“Those of us who have met Robert Nauer and spent some time with him are, of course, feeling very sad. He was a true Frobelian, and unfailingly generous in welcoming visitors to Keilhau and engaging with us so that we came away having learnt so much more about being an becoming a Froebelian than we did before meeting him. Somehow the fact that we did not have the possibility of using words for discussions did not matter. Being with him in the woodwork classroom/workshop, or visiting the Froebel Archive in the tiny building in Keilhau made things come clear. He would suddenly point at some wood, or show an illustration in a book. We could see that he lived for Keilhau and the development of the children was close to his heart. This is not a sentimental comment about his work as a teacher. His aim was to reach each child and to support them in being the best they could, with woodwork, with understanding and engaging with nature in the vegetable garden, taking groups of children on cycling trips beyond the garden into the wider landscape, just as Froebel did.
He was clearly a much valued and loved teacher in the Keilhau school. Else Arnold, who worked closely with him in the school, and so sensitively translated into English his words noted that the students quietly went to the garden and worked there after the sad news came. His influence and Froebelian way of educating could be felt in that time. His wife, Katrin puts into words what we feel having known him.
‘He can still be felt everywhere.’ And that is something very positive that we can take forward. We shall remember and take with us his deeply Froebelian way of being and surely, determinedly, we will strive to make Froebelian education real for the children and families we spend time with. Robert Nauer has left us an important Froebel legacy.”
(2025-08-01. Held on the occasion of the 11th Biennial Fröbel Conference 2025 in Erfurt by Professor Tina Bruce)
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