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3/25/1957 - The Gothic Labyrinth: Giessen’s Other Schools by David Binder

NOT FOR PUBLICATION DB PlockStrass The G0thic Labyrinth GiesSen Germany Giessen Other SchOols Mr Walter R0ers Institute Current World Affairs Fifh Avenue York York Dearr RogerS A couple local school director leaned across cluttered remarked aSignificant Giessen sometimes known schools blind would dispute accuracy slogan Within downtown alone square there schools For weeks wandering around educational labyrinth heSltats amorphous institutions school sstem Labyrint ltough bloodthirstyin0taUr awaits casual visltor instead bunch polite school directors delis contributi confusion There varieties schools Giessen addition ordinary elementary schools almost enough delicate These under general classifications professional schools Ofessional specialty schools specialty schools At varying between Giessen children enter these schools trained shoemakers mecha secretaries kindergarten teachers engineers everythinE required modern medieval civilization At least years school attendance required Stats Hesse Giessen Volksschule Mittelschule graduates finish Off their edUca tionalobliati0Sae Despite bewiiderins tiplicity professional specialty schools there stern aspect Of formalism educational FOr while school hardly found am0ns German Schools neverthe school attends makeS nltlvs difference career statUS later And almost impossible starts learning craft bSking Ch later decide become lawyer Small percentage students break corporative Scheme their trails Yet professional spsclalty schools accomplish It masons butciers trained these schools better craftsmen their tranS atlantic colleagues Training other professions Still would Unfair school scheme Gothic dictionary senses Of Gothic lacklnS classical simplicity Char acterized converging weights strains isolated points slender vertical piers The strains demands Giessen growing school population places study The weights German industry comnsrce pressin schools better educated youngsters The Vertical piers strain metaphor schools selves almost horizontal connection ordination local level All piers Se WieSbaden where State Ministry Cul holds Sway And apparently Giessen board education neither thing thing future Most Of dirsCtors Giessen public schools nodding acquaintance Other DB4 FiSt labyrinth M dchen Berufsschule Pro fesional School It charmins woman Fraulein Therese Kalbflelsch She white black eyebrows sracious mannsr Direktorin Kalbfleisch charge Berufs schUle students The 51rls divided professions house tailoring beauticians baking factory workers They school eight hours period three years During other weekdays these girls beautyshops factories The instruction school accompanies practical experience their working hours Thus typical school includes classes social studies religion German hygiene hours Fachkunde professional training sewing bakin6 Employers girls between month their social insurance The girls about finish schooling They tested craft guilds their profes sions Thowho regular working wases Fr ulein Kalbfleisch points girls effect school Considering workinz hours their employers exactly suffering It battle employers agree director Professional school instruction Fachkunde classes largely theoretical For instance Fraulein Erlka Heims beautician class students studylnS roots layers scales purpose Using cross sectlon model Fraulein Helms diseases effect frequent application water dressings It scientific The Class girls sheepish alert The class slump durin5 religlon Frau Kni6 This saocharlne creature spent dreary paraphrasing Bible passage bores every students later Religion became ularprofessional school class schedule It problem child I saysDirector Kalbfleisch I We haven enough teachers I tried insist quality instruction quantity A person teaching material needs solid logical training During following beautician class socislstudies again Fraulein Heimso They topic socisl Why teacher Because money answered student What asked teacher The class answered To fulfill demands The demands listed blackboard underiths headings natural cultural luxury Tele vision course under luxuryheadins It nearly followed iceboxes The class discussed credit buying Said teacher Buying luxury goods credit stupld because might couidn installments Another social studies class Fraulein Ruth Plenz challengin6 assisnment This third clsss factor workers Frulein Plenz attractlve Cuxhaven showed E1 Greoo Madonna The girls figure painted depicted painter effect patient sadness The teacher Job uidln discussion Later The hardest thing think reflect because motors The factory Speeds their lives Theyalways sensations They school because Fraulein PSlenz smiled I successful I teach think themselves Sharing cramped quarters Mdchen Berufsschule theHaus haltung s_sqhule Home Economics School under diFecti Fru Kalb1 specialty school school where practical theoretical instruction given The girls include Grma mathematics social studies cooking sewing house Abou girls graduate school gostraight factory They gladly taken because employers hours Out instead shorter period professional school students Others children nursing class where getadditional courses hygiene education handwork children litera biology The letter steppingstone kindergarten Last there final exams sewing cooking classes The final SeW apron Earlier sewed themselves skirt blouse dress The cooking required prepare three dishes The faculty