Step onto the grounds of the Maria-Ward-Realschule. Feel the history beneath your feet. This isn’t just a school. It’s a living testament to the unwavering dedication of women who shaped education.
The Maria-Ward-Realschule stands proudly in Würzburg. Its story begins long ago. It started in 1866. The English Fräulein took over the Zorn’sche Institut. They established a higher school for girls. This was not an easy task. Negotiations in 1721 had failed. The Ursulines already had a girls’ school. The English Fräulein faced resistance. Their 1862 request was refused. Würzburg already had enough schools. The city magistrate saw no need. Yet in 1866 their request was approved. They took over the existing Zorn’sche Privat-Erziehungs-Institut.
The English Fräulein began teaching. They were housed in the Bonitas-Bauer printing company. Their initial space housed 120 day students and 5 boarders. Margarethe Hübner was the first headmistress. She was later called the Superior. A small house chapel was established. Larger school services were held in a nearby Franciscan church. Bishop Georg Anton von Stahl appointed Domkapitular Ignaz Joseph Ruland as spiritual director. The Würzburg branch was officially approved in 1867.
By 1868 the school had 300 students. These included Protestant and Jewish girls. The school moved in 1868. Then again in 1876 to the Graf Seinsheim house. It was expensive to rent that location. Bishop Franz Joseph von Stein proposed a purchase. The Maffbacher Hof in Herrengasse 6 was bought in 1883. The school moved there in 1884. Domkapitular Joseph von Schork presided over the inauguration.
A significant school reform happened in 1910/11. The school became a six-year higher girls’ school. A one or two year women’s college was added. Or students could attend a three-year secondary school. The English Fräulein chose the first option. The school’s name became Higher Girls’ School and Educational Institute of the English Fräulein Würzburg.
The First World War brought changes. State supervision began. More space was needed. The school rented rooms. In 1921 a three-year secondary school was transformed into a six-year one. Inflation and economic hardship forced them to reverse this. A further reform in 1924 followed. The Higher Girls’ School became a Lyzeum. It was equivalent to secondary schools and preparatory schools. The six-year secondary school was called a Higher Girls’ School of the new order. Both schools were under the Bavarian Ministry of Culture not the city.
The school wanted to add a Catholic girls’ grammar school. This request was initially denied. It was repeatedly requested in 1927. The main problem was space. A plot of land between Erthalstrasse and Kirchbühlstrasse was acquired but deemed unsuitable. The Pfarr Garden was bought in 1927. This land was over 10.000 square meters. Construction began on a new building. Bishop Matthias Ehrenfried performed the ground laying. The new building was completed in 1930. It housed 21 classrooms specialized rooms and a school kitchen.
The Nazi era brought an end to the English Fräulein’s school. State subsidies were drastically reduced. Then in 1937 the school was closed. The building was rented to the city of Würzburg. The sisters moved to the Maffbacher Hof. The city then acquired the building and it became the Mozartschule. The Maffbacher Hof building was destroyed in 1945. The Annastrasse building survived.
After WWII the English Fräulein returned. They used the undamaged building. They were given a ruined property in Nikolausstrasse. It became a school and boarding house. A three-year secondary school was established. In 1953 the school in Annastrasse reopened. In 1957 the school was fully restored. A new chapel was consecrated. A day-care center was added. The garden was revitalized. In 1958 the school changed from three to four-year secondary school.
The school has continued to grow and adapt. It became a six-year Realschule. Various subject groups are offered. A cafeteria and a day-care center were established. In 2009 the Maria-Ward-Stiftung took over the school. In 2011 the Maria Ward sisters left Würzburg. The school was renovated. New buildings were constructed. The Maria-Ward-Realschule continues to provide education. It is a vibrant and lasting legacy. It remembers the English Fräulein. It is a testament to their hard work and devotion.