Goethe Gymnasium Weißenfels

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Goethe Gymnasium Weißenfels
Goethegym2.JPG
type of school high school
founding 1991 (newly founded)
place Weissenfels
country Saxony-Anhalt
Country Germany
Coordinates 51 ° 11 '58 "  N , 11 ° 58' 4"  E Coordinates: 51 ° 11 '58 "  N , 11 ° 58' 4"  E
student 727
Teachers 50
management Jürgen Mannke
Website www.ggwsf.org
View of the school building from Klosterstrasse.

The Goethe Gymnasium Weißenfels is a general education high school in Weißenfels , Saxony-Anhalt . Its history goes back to the 17th century when Duke August von Sachsen-Weißenfels founded the illustrious Augusteum grammar school . Today's Goethe Gymnasium, which has existed under various types of school since the decline of this institution in 1794, has existed in its current form since 1991.

history

1664–1794: Illustrious Augusteum high school

August (1614–1680), first Duke of Saxony-Weißenfels and founder of the illustrious Augusteum grammar school.
Christian Weise (1642–1708), until 1670 first court master of Baron Gustav Adolf von der Schulenburg .
Johannes Riemer (1648–1714) did not make himself very popular as a critic of the Weißenfelser small town citizens and especially of the time-critical novelist Johann Beer . In 1687 he left the Augusteum and was appointed pastor of the Harz community in Osterwieck .
Christoph Cellarius (1638–1707), later professor of rhetoric and history at the University of Halle .

On November 1, 1664, Duke August von Weißenfels founded the illustrious Augusteum grammar school in the former St. Claren monastery next to the core building of today's grammar school. It was a private higher school for noble boys who were to be trained as civil servants. Anyone wishing to enter the service of the duchy had to have visited the Augusteum for at least two years. In addition, there was also a printing company that produced ducal mandates, commemorative publications and the students' final papers.

The approximately sixty to seventy students were taught theology , law and medicine as well as the classical foreign languages Greek , Latin and Hebrew . Students were also introduced to logic and metaphysics , ethics , politics, arithmetic , spherics , music, geography and history, and Aristotelian physics .

First phase 1664–1746

In the course of time, Duke August hired well-known teachers from several parts of today's Germany. Among them was the historian, geographer and linguist Christoph Cellarius , who was hired from 1667 to 1673 as "Professor of Ethics and Hebrew". Writer Christian Weise worked from 1670 to 1678 as "Professor of Politics, Eloquence and Poetry" at the Augusteum. Weise, who was appointed by the Duke of Saxony-Weißenfels at the age of 28, also wrote a number of dramas (mostly for student performances) and contemporary novels. The writer and theologian Johannes Riemer , known as the author of scientific works and novels, also taught at the Augusteum from 1673 to 1687.

At that time, the Augusteum was not only under the direction of Weißenfels rectors: from 1673 to 1707 the Neuruppin Johann Leitenius was hired for this activity, before another Weißenfelser named Christian Weidling succeeded him until 1718. He was convicted of unjustified doctorates in 1717.

In 1721 Christian Reineccius (1668–1752), known as an outstanding orientalist, took over the rectorate, which he was to hold for more than 30 years.

In 1726, Johann Basilius Fleuter (1684–1730), born in Weimar , came to Weißenfels to take up a position as senior court preacher and confessor at the court of Duke Christian von Sachsen-Weißenfels. Fleuter, who appreciated the colorful interplay of enjoyment of life, happiness and intrigue at the small royal courts, was also hired as a theology professor for the Augusteum.

"Rectorless" period 1746–1794

In 1746 the Augusteum lost its only sponsors when the ducal line of Saxony-Weißenfels died out. The number of students fell suddenly until in 1763 only ten students were enrolled; In 1784 the last entries in the student directory followed. The professors were no longer paid and left, only Superintendent Brehme held a few theological lectures.

By order of Elector Friedrich August, a teachers' seminar was opened on May 5, 1794 instead of the Augusteum, which initially accepted the three last high school students and two other applicants. The classroom was in the (today's) superintendent's office, and from January 1795 in the municipal poor house of Weißenfels (Leipziger Strasse 13). As a result, Weißenfels lost a higher educational institution as an important location factor after 130 years. It was only 67 years later that a higher school could be set up again in Weißenfels.

1861–1938: Municipal upper secondary school with reform secondary school

Municipal Higher Citizens School 1861–1869

Today's Goethegymnasium officially opened on July 11, 1861, the day a municipal high school with reformed high school opened. This had the function of a higher private school to prepare students for further educational institutions. In 1869 the school was taken over by the city.

As early as the summer of 1860, master baker Gustav Henzold and merchant GC Graun made the decision to set up a schola collecta with their own efforts . Thereupon a committee was convened under the direction of the District Administrator von Wurmb , which should ensure the implementation of this proposal.

First of all, this committee tried to approximate the number of students who had to reckon with the opening of the "projected institution" . After 90 family fathers with 124 school-age children had agreed to participate in a circular dated September 26, 1860, District Administrator von Wurmb wrote a petition to the magistrate on December 10, 1860, indicating that “there is hardly a second city in the Prussian state of 10,000 to 11,000 inhabitants, in which elementary lessons would be given, as here, while many cities with 5000 to 6000 inhabitants already had Progymnasien or higher middle schools [...]. ” A head of the school ( “ conductor ” ) would have to be employed for 600 thalers a year , five literary educated teachers and one elementary teacher.

