Pestalozzianum

Pestalozzianum

Named after	Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Formation	1875
Type	Non-profit organization and teacher education organisation
Legal status	active
Headquarters	Zürich
Region served	Switzerland
Method	information
Website	Official website (in German)

Pestalozzianum was named after the Swiss education pioneer Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Between 1875 and 2002 it was a foundation based in Zürich, with the objective to promote the school teacher's instruction and postgraduate training. In 2003 it was renamed in Stiftung Pestalozzianum as its education-oriented objectives were integrated in the new model of university-like colleges (Fachhochschule) which were introduced in Switzerland in 2002.

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi memorial, Pestalozziwiese in Zürich

History and objectives

Pestalozzianum emerged from a decision of the school association of the city of Zürich from 2 February 1875, to establish a Swiss permanent school exhibition with adjacent museum. Enhanced with a specialized library and a reading room, the collection should present the entire teaching aids offered in Switzerland. For the Swiss teachers day 1878 in Zürich, an exhibition about the life and work of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was held, which was later set up in the so-called "Pestalozzi-Stübchen" and was constantly expanded with documents. In 1891 the institute has been renamed in Pestalozzianum - Institut zur Förderung des Schul- und Bildungswesens und der Pestalozziforschung in Zürich (literally: Pestalozzianum institute for the promotion of school and education and the Pestalozzi research in Zürich), and in 1902 established as the Pestalozzianum foundation. The Pestalozzianum expanded its school-oriented library and documentation with specific media (slides, school murals) for the purposes of the elementary school, and developed it educational activities and services after 1927, when the foundation moved to the former Beckenhof in Zürich-Unterstrass. From 1955 it influenced the development of the Zürich primary school (German: Zürcher Volksschule) essentially. New labor and specialized agencies extended the advisory services for school tasks in the 1980s and 1990s. As of March 2000 saw the establishment of the Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich PHZ, and from 2002 all previous institutions of teacher education and postgraduate training - including the Pestalozzianum - in the canton of Zürich merged and were integrated into the PHZ university.

Stiftung Pestalozzianum

The foundation established in 2003 focuses on the educational discourse, understanding of education, and the history of education. It claims to support and launch innovative projects that enhance the understanding of education and the educational knowledge in the public. Of particular importance are projects that discuses current educational issues, public education discourse, the formation history, and that are devoted to the heritage of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. The foundation also provides a publishing house for education-related content, and also provides its historical collections to the research library (Forschungsbibliothek Pestalozzianum).

Forschungsbibliothek Pestalozzianum

The Pestalozzianum Research Library claims to provide a classical research library. It represents the historically grown inventory focussed on school and educational history for public consumers. The library cooperates with domestic and foreign institutions in the field of education and training history. The collection comprises literary related to the history of scientific education, the history of pedagogy, school history, education and works related to Heinrich Pestalozzi. The extensive collection of historical education literature since the early 18th century, includes also "gray literature" such as pamphlets, commemorative speeches and lectures, Swiss school laws since 1848, annual reports of the educational institutions in Switzerland, historical textbooks and magazines, graphic sheets, and a large Pestalozziana (related to Pestalozzi) collection. For these purposes the PZHZ publishes magazines, provides the library, databases and research tools.

External links

• Official website (in German)
• Max Edwin Furrer: Pestalozzianum in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 27 September 2010.
• Publications by and about Pestalozzianum in the catalogue Helveticat of the Swiss National Library
• "Pestalozzianum". SIKART Lexicon on art in Switzerland.
• PESTALOZZIANUM (Schulfunksendungen). Lugano: Swiss National Sound Archives.
• Pestalozzianum Research Library