Point 4 - OLD AND NEW SCHOOL

OLD AND NEW SCHOOL

The first school was built in Schirgiswalde in 1713 in its own building (today Kirchberg 5). It was connected to the parish opposite by a footbridge over the hollow way.

Almost 100 years later (1813) a new school building was built next to it because the old one was too small, gloomy and dilapidated. In 1838, the cathedral chapter of Bautzen, as the landlord, had an extension added to the school building and the interior was furnished appropriately.

Because the number of pupils had already reached 413 by 1860, the parish school was expanded to four classrooms and two teachers' flats. The weekly teaching time was 14-18 hours, for the older pupils the lessons took place in the morning, for the younger ones in the afternoon.

The constantly growing number of pupils (up to 620 pupils in 1903) finally made a new building necessary. This was inaugurated in 1903, had 8 classes and was attended by the Catholic children of the surrounding villages. Other children went to the school of the Protestant community (in today's town hall).

In 1921/22, the north and south wings were added, and a cooking kitchen and a shower room for children were built in the basement rooms, as well as a public bath. The new gymnasium with youth centre was also created in this building period.

In 1937, the community school was also introduced in Schirgiswalde. In 1943, refugees were accommodated in the rooms of the elementary school.

In honour of the 200th birthday of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the school was given the name "Goetheschule" in 1949, which is still in use today. In 1959, the "secondary school" became the POS (Polytechnische Oberschule). From 1959-89, the south wing housed the vocational school of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (German Railway).

Today the building houses the primary school and the Free Christian School.