Curious about a school with literary flair? The Grundschule Hoheluft has quite a story. Let’s step inside its history.
Grundschule Hoheluft is located in Hamburg’s Hoheluft-West district. It is a state-run primary school founded in 1974. Since 2011, it has operated as a full-day school. This means children can stay for afternoon activities.
Before the Grundschule Hoheluft stood here, there was something else. In 1892, a double public school was built on this site. It was called Volksschule Wrangelstrasse. Sadly, it was destroyed during a heavy air raid in 1943. The school wasn’t rebuilt right away.
In 1974, the Schule Wrangelstrasse was re-established. The new building’s design came about in 1972. Construction started in 1973. The Neue Heimat Norddeutscher Städtebau GmbH managed the building project. They used a standard “Wabe” type design for Neue Heimat schools. Two other schools were built this way around the same time. One was at Nydamer Weg and the other at Brehmweg. The latter has since been torn down. The “Wabe” design wasn’t pre-fabricated. The hexagonal structures were traditionally built with masonry and covered with Eternit panels.
Later, the school merged with the Schule Christian-Förster-Strasse. They operated at two locations. In 2005, the combined school was renamed Grundschule Hoheluft. In 2012, the Christian-Förster-Strasse site was given to the growing Gymnasium Hoheluft. Grundschule Hoheluft then consolidated at the Wrangelstrasse location.
From 2013 to 2017, the “Wabe” buildings were demolished. A larger new building was constructed in two phases. This allowed for a three-track school operation. The three-story building has a “Z” shape in its floor plan. One wall connects directly to the residential building at Wrangelstrasse 88-90. The facade features light brick on the upper floors. The ground floor has a glazed post-and-beam facade for the cafeteria and common areas. The first phase cost 4.6 million euros. It created 1,300 square meters of usable space.
“Pavillon 2” was the only existing building not torn down during the 2013-2017 construction. The expansion to three tracks aligns with the 2019 school development plan. No further construction is planned until 2030.
Grundschule Hoheluft has a strong profile. Since 2011, it has been a full-day school. In 2010, the Hamburger Sparkasse Foundation named it “Literature School 2010”. This was during the “Seiteneinsteiger” reading festival. The school received a prize of 2,000 euros. Since 2015, children have participated in the Generationenbrücke project. They regularly visited residents of the nearby St. Markus senior center.
In 2011, the Grundschule Hoheluft had a social index of 5. This scale ranges from 1 to 6. One indicates high support needs and six indicates no support needs. In 2016-17, about 33% of students had a migrant background. This is lower than the average for Hamburg primary schools. The Grundschule Hoheluft is known for projects and theater visits. They also have an annual art show and workshops. Field trips, school festivals and yoga make the school day varied and exciting. The school focuses on art and reading.
Grundschule Hoheluft stands as a testament to Hamburg’s commitment to education. Its history is marked by resilience and innovation. From its roots as a double public school to its modern full-day program, the school continues to evolve. It shapes young minds in the heart of Hoheluft-West.