The house of the magistrate assessor Immisch on Saalstrasse was used as a school building until 1871.

In January and February 1861 there were extensive deliberations on this subject in the magistrate's college, in the city's debtor's deputation, and finally also in the city council's assembly, headed by Leopold Kell. On March 7, 1861, the city council gave its approval to an initially two-class school (the classes roughly corresponded to the sixth and fifth of a secondary school) and the employment of two teachers. The latter was found in the two city teachers Heinrich Friedrich home and elementary teacher Johann Gotthelf Löscher. Haus was appointed first teacher and head of the new institution by the royal government at Merseburg.

The official opening of the municipal higher citizen school took place on July 11, 1861 at 8:00 a.m. On the same day, 69 tested students were accepted as so-called "first-year students". The magistrate's assessor Immisch had made the ground floor of his house on Saalstrasse available as a temporary school building.

Carl Adolph Riebeck (1821–1883), supporter of the municipal high school.

The growing number of students from the beginning made it necessary to set up a third class (middle class) after just three months. A third teacher was hired: Wilhelm home, the headmaster's younger brother. With these classes, the VI, V and IV of a secondary school, the school existed until Easter 1866. The number of pupils increased from 94 to 103 during this time. Those pupils were financially supported by several influential personalities from Weißenfels and what is now southern Saxony- Anhalt, not least through the factory owner Carl Adolph Riebeck , later Commerzienrath in Halle . The following is reported about Riebeck: “But the school found its greatest benefactor in the factory owner Mr. A. Riebeck, who was then living in Weißenfels [...]. Because he not only paid the school fees for three pupils, but for a number of years also delivered all the heating material to the institute free of charge from the pit, while the local wagon owners willingly took over driving the coal stones. "

On January 12, 1863, the school board of trustees submitted an application to be able to provide the new institution with one or more elementary classes at the same time, following the example of many higher schools in other cities. The city authorities initially refused. Finally the renewed application to add another class to the school was granted in 1865. The new upper class generally corresponded to the tertia of a grammar school or a secondary school. This made it necessary to include “English” as a new subject (albeit still optional). It took a few years, however, for this grade level to become fully functional. Gustav Kiebitz from Bennungen was employed as a "teacher for English and French" .

When the school was founded, one or more elementary classes were planned, but the implementation failed due to the resistance of the city authorities, who feared disadvantages for their own schools and only approved the establishment of a preparatory class on February 23, 1866 after repeated unsuccessful applications by the board of trustees , in which the first foundations of the Latin language were also taught. There was now a pre-school class and four secondary school classes VI to III; five teachers taught the students. The so significantly expanded institution also required a larger subsidy from the city, which had already been increased by the authorities to 500 thalers in the course of the previous year. However, the classrooms were inadequate and poor, with no courtyard or playground; the preschool had to be housed in the building of the First City School due to lack of space. This situation did not change for a few years.

In 1867 there were important changes within the board of trustees and teaching staff: District Administrator von Wurmb left the board of trustees he had headed for six years and took up a new position as police chief in Berlin . The candidate for the preaching and higher education office, Judicial Councilor Wilde, was appointed as his successor. Headmaster home left the school to take over the rectorate of the secondary school for girls in Wittenberg. The management of the institution was handed over to Albert Reinicke from Schkeuditz .

With a small number of classes, 17 teachers taught quickly in nine years, which was mainly due to the private character of the institution, which was unable to offer the teachers to be appointed any guarantee for their future. Therefore, the call for the institution to be taken over into municipal hands was justified and also found broad support among the population, which culminated in the fact that in January 1869 the school board (magistrate), the city councilors' deputation and the board of trustees expressed the wish in various conferences, "That the higher boys' institution should be taken over as a municipal institution at Easter [...]" . On March 31, 1869, the city council decided to take over the school and continue it as a "municipal teaching institute" , on condition that, under the care of the magistrate, "the expansion of this school by adding a secondary school comes into being by Easter 1870" .

Municipal high school 1869–1878

At Easter 1869, Reinicke, the brewery owners Gürth and Oettler as well as the merchants Immisch and Stahl launched an appeal to contribute to the establishment of what would later become the Humboldt Foundation , which was to meet annually on September 14th ( Alexander von Humboldt's birthday ) in order to appeal to the local students award grants and bonuses to higher education institutions.

On July 11, 1869, the school was formally taken over by the city of Weißenfels, giving the facility the character of a public higher educational institution.

In 1870 Albert Reinicke set up another class (secondary) and converted the elementary class into a preschool class. From then on there was a so-called high school . However, this also gave rise to the difficulty of increasing school fees; there was also the prospect of a new school building. Construction of the new schoolhouse began in mid-June 1870. Up to the completion the construction costs amounted to 18,000 thalers. On July 26th, after acceptance by the city council, the royal government of Merseburg confirmed that it would guarantee the construction of a new Gymnasium Augusteum .

School building from 1871.

The further development of the educational institution is closely linked to the name of the director Robert Rosalsky , who, as the rector at the time, expanded the school from 1871 into a higher middle school. Due to the large number of students, the move to the much more suitable building on Friedrichsstrasse took place on September 5, 1871.

