FRANCKE, AUGUST HERMANN Ger man Protestant divine, was born on Mar. 22, 1663, at Lubeck. He studied at Erfurt and at Kiel, where he came under the influence of the pietist Christian Kortholt then at Leipzig where he graduated and where, in 1685 he became a Privatdocent. A year later, by the help of his friend P. Anton, and with the approval and encouragement of P. J. Spener, he founded the Collegium Philo biblicum for the systematic study of the Bible, philologically and practically. Interdicted from preaching at Erfurt and Dresden, he found a place in the new university of Halle, first as professor of Greek and oriental languages, and then as professor of theology. Here he continued to teach and preach for the next 36 years, until his death on June 8, 1727, and Halle became a centre of pietism.
At Halle in 1695 he instituted what is often called a "ragged school," supported by public charity. In 1698 there were i oo orphans under his charge to be clothed and fed, besides 5oo children who were taught as day scholars. The schools grew in importance and are still known as the Francke'sche Stiftungen.
See H. E. F. Guericke, A. H. Francke (1827 Eng. , trs., 5837) A. Stein, A. H. Francke (3rd ed., 1894) ; Herzog-Hauck's Realency klopddie (ed., 1899) ; Knuth, Die Francke'schen Stiftungen (2nd ed., 1903).