"Min gamle Skolemester var en Heros, et Jern-Menneske, vee, vee vee! den Dreng, der ikke kunde svare ja eller nei paa et ligefrem Spørgsmaal," skriver Kierkegaard om Michael Nielsen, rektor for Borgerdydskolen fra 1813 til 1844. Som flere af sine kolleger var han professor i sit fag, og om hans dygtighed som latiner hersker der ingen tvivl. Dommen over hans pædagogiske principper er mindre smigrende, han huskes som "Tyran" og "Despot". Kun når der indtraf tordenvejr, slappedes disciplinen, for så blev Nielsen bange, foldede hænderne og sagde: "Naar Gud taler, saa tier jeg," hvorpå han dog straks tilføjede: "Men naar jeg taler, saa tier I."		"My old school master was a demigod, an iron man, and woe be unto that boy who could not answer yes or no to a direct question," writes Kierkegaard about Michael Nielsen, the headmaster of Borgerdydskolen [The School of Civic Virtue] from 1813 to 1844. Like several of his colleagues, he was professor in his subject, and there is no doubt of his competence as a Latinist. The judgement on his paedagogical principles is less flattering: he is remembered as "Tyrant" and "Despot". Only when a thunderstorm occurred did discipline relax, because then Nielsen became frightened, folded his hands and said: "When God speaks, I remain silent," whereupon he immediately added: "But when I speak, you remain silent."

Web presentation Copyright © The Royal Library, Copenhagen, 1997
All rights reserved.