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Freie Schulgemeinde

Free School Community

Documents associated with this entity:

Progressive boarding school, and also journal produced by the school's associates.

Founded in 1906 by the educational reformer Gustav Wyneken (1875-1964), together with Paul Geheeb, August Halm, and Martin Luserke, who styled themselves "pedagogical rebels," the school was located in Wickersdorf, a village in the Thuringen Forest 40 miles (65 km) south of Weimar. Its curriculum was centered on the concept of "objective spirit," and stressed intellectual and artistic pursuits. Part of the wider "reform pedagogy" movement of the time in Germany arising out of the Wilhelmine charge to reform education, and in Europe more broadly, it stood against the tendency toward nationalistic (völkisch) education then current.

Music occupied a privileged place in this curriculum, its musical program created by August Halm (one of Schenker's correspondents), who taught at the Wickersdorf from 1906 to 1910, and again 1920-29.

The name Freie Schulgemeinde was also given to a journal produced by those associated with the school, and published by Eugen Diederichs of Jena.

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Correspondence

  • OJ 11/35, 14 Handwritten letter from Halm to Schenker, dated January 5, 1920

    Halm offers advice on securing satisfactory contractual terms, favoring percentages over one-time payments.

  • OJ 11/35, 19 Handwritten letter from Halm to Schenker, dated July 28, 1921

    Halm discusses an "intended gift," and the merits of Matthäus Hentz and K. T. Schmid to receive it. Halm reports that he has moved from Esslingen to Wickersdorf, and that his Concerto for Large Orchestra has been performed by Fritz Busch in Stuttgart, and comments on Cotta's hand-over of Kontrapunkt.

  • OJ 11/35, 20 Handwritten letter from Halm to Schenker, dated July 24 and August 19, 1922

    Halm announces publication of his three suites for piano trio, and has arranged for two of them to be sent to Schenker. He thanks Schenker for sending him Kontrapunkt II, and expresses admiration for the "power of the broad conception" of Schenker's work. He is distressed at Schenker's attacks on other countries and glorification of Germany, and speaks with appreciation of French and Russian music. He describes his new publisher.

  • OC 12/7-9 Handwritten letter from Halm to Schenker dated November 6‒10, 1923

    Halm has sent the published score of a string quartet to Schenker. —Patronage has enabled him to publish three volumes of compositions; reports on current and past composition activities and publications. —Discusses what he has learned from Schenker's theories, and questions whether it would be a fault were Bruckner's symphonies not to contain the Urlinie; Halm's book on Bruckner's symphonies has gone into its second edition. —Halm suspects that Schenker may not "agree with" his compositions, and asks whether Schenker wishes to receives further scores. —Halm considers socialism a "historical necessity."

  • OJ 11/35, 23 Handwritten letter from Halm to Schenker, dated April 6 and 15, 1925

    Halm explains why he has not written before and reports successful performance of his A major Symphony; wishes Schenker luck with move from UE to Drei-Masken Verlag; reports events at Freie Schulgemeinde.

Diaries