Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium
Encyclopedia
Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium is a co-educational secondary school
in Bremen
, Germany
.
. Therefore HBG should notably educate a new elite
in science
s and foreign languages.
This tradition continues to date, as evidenced on the basis of numerous outstanding placings at various competitions and the emphasis of economics
and English
as major fields of study.
Students are also able to participate in a number of international conferences, such as Model United Nations
(MUN) and Model European Parliaments each year.
In 2009, the school hosts the first MUN for middle and high school students in Bremen.
Furthermore the Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium is the only secondary school in Bremen, which still resides in its original building. The school itself was constructed in the style of the Weser renaissance
and is today under monumental protection. The building is located very central and is close to the central station.
From 1933 until 1945, the school was named after Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck
, a German officer who led the Schutztruppe
in German East Africa successfully through World War I
. This post-WWI hero today is controversially discussed, as he was also involved in the abatement of the Herero uprising in Namibia
and the Kapp Putsch
. Lettow-Vorbeck often held pro-colonial speeches at the school. Today the school holds a partnership with a Namibian school.
After World War II
the school was named after Hermann Böse
(1870-1943), a music teacher of the school who was deported by the Nazis
. Since he was a communist
, it was perceived after WWII that he could not serve as an example for students alongside greats like Goethe and Kopernikus
. So it was decided to name the street after Böse instead, and from then on the institute was referred to as Gymnasium an der Hermann-Böse-Straße.
It was not until May 2005 that the school decided the renaming to Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium from August 2005, since for pupils and the public the school was long known as Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium for short, or rather in the shortest form HBG. In addition to this it was considered reasonable to connect the values of Böse like social justice
, solidarity and humanity
directly with the school.
Across from the school there is a 7 metre high brick-elephant designed by the sculptor Fritz Behn, inaugurated on July 6, 1932, which became the emblem
of the school. Just like the school the monument changed from a pro-colonial monument to an anti-colonial monument in a ceremonious renaming on May 18, 1990.
The Motto of the school is seen on the facade above the main entrance and says "non scholae sed vitae [discimus]", in English "[we learn,] not for school, but for life", in its well-known inversion of the saying of Seneca
"non vitae sed scholae discimus". From September 29 till October 1, 2005 the school celebrated its centenary.
. The school building was constructed according to their plans from 1903 to 1906. On April 19, 1906 the school first opened its doors to students.
The building outlasted WWII relatively undamaged. In 1977 it was the first school building in Bremen
to be put under monumental protection, which turned out to be one reason - among others - not to give up the school location Hermann-Böse-Straße from 1988 to 1989.
There are four small statues located above the main entrance. One of them shows Goethe and another one Kopernikus. The other two statues represent science
and cosmopolitanism
.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
History
The Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium was founded in 1905 as a secondary school for boys at the instigation of the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of BremenSenate of Bremen
The Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is the government of the city-state of Bremen . The senate has existed since mediæval times. The senate is headed by a President, who also holds the title of Mayor. The President's deputy also holds the title Mayor...
. Therefore HBG should notably educate a new elite
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
in science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s and foreign languages.
This tradition continues to date, as evidenced on the basis of numerous outstanding placings at various competitions and the emphasis of economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as major fields of study.
Students are also able to participate in a number of international conferences, such as Model United Nations
Model United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
(MUN) and Model European Parliaments each year.
In 2009, the school hosts the first MUN for middle and high school students in Bremen.
Furthermore the Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium is the only secondary school in Bremen, which still resides in its original building. The school itself was constructed in the style of the Weser renaissance
Weser Renaissance
Weser Renaissance is a form of Renaissance architectural style that is found in the area around the River Weser in central Germany and which has been well-preserved in the towns and cities of the region.- Background :...
and is today under monumental protection. The building is located very central and is close to the central station.
From 1933 until 1945, the school was named after Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck
Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck
Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck was a general in the Imperial German Army and the commander of the German East Africa campaign. For four years, with a force that never exceeded about 14,000 , he held in check a much larger force of 300,000 British, Belgian, and Portuguese troops...
, a German officer who led the Schutztruppe
Schutztruppe
Schutztruppe was the African colonial armed force of Imperial Germany from the late 19th century to 1918, when Germany lost its colonies. Similar to other colonial forces, the Schutztruppe consisted of volunteer European commissioned and non-commissioned officers, medical and veterinary officers. ...
in German East Africa successfully through World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. This post-WWI hero today is controversially discussed, as he was also involved in the abatement of the Herero uprising in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
and the Kapp Putsch
Kapp Putsch
The Kapp Putsch — or more accurately the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch — was a 1920 coup attempt during the German Revolution of 1918–1919 aimed at overthrowing the Weimar Republic...
. Lettow-Vorbeck often held pro-colonial speeches at the school. Today the school holds a partnership with a Namibian school.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the school was named after Hermann Böse
Hermann Böse
Hermann Böse was a music teacher at the Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium, which was named after him. He was also conductor of the ultra left "Workers - Singing Union in Bremen"....
(1870-1943), a music teacher of the school who was deported by the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. Since he was a communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, it was perceived after WWII that he could not serve as an example for students alongside greats like Goethe and Kopernikus
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....
. So it was decided to name the street after Böse instead, and from then on the institute was referred to as Gymnasium an der Hermann-Böse-Straße.
It was not until May 2005 that the school decided the renaming to Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium from August 2005, since for pupils and the public the school was long known as Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium for short, or rather in the shortest form HBG. In addition to this it was considered reasonable to connect the values of Böse like social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, solidarity and humanity
Compassion
Compassion is a virtue — one in which the emotional capacities of empathy and sympathy are regarded as a part of love itself, and a cornerstone of greater social interconnection and humanism — foundational to the highest principles in philosophy, society, and personhood.There is an aspect of...
directly with the school.
Across from the school there is a 7 metre high brick-elephant designed by the sculptor Fritz Behn, inaugurated on July 6, 1932, which became the emblem
Emblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
of the school. Just like the school the monument changed from a pro-colonial monument to an anti-colonial monument in a ceremonious renaming on May 18, 1990.
The Motto of the school is seen on the facade above the main entrance and says "non scholae sed vitae [discimus]", in English "[we learn,] not for school, but for life", in its well-known inversion of the saying of Seneca
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
"non vitae sed scholae discimus". From September 29 till October 1, 2005 the school celebrated its centenary.
Building
The Charlottenburger architect group had won the contest for the construction of a Realgymnasium in BremenBremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
. The school building was constructed according to their plans from 1903 to 1906. On April 19, 1906 the school first opened its doors to students.
The building outlasted WWII relatively undamaged. In 1977 it was the first school building in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
to be put under monumental protection, which turned out to be one reason - among others - not to give up the school location Hermann-Böse-Straße from 1988 to 1989.
There are four small statues located above the main entrance. One of them shows Goethe and another one Kopernikus. The other two statues represent science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and cosmopolitanism
Cosmopolitanism
Cosmopolitanism is the ideology that all human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality. This is contrasted with communitarian and particularistic theories, especially the ideas of patriotism and nationalism...
.
External links
- Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium official website (currently unavailable)