Pestalozzi, Johann Heinrich (1746-1827)

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Count Tolstoy, the Russian Peasant, July 10, 1902

The Home and the Special Child, 1908

Old Glory: The Flag of Hope for World Peace, 1915

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Birth Date

1746-01-12

Death Date

1827-02-17

Birthplace

Zurich, Switzerland

Biographical Text

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss educator during the Romantic era. He worked to reform the education system to be less about rote memorization and more about the child learning. Pestalozzi wrote a number of books on the subject. He influenced Leo Tolstoy and many other 19th and 20th-century thinkers. They were drawn to the idea of letting children learn through doing and drawing conclusions, rather than memorizing facts. His methods radically transformed how children were taught and are still used today. His greatest interest, however, was in teaching the poor and ensuring that they were given a good education as well. Using his influence, he eventually facilitated the eradication of illiteracy in Switzerland and was able to get an education for his poorer countrymen. Pestalozzi died in 1827.

Pestalozzi married Anna Schulthess in 1769.

Occupation

Author

Education activist

Social reform activist

Source

Picture from Wikipedia, photo

Collection

People

Map

Edited By

Sciancalepore, Victoria

Szydlik, Margaret

Rights

Public domain

Gender

Male

First appears

1902

Bibliography and Links

Encyclopedia Brittanica

Infed

SNAC

Wikipedia

Citation

“Pestalozzi, Johann Heinrich (1746-1827),” Jane Addams Digital Edition, accessed August 1, 2025, https://digital.janeaddams.ramapo.edu/items/show/1415.