Did you know that this very building the Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium once hosted a controversial guest? Right here before you stands a school with a fascinating and sometimes scandalous history. The Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium in Geesthacht is more than just a school it’s a place where history unfolded in unexpected ways.
Established in 1940 the Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium began as a feeder school for the Hansa-Oberschule in Hamburg-Bergedorf. It was Geesthacht’s first secondary school a vital addition due to the town’s rapid growth in 1939. Interestingly despite being initially designated for boys the student body comprised 22 boys and 11 girls. The school’s early years were humble.
In 1963 the school finally received its first gymnasium. The science wing opened in 1968. This event coincided with a name change. On July 30 1968 the school officially became the Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium named after the Nobel laureate Otto Hahn. The school wasn’t immune to the social upheaval of the 1960s. It faced challenges such as teacher shortages and a lack of space. Despite this the school made significant investments acquiring its first computer in 1970 a language lab in 1974 and a photocopier in 1975. Expansion was necessary. Eight additional classrooms were built in 1977. This required moving the sports field by 90 degrees. A major renovation project reshaped the school in the late 1970s. Only one tower from the original building remained. It now sits proudly in the schoolyard. The construction finished in 1981. A large sports hall was added in 1984.
The Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium became an Europaschule in 1996 demonstrating its commitment to international exchange. The school’s students actively participate in social initiatives. They donate proceeds from an annual Christmas bazaar to charitable organizations. In 1997 they participated in a ‘Students Help Lives’ campaign donating a day’s wages. Since 2011 the school has published its own newspaper ‘Euforum’.
But the most intriguing part of the Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium’s story is the ‘Dönitz Affair’. In 1963 then student council president Uwe Barschel later Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein invited Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz to speak. Dönitz Hitler’s successor as Reichspräsident had been convicted as a war criminal in Nuremberg. This lecture sparked a major scandal. National and international media reported the event. The ensuing controversy sadly led to the suicide of the school principal Georg Rüsen.
The Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium stands as a testament to Geesthacht’s history. Its story demonstrates growth adaptation and the occasional unexpected controversy. It’s a place of learning a place of history a place worth exploring.