festive exams The dandy three kinds potato salad soups casserole desserts We would except nervous candidate dropped plate director Upstairs building GeWerbllche Eerufs schule Professional Crafts School Its classr serve students They divided classes The students theoretical instruction incredible variety skills butcher baker mechanic electrician optician steel smith mason carpenter cabinet maker glazier shoemaker uphdsterer typesetter cooper painter engraver stonecutter mention major As girls school eight hours classes period three years Meanwhile their employers During workbench hours between and0a month After graduating school individual craft guilds Those union scale wages Classes crafts school pitched individual trade For instance carpenters carpentry theory mechanical drawing business training ccount The other crafts similar class schedules emphasis application subject trade Our Job provide intellectual underpinning their students practical outside school School director Franz Eurgey The director 9oker faCed native Rheinpfalz where wines Burgey recallS experience profsional schOol pupil I Work hours marks month extra schoOling While present system perfect Schools since I asked about school spirit school He admitted there How could there students coming class takin quite different courseS Similarly teachers their pupils inthe other schools There school council school newspaper Burgey hopes paper printing equipment school The director would studentscome We would twice teachers course could right Better deflcitfirst something esldes monstrous struggle hands trying convince craft guilds employers school necessary The S BU school sound instruction In second bakers class acher spent whole chemistry yeastin bread baking The teacher master baker himself egmund Richardt sized shriveled prune cherished front teeth white jacket craft Painted letters wallw DB Honorable Handw There other slogans other walls prsctlce thesign palntlng class The stupidest tions Use Y0ar Time In spite limited quarters Profe Sional Crafts School makes three workrooms Masons pratl C nlaZure ricks metalworkers fuiIscale weiding equip menand lahes carpenters model houses plain professional craft schools despite their erman eduoatlonal history rooted medieval guild tradition This traditiOn demanded apprentice tSught master craftsman bondage years The oUndatlons present professio schools enlightened gotuss around century Drel Genera tlonen rufsschularbeit Otto Monsheimer Verl Weln The developed rabid Opposition guilds businessmen They fettered these hidebound forces today As progressive trends should remembered Professinal schools pione courses soolal studies years Another important section labyrinth Kadfmnnische erufs schule Professi Commercial School It seems bound AEes tadition crafts school perhaps becau middle elass professions which suppliers strong viiuallstic olden times However contrast other schools where craft teachers fUlltime instructors commercial school draws special subjeCt teachers rEular practice Thus dntal sistan tauzht practiclnz dentists insurance company employees Vractic insurance The Commercial School ebuliet Nikolaus RGck nativ Metz whose father foreman champagne factortr One Suspectsthat Of bubbly stuff still Rck veins He close cropp whlte halred whose bears slight resemblance Chancellor Adenauer except Rgck Is animated His O00 Students dividend classes Right sarin schools I allotted classro RGck Ha I stand sometlmes Next month CommerOlal S chool handsome buildint Classes In schgol divided retail trade wholesale trade commerce professions mediolne civil service The studentsgo school JUst other professional schools Ab school straitht Volks chule spend three years In addition individual itycourses _they classes business correspondence management accountln soolal studies religion Special courses stenography Iven The other student comes higher schools They bFush their Skills after spendin5 couple years because o0mmerclal exams within their professions Last Saturday dental assistants their exams Four professional dentists first examing board On boardwas human skull named Anton faced students The girls answer assortment questions about types steriliza annotations different teeth dental equipment The druggist assistants ducted drugEists They terri She fumbled question acids One druggists faced bullneck shouted Suppose customer DB4 sulphuric instead right He everythlng responsible This unheard Director RGck assured She another chance flued The equipment Commer School impressive The typing excellent machines Merchandlsins classes mockup counter repletewithslassware textiles cosmetics cookin utensils I wrote begglngletters manufacturers stuff RGCk Then I write thank letters I asked Rck later about ordinatlon between local school rectors He Each school nterests One drector anything other The teEether Is transferral questions RGck turned another matter One trouble inferior students remain VO lkSSOhule Then The Volksschule doesn Ive oungsterS enoushaii And carve statue Mercury piece However around nagin other dlrecters RGck advocate called VolksSChule which would elementary school students extra instructlon One Giessen schools already housed In ld1ng IS Wirts ftsoberschule Business M Igh SChool cools Hesse Is second largest school thins privileged institution superior students admltted It school which begins Obersekunda grade class About student trnser other schools Another Mittelschul The remainder Handelsschule trade school building Mo about