Jean Sturm Gymnasium

The Jean Sturm Gymnasium (French: Gymnase Jean-Sturm, German: Jean-Sturm-Gymnasium) is a private Protestant school in Strasbourg, teaching children from the third year of secondary education through to the Baccalaureat.

Jean Sturm Gymnasium Gymnase Jean-Sturm
The Gymnase Jean-Sturm
Location
8, place des Étudiants 67000 Strasbourg Strasbourg France
Information
Type	Private Protestant School
Religious affiliation(s)	Protestant
Established	1538
Language	French
Campus	Urban

Main entrance

John Calvin's pulpit, kept in the school's premises

Medieval walls in the cellar

History

The school, which was the precursor of the University of Strasbourg, was founded in 1538 by the humanist Johannes Sturm, just a year after he had arrived in the city.^[1] In March 1538, the chief town councillor of Strasbourg, the unrelated Jacob Sturm von Sturmeck, asked Sturm to reorganize education in the city.^[2]

In March 1538, Jean Sturm published his treatise De literarum ludis recte aperiendis liber to justify the creation of a unique school in Strasbourg.^[3]

The chapter of St Thomas Church in Strasbourg was also involved in the creation of the school. Jean Sturm was the first rector of the school. One of the members of the Chapter of St Thomas, Church of Augsburg Confession of Alsace and Lorraine, is still responsible for ensuring that the religious instruction in the school is given according to the proper Protestant doctrine. The medium of instruction for many years was uniquely in Latin.

The school was set up in its present location, which at the time was part of the Dominican Convent where Meister Eckhart and Joannes Tauler once taught. The original name was Schola Argentoratensis, from Argentoratum, the former Latin name of Strasbourg. From the outset, the school offered teaching in the new humanist tradition.^[4] It provided the model for the modern German gymnasium.

In 2005, the school was merged with the Lucie-Berger school, under the name 'Pôle éducatif Jan-Amos-Comenius', enabling the school to extend the age-range of its teaching to cover kindergarten through to the Baccalaureat and making it the largest private Protestant educational institution in France.

Today the school, which has some 2,000 pupils, boasts a 100% success rate in the Baccaleureat.^[5]

References

1. Moore, John C. (2019). A Brief History of Universities. Springer Nature. p. 45. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-01319-6. ISBN 978-3-030-01318-9. S2CID 189137386.
2. "Detailed biography of Jean Sturm in the Virtual Museum of Protestantism". Virtual Museum of Protestantism. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
3. "Le projet pédagogique de Jean Sturm (1507-1589) : originalité et actualité". Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuses. 2007. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
4. "Jean Sturm, quand l'humanisme fait école". Bibliothèque nationale universitaire de Strasbourg. 2007. Archived from the original on 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
5. "Le Gymnase Jean-Sturm, 475 ans demain". Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace. 2013-03-21. Retrieved 2013-10-06.

External links

• School website (French)

48.5838°N 7.7482°E / 48.5838; 7.7482