“Ich will verstehen!” This famous quote by Hannah Arendt encapsulates the spirit of the Hannah-Arendt-Gymnasium. It is our school’s motto. Hannah Arendt was a German Jew who fled Nazi persecution. She emigrated to the USA. She was a versatile academic. Arendt was a journalist and university professor. She understood how to connect philosophical insight with political action. She cared about understanding and participating in political life. She valued seeing things from another’s perspective.
The Hannah-Arendt-Gymnasium mirrors this diversity. We strive for academic excellence. We offer varied paths to achieve it. Students learn a second language like Spanish or French. They can even study a third language like Latin. They deepen their expertise. There are many electives from grade eight. We prepare students for advanced studies. Students learn how to do research. We emphasize social values. These values align with Hannah Arendt’s principles.
Founded in 1999, the Hannah-Arendt-Gymnasium quickly became an important part of Berlin’s educational landscape. The school is located in the district of Rudow. It addressed the growing need for school places in the area. The Albert-Einstein-Gymnasium and the Leonardo-Da-Vinci-Gymnasium were overcrowded. The Hannah-Arendt-Gymnasium offered a solution.
The grounds of the Hannah-Arendt-Gymnasium cover 9631 square meters. The site includes a main building and a triple sports hall. There is also a cafeteria that opened in 2011. The schoolyard has a break area. Sports facilities include a 100-meter track. There is a long jump pit and a soccer field. Three small basketball courts and several table tennis tables are available. The outdoor area once featured a pond with a wooden bridge. It also had seating.
The Hannah-Arendt-Gymnasium faced budget constraints during construction. Yet it resulted in an efficient design. The building has specialized rooms for various subjects. There are two rooms each for music, art, biology and physics. Chemistry has three rooms. There are also five computer labs. An auditorium, a library and a student lounge are available.
The Hannah-Arendt-Gymnasium offers a wide range of subjects. Computer science is taught from the 8th grade up to graduation. Bilingual instruction is available. History and geography are taught in English. Students can choose from several languages. These include Spanish, French, English and Latin. French and Spanish are offered as second languages.
Students in grades eight and ten choose an elective subject. Options include computer science and GPS. GPS includes German and philosophy. Other options are chemistry, physics, mathematics, music and art. Students can also pick geography, history, Latin or biology.
The Hannah-Arendt-Gymnasium is more than just classrooms. It is a place of community. It encourages critical thinking and social responsibility. The school was named “School Without Racism” in 2016. It demonstrated a commitment to tolerance. It reflects the values of its namesake Hannah Arendt. The Hannah-Arendt-Gymnasium prepares students to be engaged. It prepares them to be thoughtful citizens. The school equips them to make a difference in the world.