Think back to 1869. That’s when the story of Albert-Schweitzer-Schule in Kassel began. It started as a Realschule Erster Ordnung. The first school building was in Kasseler Wolfsschlucht.
In 1871, the school moved to Schomburgstraße. A royal connection emerged in 1877. Prince Heinrich of Prussia completed his secondary education there. By 1882, it was known as a Realgymnasium.
A grand new building opened in Wilhelmshöher Allee in 1911. Sadly, it was completely destroyed in World War II. Today, the Jacob-Grimm-Schule stands on that site.
After the war, Albert-Schweitzer-Schule found a new home. It moved into the former Oberrealschule I building on Kölnische Straße 89. This was in 1945. Initially, it was called Realgymnasium Kölnische Straße. The building itself was designed by Ludwig von Noël. He worked for the city’s building authority. That was back in 1898. In 1956, the school received its current name. It was renamed in honor of Albert Schweitzer.
Albert-Schweitzer-Schule is one of Kassel’s oldest secondary schools. Since 2010, it has proudly held the title of Europaschule. The school serves students in grades five through thirteen. About 1,200 students attend. They are taught by approximately 100 teachers.
What makes Albert-Schweitzer-Schule special? From fifth grade, students can choose French instead of English. Starting in eighth grade, bilingual courses are available. Students can study history and politics and economics in German-English or German-French. Exchange programs connect students with schools in France and French-speaking Switzerland. The school even has a French library. It is called CDI. It offers French literature for all ages. Plus, there are various French magazines.
The Schülerforschungszentrum Nordhessen is located at Albert-Schweitzer-Schule. Students from all grades collaborate on science projects there. The school leadership supports this student research center. The building opened in June 2012. Even before completion, it won awards for its innovative design.
The school’s rowing club is TRV ASS. It has enjoyed success at state and national levels for decades. The school regularly participates in “Jugend trainiert für Olympia.” In 2004, the girls’ team won the national final in the Gig-Vierer.
Albert-Schweitzer-Schule offers many extracurricular activities. These include music groups and exchange programs. Exchanges occur with schools in France, Switzerland, and England.
Students have a voice at Albert-Schweitzer-Schule. The student council is elected by the students. It holds meetings with class representatives. The council also runs a blog.
Since 1956, students have collected donations for the Blindenhilfswerk. This supports blind people. Since 1974, the school has partnered with a group supporting indigenous Amazonians. For over 30 years, the school has hosted the “RiPa” festival. This happens on the first weekend of December. School classes raise money through various activities. They sell Christmas crafts and baked goods. The name “RiPa” refers to indigenous South American groups along the Río Pachitea in Peru.
Albert-Schweitzer-Schule has received several awards. In 2004, it earned a seal of approval. This was for supporting gifted students. In 2005, it won the Schulpreis from the state government. This was for its commitment to “Jugend forscht.” In 2008, the Ministry of Culture certified the school as a CertiLingua school. CertiLingua recognizes multilingual, European, and international skills. In June 2010, Albert-Schweitzer-Schule was recognized as a Europaschule. The Albert-Schweitzer-Schule won the school prize in the Faszination Technik competition in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Many notable people have attended or taught at Albert-Schweitzer-Schule. Klaus-Peter Haupt taught astronomy, physics, math, and philosophy there. He founded the PhysikClub. He himself was a student there. He graduated in 1972.
Other alumni include Alexander von Danckelman. He graduated in 1874. He became a geographer and meteorologist. Prince Heinrich of Prussia attended in 1877. He later became a grand admiral. He was also the brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II.