Known as an author of education books, Robbins first wrote this piece as a dissertation at Teachers College, Columbia University. An historical expedition into the role of teachers in sixteenth-century Germany, Robbins muses over the conditions in the Protestant elementary and secondary schools of the past. Outlining the sources available, Robbins lists the kinds of teachers and their number. The character and training of teachers, as well as their appointment and tenure at the end of the Medieval Period are given considerable attention. Their economic conditions and professional and social relationships are examined in the context of their attitude towards their profession. This brief study will be of interest to any who wish to know about the history of the craft of teaching in Europe.