Dedicated to shaping futures. That is the Heinrich-Hertz-Europakolleg in Bonn. This vocational school with a focus on crafts has a rich history. It is named after Heinrich Rudolph Hertz. He was the German physicist who discovered electromagnetic waves.
Heinrich-Hertz-Europakolleg started as a school for craftsmen and merchants. This was on April 25, 1908. The original location was in the Stiftsschule. That building is now a protected monument. In 1911, the school split into two parts. One part was for commercial training. This later became the Ludwig-Erhard-Berufskolleg. The other part focused on trade. This is the present-day Heinrich-Hertz-Europakolleg. Until 1912, all vocational schools in Germany were called continuation schools.
The first dedicated vocational school building opened in 1913. It was on Budapester Stra\u00dfe. Rudolf Schultze, the city’s building commissioner, designed it. Today, that building is known as the Pestalozzischule. It is also a protected monument.
In 1967, the Heinrich-Hertz-Europakolleg moved to its current location. The address is Herseler Stra\u00dfe 1-5 in Graurheindorf. Joachim Hammerstein from the Municipal Building Authority designed the building complex. Construction took place between 1964 and 1966. Heinrich Raderschall planned the landscaping. From 1978, the school also housed parts of the Bonn-Beuel comprehensive school. This lasted until that school had its own building in 1981.
In 1990, the FNT was founded. This is an association for promoting new technologies in vocational training. The late 1990s brought changes to vocational schools in North Rhine-Westphalia. The school became known as Heinrich-Hertz-Berufskolleg der Stadt Bonn HHB.
In 2003, the college established a Cisco Academy. Several teachers trained as Cisco-CCNA trainers. They also trained for the PC-Hardware IT-Essentials course.
Building H was completely renovated starting in 2005. Riemann Architekten transformed the former Jahn elementary school. It became a forum for information and communications technology. The grand opening took place on January 26, 2006. Headmaster Dohlen highlighted the school’s focus. This included a technical college for IT, media, and communication.
A cooperation agreement was signed with the Fachhochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg in 2007. This partnership focused on the field of IT. By 2008, the school had about 3300 students. The school celebrated its 100th anniversary. Headmaster Gerhard Dohlen signed a partnership agreement. This was with Henri Bresson. He was the director of the Lyc\u00e9e Le Corbusier in Strasbourg. Dohlen emphasized the importance of European cooperation in vocational education.
The school was certified as a Europaschule. It was the first technical vocational college in the Rhineland to receive this honor. In 2010, the school officially became Heinrich-Hertz-Europakolleg der Bundesstadt Bonn.
In 2017, Building A was demolished. This made way for a new barrier-free building. It includes classrooms and a cafeteria. The Siegen branch of kplan AG handled the planning. The new Building A opened on September 30, 2019. Ashok Sridharan, the Mayor of Bonn, attended the opening ceremony.
Today, Heinrich-Hertz-Europakolleg offers a wide range of educational opportunities. These range from basic vocational training to higher education.
The school maintains European collaborations. It participates in exchange programs. Partners include institutions in France, the UK, and Spain. The school is easily accessible by public transportation. Tram lines 61 and 65 serve the school. Bus line 601 also provides access. The school’s sports hall is used by the Bonner Futsal Lions. From its humble beginnings to its current status as a Europakolleg. Heinrich-Hertz-Europakolleg continues to evolve. It adapts to the changing needs of its students.