Theodor Fliedner

Minister, founder of Lutheran deaconess training

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• Born 21 January 1800 in Eppstein in the Taunus
• Died 4 October 1864 in Kaiserswerth (Düsseldorf)

Lutheran minister's son Theodor Fliedner studied theology and then was, for a time, a house teacher. In 1821 he assumed the pastorate in the poor municipality of Kaiserswerth (now an official region of Düsseldorf). When the town could no longer support church and ministry due to economic crisis, he undertook journeys to collect donations. Beginning in Westphalia, he went also to the Netherlands and England.

Related Topics:
Lutheran - 1821 - Düsseldorf - Westphalia - The Netherlands - England

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In the Netherlands he became acquainted with the ancient church office of deacon while spending time among the Mennonites. Then in England he met with Elizabeth Fry, who demonstrated her work among her nation's impoverished and imprisoned people. He returned home not only with a large financil collection for his municipality but also with new ideas about social work among the disadvantaged. He began by working among inmates at the Düsseldorf Prison, preaching the Gospel and ministering to spiritual and physical needs. He walked to and from Düsseldorf every other Sunday until a regular prison chaplain was appointed. In 1826 he created the Rheinisch-Westfaeli Prison Company. To better support and teach Kaiserwerth's children, he founded a school in 1835. This also became the venue for a women teachers' seminar.

Related Topics:
Elizabeth Fry - Gospel - 1826 - 1835

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In many cities, there were no hospitals at that time. Following somewhat the model of the early Christian Church's diaconate, incorporating ideas learned from Fry and the Mennonites, and applying his own thoughts, Fliedner developed a plan wherein young women would find and care for the needy sick. For this, he needed to create a study institute for the women to learn theology and nursing skills. He opened the hospital and deaconess training center in Kaiserswerth on 13 October 1836. Gertrud Reichardt was the first deaconess commissioned by the new school. Later on, one of the associated Kaiserwerth professional schools was named in her honor.

Related Topics:
Hospitals - Christian Church's - Diaconate - Theology - Nursing - 13 October - 1836

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After his wife died in 1842, he found a new life companion (and important woman employee) in Karolina Bertheau. In 1844 they opened an institute for the deaconate in Dortmund and in 1847 in in Berlin. Flieder's attention became completely focused on this aspect of the ministry and in 1849 he turned completely to working with the deaconate, including increasing activity abroad.

Related Topics:
1842 - 1844 - 1847 - 1849

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Because of this, deaconess institutes arose in Paris, Strasbourg, Utrecht, and elsewhere. By the time of his death on 4 October 1864, there were 30 motherhouses and 1600 deaconesses worldwide. By the middle of the 20th century, there were over 35,000 deaconesses serving in parishes, schools, hospitals, and prisons throughout the world.

Related Topics:
Paris - Strasbourg - Utrecht - 20th century

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A sign of the international respect Fliedner garnered is that his most famous pupil came from outside Germany. Florence Nightingale, then a crusading English health care reformer, visited Kaiserwerth in 1846 and came away most favorably impressed. She later returned for nursing studies and graduated in 1851. Today, one of Düsseldorf's hospitals bears her name.

Related Topics:
Florence Nightingale - English - Health care - Reformer - 1846 - 1851

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• See also a Christian-themed biography and prayer from James Kiefer's Hagiographies.