1782

Born on April 21 in Oberweißbach, Thuringia, the sixth child of Lutheran pastor Johann Jacob Fröbel and his wife Jacobine Eleonore Friedricke, maiden name: Hoffmann.

1783

February 7, death of mother.

1789 - 1799

Attended primary school in Oberweißbach and Stadtilm, completed training as land surveyor in Hirschberg an der Saale.

1799 - 1801

Studied Natural Sciences at the University of Jena.

1805 - 1806

Employed as a teacher at the Pestalozzi Model School in Frankfurt am Main; in autumn, first journey to Iferten (Yverdon) in Switzerland to train under Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi.

1813

In April, volunteered for the Lützow Free Coprs and fought in the Napoleonic Wars.

1816

November 13, founded the General German Education Institute (Allgemeine deutsche Erziehungsanstalt) in Griesheim, Thuringia. School transferred to Keilhau in 1817.

1818

September 11, married divorcee Henriette Wilhelmine Hoffmeister in Berlin; the union was childless.

1823

40 pupils registered in Keilhau, Johannes Arnold Barop hired by Fröbel.

1826

Major written work "The Education of Man" (Die Menschenerziehung) published.

1830

Johannes Arnold Barop took over the leadership of Keilhaus.

1831 - 1835

Departure from Keilhau; leadership of various educational institutes and teacher training courses in Switzerland.

1837

Return to Bad Blankenburg and development of the educational toys "Fröbel's Gifts".

1839

Death of Henriette Wilhelmine; opening of the "Play and Activity Institute" (Spiel- und Beschäftigungsanstalt) in Bad Blankenburg.

1840

June 28, opening of the first General German Kindergarten (Allgemeinen Deutschen Kindergartens) in the Bad Blankenburg Town Hall.

1842

Training of kindergarten teachers in Bad Blankenburg.

1844

Closure of the kindergarten due to financial difficulties; return to Keilhau and the publication of the songbook "Mutter- und Koselieder".

1845 - 1849

Travelling to promote the concept of kindergarten.

1848

Presentation of kindergarten concept to a general meeting of some 260 educationalists in Rudolstadt, August 17-19. Application sent to central government in Frankfurt for support of Fröbel's Kindergarten. Demand for a universal educational system from kindergarten to secondary school.

1849

Relocation to Bad Liebenstein and the foundation of the "Facility for Holistic Life Practice through Developed and Nurturing Education" (Anstalt für allseitige Lebenseinigung durch entwickelnd-erziehende Menschenbildung). Training of women as kindergarten teachers.

1851

Married Luise Levin; August 23, kindergarten banned in Prussia.

1852

Died June 21 in Marienthal and buried in Schweina.