The title of the present Emperor
of Germany still begins "William, Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia.
Markgraf of Brandenburg," etc., etc., showing the importance attached to
this most ancient dignity. The Mark of Brandenburg contains Berlin.
Middendorff seems to have been then living in the Mark. Froebel cannot
have forgotten that by origin Wilhelm Middendorff was a Westphalian.
[81] Of Bauer little further is to be known. He was afterwards professor
in the Frederick-William Gymnasium (Grammar School) in Berlin, but has
no further connection with Froebel's career. On the other hand, a
few words on Langethal and Middendorff seem necessary here. Heinrich
Langethal was born in Erfurt, September 3rd, 1792. He joined Froebel at
Keilhau in 1817. He was a faithful colleague of Froebel's there, and
at Willisau and Burgdorf, but finally left him at the last place, and
undertook the management of a girls' school at Bern. He afterwards
became a minister in Schleusingen, returning eventually to Keilhau. One
of the present writers saw him there in 1871. He was then quite blind,
but happy and vigorous, though in his eightieth year. He died in 1883.
Wilhelm Middendorff, the closest and truest friend Froebel ever had,
without whom, indeed, he could not exist, because each formed the
complement of the other's nature, was born at Brechten, near Dortmund,
in Westphalia, September 20th, 1793, and died at Keilhau November 27th,
1853, a little over a year after his great master.
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