Campe, Johann Heinrich (Deensen nr. Brunswick, 1746-1818, Brunswick), an educationist, studied theology, was employed as a tutor by the Humboldt family at Tegel (see Humboldt, Alexander von and Wilhelm von), and then for a short time assisted J. B. Basedow at the Philanthropinum. Campe spent his life in the organization and administration of schools and in writing. He was sympathetically disposed to the French Revolution and visited Paris in 1789.
Campe wrote books for boys and girls as well as books on education. His Sämtliche Kinder- und Jugendschriften, the best known of which is an adaptation of Robinson Crusoe (Robinson der Jüngere, 2 vols., 1779-80), appeared in 37 vols., 1807 ff. The collection also included Die Entdeckung von Amerika (2 vols., 1780-1), another of his successes, and the didactic Theophron. Ein Ratgeber für die Jugend (1777). Campe edited an educational encyclopedia (Allgemeine Revision des gesamten Schul- und Erziehungswesens, 16 vols., 1785-92) and compiled a dictionary (Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 5 vols., 1801-11). His poetic work, which is of minor importance, includes the satires Das Testament (1766) and Satyren (1768), and an epic poem Der Candidat (1769).




