At school

Sources:

Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv, MK 21990 (Note Overview for Abiturprüfung, 1916).

Regensburg, St. Marienschule/ Congregatio Jesu (Fotography of the first Bavarian Abiturients, their teachers and examiners, 1916).

School regulations for the higher girls' schools in Bavaria, KMBl 1911, pp. 189–306.

Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv, MK 21496 (Writing for the establishment of a second Upper Real School in Munich, 1918).

Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv, MK 16194 (Personal Act Dr. Karl Geiger, 1885–1931).

Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv, Department IV War Archive, War Role 6529 (War Role Entry Alfred Luchs, 1918).

Points of attachment:

How can I learn more about my school history? Where can I find documents about former teachers and students of my school? Since when do girls do Abitur?

In order to find out more about the history of a school, it is important first of all to clarify where documents could be found everywhere. Basically, depending on the type of school, you can find yourself in the relevant municipal archive, in the state archive or in the Bavarian main state archive (cf. 1b “In which archive I start my research). A Bavarian Gymnasium usually contains documents in the files of the Bavarian Ministry of Culture. These files deal with central affairs of schools, such as construction, examinations, personnel distribution, education, etc. At least among the school leaders, mostly also with other teachers, there are also staff records – with state schools. These documents are stored in the Bavarian Main State Archive. The documents of the school offices mainly responsible for primary and secondary schools are submitted to the state archive of the respective governmental district. The same applies to the documents for the school buildings of the relevant building offices. The municipal archive is the right starting point for the school effort, as the files of the relevant municipal units (e.g. the Education and Sport Unit in Munich) are stored here.

The same training opportunities for boys and girls had to be fought in Bavaria about a hundred years ago. This included admission to the exam. Already at the end of 19. In the course of the century, girls were able to take the Abitur exam as an external one at Knabengymnasien. However, they had to organize and pay privately. In 1916, for the first time, girls at the school where they had received their training also took the exam. It was 11 graduates of the Institute of English Misses in Regensburg. This was legally possible through the adoption of the “school order for the higher girls’ schools in Bavaria” of 1911 and the amendment of this school order in 1916. This was practically possible due to the courage of the school management, which had already begun training one year before the school regulations were adopted. Documents for the exam are available in the “Ministry of Culture”, such as the registration for examination, the seating order and the grade level. Photos of the test specimens are not found in it, here the tradition of the school itself must be used.

Legal basis, such as school regulations, can be read either in the relevant files of the Ministry of Culture or in printed form in official pages available in archives or libraries.

The Ministry of Culture has also created files for today's Albert Einstein-Gymnasium in Munich, the former Realgymnasium. It can be read, for example, that not only in our time increasing student numbers cause problems. Already in 1919, new school foundations and new buildings had to be governed by the fact that “... in Munich true mammoth institutions developed [have], which give rise to serious concerns in hygienic and educational terms”. In 1919 Dr. Karl Geiger, his staff record is still available. Today, the state archives of Bavaria take over at least the digital personal sheet with information on training and service periods for all persons employed in the state service.

Individual pupils will only be fed directly in exceptional cases in the state tradition. Exceptions are students who have attended a school whose pupil files are taken over or special cases. Another exception is pupils or Graduates who served in the Bavarian army. For these people there is an entry in the war tribal. There was a private Bavarian army until 1918. Alfred Luchs, born on 7.8.1900 in Buttenwiesen, a former student of the New Real Gymnasium in Munich, was sworn on 13.7.1918 and served in the final phase of the First World War.

Further information:

The English lady and the maiden abitur. A step in female education (State Archives of Bavaria – Small Exhibitions No. 52), Munich 2016. – Download [30 MB]

‘original and unimaginable’? The Volksschule on the path of nationalization (Staatliche Archive Bayerns – Kleine Exhibitions Nr. 48), Munich 2015. – Download [40.7 MB]

www.ancestry.de (paid offer)

Course reference:

Methodology competence, judgment competence, orientation competence Education and school in the mirror of history (Gymnasium, Class 6), cross-disciplinary teaching project with social science (Gymnasium, Class 10), family life, legal, work and production communities with defined roles for men and women (Gymnasium, Class 11/12)