Station: [316] Crisis and Education

In 1763 Saxony had reached a turning point. A heavily indebted state budget, war indemnities and an infrastructure that had been destroyed by the Seven Years War had pushed the land to the edge of its financial, economic and human existence. The state came out of the crisis by renewing itself in a variety of ways. 

A fundamental change took place from top to bottom: administration was modernized in the seats of power, the financial body was centralized and a government agency for questions about state affairs was established with the aim of revitalizing the economy.

A new attitude towards education and imparting knowledge to the people led to an educational initiative, which in turn led to the foundation of new academies. These were designed to deliver scientific-know how, to create an efficient, profitable and competitive economy. 

At the threshold of the 17th to the 18th centuries a university life with a  middle class self-image evolved beyond the courtly sphere of influence. Learned societies from the middle class environment known as social circles nurtured the „liberal arts,“ to which archaeology also belonged at the time. Members of these societies primarily used a new medium for their journalistic publications known as the periodical or journal.

With the rise of the publishing and printing business, Leipzig developed into the German Publication Metropolis.

With the foundation of the Technical Educational Establishment in Dresden in 1828, Saxony laid the scientific-technological foundation stone for the beginning industrialisation. Subjects such as field measurement, position and map drawing, accompanied mathematics, geometry and mechanics. Professor Andreas Schubert, who was called to the establishment in 1832, taught building technology and street and water resources engineering. Schubert was regarded as the first more notable representative of civil engineering.

The emergence of the sciences in the 18th century and the special attention paid to culture, education and language meant Saxony blossomed into one of the most important innovation landscapes in Europe. 

In the following supplementary text we would like to introduce you to a true Saxonian educational fanatic.