From now on, the educational establishment developed rapidly. As a result of the reorganization, new real classes and high school classes were introduced; combined classes, as was previously the case, have been resolved. School celebrations should take place every year in summer, such as the celebration in Goseck on July 7, 1871 for the tenth anniversary. The public school exams, which were held in the town hall, were integrated into the school celebrations as a permanent part. Rosalsky also submitted a new curriculum for the existing 5th grades, which generally corresponded to that for the Realschulen, while the authorities he was in charge of, in addition to maintaining the existing Realclasses, provided for the fastest possible establishment of a Progymnasium or a full Gymnasium. In 1873 the school was also included in the department of the Royal Provincial School College in Magdeburg , whereupon the teachers' salaries were increased by an average of 20%. In numerous subsequent specialist conferences, due to the aspiration to the gymnasial status, changed workloads were set and a new curriculum was drawn up for almost every school subject ( “discipline” ). Rosalsky's task was also to expand the school library created by his predecessor Reinicke and to provide new aids, books and materials for teaching. He received support primarily from the Humboldt Foundation , above all from the work of Professor Moritz Heyne from Basel , Küster Götze, master bricklayer Irmer, leather manufacturer Bernhard Jacobi and, once again, Carl Adolf Riebeck.

From 1878 the school was designated as a Progymnasium, a type of school that was considered to be the preliminary stage of the Gymnasium, by decision of the magistrate and the behest of the Royal Supervisory Authority. Linked to this was the recognition of the educational institution as a higher school by the state. From a speech by Rosalsky on the occasion of the recognition: “However, the work remains unfinished until the high school is established; but we must and can leave the achievement of this last goal, the complete grammar school, confidently to the time and especially to the further happy development of our city: Our own work should not be lacking in the future either. ” The Royal Provincial School Collegium provided In the following years the construction of a gymnasium, the equipping of the classrooms and specialist rooms, the provision of teaching staff and financial support for the school.

On the way to the secondary school 1878–1909

The Royal Provincial School Collegium was also involved in the instruction and punishment of pupils and also took care of the selection of school books and new pupils. Student associations were forbidden in those years. The grammar school continued to receive financial support from the Humboldt Foundation, the Zickmantel Foundation, the Treckel Foundation and the Bezzenberger Foundation.

During the gradual conversion of the Progymnasium into an upper secondary school between 1895 and 1900, subjects such as mathematics, natural sciences and so-called “living languages” came to the fore instead of the introduction to Greek and Latin language and literature. The secondary school system received a new impetus through the liberal efforts emanating particularly from the bourgeoisie since the 1840s and through the simultaneously growing influence of natural research. When the secondary school was finally fully developed in 1905, Robert Rosalsky was retired and received the Royal Crown Order III for his high services in the 34-year leadership of the educational institution . Class. In 1909, the then rector Max Löwisch, Rosalsky's official successor, pushed through the affiliation of the upper secondary school to a reform secondary school. Löwisch was to be awarded the title of "Senior Director of Studies" on July 1, 1922.

Social upheavals 1909–1938

The type of school affiliated in 1909 was gradually converted into a full-time high school. In a ministerial decree of November 23, 1910, it was determined that the foundation of the Weissenfels secondary school was to be dated July 11, 1861. From 1913 the school was run as an upper secondary school with a grammar school substructure .

In view of the growing number of pupils, the city ​​council decided in principle as early as 1905 in favor of building a new school. However, the school itself had little influence on the new building project. Long debates were initially held in the city council, and the first concrete result of this was an architecture competition in 1907 . Although the jury determined the best of the 93 submitted competition designs in the spring of 1908, it was only three years later, at the 50th anniversary celebration in 1911, at the request of the city council that the city council decided to execute the competition design by the Kassel- based architect August F. Ernecke , which he had submitted in collaboration with the architect H. Kaiser under the keyword “In the course of time” and which had been awarded one of the two first prizes.

In the school year 1914/1915, the beginning of the First World War fell on July 28, which was to have serious consequences for the Weißenfels high school. On August 1, the Prussian Minister for Education published a decree introducing the “ Notabitur ” for primary school students . 27 students took this exam on August 8 and 9, 1914. Conditions for this were membership of the class since 1913, the consent of the parents to immediate entry, a medical certificate of fitness for military service and the completion of the 17th year of life. During the mobilization on August 2, 1914, four teachers were immediately called up for military service. Although many high school students were called to the flag, the number of students remained the same in the following years.

On November 27, 1914, the Reform Realgymnasium connected to the Oberrealschule was officially recognized as a Realgymnasium by the Minister for Educational Affairs .

Difficulties arose from the question of space. The classrooms of the secondary school in the old seminar were made available for the purpose of training nurses in the service of the German Red Cross . The gym in the Beuditzschule, which was also used by the secondary school, served as a provisional grain magazine, as the large magazine was temporarily insufficient. When the Jungwehr was set up and there was no other room for the evening instruction hours that take place every two weeks, the director made the auditorium available for this purpose.

Inscription above the entrance to the auditorium: "Built in the years 1912-14"

From March 20, 1915, the pre-school had to leave the premises of the Beuditz School because the school was used as a temporary barracks. The annual report 1914/1915 shows: “None of these were great sacrifices. The most important help that the school was able to provide in the area of ​​the premises was not at all a sacrifice. It is the use of the new building, which is approaching its completion, to a provisionally prepared reserve hospital. The new school should be inaugurated at Easter and the new rooms should be occupied after the Easter break. We have to wait until there is peace. ” The new school building took place in the years 1912 to 1914 with many interruptions, and was not fully completed until 1920.

