Heinicke, Samuel

Hearing. "Father" of the "German method" (oral method) of deaf education (based on and developed from the methods of Johann Konrad Amman, q.v.). Born at Nautschutz, Saxony; went into military service in the bodyguard of the Elector of Saxony. This left him much free time, and he became a private tutor on the side. Around 1754, he acquired a deaf boy among his students, and soon specialized as a teacher of deaf students. This work was interrupted by the Seven Years War, recalling him to military service; captured in action, he escaped to Jena, then fled again to in Hamburg, where he resumed private tutoring of hearing pupils. Again, a deaf pupil showed up, pulling him back into exclusively deaf education. Established Germany's first formal school for the deaf in Leipzig, 1778. In a debate with the abbe de l'Epee before the Zurich Academy on the merits of the "German" (oral) vs. "French" (sign-based) systems of deaf education, the Academy judged in favor of de l'Epee, but Heinicke ignored its decision. Died at Leipzig.