Berlin Foundling House
Encyclopedia
Berlin Foundling House was a German
Protestant Christian
missionary society that was involved in sending workers to China
during the late Qing Dynasty
.
, where Rev. F. Hartman, assisted by four lady agents, were at work. This institution was established in 1850. Dr. Karl Gützlaff
visited Berlin
in that year, and gave such a graphic account of the distressing misery existing in China, that the wife of a Lutheran pastor, named Gustav Friedrich Ludwig Knak, resolved to seek to alleviate it. Rev. Knak was Pastor of the Bethlehem Church in Berlin. Dr. Gutzlaff had spoken of the great number of infants cast away by their parents in China, and Mrs. (Mathilde Wendt) Knak formed a ladies association to organise a plan to rescue some of these foundlings. A house was rented in Hong Kong, and the work began. Not many children were found in Hong Kong, but many were brought in baskets from the country districts of China. Some were in such a reduced condition when they were received that they soon died, but soon a large number were received and placed under instruction. In 1861 new and enlarged premises were built, the funds being supplied by foreign residents in Hong Kong and by benevolent donors in Germany
. In the course of twenty years three hundred children were received, but of these a considerable number died. They received Christian teaching, and learned to read and write. They were taught arithmetic
, geography
, history
, and singing. They learned also to perform household duties.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Protestant Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionary society that was involved in sending workers to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
during the late Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
.
Work in China
The Berlin Foundling Society established a benevolent mission in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, where Rev. F. Hartman, assisted by four lady agents, were at work. This institution was established in 1850. Dr. Karl Gützlaff
Karl Gützlaff
Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff , anglicised as Charles Gutzlaff, was a German missionary to the Far East, notable as one of the first Protestant missionaries in Bangkok, Thailand and for his books about China. He was one of the first Protestant missionaries in China to dress like a Chinese...
visited Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in that year, and gave such a graphic account of the distressing misery existing in China, that the wife of a Lutheran pastor, named Gustav Friedrich Ludwig Knak, resolved to seek to alleviate it. Rev. Knak was Pastor of the Bethlehem Church in Berlin. Dr. Gutzlaff had spoken of the great number of infants cast away by their parents in China, and Mrs. (Mathilde Wendt) Knak formed a ladies association to organise a plan to rescue some of these foundlings. A house was rented in Hong Kong, and the work began. Not many children were found in Hong Kong, but many were brought in baskets from the country districts of China. Some were in such a reduced condition when they were received that they soon died, but soon a large number were received and placed under instruction. In 1861 new and enlarged premises were built, the funds being supplied by foreign residents in Hong Kong and by benevolent donors in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In the course of twenty years three hundred children were received, but of these a considerable number died. They received Christian teaching, and learned to read and write. They were taught arithmetic
Arithmetic
Arithmetic or arithmetics is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. It involves the study of quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers...
, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, and singing. They learned also to perform household duties.
See also
- Protestant missionary societies in China during the 19th Century
- Timeline of Chinese historyTimeline of Chinese historyThe following is a timeline of the history of China. Between the changing of the dynasties, most dates overlap as ruling periods do not transfer immediately...
- 19th Century Protestant Missions in China
- List of Protestant missionaries in China
- Christianity in ChinaChristianity in ChinaChristianity in China is a growing minority religion that comprises Protestants , Catholics , and a small number of Orthodox Christians. Although its lineage in China is not as ancient as the institutional religions of Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism, and the social system and ideology of...