During the First World War, for which 62 pupils were drafted up to the beginning of the school year 1915/1916, the grammar school was involved in additional tasks such as providing food, participating in the Reich Wool Week, helping with finance or setting up a clerk's office. By ministerial decree of November 10, 1915, the existing pedagogical seminar in Weißenfels was relocated to Halle and connected to the pedagogical seminar existing at the secondary school of the Francke Foundations . Incidentally, during the war years there was no need for reporting on school matters. The printing of the annual school news was stopped in 1915, but continued from 1924 to Easter 1930.

On December 15, 1917, a report to the Provincial School College was reported on the collecting activities of the students as "work in the service of the food and raw material supply" . With great zeal, countless fruits, flowers, berries, leaves and whole plants were collected during the war years, which were used as animal feed, tea or straw sacks. In addition, several metals and utensils were collected for the supply of raw materials; Many objects, often urgently needed, were also taken from the chemical laboratory and the physical cabinet of the grammar school to the collection point.

After the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the subsequent proclamation of the Weimar Republic , it became necessary to initiate a school reform that would, among other things, prevent the pre-schools from being filled in the future, the deletion of the subject “Greek” and the sharp reduction in the subject “Latin” provided. The director at the time responded with a lawsuit because he saw his institution's path to certain ruin. In the future, however, talented and diversely interested students should also be promoted beyond the classroom through various working groups. Such working groups were called Shakespeare (German), History of Art and Artistic Design (Art), Free Speech (English), Wireless Telegraphy and Phonics (Physics), Exercises in Phonography (Chemistry), Biology of the Orphan Tree near Langendorf (Biology ) and design with plywood (handicraft lessons).

The construction work on the new school building went slowly.
View from Rosalskyweg to the school building.
Old recording of the auditorium.
Hike to the Saale of Albert Oerleke, Karl Genzel and the gymnastics teacher Carl Fischer (from left), taken in 1926.

Part of the reform was also the admission of schoolgirls to Obersekunda who had passed their final examination in the Lyceum , which was to take place for the first time at the beginning of the school year 1920/21 - albeit with the necessary prior examination at the grammar school. At the end of the summer vacation of 1919, the move into the unfinished new school building took place, pushed by the city authorities, as the tax office wanted to move into the old school building as quickly as possible. The gymnasium, however, was completed in January 1920, and finally the assembly hall in January 1922.

By the high inflation was "the school year in 1923 [...] a year of hardship, as yet none before. A year of school hardship and a year of teacher hardship. The need for teachers does not need to be reported here in great detail, although the struggles of the teaching staff against the communist city treasurer for the salary we are entitled to, the constant unrest and concern for the economic existence due to the danger of a complete collapse of state finances, the reduction of the salary to less than half, worrying about losing one's position as a result of the Civil Service Reduction Act, is essential to understanding the internal and external history of the school year. "

After the establishment of the Association for Germans abroad , in November 1920 several students associations were among others established in the following years: The German church youth , eagles and falcons , Jungdo ( "Young German Order"), werewolf and Saalia and sports festivals, hiking days and musical events set up. At the urging of committed teachers, an epidiascope and a radio were also procured, and a photographic point and the existing observatory were equipped.

After the National Socialists came to power , on January 30, 1934, Albert Oerleke, who had worked at the grammar school since 1919, was denounced as a staunch Social Democrat and suspended from duty. The school committee was dissolved and a committee for secondary schools was established instead. At the beginning of the 1935/1936 school year, instead of the traditional parents' council, the institution's youth administrators were elected, which included four teachers and a representative of the Hitler Youth . Although classes were held according to the old guidelines, new curricula were already in progress; in some subjects the content of the lesson has been completely changed. The " National Socialist educational work " penetrated all areas. Young people and children were recorded in associations, assemblies and similar structures, in which they were ideologically trained, drilled and brought up in the spirit of the Third Reich . This was also reflected in the afternoon free working groups, with topics such as heredity, race and genetic health care , Romans and Teutons, or art and race .

In the school year 1937/1938, a reform envisaged the reduction of school time to 12 years until the Abitur. The first four years of primary school therefore had to take on tasks that were previously reserved for higher schools. The guidelines were issued by the Reich Ministry of Education. They also provided for an expansion of foreign language teaching. In future, three foreign languages ​​were taught in high schools for boys: English from sixths , Latin from quarters and another living foreign language from upper secondary . However, the third foreign language was omitted from the science branch of secondary school. There were also new working groups in the natural sciences and mathematics as well as in philosophy and a living foreign language.

1938–1948: Municipal high school for boys

When the grammar school was renamed the municipal high school for boys , it lost its dual character, which had existed since 1909. As a result of the school reform, the Latin names for the grades, which were subsequently numbered, were dropped. The higher schools should in future finish with grade 8, which means that the 13th school year was omitted. From the school year 1937/38, new curricula were gradually introduced for all subjects, which corresponded to the requirements of the Nazi Reich. As before, the school year was divided into three tertials.

School building since 1919.

With the outbreak of the Second World War , gymnastics and sports lessons were increasingly subordinated to military training. For pupils up to the age of 14, air rifle shooting in room 013 and for older pupils shooting with small caliber rifles and pistols on the grounds of the shooting range became compulsory. All other teaching disciplines (especially history, German and geography) were also increasingly used for ideological orientation. Topics such as Germanness abroad , the history of the Teutons , a people in arms , the importance of the German colonies (which no longer existed since 1918) and the race question were created.

