School records from Pleiestiftelsen and Lungegård Hospital

There were a number of hospitalised children and young people at the Pleiestiftelsen and Lungegård hospitals, and both hospitals ran schools for the children. A school register has been preserved from Lungegård Hospital for the years 1862–1872 and one for Pleiestiftelsen from 1858. School records have thus only been preserved for a very short period of time.

The schools were run in the usual way, and school registers were kept just as they would be in any other school. Gradebooks and class registers usually document absences and grades, but at that time, these were documented in the same book. The pupils’ abilities were often graded, as well as their diligence and conduct.

It’s difficult to imagine what it must have been like for children and young people in the leprosy hospitals. The school records give a little insight into the children’s everyday life. We see how many people were taught, as well as the names and ages of those who attended the same class. From the notes, we can also see when they were ill, when they were confirmed, and whether they were absent for other reasons. They also reveal that, at one point, some of the boys had been grounded.