Valentin Haüy
Encyclopedia
Valentin Haüy was the founder, in 1784, of the first school for the blind
, the Royal Institution for the Young Blind in Paris (now the National Institute for the Young Blind, INJA). In 1819, Louis Braille
entered this school.
Valentin Haüy’s brother, René Just Haüy
, is considered a founder of modern mineralogy
.
bells in a local Premonstrant
Abbey. The abbey monks educated Valentin and he became a skilled linguist
speaking ten different languages of the day. He also studied ancient Greek
and Hebrew.
In 1783, he gained the title "interpreter to the king", Louis XVI
. In 1786, he was the interpreter of the King, to the Admiralty and the City Hall. He was a member of the Office of Writing.
Haüy's impulse to help the blind started in 1771, after he stopped for lunch in a cafe on the Place de la Concorde
, Paris
. There, he witnessed an ensemble of people from the Quinze-Vingts hospice
for the blind being mocked during the religious street festival, "Saint Ovid's Fair". They were given dunce cap
s, oversized cardboard glasses and told to play their instruments which resulted in a cacophony of noises. He decided to found a school with Charles-Michel de l'Épée
.
In May 1784, at Saint-Germain-des-Prés
, he met a young beggar, Francois Lesueur; he was his first student. He developed a method of raised letters, to teach Lesueur to read, and compose sentences. He made rapid progress, and Haüy announced the success, in September 1784 in the Journal de Paris, then receiving encouragement from the French Academy of Sciences
.
Building on the philanthropic spinning workshop for the blind, the institution of Blind Children was dedicated on December 26, 1786. Its purpose was to educate students and teach them manual work: spinning, and letterpress. During the French Revolution
, it was taken over by the state on 28 September 1791. It became the National Institute of blind workers in a Celestine monastery.
Valentin Haüy was active in the political life of his time, and was secretary of the National Constituent Assembly
elections of 1792, then civil commissioner. He was arrested on 5 Prairial, and he was released on 11 by the Committee of Public Safety
, arrested again on 20 by the National Convention
. He was released on 19 Fructidor, he joined the Club du Panthéon, under the French Directory
. Under the French Consulate
, he was listed as a "terrorist."
At the same time, he retired from management of Blind Asylum, and resigned in 1802. In September 1806, he moved to St. Petersburg, to found a school at the request of Alexander I of Russia
.
He returned to Paris, in 1817.
He is buried, with his brother René Just Haüy
, in the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris
.
In 1889, Maurice de La Sizeranne
created an association dedicated to helping the blind and visually impaired, named for him, .
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
, the Royal Institution for the Young Blind in Paris (now the National Institute for the Young Blind, INJA). In 1819, Louis Braille
Louis Braille
Louis Braille was the inventor of braille, a system of reading and writing used by people who are blind or visually impaired...
entered this school.
Valentin Haüy’s brother, René Just Haüy
René Just Haüy
René Just Haüy – 3 June 1822 in Paris) was a French mineralogist, commonly styled the Abbé Haüy after he was made an honorary canon of Notre Dame. He is often referred to as the "Father of Modern Crystallography." -Biography:...
, is considered a founder of modern mineralogy
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
.
Life
Haüy was born into a family of weavers. His father, a full-time loomer, also held the job of ringing the AngelusAngelus
The Angelus is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. The name Angelus is derived from the opening words: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ The Angelus (Latin for "angel") is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. The name Angelus is derived from the opening words: Angelus...
bells in a local Premonstrant
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
Abbey. The abbey monks educated Valentin and he became a skilled linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
speaking ten different languages of the day. He also studied ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
and Hebrew.
In 1783, he gained the title "interpreter to the king", Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
. In 1786, he was the interpreter of the King, to the Admiralty and the City Hall. He was a member of the Office of Writing.
Haüy's impulse to help the blind started in 1771, after he stopped for lunch in a cafe on the Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.- History :...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. There, he witnessed an ensemble of people from the Quinze-Vingts hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
for the blind being mocked during the religious street festival, "Saint Ovid's Fair". They were given dunce cap
Dunce cap
A dunce cap, also variously known as a dunce hat, dunce's cap, or dunce's hat, is a pointed hat. In popular culture, it is typically made of paper and often marked with a D or the word "dunce", and given to schoolchildren to wear as punishment by public humiliation for misbehavior and, as the name...
s, oversized cardboard glasses and told to play their instruments which resulted in a cacophony of noises. He decided to found a school with Charles-Michel de l'Épée
Charles-Michel de l'Épée
Abbé Charles-Michel de l'Épée was a philanthropic educator of 18th-century France who has become known as the "Father of the Deaf".-Overview:...
.
In May 1784, at Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is an area of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés....
, he met a young beggar, Francois Lesueur; he was his first student. He developed a method of raised letters, to teach Lesueur to read, and compose sentences. He made rapid progress, and Haüy announced the success, in September 1784 in the Journal de Paris, then receiving encouragement from the French Academy of Sciences
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
.
Building on the philanthropic spinning workshop for the blind, the institution of Blind Children was dedicated on December 26, 1786. Its purpose was to educate students and teach them manual work: spinning, and letterpress. During the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, it was taken over by the state on 28 September 1791. It became the National Institute of blind workers in a Celestine monastery.
Valentin Haüy was active in the political life of his time, and was secretary of the National Constituent Assembly
National Constituent Assembly
The National Constituent Assembly was formed from the National Assembly on 9 July 1789, during the first stages of the French Revolution. It dissolved on 30 September 1791 and was succeeded by the Legislative Assembly.-Background:...
elections of 1792, then civil commissioner. He was arrested on 5 Prairial, and he was released on 11 by the Committee of Public Safety
Committee of Public Safety
The Committee of Public Safety , created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793, formed the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror , a stage of the French Revolution...
, arrested again on 20 by the National Convention
National Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
. He was released on 19 Fructidor, he joined the Club du Panthéon, under the French Directory
French Directory
The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...
. Under the French Consulate
French Consulate
The Consulate was the government of France between the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799 until the start of the Napoleonic Empire in 1804...
, he was listed as a "terrorist."
At the same time, he retired from management of Blind Asylum, and resigned in 1802. In September 1806, he moved to St. Petersburg, to found a school at the request of Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
.
He returned to Paris, in 1817.
He is buried, with his brother René Just Haüy
René Just Haüy
René Just Haüy – 3 June 1822 in Paris) was a French mineralogist, commonly styled the Abbé Haüy after he was made an honorary canon of Notre Dame. He is often referred to as the "Father of Modern Crystallography." -Biography:...
, in the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
In 1889, Maurice de La Sizeranne
Maurice de la Sizeranne
Maurice de La Sizeranne was born in Tain, a small village in la Drôme, on the left bank of the River Rhône, on the 30th July 1857.He was nine when he lost his sight in an accident whilst playing....
created an association dedicated to helping the blind and visually impaired, named for him, .
See also
- Louis BrailleLouis BrailleLouis Braille was the inventor of braille, a system of reading and writing used by people who are blind or visually impaired...
- Association Valentin Haüy
- Musée Valentin HaüyMusée Valentin HaüyThe Musée Valentin Haüy is a private museum dedicated to tools and education of the blind, and located in the building of the Valentin Haüy Association, in the VIIe arrondissement at 5, rue Duroc, Paris, France. It is open Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons without charge.The museum was established...
- Slate and stylus, History
- fr :Association Valentin Haüy
External links
- Valentin Haüy Association
- Musée Valentin Haüy
- "Valentin Haüy", French wikipedia