, as anyone can see.

I was present at the evening meal, which consisted chiefly of a good and plentiful rice pudding made with milk. The children sit on benches, at the four tables, in two large rooms. The teachers eat with their pupils, and serve out the helpings. I certainly noticed that no special attention was paid to the table-manners of the children, no admonitions as to how to hold their spoons etc. but I did not notice anything objectionable. When the meal was over, all stood up, and one of the children said grace. Then they were free to play as they liked.

The dormitories are clean and quite tidy. They are rather over-crowded, but a huge room is being built that will hold a great many beds.

I observed the children in their play-hour. Some were busy reproducing large scale maps on a small scale, and doing it very well indeed. Others were making little gardens, outside. In one room, some children were singing to the accompaniment of 2 violins and a cello.

September 1st 1806

Spent almost the whole day at the Institute listening to the lessons, and talking to the young teachers, who are all most friendly, and eager to tell me about the methods. There is no stiff, pedantic atmosphere. It is all genial, natural and friendly.

I watched the youngest class at work, and was astounded. What infinite patience, gentleness and persuasion the young teacher had! The geometry and algebra were astonishing. The writing lesson seemed to me not quite so good. There are rather too many children and the teacher has to spend too much time sharpening their pens and writing examples for them to copy. But this matter is to be discussed at the next teachers’ meeting, and remedied.

I was immensely impressed with everything I saw. The teachers are all filled with enthusiasm, and the relations between teachers and pupils is astounding. I should like my Edouard and Gustav to be at this school. But will their mother ever agree to this?

September 2nd 1806

Spent most of the day at the school, watching the lessons. My admiration increases every day. It is astonishing to see such young children doing what these children do, and to hear them explain what they are doing. For instance, they were drawing maps today, some reproducing the original on a smaller scale, some on a larger scale. Others were drawing separate portions of it. And I heard some children holding a debate and reaching conclusions, in a way that many of us grown-ups can hardly do.

At recess, they played in the meadow, and under the shady trees, along the lake. The older children fenced with sticks, the younger played a kind of hide-and-go-seek. Two of the young masters played with the children. It was a merry, happy scene.

After the games they had a meal: Bread for each child, with white, unsalted cheese – which they all seemed to relish, judging by their appetites. At 5 p.m. a lesson in French grammar, and reading in French, with grammatical explanations by the master. This was very well conducted. I was impressed by the cheerful activity of the children, in everything they did. At every lesson it was the same. The drawbacks of the system are very small indeed in comparison with the advantages, which strike me as quite unique. I admit that the teachers speak an uncouth Swiss-German, and that their accent strikes one as unpleasant. Also, the dormitories are definitely over-crowded – and there is a certain lack of cleanliness. But , except for this, I consider the school is excellent, and I should be glad to know that my children were here.

Today, I enquired about punishments. “There are none”, I was told. “Even if some children come with certain faults and failings, they soon lose them, here. The only thing we fear is to check the natural liveliness of children”. He mentioned several cases that had been difficult at first, and showed me the children in question – normal, happy, active kids.

The hours are: They get up at 5.30 a.m. in Summer, and at 6 a.m. in Winter. Wash and dress, work for an hour, then breakfast. Then lessons till 12 noon. Dinner, followed by play till 2 p.m. Work till 4 p.m. Play till 5 p.m. Then supper. Work again until 7 p.m. At 7.30 p.m. late supper. To bed at 8.30 p.m.

The food is simple, but plentiful and good. The children romp and play and make a noise in their play-hours. There is always one of the teachers at hand, but the children have plenty of freedom and are noisy and natural.

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Dr. Lejeune returned to Frankfurt-on-the-Main – and talked it over with his wife. And both their young sons, Edouard (aged 9) and Gustav (7) were sent as pupils. As a result, several of the best old families of Frankfurt sent their sons, too. One of these “patrician” families sent their two young sons, and their private house-tutor too. The tutor was Friedrich Froebel. What he saw and learned at Pestalozzi’s school made a great impression on him, and we all know what Froebel did, for Pedagogy (or Pedagogics?). [Editor’s Note: Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel (1782 – 1852) was a German educator who founded the kindergarten system.]

Edouard Lejeune stayed 4 years at the school. His brother Gustav stayed 3 years. Some of their letters to their parents have been preserved and may be seen at the Pestalozzi-Museum, in Zürich, today.

Dr. François Adam Lejeune kept many letters that Pestalozzi wrote to him, and the Lejeune family finally presented them to the Pestalozzi-Museum.

[Prepared by Marion Enke]