Wilhelmsplatz Citizens' School
The Wilhelmsplatz Citizens' School was an elementary school in the East Westphalian city of Herford in North Rhine-Westphalia that existed from 1888 to 1968 . Its main building was a neo-Gothic building on Wilhelmsplatz , which today houses the Catholic Wilhelm-Oberhaus-Schule . The Wilhelmsplatz Citizens' School emerged from the United Evangelical City School, which was founded in 1834 as the first multi-class school in Herford through the merger of the six inner-city parish schools.
location
The main building of the former Wilhelmsplatz Citizens' School is located in Herford's Neustadt at Schulwall 5 and thus on Herford's Wilhelmsplatz, a park created in 1885 in honor of Wilhelm I. Less than a kilometer from the building is the historic old town in the south, Herford train station in the west and Marta Herford in the north-west .
architecture
The building of the former Wilhelmsplatz community school is a 606 square meter building in neo-Gothic style , which was realized with glazed bricks on a sandstone base in 1887 according to project sketches by the Berlin state building inspector Böttger. The building has typical neo-Gothic features due to the materials used, the pointed arches of the high and wide windows and the wall and roof decorations. The school's tower, clock and roof-mounted spikes were removed in the 1950s. The building has been a listed building since October 11, 1993.
history
United Evangelical City School (1834–1888)
In 1827 the city center of Herford had six single-room parish schools with a total of 726 students:
| district | Teacher | number of students |
|---|---|---|
| Herford old town | Christian A. Müller | 120 |
| Herford old town | Johann C. Fach | 53 |
| Herford new town | Mr. Wedinger | 156 |
| Herford new town | Mr. Mollmann | 93 |
| Herford Radewig | Friedrich C. winemaker | 137 |
| Herford Reformed Congregation | Friedrich C. Erfling | 167 |
The high frequency of parish schools led in 1834, under pressure from the Prussian state government, to a council resolution by the city of Herford, in which the unification of parish schools into a six-class city school was decided. The Beaufortsche Hof in today's Arndtstrasse 8 was bought as a school building and expanded for school purposes. In terms of organization and personnel, the school remained closely linked to the former parish schools, so that the church continued to supervise and the first rector of the city school became the previous teacher of the Reformed parish. The inaugural address given by Rector Heinrich Christian Weber in 1854 testifies to this continuity:
"We must not forget that our teaching must have a religious basis in everything, yes, our school is and should increasingly become a Christian teaching and educational institution ..."
In addition to the structural condition, the insufficient size of the school soon became problematic. In the course of industrialization there was also a strong population increase in Herford, so that in 1887 11 teachers in 12 classes were responsible for 939 students. In view of the expected further increase in the number of pupils and in order to be in charge of the local school system, the city of Herford decided in 1883 to take over the local school finances and agreed to the construction of a new school building at what is now Herford's Wilhelmplatz.
Wilhelmsplatz Citizens' School (1888–1968)
In the Empire (1888–1918)
The new main building of the citizen school was realized in the years 1887/88 for a total of 146,177.19 marks on Wilhelmsplatz. In 1890, the new building enabled 1283 pupils to be taught by 19 teachers in 24 classes in the community school. In addition to the classrooms, there were also rooms for staff and materials in the school building. In addition, the school was provided with heating and a bathing facility in order to ensure adequate hygiene and instruction even in cold weather. The school was also equipped with a gym, a drawing room and a playground for the breaks. The words of Rector Heinrich Christian Weber testify to the pride of the new school, who stated at the opening event on October 15, 1888:
"Herford now has two monuments, one of the war in the old market and a great one of peace, this is the new school."
The interior also testified to the spirit that should prevail in the school. In the school there were not only the busts of several emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Empire , but also of the reformers Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon . The classrooms were also decorated with biblical scenes and portraits of the Prussian ruling house. The school remained true to this spirit of Protestantism and monarchism until the end of the German Empire. This was particularly evident during the First World War, when teachers tried to get students excited about military service in class. In the annual chronicle of 1914/15 it says:
“Wherever the hour came, where the opportunity arose ... there was an attempt to warm the heart of the youth for the emperor and empire, for homeland and fatherland, and to awaken the vow to be like warriors and brothers as well can in surrender to the dear fatherland. "
In the Weimar Republic (1919–1933)
The Wilhelmsplatz Citizens' School was not spared from the hardship and turbulence of the Weimar Republic . Events such as Quaker meals for poor children, coal shortages and memorial services for murdered ministers can be found in the conference minutes of that time . Mentally, the school adapted to the new circumstances. The portraits of the imperial family were removed from the classrooms, the teaching staff were sworn in to the imperial constitution and constitutional celebrations were held. Nationalism remained an integral part of school life, but was now linked to peaceful achievements and achievements. This is what the school chronicle says about the circumnavigation of the world by a German zeppelin in 1929:
“After the German airship Graf Zeppelin had happily completed its daring flight around the northern half of the globe in the first days of September ... this victorious act filled every German breast with pride and joy. German technology and German daring had celebrated a rare triumph. The Prussian Minister of Education ordered that school celebrations should be held in all schools in Prussia on Thursday, September 5th, in which the world flight of Count Zeppelin and its importance was explained to the children in festive speeches. "
With the further expansion of the elementary school system in Herford during the Weimar Republic, a steady decline in the number of pupils began at the end of the German Empire, which was only to be stopped for a few years in the wake of the Second World War .