From the war year 1940/41 on, the pupils from grade 4 (formerly lower grade) were assigned to harvest assignments, namely to the grain and root crop harvest. The working time was 12 hours a day with a wage of 25 pfennigs. The 7th and 8th grade pupils were assigned to the air raid protection service, which meant that three pupils each spent one night in the school building in the caretaker's room in order to be on the spot in the event of a fire alarm and to initiate first measures. The great shortage of teachers was also a major problem during the war.

The winter of the 1941/42 school year was particularly long, snowy and very cold. In addition to the food shortage, there was a lack of coal. As a result, the pupils received additional so-called “coal holidays” when the temperature was set below zero, during which they came to school twice a week to hand in their homework and get new ones. Use of the school building as a reserve hospital was planned by the army command, but was not initially implemented. It was during this time that the Anglo-American bomb squadrons began to attack. If the advance warning fell during class time, the students were kept on standby (ready to leave the building). In the event of an air-raid alarm, the students went home as quickly as possible. Foreign students and those who had another way home voluntarily went to the protective bunker in the city park, the entrance to which was at the statue of the cobbler boy . In the event of an air raid between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., lessons began two hours later.

After several decades of waiting for an observation telescope for the observatory, the company Carl Zeiss from Jena finally delivered it on July 27, 1942 at a price of 4,269 Reichsmarks , even if the delivery of important accessories was still delayed.

At the beginning of 1945, regular classes were hardly possible. Very often there was no cold because the school did not have any fuel. Shortened lessons were very often interrupted by air raids. The line of war shifted rapidly towards the Weißenfels area. From January 29, 1945, the "learner drivers" no longer took part in the afternoon lessons due to the temporarily suspended train connections. The last certificates that the students received before the collapse of the Third Reich were awarded on March 9th. From March 21, the school building was used as a reserve hospital by the Weißenfels garrison; from now on the students no longer had regular lessons. They were ordered daily to the rooms of the former institution for the deaf and dumb on Langendorfer Strasse to deliver their homework and receive new ones. After the shortened Easter holidays, the two high schools were closed on April 4 and classes were suspended.

The Second World War had torn large gaps in the teaching and student body. The number of dead from the Weissenfels secondary school is not known. What is certain, however, is that there were even 14-year-olds among them. The bullet holes in the school building when the American associations fought Weißenfels are still visible today. The war ended for Weißenfels on May 14, 1945. The schools were closed for a long time. After the decision of the Yalta Conference , the armed forces of the Soviet Army occupied the city on July 1, 1945.

A school reform was urgently required in order to establish new content and to resolve old structures. The National Socialist ideology was replaced by the socialist ideology; In addition to the separation of church and state , the Russian language was introduced as the first foreign language. Coeducation was introduced, that is, the Lyceum on Langendorferstrasse was not reopened; from now on school attendance was free; the path to the Abitur only comprised grades 9 to 12. Finally, the different names of the higher education institutions were dropped, the uniform name for the schools leading to the Abitur was now called Oberschule .

Classes for all schools in the Soviet zone of occupation began on October 1, 1945. The municipal high school for boys in Weißenfels began with 381 students in 13 classes from levels 1 to 7 (today 5 to 11). Since the building at the monastery was set up as a hospital and quarantine station for contagious diseases, the school had to move to the vocational school on the corner of Langendorferstraße - Starkes Privatweg (today Dr.-Benjamin-Halevi-Straße) and the building of the HJ home (today's music school ) dodge. Despite the fact that the premises were too small and the material deficiencies as a result of the destroyed economy, the number of pupils increased considerably in the following school year, as former soldiers and flak helpers registered to achieve the “ Notabitur ”. In one school year, students from 17 to 25 years of age sat at the Abitur level, taught by very old (Nazi-free) teachers and new teachers .

From September 1, 1946, only grades 9 to 12 belonged to the secondary school. As before, new students to be admitted had to take a written and oral entrance examination. At the end of September 1946, the city of Weißenfels released the school building at the monastery. But the Soviet military administration confiscated the building for a military hospital and for the occupation administration with a command post. The vigorous protests of the school administration and the city were rejected.

In September 1948 the content of the secondary school for boys and that for girls, which had long been connected spatially, was merged. The school was henceforth called the German Unity School Oberschule - Municipal Oberschule for boys and girls .

1948–1949: German standard school

Goethe would have celebrated his 200th birthday on August 28, 1949 .

After years of foreign occupancy in the building at Kloster 4, it was returned to the city on May 12, 1949. After extensive cleaning and renovation work, students and teachers moved back into their school building with all their teaching utensils. The state government of Saxony-Anhalt asked the school and city to decide on a name for the school. The proposal by the Carl von Ossietzky School could not be implemented. Since it was currently in the so-called "Goethe year" (200th birthday of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe), the city council decided on the name of the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. On July 28, 1949, the school's auditorium was given the name Goethe-Oberschule . This name was carved in 1954 by Prof. E. Haase above the portal of the entrance to Kloster 4.

