ABSTRACT
When M atthew Arnold visited Germany in 1868 to study the high schools and universities he was impressed by what he found. His mission was to study German education with a view to introducing improvements in England and Wales. O f the German school system he wrote it ‘is in its completeness and carefulness such as to excite a foreigner’s admiration’ .1 His admiration remained undiminished when another edition of his book was published in 1892. Long before 1868, however, the states of Germany had been developing their educational system at all levels. In 1763 Prussia, the largest state, introduced compulsory school attendance for all between 5 and 13. T he small German states Gotha and Weimar had already done so long before this date.2 By comparison, Britain did not do so until 1870. W hen local philanthropists discussed the possibility of setting up a university in Nottingham just over 100 years ago, they expressed their admiration for the technical education of Chemnitz (now Karl-M arxStadt).3 I f anything, British and American admiration of education in Germany increased during the Weimar Republic (1918-33).4
