Pauline zur Lippe-Detmold

Pauline was born as the daughter of Friedrich Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg and his wife Luise. She had an older brother named Alexius. Early on, it was clear that Pauline had a keen mind. Her father personally took over the education of the heir to the throne, Alexius, and his daughter, Pauline. In line with the ideas of the Enlightenment, he provided them with exactly the same education. Pauline was a good student, learning Latin, French, history, and general political science. At the age of 13, she began to support her father in his government duties. Initially, she took over the French correspondence, and later the entire written exchange between the family's residence in Ballenstedt Castle and the government offices in Bernburg.

Aged 18, Pauline married the Duke of Lippe, an area that is now part of Northern Westphalia in Germany. At the time of their marriage, it was clear that the Duke had health issues and was in need of a strong and educated wife to take over his duties in case of his early demise. This was exactly what ended up happening; Pauline had two sons, one in 1796 and one in 1797, and her husband’s death followed in 1802, after which she became the acting leader in place of her minor son. Her rule was met with some protest but was justified since there was no better qualified man to take her place. She ended up ruling for almost 20 years. It is important to recognize that Pauline, despite having socioeconomic ideas that allowed her people to advance, was an Autocratic ruler, very careful in her selection of the people surrounding her or her sons and was interested in maintaining power, not sharing it.

Pauline had progressive ideas about poverty and social work. She saw the poverty in her regency and was determined to address it through voluntary or forced labor, which she believed to be the best way to elevate her people. The institutions founded by Pauline included the "Earnings School" (1799), the "Childcare Facility" (1802), the hospital (1801/02), and the "Voluntary Workhouse" (1802). These, alongside an orphanage and teacher's seminar that already existed, were combined under the term "Care Facility" and found their place in the former monastery. The Care Facility claimed that it helped every needy person "from the cradle to the grave". It was considered unique and was often visited by foreign guests who particularly praised the childcare facility. However, the institution was limited to residents of the capital city. The people valued Pauline mainly because of her social institutions. The integrated welfare facilities were seen as exemplary both at home and abroad, and were especially visited by English delegations. Her care for the poor was evident. She alleviated the famine of 1802 - 1804 by establishing grain stores and personally took care of mitigating the burdens of war that had arisen from billeting and troop placements.

Many parents, out of economic necessity, did not send their children to school but had them work or beg. Pauline opened a school where the children of impoverished families were taught together with orphans. A part of the school hours was filled with craft work, and among the practical skills was knitting. The knitted goods were then sold and the children shared in the profits. This was intended to dispel the prejudices of parents who would rather send their children begging. A year later the school became an “official” school and showed its real success. Nonetheless, there were always problems when parents would rather have their children work on the farms in the summer or beg during the Christmas season. Economic constraints under conditions of largely insecure income and a simultaneously intensifying monetary economy made it difficult for parents to temporarily forgo the support of their children.

Pauline also took care of the well-being of the little children whose parents had to leave the house during the day to work. She can, therefore, be called the inventor of the modern day kindergarten. She read in a Parisian newspaper about such an initiative of Napoleon's wife who offered support only to single mothers and decided to try it out in an “extended way” in Detmold. The world’s first child care institution opened in 1802, and it soon found many imitators in Germany. However, the city of Detmold saw the project as a princely hobby and granted no financial support.

Up to 20 children were cared for in the first years, who had to be "weaned from the mother's breast," none of which were older than four. Four-year-old children, it was believed, could stay at home alone or accompany their parents to the gardens or into the field before they then went to the vocational school. The child care institution was open from June 24th until the end of October, when the harvest and garden work was completed.