Dreaming of a bilingual education? The Romain-Rolland-Oberschule in Berlin could be the place. This school champions Franco-German friendship.
The Romain-Rolland-Oberschule’s history is interesting. It began as an idea. The idea was to transform the École Victor Hugo into a secondary school. This happened after the French military left Berlin. The aim was to nurture German-French relations. The Romain-Rolland-Oberschule was founded. The formal naming happened on September 11 1995. Before this, it was a branch of the Gabriele-von-Bülow-Oberschule. Lutz Zimmermann was the founding headmaster.
Let’s talk about the Romain-Rolland-Oberschule campus. It is designed like a French cité scolaire. Until 1994, it housed the École Victor Hugo elementary school. This was until the French forces withdrew. The main building is mostly one-story. It is organized in wings. Classrooms have their own terraces. Only the administration section has two stories.
A separate building once housed the school cafeteria. Today, it contains the cafeteria and an auditorium. There are also meeting rooms, an art room and a theater. In 2014, two bronze sculptures called Vögel found a new home here. Ursula Hanke-Förster created these sculptures. They were made in 1982. They honored the friendship with the French allies. They stood before the Cité Foch shopping center. In 2013, the third sculpture was stolen. A memorial plaque marks this loss.
The Romain-Rolland-Oberschule added three buildings over time. A three-story pavilion for science classrooms came first in 1994. Another three-story pavilion followed in 1998. It accommodated the growing student population. A second sports hall was built in 2000. The main building got an addition too. This created space for computer rooms.
Since 2001, the Romain-Rolland-Oberschule has had a branch on Hermsdorfer Straße. This is where the graduating class studies. It is near the Centre Talma. This is another reminder of the French military presence. Since 2019, the school has promoted itself as “A Campus in Greenery”.
The Romain-Rolland-Oberschule offers a special bilingual program. Students in two classes receive extra French lessons from grade 5. From grade 7, they learn geography in French. From grade 8, history is taught bilingually. Students can take Latin, Spanish or Chinese in grade 8.
Bilingual students aim for the AbiBac. This is a German-French double qualification. They study French five hours a week. They also study history, geography and political science in French. They take an extra French oral exam. A representative from France helps assess exams. Successful students receive both a German Abitur and a French Baccalauréat.
The school encourages participation in language competitions. It also participates in eTwinning projects. Romain-Rolland-Oberschule was the first Berlin school with the CertiLingua label. This recognizes language and intercultural skills. The school arranges exchanges with French schools. Students complete internships in France.
In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel visited the Romain-Rolland-Oberschule. They held a panel discussion. The school joined the MINT-EC network for schools excelling in science and math. In 2013, author Marie N’Diaye visited the school. This was for the 50th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty. Wolfgang Schäuble and Gesine Schwan also discussed with students here.
In 2019, the Romain-Rolland-Oberschule celebrated its 25th anniversary. Sandra Scheeres and Philippe Guilbert attended the ceremony. They emphasized the school’s special role. Since 2022, Uwe Peters has been the headmaster.
The Romain-Rolland-Oberschule Förderverein supports the school. It funds projects and used to run the cafeteria. The school’s graduates include Florian Zschiedrich and Hannah Lühmann. So as you stand here, remember that Romain-Rolland-Oberschule is more than a school. It is a symbol of Franco-German friendship and academic excellence.