Schmidt School
| Schmidt School | |
|---|---|
| founding | 1886 |
| place | East Jerusalem |
| Governorate | Jerusalem |
| Country | State of Palestine |
| Coordinates | 31 ° 46 '58 " N , 35 ° 13' 49" E |
| carrier | Congregatio Jesu |
| student | around 500 |
| Website | www.schmidtschule.org |
The Schmidt School is a German school abroad for Christian and Muslim girls in East Jerusalem . It was founded in 1886 and teaches around 500 female students. The school sponsor is the Congregatio Jesu , owner of the German Association of the Holy Land . The language of instruction is German, the colloquial language is English. The college consists of Arabic and German teachers.
history
| year | student |
|---|---|
| 1890 | 36 |
| 1914 | 120 |
| 1915 | 138 |
| 1921 | 27 |
| 1926 | 150 |
| 1936 | 370 |
| 1954 | 400 |
In 1886 a school for “Arab girls” was set up in the newly built old hospice near the Jaffa Gate in addition to the pilgrims' hospice and infirmary. The school and the infirmary were managed by a convent of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Charles Borromeo . In 1890 the German Lazarist father Friedrich Wilhelm Schmidt took over the administrative management of the school, which enjoyed a good reputation not only among the Christian population. The number of pupils rose from 36 in 1890 to around 120 in 1914 and 138 in 1915. The lessons were based on the curricula of German elementary schools.
During the Palestine trip of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1898, he also paid a visit to the Schmidt School. During a meeting with Kaiser Wilhelm II , Wilhelm Schmidt suggested the construction of a larger and more contemporary pilgrim accommodation. The emperor had previously supported the construction of the Protestant Church of the Redeemer and the establishment of the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion. With the support of the emperor, the German Association of the Holy Land acquired two pieces of land opposite the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem in 1899 and built the Paulus House there . After Father Schmidt died in 1907, Father Ernst Schmitz took over management, continued building libraries and expanding the natural science collections. The pilgrims 'hospice moved to the new building in 1908 and a teachers' seminar was set up there. In the old hospice there was thus more space available for the school.
At the beginning of the First World War , like all foreign institutions, the school was initially closed, but was able to resume classes at the beginning of 1915 due to the good relations between the German and the Ottoman Empire . The only condition was that Turkish had to be taught as well. After the British conquered Jerusalem, the school was closed for three years in 1918.
League of Nations mandate (1921–1948)
The League of Nations mandate for Palestine kept Jerusalem under British control. School operations could be resumed, but were subject to more stringent requirements, so that initially English replaced German as the language of instruction. However, German was later allowed again. By adopting the Palestinian curriculum, the pupils were able to complete higher Palestinian school qualifications as well as a teacher examination in addition to the German elementary school certificate. School operations initially began with 27 students in two classes and one kindergarten group. Due to the small number of students, boys were also admitted until 1930. By 1936 the school had grown to 370 students.
In the 1930s, German was a compulsory foreign language from the sixth grade onwards. There was also a two-class German department where German female students were taught according to German curricula.
From 1925 onwards, the school received greater support from the church and politics in Germany and was largely unaffected by the Nazi takeover.
At the beginning of the Second World War , the German teachers, including the superior and headmistress Sr. Maria Kramm, were interned. The Arab Sr. Elia took over the management. The German teachers returned to the school in 1943 and the school ran until the beginning of the Palestine War in May 1948.
Jordanian Period (1948-1967)
The old hospice on Hillel Street , used as a school building, was located in Israel's western part of the city after the 1949 armistice agreement . The students came mainly from the Jordanian East Jerusalem and therefore had to pass the armistice line to get to school. Therefore, on October 1, 1950, the school was temporarily relocated to the Paulus House. With the support of the Israeli authorities, the headmaster, Father Sonnen, organized a transport on 65 trucks, which meant that the move was carried out quickly. Three years later, around 400 pupils attended the school again.
The Paulus House was not designed for school operations with a boarding school and should also serve as a hospice again. In the 1950s, a few outbuildings were built to increase capacity and in 1962, construction of a new school building began on the property next to the Paulus House. The new building was completed on May 14, 1967, but only a few days later the Six Day War began , as a result of which the building suffered severe damage.
Israeli time
Another turning point in the history of the school followed with the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem. The students who are now from the West Bank have to pass security checks due to violent attacks and attacks by Palestinians recently and in the past.
school
The twelve years of schooling lead to the Palestinian Tawjihi and the German International Abitur (DIAP). The German International Abitur (DIAP) is recognized by the Palestinian Education Authority and entitles you to study in Germany, Palestine and worldwide. Almost 100% of the female pupils subsequently take up university studies. The Schmidt School is considered to be a highly valued education and training center in Jerusalem. The graduates are in demand on the job market. The school is supervised u. a. also through the Congregatio Jesu .
Confessional orientation
- The Schmidt School is a Catholic school in the sense of the Corpus Iuris Canonici and is subject to the requirements of Gravissimum educationis .
- Since it was founded, it has also been a school of German tradition and maintains close ties with the German school landscape.
- At the same time it is also a school in a Muslim country. The ratio of 80% Muslims and 20% Christians in the student body - it is the other way around in the teaching staff - expresses these relationships.
- At the same time, the school lies in the area of tension in East Jerusalem . The school has to bridge all of this.
literature
- Margret Greiner : "Miss, how do you spell the future?" : as a German teacher in Jerusalem . Munich: Malik, 2003 ISBN 3-89029-256-9
Web links
- Homepage of the Schmidt School
- Schmidt School on the website of the German Association of the Holy Land
Individual evidence
- ^ School boards. In: schmidtschule.org. Retrieved May 30, 2016 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Aspects of the history of the Schmidt school in Jerusalem. In: schmidtschule.org. Retrieved July 22, 2015 .
- ↑ a b c d e Erich Läufer: 100 years of the Paulus House in Jerusalem: The German Association of the Holy Land celebrates its historic guest house. In: Catholic church newspaper Berlin. December 5, 1999, accessed December 6, 2014 .