1949–1990: Goethe High School

The division of the school year into 3 trimesters was retained until 1952, before the school year was uniformly divided into two half-years with respective certificates issued. In the same year, the statutory scholarship payment (instead of the previous maintenance allowance) was introduced. A new “house and school rules” also came into force, which answered the educational questions more tightly than the old one.

From 1953 there was close cooperation with the Karl Marx Oberschule in Bernburg , with cultural and sporting competitions between both partners. In general, these years were characterized by high levels of activity in sports and culture. Track and field athletes, rowers and, above all, basketball players at the district level and the latter even on the GDR scale were able to achieve considerable success. In addition, the school was called the cultural center of the city, to which the performances of its vocal and instrumental soloists and reciters as well as the choir and instrumental group in the city halls and in the city theater contributed. So the celebrations for the anniversaries of Schubert , Schiller , Bach and Mozart became highly publicized events. The theater group performed The Servant of Two Masters and other plays. In addition, the construction and use of the school's own fanfare train should be mentioned.

The socialist education of teachers and students was particularly promoted. The students had to join the political organizations FDJ , DSF and GST and pledge allegiance to the state. In monthly FDJ meetings, in the so-called “academic year of the FDJ”, which culminated in the removal of the “badge for good knowledge”, in corresponding celebrations and appeals, the attempt was made to shape convictions. The impressive new baroque auditorium was named Walter Ulbricht Hall . In 1955 the first youth consecrations were carried out there. The entire process at the school was subject to varied and detailed planning. The management had to draw up the school year work plan as well as their personal plans for themselves, the class leader the plan for his class, each subject teacher the plan for his subject. There were major fluctuations in teachers, most of whom went to West Germany before the Wall was built .

The year 1958 brought the "law on the socialist development of the school system in the GDR". Since from now on every school from grade 1 onwards was given the name Oberschule , a new name was coined: Goethe Oberschule - Extended Oberschule . At the same time, the “class day in socialist production and agriculture” was introduced for all students from grade 7. On that day, the students received their training in the state- owned companies or the agricultural production cooperatives of the GDR.

In the search for a suitable holiday home for the Goethe High School , the initiators discovered the place near Pepelow on the Baltic Sea on the Salzhaff in the school year 1959/60 , which became a permanent place of relaxation for the students in summer. City and country invested a lot of money in the expansion of a tent camp and for the constant improvement as well as several report and photo books on the growing popularity of the Pepelow tent camp.

principal Term of office
Johann Schieferdecker 1664-1673
Johann Leitenius 1673-1707
Christian Weidling 1707-1718
Johann Gottfried Hartung 1718-1721
Christian Reineccius 1721-1752
Heinrich Friedrich home 1861-1867
Albert Reinicke 1867-1871
Otto Klose (substitute) 1871
Robert Rosalsky 1871-1905
Otto Klose (substitute) 1905
Max Löwisch 1905-1934
Johannes Lehder 1938-1945
Georg Singer (deputy) 1945-1946
Julius Voigt 1946-1948
Georg singer 1948-1949
Kurt Hauck 1950-1951
Abert Fuhr 1951-1958
Heini Leitmann (acting) 1959-1961
Helmut Spengler 1961
Walter Kastl 1961-1966
Gerhard Throne 1966-1981
Uwe Camnitius 1981-1986
Regina Camnitius 1986-1990
Hans-Dirk Less 1990-2007
Rüdiger Kastl (acting) 2007-2009
Jürgen Mannke since 2009

In autumn 1961 there was a student protest against the building of the Berlin Wall ; numerous teachers were then transferred to other schools as punishment.

From 1964 - but only for a few years - the attempt was made to emphasize polytechnical training at the extended secondary school by introducing a combination of high school diploma and profession. With the Abitur, the students also acquired a certificate of skilled work to carry out a profession. The attempt at this so-called “vocational training with a high school diploma” proved to be unsustainable and ended in 1970.

Extensive renovation work from 1972 to 1977, which had been requested for a long time, improved the living conditions of the students and teachers. The toilets came into the house, the auditorium was given a dignified appearance and a conditioning room was set up. Unfortunately, there were not enough funds for the reconstruction of the observation dome, which was closed by the building authorities.

Due to the further development of the socialist education system, the 1982/83 school year was of particular importance. The extended secondary school only comprised grades 11 and 12. That meant: fewer students and fewer teachers. The pupils of the extended high school in Lützen came to the Goethe-Oberschule as it was closed. As a result, the Goethe High School had five 11th and five 12th grades. The building was too big now. In addition to the Goethe High School, the school house housed the adult education center, the headquarters of the teachers' union and the pedagogical district cabinet.

In terms of content, the socialist education of young people was gradually tightened up. Each student was assigned a specific function within their class that could be billed. In addition to preparing for the Abitur, every student was firmly involved in the tasks of the FDJ, the GST, appeals, events, contributions to discussions, vacation planning and much more. There was very little free space. From the mid-1980s, the 12th grade drove more and more on their final trips to the Soviet Union, which was also made possible during class.

What is remarkable for the period of almost 45 years of socialist school activity presented here is the number of 11 different headmasters, of whom only the teacher G. Thron was able to ensure a certain continuity with 15 years of management activity.

When the GDR population forced the opening of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and the socialist state lost its existence, the conditions of the educational content naturally also changed. In December 1989, the subject “ Citizenship ” and Saturday as a class day were dropped. The content of the Goethe-Oberschule - Extended Oberschule started its last year and released the last high school graduates in July 1990.

