Kurt Hahn

Kurt Martin Hahn (5 June, 1886 - 14 December, 1974) was a German educator responsible for the creation of Outward Bound.

Biography

Born in Berlin of Jewish parents, Hahn studied in Oxford, Berlin, Heidelberg, Freiburg and Göttingen. During World War I, Hahn worked in the German Department for Foreign Affairs, analyzing English newspapers and advising the Foreign Office. He had been private secretary to Prince Max von Baden, the last Imperial Chancellor of Germany. 1920-1933 Hahn was headmaster of Schule Schloss Salem, a private boarding school in Germany, founded in cooperation with Prince Max. In 1933 Hahn was forced out of Germany and moved to Scotland, where he founded Gordonstoun and served as its headmaster until 1953. Hahn inspired or initiated the foundation of Outward Bound Schools, Atlantic College in Wales and the wider United World College movement, the Duke of Edinburgh Award and many other schools based on the same principles as Salem and Gordonstoun.

Though Hahn had been raised Jewish, he was an early admirer of Hitler. Hahn began his fierce criticism of the Nazi regime after a young communist was killed by Hitler's storm troopers in the presence of his mother. When he spoke out against the storm troopers, who had received no punishment, Hahn spoke against Hitler publicly. He asked the students, faculty, and alumni of the Salem school to choose between Salem and Hitler. As a result he was imprisoned for five days (from 11-16 March 1933) [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Hahn] . After an appeal by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, Hahn was released and in July 1933 he was able to emigrate to Britain, where he settled in Scotland and founded Gordonstoun on similar principles to the school in Salem . Later, Hahn converted to Christianity and preached in the Church of Scotland.

Philosophy

Hahn's educational philosophy was based on respect for adolescents, whom he believed to possess an innate decency and moral sense, but who were, he believed, corrupted by society as they aged. He believed that education could prevent this corruption, if students were given opportunities for personal leadership and to see the results of their own actions. This is one reason for the focus on outdoor adventure in his philosophy. Hahn's educational thinking was crystallized by World War I, which he viewed as proof of the corruption of society and a promise of later doom if people (Europeans particularly) could not be taught differently. At the Schule Schloss Salem, in addition to acting as headmaster, he taught history, politics, ancient Greek, Shakespeare and Schiller. He was deeply influenced by Plato's thought. Gordonstoun is based less on Eton than on Salem. Hahn's prefects are called Colour Bearers, and traditionally they are promoted accoding to Hahn's values: concern and compassion for others, the willingness to accept responsibility, and concern and tenacity in pursuit of the truth. Punishment of any kind is viewed as a last resort.

External links

* [http://www.wilderdom.com/KurtHahn.html Dr Kurt Hahn: On the Life & Philosophy of an Inspirational Educator]
* http://www.kurthahn.org
* [http://www.salemcollege.de/archiv Kurt-Hahn-Archive]

References

* (British) Dictionary of National Biography