Sturm

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

JOHANNES, a German educational reformer; born in Sleiden, Luxemburg, Oct. 1, 1507. In his 15th year he was sent to school at Liege and continued his studies at the College of Louvain. He devoted himself to acquiring a Latin style and studied Cicero assiduously. In 1529 he went to Paris, and at first gave himself to medicine, but returned to the study of Cicero, on whom he gave courses of lectures in the College Royal. Besides lecturing on Cicero he also taught dialectics, and had for one of his students Petrus Ramus. When a request was made to him (1536) by the authorities of Strassburg to come to their assistance in reorganizing the education of their town, Sturm accepted their offer. Both in the religion and politics of his time Sturm took a prominent part, and on different occasions was sent on missions to France, England, and Denmark. In religion he took sides with Zwingli against Luther, with whose followers in Strassburg he was in constant controversy, which embittered all the later years of his life. Guided and inspired by Sturm the town became one of the most important educational centers in Europe. Elementary and secondary education were provided for; but it was the ambition of Sturm that the higher studies should also be within reach of every youth of Strassburg. The divided councils of the town, however, and the outlay the organization of such studies would imply delayed Sturm's scheme till as late as 1564. In that year was founded the Strassburg Academy, which, together with the gymnasium, supplied a complete course of instruction in all the learning of the time. It is his chief praise that beyond all his contemporaries he succeeded in corelating public instruction to the moral and intellectual development of his time. He died in Strassburg March 3, 1589. STÜRMER, BORIS VLADIMIRO- Russian statesman. He VITCH, a studied law at the University of Petrograd, and began his political career as a member of the Russian Senate in 1872. Following the coronation of Nicholas II., he was recalled from the governorship of Novgorod and was made Master of Ceremonies at the Palace. He was again appointed governor of Novgorod in 1894, and in 1896 became governor of Yaroslav. He was appointed president of the Council of Ministers in 1918, and in the same year succeeded Goremykin as minister of foreign affairs. He conspired with Rasputin and Protopopov, former minister of the interior, to poison the minds of the Czar and his wife. This was one of the chief causes of the revolt of 1917. In June, 1917, following the revolution, he was indicted for abuse of his power, and was imprisoned in the fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul, where he died on September 3d. Disclosures made following his death proved that he had betrayed Rumania to the Germans and in other ways taken the part of Germany against the interests of his own country.