Since 1991: Goethe grammar school

House 2 of the Goethe Gymnasium; Because of its characteristic color, which is now covered by plants, called "piggy house" by some students.

In 1991 the so-called Goethe-Oberschule was converted into the Goethe-Gymnasium (spelling since 2009: Goethegymnasium ).

The Goethegymnasium has a complex of two buildings. Since the 2001/2002 school year, it was divided into three houses due to the growing number of students, the main building remained the neighboring building of the former St. Claren Monastery. House 3 was closed in 2007, however, so that the 5th to 7th grades previously taught there have been in so-called House 2 since then .

In 2009 the Goethe Gymnasium was added to the list of twelve primary schools of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg . In Weißenfels itself, it is one of the most important location factors and parts of the urban and regional infrastructure, even with the affiliated college level and evening grammar school of the second educational path. The school is currently attended by 660 students, divided into 31 classes and taught by a total of 50 teachers.

Projects

Stage projects

Ladegast organ in the auditorium

Over time, the school developed into a kind of “cultural institution”: Since 1992, a number of pupils have been performing musicals at irregular intervals, which are staged under the direction of teachers. The following productions have already been performed by the students at the Goethe Gymnasium:

In addition, the grammar school establishes itself with its own concerts (including benefit concerts), which are given either in the school's own auditorium or together with other schools in the Weißenfelser Kulturhaus. In addition, musically gifted students are supported by the projects Rhythm Is Life and the double quartet under the guidance of the music teacher.

Even before today's Goethe Gymnasium existed, the students were involved in cultural events, such as the festive commemoration of Novalis , Friedrich Schiller , Ludwig van Beethoven , Pestalozzi , Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , Richard Wagner and Johannes Brahms .

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall , the 2010 high school graduates performed the specially organized stage show Ein Kessel Osten - Memories of the GDR in November 2009 and January 2010 . This Abitur level said goodbye with a self-written play called The Visit of Old Friends as a gift to the school. The proceeds went towards further renovation.

Comenius

The Goethegymnasium also takes part in the so-called Comenius project , an international school project of the European Union to promote the European concept of unity and multilingual learning. The Goethe Gymnasium is currently in the position of the “coordinating school”. In this sense, Comenius primarily includes student exchange programs. In addition, study trips are offered to the partner schools of the Goethe Gymnasium abroad: to Roubaix ( France ), Uherské Hradiště ( Czech Republic ), Las Palmas ( Gran Canaria ), Komárno ( Slovakia ), Växjö ( Sweden ) and Sylvania in the US state of Georgia . Although the English partner school in Bradford dropped out of the project, England was retained as a study trip opportunity.

advancement

Goethegym3.JPG

The school is supported primarily by the Friends of the Goethegymnasium eV association, which is also intended to increase the attractiveness of school life.

For the first time, in September 1990, an advertisement in the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung drew attention to the fact that the school intended to found a so-called "Alumni Association". Interested parties should contact the school management. Soon afterwards, on November 26th of the same year, 17 interested parties met for the first time to exchange ideas and ideas and to put them on paper. In December the first board of directors was finally appointed and the statutes adopted. The aim should be to support the school where other options are lacking and to promote special achievements by students.

On February 19, 1991 the association was entered in the register of associations as a "non-profit association of alumni and friends of the Oberrealschule and the Goethe Oberschule"; on May 16, 1992 the board was finally elected. On the occasion of the celebratory event 130 years of high school education in Weißenfels , various club members were involved in such a project for the first time. At that time there were already 70 members of the association, which in September 1992 welcomed a group of 13 alumni, whose Abitur had passed 60 years ago, together with the school management.

The aims of this support association are to this day, among other things, to support the teaching and learning operations of the school by providing material resources that the school authority cannot finance, as well as various extra-curricular activities of the school. In addition, particularly high-performing students should be encouraged. Likewise, value is placed on the cohesion of former students among one another and their contact with the old school.

As part of the first big school festival on June 19, 1993, the annual general meeting awarded a sponsorship prize to outstanding students for the first time. Another general meeting took place on September 24, 1994 on the occasion of the concert “ Schüler musmachen ”, in which it was decided to take over the traditional Pepelow holiday camp into the sponsorship of the association in order to ensure its continued existence.

Additional funds were collected through other cultural events (performance of the musical Hans and Grete in 1995, benefit concerts Hour of Music 1996-2000, school ball, musical Tabaluga and Lilli , etc.), which among other things benefited the improvement of equipment and the school climate. On June 13, 1998 it was recommended for the first time to set up a homepage for the school on the Internet; part of the costs were covered by the association. The homepage has been expanded, expanded and renewed to this day with the help of committed teachers and students.

On the occasion of the award of the half-yearly reports in February 2010, the Sirius Prize for “bright minds” was awarded for the first time by the school management, which has since taken place in the auditorium after each class-specific report is issued. It recognizes outstanding student achievements on a wide variety of terrains, some of which are also outside of the classroom.

