Anni - The Perfect Wisdom Web

t h a l ec o l l e g elife. She took great personal interest in the spiritual andintellectual development of her students. To start the dayshe would read a passage from Fichte or another thinkerto the whole student body; in the evenings the studentstook it in turn to select an enlightening quote to shareand discuss. In an effort to awaken her students’ socialconscience, she regularly organized lectures by socialworkers from deprived areas. At other times the assembledstudent body would be given instruction in history,philosophy, and appreciation for the fine arts. “Whatartist might have drawn this picture?” “Which philosopherwould have said that?” she would quiz the futurekindergarten teachers and orphanage directors.Anni, who preferred being with children to administratingthem, enrolled in a course of studies calledKindergarten-Hort, which qualified teachers to workwith children ages two to fourteen. Hort, which literallymeans “a safe retreat” or “hidden place,” refers toafter-school programs for children of working motherswhich were intended to provide an alternative to playingon the streets. Hort institutions, both private and public,had been common in Germany for several decades. Theteachers in these institutions provided help with homework,supervised outdoor activities, and organized artsand crafts projects. Since the Thale college operateda kindergarten and Hort center, as well as a daycarefacility for children of women who worked in a nearbyironworks factory, practical experience was plentifullyprovided. Anni enjoyed learning how to occupy, teach,and feed a group of small children, but her favorite class35