Fancy learning where rhythm ‘n’ noise music has its roots? The Herderschule Lüneburg is more than just a school. It is a place of history and modern education. Founded in 1950, the Herderschule addressed Lüneburg’s growing population. The two existing gymnasiums could not accommodate all students. Initially, the private school moved between different buildings. In 1951, it found a home in a farmhouse in Ochtmissen.
Rising student numbers led to additional rooms being rented in 1954. To centralize the school, refugee barracks from Neetze were purchased. They were rebuilt in Ochtmissen between 1955 and 1956. In 1959, the city of Lüneburg took over the school. The Herderschule was no longer a private institution. The “Verein der Eltern und Freunde der Herderschule e.V.” emerged from the former school association. Construction of the current school building began in 1967. It is located on Ochtmisser Kirchsteig 27. The building opened on August 1, 1969. It replaced the Ochtmissen location entirely. Since 2004, ninth-grade classes have been housed in the Christianischule. This is due to a lack of space in the main building.
The Herderschule’s campus has expanded and been extensively renovated since then. The main building is a three-story flat-roof structure. It houses classrooms, specialized rooms, administration, the school cafeteria, and a library. The main building surrounds a large courtyard. This courtyard is planted with trees and bushes. A single-story flat-roof building extends on the south side. It houses music rooms, a workshop, a gymnastics hall, and a sports hall. The Herderschule’s auditorium is located directly on Ochtmisser Kirchsteig. A bicycle cellar and workshop are underneath. In 2004, an annex was built for the additional fifth and sixth grade levels. This addition includes eight classrooms.
The Herderschule is equipped with various specialized rooms. These include music rooms, art rooms, a workshop with an attached shop, chemistry rooms, physics rooms, and biology rooms. There is also a science room and a computer room. The school has two sports halls and a school cafeteria. The Herderschule’s auditorium hosts events and performing arts classes.
In 2002, PCB contamination was discovered during window replacement. Some rooms had to be closed. Each area of the school was gutted and renovated. Part of the schoolyard was transformed into an outdoor stage. The cafeteria was expanded in 2017 and 2018. Renovation is ongoing because a solution for the auditorium is still needed.
The Herderschule offers English, Latin, French, and Spanish. In the past, there was a Low German working group. Students in grades 8 to 10 take courses from a chosen focus. These courses resemble interdisciplinary project work. Exchange programs connect Herderschule with schools abroad. These include Roseburg Highschool in Oregon, USA. Others are Mart Reiniku School and Jaan Poska Gymnasium in Tartu, Estonia. Also Saint Albans High School For Girls in Hertfordshire, Great Britain, Lycée Porte-Océane in Le Havre, France. There are also Collège de Penn ar C’hleuz in Brest, France, and Instituto IES Alto Conquero in Huelva, Spain.
Herderschule students are involved in various social programs. These include “School without Racism – School with Courage”, a mediators program, and Amnesty International. The German rhythm ‘n’ noise music project KiEw was founded in 1990. Its members, with one exception, were former Herderschule students.
The Herderschule Lüneburg with its long history stands as a pillar of education. It embraces its students and gives them space to grow.