Hermann Lietz was a German educational progressive and theologian who founded the German Landerziehungsheime für Jungen. Basing his schools on the model of the English Abbotsholme School, he emphasized sports and crafts along with modern languages and science while deemphasizing rote learning and classical languages. He was a student of Wilhelm Rein

Wilhelm Rein

Wilhelm Rein was a German educational theorist.-Biography:Rein studied theology in Jena, going on to Tuiskon Ziller at Leipzig. In 1871 he became a teacher at Friedrich Wilhelm Dörpfeld's school in Barmen, in 1872 a teacher in Weimar, and moved to Eisenach in 1876...

, and was himself an influence on Gustav Wyneken

Gustav Wyneken

Gustav Wyneken was a German educational reformer, free thinker and charismatic leader. His ideas and practice on education and youth became highly influential but were also controversial.-Early life:He was born to a Christian family, and studied Theology and Philology in Berlin...

, Elisabeth Rotten

Elisabeth Rotten

Elisabeth Friederike Rotten was a Quaker, peace activist and educational progressive.- Life :...

, and Kurt Hahn

Kurt Hahn

Kurt Martin Hahn was a German educator whose philosophies are considered internationally influential.-Biography:...

. His school was also attended by Elisabeth von Thadden

Elisabeth von Thadden

Elisabeth Adelheid Hildegard von Thadden was a German educator who founded a private school that now bears her name, and an outspoken critic of the Nazi régime...

. Lietz's liberalism extended to education and criticism of class privilege only. He was otherwise politically right wing and distrusted socialism

Socialism

Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...

, parliamentary politics, and the influence of urban life.