15 March 1892 – priest and theology professor IOAN POPESCU passed away in Sibiu (born 5 July 1832 in Cata, today county of Brasov). Secondary school studies at Odorhei, Brasov and Blaj, theological studies in Sibiu (1855-1877), then studies of Pedagogy at the Universities of Jena and Leipzig (1859 – 1861). Substitute professor at the pedagogical section of the Theological Pedagogical Institute of Sibiu (1857 – 1859), then at both sections for Dogmatics, Canonic Law, Pedagogy and Psychology (1861 – 1892), priest (1862), then archpriest, honourable assessor (counselor) at the Archdiocese; director of the Astra Girls’ School of Sibiu (1888 – 1891) and editor of the “Transylvania” magazine (1889 – 1891); corresponding member of the Romanian Academy (13 September 1877); member of the Society for “scientific” pedagogy in Germany; militant for the Romanians’ rights within the Romanian National Party of Transylvania.
He published many works of Pedagogy, by which he made known Herbart’s new pedagogical principles, manuals for the Romanian “people’s” schools, studies of pedagogy; in 1868 he drafted “Organul pedagogic” (Pedagogic Body) in Sibiu, the first specialized magazine in the country.
Works. Compedium of Pedagogy (1868, 2nd edition in 1876); Pedagogy (1863, three editions); Empiric Psychology (1881, three editions); The First Book of Reading and Learning for the Romanian People’s Schools (18 editions); The Second Book of Reading and Learning (11 editions). He translated the 2nd volume of the Church History of Andrei Şaguna into German, together with Zaharia Boiu (Sibiu 1862).