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Last updated 14/10/2025

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'Anleitung zum papierfalten' (Instructions for Paperfolding) is the only surviving fragment of Froebel's writings that deals with the occup[ation of Papierfalten (Falten) ie paperfolding. It was probably first published in one of Froebel's periodicals.

In his article 'Falling into Disuse: the rise and fall of Froebelian mathematical folding within British kindergartens' (See full article) Michael Freidman dates the fragment to 1850.

The fragment was republished in Berlin in 1862 in 'Part Two: Die Padagogik des Kindergartens' of 'Friedrich Froebel's Gesammelte Padogogische Schriften' (Friedrich Froebel's Collected Educational Writings) edited by Wichard Lange.

It was also published in Vienna in 1883 in 'Friedrich Froebel's Kindergartenwesen', edited by Friedrich Siegel.

A translation into English appeared in 'Education by Development: The Second Part of the Pedagogics of the Kindergarten', translated by Josephine Jarvis, which was published by D Appleton and Company in New York in 1899.

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Analysis

The images in this Analysis are taken from the English translation by Josephine Jarvis (see above).

Froebel first describes how to create a square from an irregular sheet of paper:

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Froebel then describes how to cut four squares from a rectangular sheet of paper:

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Froebel then describes a number of simple folds that can be made in the square and the mathematical properties that they demonstrate. Froebel's descriptions of the folds are often difficult to follow but I believe they culminate in the construction of The Double Blintz Basic Form, which he describes as:

And of which he says:

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