Written on the headstone in German and translated word for word in English:
1720 - 1790 Grundete 1778 in Liepzig die erste taubstummenschule der welt die ehre schuler sprechen lehrte.
1720 - 1790 Founded 1778 in Liepzig the first deaf mute school in the world in honor scholar teaching speech.
Anyone who know English and German, please feel free to correct my poor English translation of the German inscription by adding comments below. I will revise accordingly.
And let me expand on what was signed in the video way back in 1992.
The oral method before the 20th century were kept secret in fear of losing "business". Back then, teaching the deaf to talk was considered almost impossible and miraculous. The Heinicke family in Germany, the Braidwood families in England, and Jacob Periere in France did not freely share how they taught the deaf to speak because they did not want to lose "customers" to other schools who might copy their methods.
Epee and Sicard in France went the opposite. They freely shared their manual method. Thomas Gallaudet, fresh from America in 1814 visited the Braidwood school(s?) in England and did not have favorable impression (and reception). Later on, he met Sicard, Massieu, and Clerc in London. Gallaudet then went to the deaf school in Paris which resulted in bringing back Laurent Clerc to America. The rest is history.
We could go "what if" about the different outcome if Gallaudet brought the oral method from England. We should be grateful that the oral educators were secretive about their method!
For more information, see Harlan Lane's book, "When the Mind Hear".
3 comments:
Thanks for posting the Heinkke's grave, Charles.
You were absolutely right about the sinister corporate practices within the oral schools about the educational methods for deaf students.
Thank God for the Braidwood's failures of establishing the deaf school in Baltimore, Maryland if not for that particular Braidwood's drinking and gambling problems.
Thomas Gallaudet ended up brough the real beacon of enlightment for deaf people along with Laurent Clerc. If not for Clerc, Gallaudet wouldn't be able to conduct the establishment of American School for the Deaf successfully without Clerc's help.
The oralists ought to learn the true lesson how important for the openess of educational system, not turning them into the family enterprises.
F**k the Heinkkes and Braidwoods for stealing the best lives of deaf people back in that time!
If I were you at the Heinkkees, AGB and the Braidwoods graves. I would p**s on the grave to show my displeasures with them for inflicting the darkness on us, deaf people through out the centuries. Will I do that? Not likely! Who knows? Just a wishful thinkings! :)
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
Thank you for posting both of your videos! Im currently in an American Sign Language class at my high school and was assigned a Samuel Heinicke research paper for my 6 weeks test grade. I initially thought, oh great. some boring guy ive never heard of, and i got worse as I couldnt find any books in my library with information. Your videos were sort of inspiring knowing that others do care and i have become more and more excited with my paper. Thanks again for the videos and informaton!
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