Two hundred and fifty years ago, on December 6, 1774, processes of institutionalizing education were initiated in the Austrian territories of the Habsburg Monarchy through the Compulsory School Edict, which propelled public schooling to become the central pedagogical institution for "children of both sexes" from the age of six. The transfer and generalization of the previously Jesuit-dominated education system into a public and state responsibility prompted Maria Theresa to famously declare in 1770: "Education, however, always remains a politicum." Debates surrounding the relationship between education and religion, as well as social perceptions of crises following the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), and whether and how to respond to them pedagogically, were prevalent. Looking beyond Austrian territories, particularly towards Prussian developments under Frederick II, revealed Habsburg challenges concerning the financing of reforms and the establishment of universal compulsory education (contrary to stricter school attendance laws), as well as the lack of teaching staff, educational materials, school organization and inspection systems, and especially the insufficient, comprehensive availability of schools in rural areas.
In the governmental reforms of the late 18th century, the institution of schooling was a central concern. Protestant educational concepts and ideas were not foreign to Catholic Austria, although they needed to be appropriately "adapted." In times when meeting expectations, particularly those discussed in Enlightenment movements within the Habsburg Monarchy and raised in public and media debates, to contribute to "general happiness" and a "well-ordered society," as well as "patriotism" and thus the creation of "national citizens," individuals like Johann Ignaz von Felbiger (1724-1788), who would celebrate his 300th birthday in 2024, were significant catalysts in terms of educational and pedagogical theory and practice. Felbiger was appointed from Silesia to Vienna to draft what is now considered a milestone in Austrian school history. International ideological and conceptual influences were incorporated, placing the General School Edict for German Normal, Main, and Trivial Schools from December 6th, 1774, until today in a lively and fruitful international discourse of the time, which was later also influenced by the school order itself.
Particularly welcome – but not exclusively – are historical, international-comparative, systematic, and contemporary contributions to the following thematic complexes:
- To Johann Ignaz von Felbiger (1724-1788), whose educational and pedagogical considerations need to be discussed in light of the debates of his time as well as the present.
- The concept of the teaching profession envisioned by the General School Edict, the teaching methodology against the backdrop of lacking teachers, international models, and its own exemplary function, as well as associated critical voices.
- School organization through the General School Edict in terms of duration, structure, curricula, and the dimensions of gender, origin, religion, etc., of the learners, as well as their specifics, such as homeschooling or the founding of private schools, which have remained effective up to e.g. the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Side scenes and small private schools [Winkelschulen] that unfolded a new dynamic through the general provisions.
- The requirements in school architecture and their (pedagogical) effects.
- Financing issues of the General School Edict.
- Urban-rural disparities in school matters or the relationship between daily life and school across social strata, for example, in determining vacation times and the associated "leisure" of teachers and students: how was this time used, and what pedagogical interventions were encountered?
- Hopes and expectations of society regarding public schooling, up to disappointments and criticisms in the discourse and media of the time.
- International entanglements, influences, or "adaptations" that were close to the original but should not be presented as such, e.g. as the concept of the normal school, which found international dissemination. Or the relationship to other regulations and developments in Habsburgian Crown Lands.
- The history of knowledge and ideas, as well as the embedding of the General School Edict and its proponents in the Enlightenment (of Habsburgian imprint).
- Towards a social history in the context of 1774.
- Regarding the current accusation that "Austria's schools are stuck in the era of Maria Theresa": does school lack adaptability, or is it resilient to reforms, which would fuel alternative concepts or attribute more legitimacy to them?
- Historiography(-ies) of the history of schooling in Austria in general and the General School Edict of 1774 in particular. What stories have been written, how have they been written, and which would be desirable for certain reasons?
Additionally, aspects related to the General School Edict not mentioned here are welcome. Early Career Researchers and scholars of various disciplines are particularly invited to submit proposals.
Contributions of up to 500 words (excluding literature and source references) are requested to be submitted via https://conference3.aau.at/e/Schulordnung by 09.06.2024. A short biography of approximately 150 words should be included. Selected contributions will be published in a conference proceeding volume.