Cultural programme (11. – 13.03.2024)

Please register bindingly for this guided tour when registering for the congress in ConfTool. The guided tour is included in the congress fee.

Meeting place: Historisches Waisenhaus, House 1

Educational cosmos since 1698: Tour of the Franke Foundations

With the construction of the orphanage, August Hermann Francke laid the foundation stone for a worldwide reform project. What began in 1698 as a poorhouse and orphanage developed within 30 years into a unique school town with global reach. The tour of the Franke Foundations introduces you to its history and present and takes you across the historic grounds of the Lindenhof, surrounded by half-timbered buildings, to the most important sights and monuments. Of course, we also show you the highlights of Francke’s treasures here in Germany’s only completely preserved Baroque cabinet of curiosities as well as in the Historical Library’s backdrop magazine.

You can choose between five guided tour formats, each lasting approx. 20 min. No advance registration is necessary and the guided tours are included in the congress fee.

The Francke Foundations from above: A brief history of the school town including a panoramic view

Meeting place: Historisches Waisenhaus, House 1

The historic orphanage rises like a palace on Franckeplatz. Built in 1698 as the first building in the school town, the orphanage is now our museum and cultural centre. Climb with us up the narrow, wooden staircase to the altan. Here a wide view opens up over the imposing ensemble as a whole. You are invited to a panoramic view of the history and present of the Francke Foundations.

Universal learning at your fingertips: The Baroque Chamber of Art and Natural Objects

Meeting place: Historisches Waisenhaus, House 1

Originally created for real-life lessons, this cabinet of curiosities is considered the birthplace of real-life education and is today the only completely preserved cabinet of curiosities in Europe. With its more than 3,000 objects and ornate furnishings, it can be experienced according to the original museum concept of the 18th century. Unlike modern museums, a universal view of the world is illustrated here, according to which all areas of life and all fields of knowledge are viewed in context.

One of the first public libraries: The Historical Library

Meeting place: Historische Bibliothek, House 22

The library of the orphanage, founded at the end of the 17th century, grew so rapidly that a few years later it was larger than Halle’s university library. Today, its old stock includes around 50,000 books from all fields of knowledge, which have been housed in Germany’s oldest surviving secular library building since 1728. From the original furniture to the universal wealth of books – everything here breathes the cosmos of Baroque knowledge.

Schätze im Archiv und wissenschaftliche Forschung in den Franckeschen Stiftungen

Meeting place: Archive, Historische Druckerei, House 52

With its collections in the archive, library and also the chamber of art and natural history, the Francke Foundations are an internationally important centre of scholarship. The focus is on educational and social history from the 17th to the 20th century. In addition to making the sources accessible, the link to university teaching and the promotion of young academics play a central role. The guided tour offers an insight into the treasures of the archive, which reflect the worldwide connections of Halle’s Pietism, as well as into current research.

Understanding history with reference to the present: insights into museum education

Meeting place: LeoLab, Historische Druckerei, House 52

Questioning, researching, designing, discussing and rethinking – the museum’s educational programme enables visitors to take a closer look at the Foundation’s history and at the same time question its relevance for our present and future. For this purpose, the LeoLab is an excellently equipped place with workshops, activity areas as well as exchange and presentation areas, especially for teenagers and young adults. Come and talk to the museum educators!

You can choose between five guided tour formats, each lasting approx. 20 min. No advance registration is necessary and the guided tours are included in the congress fee.

Education for all! A cultural lighthouse runs the day-care centre, youth club and co.

Meeting place: Historische Meierei, Große Scheune, House 32

At the Francke Foundations, all types of education are represented, from nursery schools and various types of schools to adult education and university. Three day-care centres, an after-school care centre and school social work are run by the Francke Foundations themselves, and we also offer a wide range of extracurricular cultural, social and environmental education for children, young people and families. The short tour gives an overview of how all areas are interlinked in the educational cosmos.

Cultural education in open child and youth work: Krokoseum and TiQ

Meeting place: Meadow in front of the Historisches Waisenhaus, House 1

With the children’s creative centre Krokoseum and the youth club Treff im Quartier (TiQ), the Francke Foundations offer two extracurricular educational and leisure venues that are ideally equipped to meet the needs of the target groups: children and families have access to a printing workshop, a children’s library, a playscape and plenty of space for ideas. Young people find freedom, peace, open ears, creative offers, a kitchen and a sound studio. Co-determination is expressly desired.

Strengthening competences for all generations: Family education, integration and sport

Meeting place: Haus der Generationen, Famienetage, House 19f

August Hermann Francke founded his schools and the orphanage in 1700 out of the realisation that education is the only way to give the weakest members of society a perspective. Today, the Family Centre for Education and Health offers a space outside the usual educational institutions and contributes to the successful upbringing of children: with counselling services for young families, linguistic and cultural integration, learning support as well as sports and health courses.

Education for sustainable development: Germany’s oldest school garden

Meeting place: Pflanzgarten

The terraced beds and greenhouses in the plant garden, which dates back to the oldest school garden in Germany, rise like a green oasis in the middle of the Foundation’s grounds. Today, children have fewer and fewer opportunities to experience nature up close. Here, groups of children can experience nature and the environment, grow, harvest and process vegetables and flowers on their own beds. Gain an insight into the project “Education for Sustainable Development”.

School social work and prejudice-conscious education in the cultural education cosmos Francke Foundations

Meeting point: Schoolyard of the August Hermann Francke Primary School

Diversity is an enrichment, growing up, playing and learning together is a basic prerequisite for tolerance and acceptance. We support pupils and teachers of the August Hermann Francke Primary School and the August Hermann Francke Community School in their everyday school life, and the after-school care centre offers relaxation and recreation after school. All our activities focus on non-violent education and the development of communicative and social skills in dealing with conflicts.