• Prague Private Institute for the Education and Well-being of Poor Blind Children: participating institution

A detailed review of this event, which included an annual report on the success of the Prague Seminary Institute for the Blind, was published by Tagesbote aus Böhmen 21/7/1857. The correspondent reported: ‘The annual public Examinations of the Prague Private-Educational and Healing Institute for the Blind took place yesterday at the home of that institution on Hradčany in the presence of His Reverend His Highness the Prelate and House-scholar [Domscholaster] Rauch, His Highness the Vicar-General Krejčí, and His Highness the Abbot of the Strahov Premonstratensians Heironimus Zeidler. A numerous crowd of guests had gathered in order to give their fullest attention to listen to each of the little charges who progress step-by-step painstakingly in their educational training. The seemingly listless look upon their faces suggests barely a trace of interest in their subjects, but when the individuals encounters a question unprepared, one notices easily the zeal with which they put their knowledge to the fore, and desire to shine. And what a great deal of useful and pleasing knowledge is taught them by their paternally caring and clever teachers. Religious education, natural history and technology, history and geography (with the utilization of the specially constructed relief map by the Institute’s teacher, J. Bezečný, of the Austrian Empire), understanding of various topics, learning language through the use of raised type sets, mental arithmatic and times tables, writing essays, writing with chalk and lead pencils, creating and reading a legible script, and finally exercises in handicrafts alternating with the performance of distinctive concertante pieces [of music]. The solo presentations were accompanied by a string quartet. In one of the intervals there was performed in truly poignant fashion by all the pupils a „Lied der Blinden“ [Song of the Blind] (the poem by the Reverend Canon Dr Würfel, and set to music by the Institute teacher J. Bezečný). Lithograph copies of this song were distributed among the guests, as too the annual reports, from which we relate the following data. In this year there were 33 pupils taught in the educational institute, of whom 17 were boys and 16 girls. The number of these Blind who have passed through the care of this Institution has already risen to 1,109. The monetary situation is as follows: the account has a surplus (ending April 1856) of 84,630 fl. 30¼ aus. kr., from which has been taken the purchase value of the new institute building 13,000fl, totalling 97,630 fl. 30¼ kr. New educational contributions [Erziehungsbeiträgen – possibly educational fees] 297fl 30kr, bequests 595fl 28½kr, gifts 495fl, net proceeds from the gracious gift from the Institute Director Mr Ott 1023fl 40kr, from interest 130fl, repayed loans 50fl, donations 1300fl, newly created capital 810fl, from government bonds 100fl; making in total 93,392fl 1¼kr. Institute’s house 115fl 59kr, for the educational Institute 5893fl 26kr, for eye surgery costs 2597fl 21½kr; making in total 8606fl 46kr. Accordingly there remains a surplus of 84,785fl 14¾kr.’ The report concluded by noting that the assets of the Institute in 1857 had increased by 154fl 44½kr over the previous year.