The problem of free education as the direction in reformatory pedagogics of Germany of the second half of XIX -- the beginnings of the XX centuries is staticized in this article. The child is the center of pedagogical process according to free education. Historical, system, culturological approaches are main in a research of this problem. They allowed to reveal intrinsic characteristics, features of process of education in Germany of the considered period. The leading ideas of free education it is a pedocentrizm as the organization of pedagogical process. The interests of children, refusal of systematic training and education of children by in advance developed curricula and programs, orientation to free works of the teacher and pupils enter here. The German teachers reformers F. Gansberg, L. Gurlitt, G. Sharrelman, figures of the Bremen school of sciences, founders of the concept of new "free education" (the theory of the personality), considered education the leading means of formation of the humane personality. They considered the personality as the highest value of society. Materials of article can be useful to pedagogical workers, organizers of educational work with the studying youth to acquaintance to life and activity of the famous German teachers and public figures of the second half of XIX -- the beginning of the XX centuries.