The sphere, cylinder and cube of Froebel's second gift are the basis for this design by Wilhelm Middendorf. Created in 1852 by Ernst Luther a descendant of the family Martin Luther. In 1817, the three hundredth anniversary of the Reformation, Froebel became concerned that two of the descendants of Martin Luther were living in poverty. He undertook the education of Ernst and his brother at Keilhau
Some years later a new gravestone was donated, which incorporated Middendorf's design.
The sphere and the cube together represented Knowledge, Beauty and Life. The sphere predominantly corresponds with the feelings or heart, (affective) and the cube to thought and intellect (cognitive). This design also appears on the cover of the book Inventing Kindergarten
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