During National Socialism (1933–1945)
Political events during the Weimar Republic were marginal phenomena in school operations, but this changed fundamentally with the onset of National Socialism . Soon after 1933 the school was geared towards the Nazi state. So it says in the annual chronicle:
“In several conferences the college dealt with the ideas and ideas of National Socialism; Corresponding books and writings were acquired for the teachers and school library and used in the classroom. We tried diligently and with good success to bring the National Socialist spirit into our student body. "
From then on, festivals were celebrated for Adolf Hitler and other National Socialists, the Hitler salute was introduced for teachers and the contents of the lessons were changed in accordance with the requirements of the Nazi state. In addition, an attempt was made to inspire the students for the ideas of National Socialism through festivals, songs and films. These efforts also included the celebration of the school's 100th birthday in 1935. The Neue Westfälische Volkszeitung reported on this :
“After this review, the speaker (Rector Angelbeck) started talking about the current tasks of the school. There would no longer be a learning school in which only cramming would take place. In the National Socialist state, the school is an educational school, in which, in addition to intellectual training, the physical and not least the character formation of young German people would take place ... At this work, school, parental home and Hitler Youth have to build together ... then we would definitely achieve the goal that is called Germany. "
In the British Zone of Occupation and the Federal Republic of Germany (1945–1968)
After the collapse of National Socialism in Herford in April 1945, the school building was confiscated by the British occupying forces and used for a few months as accommodation for former, especially Polish, forced laborers. During this time, large parts of the school inventory and school records were lost. The school chronicle written by the rector Hermann Hagemeier testifies to the problems that stood in the way of the new school operation due to this loss and the general social emergency:
“With the Easter date in 1946, the school under Mr. Angelbeck in the old building was put back into operation ... All the furniture was gathered from the school floors of other schools ... We had 5 teaching materials that we had received from other schools. .. The winter of 1947/47 was very bad educationally for our students. The cold and lack of coal created conditions that can hardly be imagined today. "
With the support of the British occupying forces, however, school operations experienced a significant boom after a few years, and in 1949 the emergency was so far resolved that the school was able to organize a tent camp and a Christmas package campaign for various Herford old people's homes with the students. In the following years the school was renovated, modern school inventory was purchased and in 1951 the 50th day of the Westphalian Teachers' Association was held in the school. In addition, the trend of a steady decline in students that had existed since the late years of the German Empire continued again. In 1950, due to East German refugee children and the confiscation of the Herford building by the British Army, the school had 882 students, in 1967 there were only 340 students, who were taught by 12 teachers in 10 classes. School ended when elementary schools were replaced by elementary and secondary schools in North Rhine-Westphalia in 1968 . At the end of the 1967/68 school year, the teachers and Protestant pupils of the Wilhelmsplatz Citizens' School were distributed to surrounding schools and the school building was taken over by the Catholic primary school in Herford, today's Wilhelm-Oberhaus-Schule.
Principals of the school
- Heinrich Christian Weber (1854–1890)
- Heinrich Decius (1890-1917)
- Bernhard Niediek (1917-1919)
- Johannes Temming (1919–1922)
- Gustav Köhle (1922–1929)
- August Angelbeck (1929-1946)
- Hermann Hagemeier (1946–1965)
- Jürs Birkemeyer (1965–1968)
Well-known student
- Otto Weddigen (1889–1890)
literature
- Braun, Hartmut, One generation forms the next: Education and school, in: 1200 years of Herford. Traces of History, Theodor Helmert-Corvey and Thomas Schuler (eds.), Herford 1989.
- Laue, Christoph, "You will return to your home country!". Coping with forced labor in the Herford area after the end of the war, in: Mariupol - Herford and back. Forced labor and coping with it after 1945, Helga Kohne and Christoph Laue (eds.), Bielefeld 1995.
swell
- Herford Gazette (September 3, 1957)
- Herford District Gazette (October 16, 1888)
- Herford municipal archive, Sig. 40 Sch. W. - 1, 2, 9, 12, 16, 17, 22, 23
- Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. AB X - 68
- Herford municipal archive, Sig. B II - 001
- Herford municipal archive, Sig.HF B II - 001
- New Westphalian (August 15, 1988)
- Neue Westfälische Volkszeitung (March 9, 1935, March 14, 1935, March 15, 1935)
- Administrative reports of the city of Herford 1887–1965
Individual evidence
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. B II - 001
- ^ Administrative report of the city of Herford 1890
- ^ New Westphalian (08/15/1988)
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. AB X - 68
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. AB X - 68
- ^ Administrative report of the city of Herford 1890
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. BII - 001
- ^ Administrative report of the city of Herford 1890
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. B II - 001
- ^ Administrative report of the city of Herford 1890
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. 40 Sch W - 16
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. 40 Sch W - 22
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. 40 Sch W - 16
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. 40 Sch W - 23
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. 40 Sch W - 1
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. 40 Sch W - 1
- ^ Neue Westfälische Volkszeitung (March 14, 1935)
- ^ Neue Westfälische Volkszeitung (March 14, 1935)
- ^ Neue Westfälische Volkszeitung (March 14, 1935)
- ^ Neue Westfälische Volkszeitung (March 14, 1935)
- ^ Neue Westfälische Volkszeitung (March 14, 1935)
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. 40 Sch W - 16
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. 40 Sch W - 1
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. 40 Sch W - 1
- ↑ Herford Municipal Archives, Sig. 40 Sch W - 12