Fancy a story about a school that’s seen it all? Right here we have the Ernst-Abbe-Gymnasium. This school has been around since 1899. It first opened as a “Higher Educational Institution for Boys”. That makes the Ernst-Abbe-Gymnasium the oldest Gymnasium in Neukölln.
Initially located on what is now Sonnenallee it was named Kaiser-Friedrich-Realgymnasium in 1902. The name change reflected a focus on science and technology. Fast forward a couple of decades. Reform pedagogue Fritz Karsen became the principal. He transformed the school into a trailblazer. It became a pioneering educational institution. Karsen introduced courses for working-class students to gain their Abitur. This made the school the birthplace of the “second educational pathway” in Germany.
In 1927, Karsen added an eight-grade elementary school. This created a unified school system. The Ernst-Abbe-Gymnasium became the first integrated comprehensive school in Germany. At that time it was renamed Karl-Marx-Schule. The school even gained literary fame. Bertolt Brecht collaborated with the theater group here. He rehearsed his experimental school opera “Der Jasager”. Students offered improvements. Brecht then wrote a new version called “Der Neinsager”. After further student input, Brecht finalized the version performed publicly in 1931.
The National Socialists seized power in 1933. Karsen was dismissed. The school reverted to its original name. Later it was renamed after local poet Hermann Löns. The faculty was almost entirely replaced. The number of Jewish students dropped drastically. By 1956, the school received its present name Ernst-Abbe-Gymnasium. Coeducation was introduced in 1948. It had briefly existed during the Karl-Marx-Schule era.
The Ernst-Abbe-Gymnasium building itself is noteworthy. The four-story brick building was built in 1901/02. Architect Hermann Weigand designed it. The preschool building followed in 1906/07. Reinhold Kiehl designed that. Today the school building is a protected monument. It underwent extensive renovations from 2012 to 2018.
As of 2023, 69 teachers and 8 student teachers instruct 735 students. These students come from 21 different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This results in a high percentage of students with migration backgrounds. Many students come from disadvantaged families. The Ernst-Abbe-Gymnasium receives maximum support. This comes via Berlin’s bonus program. This funding supports digital equipment and after-school care. It also helps fund school social work.
Students can choose between Latin and French in grade 7. In grade 8, they can choose the other language. From grade 7, students can take enhanced English lessons. This prepares them for bilingual instruction. From grade 9, they can study geography, history, or biology in English. In grade 10, they can add another subject for bilingual instruction until graduation. The Ernst-Abbe-Gymnasium offers five working groups. These include a choir. Since 2018, the school is a certified “Contigo-School without Mobbing”. A special school planner is mandatory for all students. Language education is a priority. Until 2019, the school participated in the federal BiSS project. Since 2021, it participates in BiSS-Transfer. The “Pons Latinus” project originated here. It focuses on language-building Latin instruction.
Some interesting anecdotes come from pre-1914 class registers. One student started a smoky fire under a bench. Another disturbed fish in the aquarium during biology class. One student jabbed a classmate with a knitting needle. The classmate needed medical attention due to the risk of poisoning. Another student caused chaos. He used firecrackers and swung all the classroom lamps. He connected them with thread. He also tried to simulate an earthquake. The Ernst-Abbe-Gymnasium. A place of learning and laughter.