Station: [7] The Waldensians

Some 200 years ago, these old school desks would have been occupied by children from the Waldensian villages. Take a look at the large-scale picture behind the desks to see what life was like in one such Waldensian village in the 19th century. It was located in the Alps, in the area between France and Italy. The villagers are on their way to church. The school is next to it on the right. 
The situation wasn't something to be taken for granted, because getting an education in a school of their own, with teachers and books, had long been something Waldensian children could only dream of.
The Waldensians, or Vaudois, are a medieval Christian movement that affiliated to the Reformed Church in the 16th century. They were persecuted for hundreds of years, with many dying for their faith. Only a few communities managed to take refuge in the remote Alpine regions between Italy and France. For centuries, they lived there in secrecy and in extreme poverty. Everything was in short supply: food, schools and medical care. As Reformed Christians, they suffered a similarly tragic fate to the Huguenots.
In the 19th century, the suffering of the Waldensians came to the notice of people in other countries. John Charles Beckwith, a former British army officer, was in London when he read a travelogue detailing the Waldensians' plight. The account aroused his curiosity, and in 1827, Beckwith travelled to a Waldensian village in Italy.
He was deeply moved by the hardship suffered by the villagers. Beckwith spontaneously decided to help them, and maintained links to the region for the rest of his life. Every year, he spent several months among the Waldensians and actively promoted the provision of schooling for their children. Using his own money and funds from English sources, Beckwith built schools throughout the region. By the mid-19th century, there were 169 such Beckwith schools. He also provided books and educational materials for the children and funded teacher training. Later, at more than 60 years of age, Beckwith married a Waldensian woman. Their daughter was born shortly after his death. 
Today, the Waldensian Church is the largest Protestant church in Italy with some 30,000 members. The Waldensians have also left their mark in northern Hessen. Two villages in the immediate vicinity of Bad Karlshafen, called Gewissenruh and Gottstreu, are former Waldensian colonies – founded in the 18th century to accommodate religious refugees.

Foto: © DHG