Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Faculty of Humanities and Social Science - History of Education

(PhD Project by Daniel Töpper, supervised by Prof. Dr. Marcelo Caruso)

Project Description

The division of pupils into classes according to their chronological age is already so strongly anchored in the common understanding that this principle is often interpreted as naturally given, whereas alterations of this classification principle must be explicitly marked (such as inter- grade learning). From the history of education we know, however, that the age-graded class became globally established in the 19th and 20th centuries, replacing earlier models of grouping. Prussia was not only a pioneer in this respect, but was also widely perceived internationally. In my dissertation, I trace how age-grouping was prepared and finally institutionalized in a series of steps during the long 19th century, focusing in particular on the tense interrelation between bureaucratic administrative requirements and educational tradition and practice.