His system of education was based upon Francis Bacon's philosophy, the principle being that of proceeding from things to names, from the particular to the general, and from the mother tongue to foreign languages.
In Köthen, Prince Ludwig von Anhalt furnished him with the means of opening a school to be conducted according to his own ideas; however, difficulties with the clergy led to his imprisonment for eight months.
[3] In addition to Augsburg and Köthen, he put his method of instruction into operation in Amsterdam, Basel, Strassburg, Frankfurt, Weimar, and various other places.
His ideas were advanced for his time, but he lacked executive ability,[3] and his personality alienated both assistants and patrons.
His influence upon his contemporaries and posterity was much greater than would be supposed from the failure of his own attempts to put his plan in practice.