The Existential Pedagogy Network in Germany
Inspired and deeply convinced by Existential Pedagogy, Esther Kohl launched the first call for interested individuals in Germany in the summer of 2021 through the GLE-D newsletter. She reached out to professionals working in pedagogical fields based on Existential Analysis (EA) or influenced by their existential-analytical training. By the end of 2021, fifteen people had already joined the network—many of them had long been waiting for an opportunity to exchange ideas with like-minded professionals about their practical work.
The network members come from a wide range of professions related to working with children, adolescents, and their parents, including school education, social pedagogy, psychotherapy, the arts, medicine, and academia. What unites them is their reflection and active engagement at the intersection of psychotherapy and pedagogy, making their exchange both exciting and enriching.
The goal of this network is to spread the ideas and principles of Existential Pedagogy in Germany. It aims to make the unique educational approach of Existential Pedagogy comprehensible and accessible: As educators, we ourselves are the most essential educational tool, and we must ensure that this tool is always in tune.
The anthropological view of Logotherapy and Existential Analysis shapes our existential-pedagogical practice. Every young person is to be accompanied in discovering the potential of their person, in developing it, and in strengthening their capacity for self-formation, so that they may come to the fourfold inner consent to their life. The key question guiding our work is: "What does this child need from me right now?"
The Institute for Existential Pedagogy, founded in Austria in 2019, provides the theoretical orientation and organizational foundation for the activities of the German network. The board of the Institute, led by Eva Maria Waibel, supports us in all our undertakings.
Within the first one and a half years, the circle of network members has already grown to 23 persons. At present, communication takes place mainly through e-mails, phone calls, Zoom meetings, and occasional personal encounters of individual members. Contacts are established between members in response to specific questions and concerns, enabling us to support one another in our projects. Regular circular mails keep everyone informed about the most recent developments in Existential Pedagogy: opportunities for further training, upcoming events, and newly published books. With the expansion of online offerings, those of us in Germany have found it easier to participate in events in Austria and Switzerland. The first highlight of our involvement from Germany was our active contribution to the symposium “Self.Value.Meaning: A Pedagogical Treasure Hunt” in Feldkirch, Austria, marking the third anniversary of the Institute’s founding in June 2022, where we presented both a lecture and a workshop.
The greatest achievement of our network so far has been the preparation of the pedagogical symposium at the International GLE Congress in Berlin 2024. Competent and committed colleagues have submitted abstracts for presentations, enabling us to shape two sections with a total of six lectures from within our network. We will share insights from our diverse practical work across different age groups and institutions in various cities throughout Germany. What unites us is the fascination with the depth of human existence in Existential Analysis, which — through our values and our existential-pedagogical attitude — provides us with grounding in our personal encounters with others. To further refine and deepen our own personhood, we have woven the bond of this network: to exchange, to strengthen, and to support one another. In this shared dialogue, new ideas and impulses emerge for our pedagogical self-understanding and for our existential-pedagogical practice in everyday educational settings.
Network Coordinator – Existential Pedagogy in Germany
Esther Kohl