latter The slnessih Scho reEular schools mainly approach instancee emphasis foreign language Instructlon Is buslness usaEe letter writlnE conversation rather Spanish replaces Latin Chemisry Is emphaslzed expense Additional business manaE ement econemlcs glven scheol study universities The Into Ths girls latter group eligible Jobs translatgrs export busIne secretaries The director siness High School Is yearold Hans swarthy merry With smile hoarse voIce A Gie stumpy energetic example hometown thing resents about school Is Eraduates universities allowed study undsr business faculties He Is Ministry Cu rewil Ioosenp future Stein director other bulIn Trade School Upper Trade School The technical ommercial Jects school The students school almost They admitted school If marks these students manage School First however complete preliminary business school The Upper Trade School proposition It starts ishes grade The courses In school except little dvancsd Shorthand Dt5 heavily stressed About students girls With crtificate school secretaries stenographers The business Stein primary complaint present demand three chools This students applied entrance Business High School He could About applied Trade School could And applied Upper Trade School where taken Stein teachers students All three these schools called Berufsfachschulen professional specialty schools This their practical theoretical instruction school contrast professional schools The students regular school I asked Director Stein thought proposed school It coming schools Then confidential about workin On utilize Stein wants introduce Trade School yeast According scheme students spend whole school insteadof usual They would lunch school study afternoon Th would group student which would closer school present group Moreover group selected Business School would oether school years Besides Stein might Papa having Stein father school daughters In G essen dists between modernistic school buildin ancient never thousand yards Thus surprising enury Business High School several blocks yourselfin century quarters I nenieuschule Engineer School Ironlca tution specialty school begun after The building available Landgrave castle constructed halftimbers about years How plans school itself compatible surroundings The Engineering School plytechnic institute Three sparate courses given electronics building construction machine struction It seven schools Hesse There preparing entrance school either through Volksschule school The Volkss chule graduate wants become engineer first study professional craft school working Along evein classes mathematlcs physics chemistry On completion journeyman entrance Engineering School If successful still called preliminary semester school bsfore mtartin regular course Since outside normal schedule semes About school StU avefollowed pattern At present preliminary semss The other student comes higher schools Those Mittelsschule grade of_hih school spend years construction mechanical prof_esSions Journeyman preliminary semester T after completing school Abitur journeyman extra semester couple years practical The average student enterin engineerin_ courses Up semesters study The Schedule recently expanded because crease ofmaterial fields Successful raduates title DB4 engineer qualified construction industry Those desiring theoretical field continue their studies university Meanwhile learning crammed Engineer School semesters For example building construction student followin courses three semesters Algebra physics materials stone construction design social studies In fourth fifth semesters courses steel concrete usage steel construc statics added In semester course structural acoustics added The faculty consists architects engineers graduate degrees Most practice For instance Rudolf MGller whose specialty course statics worked large bridge buildlng concern Essen until couple years bridge Egypt We The company folded after constructln capital foreign countries explained MGller portly kempt smiled smile added I regret Coming I probably And Karl Heinz teaches mathematics veteran wartime Junkers Airplane Works Dessau He East Zone Dresden after friend tipped German Communist Security Police after The Ries Ifted piano player He several concerts Dresden after ambition spend American en6ineerin school The director Engineering School Dr Schnaubert present taking overwork He school petent hands assistant Ernst Hegel The latter first architect former student renowned Mies Van Der Robe Bauhaus School during Twenties early Thirties Heel native nearby Wetzlar brown large friendly In addition schoolwork designs occasional house But architectural project closest heart build Engineering School About Director Schnau their heads toether daring Build school industry As conceived addin regular school buildin House Young Engineers which would combination dormitory dining extra lectures prora_s industrial experts They formed association enthusiastic support dozen dustrial firms process conviHcing State Federal 8overnment should estimated COO CO0 Heel pessimistic first designed proposed buildings Bauhaus If dream becomes reality pretty Hel company gotten permission City build location facin Giessen Swan Pond nicest spots Says Hegel We might beoin construction The raison school apparent Heel starts talkln about tremendous squeeze beino engineering schOols At times eligible applicants there places school At other industry yelling tDnee times graduates We bottleneck A shortage enineeri students