Fonts

  • School programs of the Progymnasium and the higher citizen school in Weissenfels . Weissenfels, 1873–1874 digitized
  • School programs of the Progymnasium in Weissenfels (which is in the process of being converted into an upper secondary school) . Weissenfels, 1884–1899 digitized version
  • School programs of the Oberrealschule zu Weißenfels with Reformrealgymnasium iE Weißenfels, 1909–1914 digitized
  • Review of the history of the Oberrealschule in Weißenfels with the Reformrealgymnasium iE 1861 - July 11th - 1911 . From Professor O. Klose. Weißenfels as, 1911. In: Oberrealschule zu Weißenfels with Reformrealgymnasium iE: Supplement to the XXXX program; Report on the 1910 school year . Digitized

Individual evidence

  1. data. (No longer available online.) In: Internet pages of the school. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016 ; accessed on February 24, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ggwsf.org
  2. ^ History. (No longer available online.) In: Internet pages of the school. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016 ; accessed on February 24, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ggwsf.org
  3. JM Folger: Weißenfels as a literary center at the turn of the XVII. and XVIII. Century. E. Weidenfeld printing house, Stanislau 1908.
  4. ^ Gerhard Dünnhaupt: Johannes Riemer (1648–1714). In: Personal bibliographies on Baroque prints. , Volume 5, Hiersemann, Stuttgart 1991, ISBN 3-7772-9133-1 , pp. 3319-3349.
  5. Cf. 130 years of high school educational institution in Weißenfels, 1861–1991. P. 6.
  6. See review of the history of the Oberrealschule in Weißenfels with the Reformrealgymnasium iE 1861 - July 11th - 1911 by Professor Otto Klose, senior teacher a. D., Buchdruckerei Leopold Kell
  7. See review of the history of the Oberrealschule in Weißenfels with the Reformrealgymnasium iE 1861 - July 11th - 1911 by Professor Otto Klose, senior teacher a. D., Buchdruckerei Leopold Kell
  8. See review of the history of the Oberrealschule in Weißenfels with the Reformrealgymnasium iE 1861 - July 11th - 1911 by Professor Otto Klose, senior teacher a. D., Buchdruckerei Leopold Kell.
  9. See review of the history of the Oberrealschule in Weißenfels with the Reformrealgymnasium iE 1861 - July 11th - 1911 by Professor Otto Klose, senior teacher a. D., Buchdruckerei Leopold Kell
  10. See review of the history of the Oberrealschule in Weißenfels with the Reformrealgymnasium iE 1861 - July 11th - 1911 by Professor Otto Klose, senior teacher a. D., Buchdruckerei Leopold Kell
  11. See review of the history of the Oberrealschule in Weißenfels with the Reformrealgymnasium iE 1861 - July 11th - 1911 by Professor Otto Klose, senior teacher a. D., Buchdruckerei Leopold Kell
  12. Cf. 130 years of high school educational institution in Weißenfels, 1861–1991. P. 6.
  13. See school news of the “higher civil school for boys” from 1871–1876, the Progymnasium from 1879–1897, and the Oberrealschule from 1900–1913. Author: the rector. Letterpress Leopold Kell
  14. ↑ School news , author: Rector, Buchdruckerei Leopold Kell.
  15. Cf. 130 years of high school educational institution in Weißenfels, 1861–1991. P. 6.
  16. Deutsche Bauzeitung , Volume 41, 1907, No. 79 (from October 2, 1907), p. 560. (Note on the competition)
  17. a b Deutsche Bauzeitung , 42nd year 1908, No. 32 (from April 18, 1908), p. 216. (Note on the competition result)
  18. 130 years of high school educational institution in Weißenfels 1861–1991. P. 8.
  19. ^ Annual report 1914–1915 by Dr. Löwisch, director of the institution, Leopold Kell printing works
  20. ^ Annual report 1915–1916 by Dr. Löwisch, director of the institution, Leopold Kell printing works
  21. Max Löwisch: Municipal high school with Reform Realgymnasium Weißenfels. 25 years of school history 1911–1936. Weißenfels 1936.
  22. Equipment. (No longer available online.) In: Internet pages of the school. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016 ; accessed on February 24, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ggwsf.org
  23. Preface. (No longer available online.) In: Internet pages of the school. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016 ; accessed on February 24, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ggwsf.org
  24. data. (No longer available online.) In: Internet pages of the school. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016 ; accessed on February 24, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ggwsf.org
  25. musical. (No longer available online.) In: Internet pages of the school. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016 ; accessed on February 24, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ggwsf.org
  26. Claudia Petasch: Choirs pass the acid test. (No longer available online.) In: Internet pages of the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung . June 10, 2008, formerly in the original ; Retrieved July 11, 2009 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / archiv.mz-web.de  
  27. ↑ School Chronicle Volumes I and II
  28. mz-web.de
  29. Comenius. (No longer available online.) In: Internet pages of the school. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016 ; accessed on February 24, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ggwsf.org
  30. Cf. 10 years of the Goethe-Gymnasium Weißenfels and the association “Friends of the Goethe-Gymnasium” eV, Festschrift, 140 years of high school education in Weißenfels . Publisher: Goethe-Gymnasium Weißenfels. SIMON Druck + Werbung.
  31. Cf. 10 years of the Goethe-Gymnasium Weißenfels and the association “Friends of the Goethe-Gymnasium” eV, Festschrift, 140 years of high school education in Weißenfels . Publisher: Goethe-Gymnasium Weißenfels. SIMON Druck + Werbung.
  32. ^ Association of alumni and sponsors of the Goethe-Gymnasium Weißenfels. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on February 24, 2016 ; accessed on February 24, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ggwsf.org

Web links

Commons : Goethegymnasium Weißenfels  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files