1918: School Closures During Epidemics

From mid-October to mid-November 1918 schools were closed in large parts of the Habsburg Monarchy. The rapid spread of the flu pandemic had made this step necessary. But in a society in which, for example, school holidays were scheduled to coincide with harvests so that pupils could work in agriculture during busy periods, this measure was not controversial.

However, stopping lessons was anything but unusual for this period. A survey of school chronicles shows that the many epidemics at this time, but also heavy snowfall, regularly resulted in schools shutting down completely. These kinds of decisions were usually made locally by the school directors, and then authorised by the district education board in its capacity as the responsible administrative authority.

An example of this is the primary school in Edelsbach near Feldbach, which was forced to end the first semester (which at that time ran until the end of September) one week early in 1905 due to a ‘measles holiday’. This came after there had already been no school for a week at the end of August. In order to contain the spread of infectious diseases, the school or, in certain cases individual classes, were closed particularly when a rapid outbreak was observed or when one of the children of the teacher who lived with his family in the school building fell ill.

From today’s point of view, it is surprising how often this was the case. In 1879, for example, there was a school closure of several weeks due to diphtheria, scarlet fever and measures. In 1899 the school was closed for six weeks due to a measles epidemic, in 1900 for two weeks because of scarlet fever and again for three weeks because of whooping cough, and in 1921 for a week due to variola (smallpox). In 1920 and 1928 the pupils had to remain at home for several weeks due to a wave of infections: first mumps and measles, then finally diphtheria in summer. Deaths were also not uncommon: in 1928 a girl in the first grade and a boy in the third grade died from the diseases. In 1936 there was a district-wide school closure due to polio and, in 1947, even a nationwide closure. Missed lessons had to be caught up on free days.

Writing in the School Chronicle, as early as 1898 the headteacher in Edelsbach wrote of these experiences that: ‘It is altogether curious that   no year goes by in which an epidemic of some or other childhood illness does not arise.’ Improvements in infrastructure and hygiene, and above all the discovery of vaccinations and medicines, have largely eliminated these threats and once life-threatening epidemics have lost their terror.