Founded in 1952 the Bertolt-Brecht-Gymnasium in Dresden has a rich history. Initially an Erweiterte Oberschule or EOS it was named after Klement Gottwald a Czechoslovakian president. The school briefly closed between 1963 and 1967 due to low enrollment.
Later it was renamed EOS Bertolt Brecht after the famous writer. Helene Weigel Brecht’s wife played a role in this renaming. This is a fascinating detail not widely known. The school then moved from Reick to Johannstadt. Its former location now houses the Julius-Ambrosius-Huelfe-Gymnasium.
After German reunification the school expanded. It even used a neighboring elementary school building for a time. Between 1993 and 1996 the Bertolt-Brecht-Gymnasium underwent major renovations. These renovations transformed the typical Dresden Atrium school building. The inner courtyards were covered becoming usable halls. This exemplifies the school’s commitment to modernization.
Today the Bertolt-Brecht-Gymnasium offers four profiles: science language bilingual and social sciences. It also has a full-day program with over 70 activities. Students can study English Spanish Russian French and Latin.
The school has a student-run company bb-web focusing on renewable energy. It also once hosted a branch of the Dresden City Library a unique feature for a school. This library later became an internal one with about 12000 media items.
The Bertolt-Brecht-Gymnasium maintains international partnerships. One notable partnership was with the Spencer High School in Iowa. This ended in 2009 due to the discontinuation of German language classes in Iowa. The school continues to support students in getting Cambridge certificates. The school’s dedication to international collaboration is evident in its history and current programs. The Bertolt-Brecht-Gymnasium stands as a testament to educational excellence and adaptability.