Development and the Demise of Protestant Provincial Schools in Inner Austria

Abstract

This paper analyzes and clarifies motivations and reasons for a short but intensive development and afterwards sudden end of the secondary level of schooling, especially of the so-called Provincial schools, in three Inner Austrian lands (Carniola, Styria and Carinthia) in the 16^th century. The situation regarding the organization of schooling was in the 16^th century incomparable with the situation in the states ruled by the Protestant rulers. Nevertheless, a type of Protestant gymnasium developed here, which was named Provincial school (Landschaftsschule) and which also required some elementary previous knowledge for enrollment. For each of the three lands – Carniola, Carinthia and Styria – the establishment of the Provincial School was the first actual opportunity for the foundation of a central institution providing not only elementary knowledge, but also higher levels of education partly comparable to the curricula of the faculties of arts. Unfortunately, at the end of the 16^th century, the development of the Provincial Schools was forcibly stopped. The paper was written upon a thoroughly analysis and comparison of the relevant primary and secondary sources (in Latin, Slovene, German and English). The results show that all three school went through similar phases of development and had the same sudden ending, despite different inner circumstances, material foundations and time frame. In any case, the three Provincial Schools played an important part in the development of humanistic education in the territory, where today are the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Austria.

Keywords:

Provincial School, Protestant gymnasium, Styria, Carniola, Carinthia, secondary education, Protestantism, Reformation