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priest in 1779. As curate in Everswinkel, he did
such good work in teaching religion that the vicar-
general, Freiherr von Furstenberg (q. v.), offered him
the position of director of the normal school, which
he was about to found in Miinster. Thenceforth he
was Fiirstenberg's light hand in the reorganization
and reformation of the schools. In 1783 he settled
in Miinster, where his first duty was to conduct a
course of practical and theoretical study for school-
teachers during the autumn vacation. This institu-
tion was known as the Normalschule. The village
schools at that time were very poor; in Prussia a
number of discharged non-commissioned officers made
a pretence of teaching, while in Westphalia, mere
day labourers wielded the "stick". Of "method"
there was little, except scolding and beating; Over-
berg had had personal experience of that in his own
childhood. Not even reading — much less writing and
arithmetic — was taught to all. Overberg, therefore,
stood before a gigantic problem. He solved it, as
Furstenberg says, "earnestly and yet mildly, without
ambition, without egotL-sm, without any deception or
deceit, untiring and with a persistency that feared no
obstacles." His aim was to educate and instruct
teachers and to improve their wretched material cir-
cumstances. All the teachers were to take part in the
course at public expense. The course closed with an
examination, and those who passed it obtained an in-
crease in salary. As Overberg considered it best to
separate the sexes in his schools, he instructed a num-
ber of women teachers who eagerly accepted the work.
He really created the profession of female lay-teacher.
At first, Overberg himself instructed the teachers,
giving five lessons daily between 21 August to No-
vember, and teaching method as well as the various
school subjects. Later he employed an assistant
teacher. Soon his normal school was attended by
young people who wished to become teachers. This
normal school, therefore, became what is now known
in Germany as a Seminary, and had more than 100
pupils (at first 20-30). Besides teaching in this school
he gave instruction in the catechism for twenty-seven
years in the Ursuline convent without remuneration.
Every Sunday he recapitulated all that he had lec-
tured upon during the week in a public lecture which
was attended by people of all classes, especially by
students of theology. In tliis work he showed not
only his inborn faculty of teaching, but also his child-
like faith and simplicity.
In 1789, Princess Gallitzin chose him as her con- fessor. He influenced her entire activity, and met in her company the most important men of the times. By his tactful kindness he brought about the con- version of Count Friedrich Leopold von Stolberg. Overberg was the chief author of the Munster school ordinance, formulated on 2 Sept., 1801. He remained ilirector of the normal school even when he became regent of the ecclesiastical seminary in 1809, before which he had been for some time synodal exam- iner and member of the Landschulkommission. In 1816 he was made a consistorial and school counsellor, in 1823, honorary rector of the cathedral, and in 1826, shortly before his death, Oberconsistorialrat. Over- berg was quite familiar with the pedagogical theories and achievements of his time, and utilized many of them. He was especially well acquainted with Rochow, Felbiger (q. v.), and Francke. But his own eystera is, on the whole, unique; for everywhere he al- lows for the demands of life. He lays emphasis upon the importance of habit, the power of example, and the telling of stories. As the main support of all education and discipline he considers religion. Ideal thoughts and practical everj'day considerations are well combined in his work. His basic idea is to lead man toward his eternal goal, but he lays emphasis upon the necessity of caring for the temporary concfi- tions of life, of cultivating prudence, and doing away
with stupidity and superstition. His instruction is
catechetic, and he mentions as its advantages the
training of reason, the formation of clear impressions
and ideas, and practice in the expression of one's own
opinions: "children should be trained to think by
questioning them, and should be guided in their
method of thinking in such a way that they will find
out for themselves the things which we want to teach
them". Overberg's writings contain much that is in-
teresting to teachers even to-day. The most impor-
tant of them are: "Anweisung zum zweckmassigen
Schulunterricht " (1793); newly edited by Gansen
(5th ed., 1908); "Biblische Geschichte" (1799),
which has appeared in over thirty editions and is still
used as a house book; "Christkathnlisrhes Pieligions-
buch" (1804); "Katechismus der c-hrislliiljen Lehre"
(1804), used in the Diocese of Miinster until 1SS7 and
in Osnabriick until 1900; and "Seclis Biicher vom
Prie.sterstande " (posthumous, 1858).
Reinermann, Bt-nih. O. in seinem Leben u. Wirken {Munster, 1829):Krabbe, Lehen O. (Munster, 1831; 3rd ed., IS04);Reusch in Altg. deutsche Biogr., XXV (Leipzig, 1SS7). 14-17; Knecht in KiTchenUx. 8. v.; ZocKLER in Reahncykl. fiir prot. TheoL, s. v. Overberg u. de^ Gallitzmsche Kreis.
Klemens Lofpler.
Oviedo, Diocese of (Ovetensis), comprises the civil province of the same name (the ancient King- dom of Asturias), besides certain rural deaneries in the provinces of Lugo, I-e^n, Zamora, and Santander. Its capital, the city of Oviedo, has a population of 42,- 716. The ancient capital of the Asturias country was Astorga (Asturiea); Oviedo was founded by King Fruela I (756-68). In 760 Abbot Fromistanus and his nejjhew Maximus built a monastery there and dedicated a church to St. Vincent the Martyr; Fruela had houses built and the basilica of S. Salvador. His son, Alfon.so II, the Chaste, made Oviedo his capital and restored the Church of S. Salvador. The same king founded the See of Oviedo, in 805, combining with it the ancient See of Britonia. A number of bishops, expelled from their sees by the Saracens, were gathered at Oviedo, where they held two councils. It was there proposed to make Oviedo a metropolitan see, and such it was from 869 until the ancient arch- dioceses of the Peninsula were restored, when the pope declared Oviedo exempt (1105); the Concordat of 1.851 made it suffragan to Santiago.
The Cathedral of S. Salvador was restored in the twelfth century by Archbishop Pelayo, the chronicler. Bishop Fernando .Alfonso (1296-1301) undertook an- other restoration of the chapter-house, and his suc- cessor, Fernando Alvarez (1302-1.321), beg;m the cloister. At the end of the thirteenth century Ciutierre de Toledo began the new Gothic basilica, the princi])al chapel bearing his arms, though it was coniiiletcd by his successor Guillen. Diego Ramirez dc (iuzman (1421-41) built the two chapels of the south tr;uisept (now replaced by the sacristy), the old entrance to the church, and the gallery of the cloister adjoining the chapter-house. Alonzo de Palenzuela (1470-85) com- pleted the other part of the transept. Juan .Arias (1487-97) left his cognizance, the fleur-dc-lys and four scallops, on the nave. Juan Daza (1497-1503) erected the grille of the choir; Valerano (1.508-12) added the stained-gla.ss windows. Diego de Muros, founder of the great college at Salamanca known as the Oviedo, had the crestings of the porch wrought by Pedro de Bunyeres and Juan de Cerecedo, while Giralte and Valraaseda completed the carving of the precious re- table in the time of Francisco de Mendoza (1.52.5-28). Crist6bal de Rojas (1546-56) aflixed his coat-of-arms to the completed tower, with its octagonal pyramid, one of the marvels of Gothic architecture. The chief feature of the cathedral is the "Camara Santa", with its venerable relics. Bishop Pelayo relates that a coffer made by the disciples of the Apostles, and con- taining the most precious relics of the Holy City, was