schools sounds famil Decause seven rooms castle provide adequate school couple wooden barracks additional classroom space A teacher described effect winter weather instruction barracks catastrophe One barracks teachers Dr Heinrich Weber Westphalian abandoned career teach social studies Dr Weber teacher Home Economics School something almost unbelievable Out their meager salaries saved marks They travel New York where Greyhound buses Grand Canyon Just America I Dr Weber excellent classes which discussed history participation Germany after World War II Afterwards subject which engineer students examined T years teachers Hesse other engineering schools protested Ministry Culture social studies exams unfair because engineers qualified their students field Weber teacher these schools whose specialty social studies So Ministry decreed exams As result students throush class It seemed students already etting hishly concentrated schedule technical studies should escape exposure world beyond engineering I asked Weber about He asreed Later Hesel exams reintroduced couple years Apparently general education struck roots every where The specialty schools labyrlnth Landwirt schaftsschule Asrlcultural School Kind err_terinnens C Kinderen Teachers School I former until later report because Sta Agricultural Ministry The Kindergarten Teachers School directed City School Superin tendent Adam Scheurer It course students Graduates elisible teach Giessen eight Kindergartens which City Churches Girls enterin school usually about Their courses include social studies blology German psychology teaching child welfare music ymnastics drawing handicrafts The tudents Kindergarten teachln6 assistant weeks children before receiving their teacher certificates There still another school Giessen which rightly under professional specialty headings It Sonderschule special school mentally retarded children called Hilfsschule It serves children whose disturbances range meningitis Mongolism Hesse Hilfsschule century Giessen begun years Before mentally retarded children special classes Volksschule The thing wrong Hilfsschule quarters As stepchild local schools placed miserable wooden barracks containing small rooms The walls outside white washed inside rotting In stiff winter teacher erature inside building degrees The freezes teachers rheumatism This situation longer largely because Hilfsschule director Dr Fritz Siebel talking Hessian Social Democratic alderman friend LArgermeister Osswald Social Democrat As result Dr Siebel energetic pleas behalf school Mayor sympathetic interest Hilfsschule gleaming model building It named after Albert Schweitzer Despite uncomfortable physical establi shment Hilfs s_chule makes impression The teachers their thirties experience instructing Volksschule extra training psychology sociology Without exception appeared gifted imaginative There Frau Iren Fruck husky gentle faced teacher roughest classes She teaching alphabet Koch finger reading method Later class worked numbers I eager count Frau Fruck Ingeborg Mongoloid trouble seeing first raise Her counting perfect The teacher asked Schweitzer Hans youngster whose motor impulses shouted Schweitzer Jungle airplane I talked Inebors mother after class I thank Frau Jun Inebor happy school She There Fraulein Ruth Bresina slender woman likes smile Her graders drawing modeling spite miserly supply materials Dr Siebel school supplies Her class reading geography arithmetic One pupil Heinrich motor difficulties His classmates subject Said Fraulein Bresina When children another disability worse theirs And there Frau Elli Lipp handsome woman She started teaching Sonderschule I learned Her third graders workin beginning One Volk people nation What Volk asked Frau Lipp It whole people Finally nation Asked Volk answered The French The teacher asked where lived In French plied About Hilfsschule pupils families called Gummi Insel Rubber Island acrOs tracks They referred school throush elaDorate which includes investigateon teachers doctor school committee Once learn basic skills readin6 writing arithmetic period years If pupil advances enough becomes eligible further instruction professional school Dr Siebel Hilfsschule graduates obtain factory later Nearly apprentice That quite record retarded children Dr Siebel Giessen controversial figures His friends admire energy drive His critics slightly fanatic 6reenhorn Another critic notes although Siebel doctor desree sociolo8y lacks sound pedasoical trainins One H__il__fss___ch_ul__e teachers remarked He strains everythip4g rough sieve politics Political curly headed brown Siebel gotten Hilfsschule decent buildin8 Two things stick I Giessen school The first radical division pupils school basis mental ability This crucial every German school child parent seems unjustly premature A comment split provided title published month Hints Exam Parents volume which youn5 mother tells coached children passing awful tests enough success ascend higher schools The second thing sticks ordination between school authorities local level I asked Dr Scheurer about other directors We hardly other I thought might change period reform around DB IO H stroked You everythins under board education Our schools explained histori cally The upper schools older Most tradition going Middle Ages The Volksschule State lower schools obligatory started training teachers The first seminar teachers besun around These different schools separately They certainly David Binder Received New York