Lingue classiche e Ginnasio umanistico tedesco

Abstract

The German classical grammar school (humanistisches Gymnasium), introduced by Wilhelm von Humboldt in the early 19th century in Prussia, and founded on the primacy of ancient Greek and Latin, was a reference model for similar educational institutions everywhere in Europe for centuries. However, in the last few decades in Germany teaching classical languages has lost its centrality both in terms of relevance in school curricula and diminishing cultural prestige. After the reform of the 1970s (Oberstufenreform) the teaching of ancient Greek became optional in many German classical grammar schools. Today the crisis of these subjects is evident: the situation of Latin is still acceptable with about 800,000 students learning it on regular basis at school, whereas ancient Greek, with only 14,000 students, has become a niche subject in present-day German education system.

DOI: 10.4424/lam12012-2