"A cosmopolitan, cheerful community": Steinmühle celebrated its fall festival - Steinmühle

It wasn’t exactly a golden autumn day, but at least the weather held steady on the last Saturday in September, when Steinmühle celebrated its annual fall festival. The Steinmühle administration’s overall assessment of the event is positive: The festival brought people together who, in some cases, hadn’t seen each other in a long time—and alongside the fun, artistic, entertaining, and athletic presentations by the current classes, that was definitely the most important aspect of this “holiday.”

“The overall atmosphere was outstanding”

Principal Björn Gemmer: “It was a very peaceful celebration. The overall atmosphere that evening was outstanding. Graduating classes from 1975 to 2025 had fun together, sitting together in a convivial atmosphere, laughing and dancing. I met many parents with their adult children who were celebrating with each other or with friends. — The Steinmühle served as our common gathering place.”

“Another step toward mutual understanding”

Boarding School Director Anke Muszynski: “Our young people had a wonderful celebration. The goal of fostering a sense of community and growing through challenges is certainly still being fulfilled. Considering that the administrative merger of the boarding school and the school took place not too long ago, it was evident that, at least among the teaching staff, another step toward transparency and mutual understanding has been taken. I find that very heartening.”

Information About the Friends of the School Association

Steinmühle also uses the Fall Festival as an opportunity to share information about the school and boarding school. Members of the school administration are on hand to answer questions from visitors. At the same time, the Friends of Steinmühle, led by Chairwoman Jasmine Weidenbach, are available to anyone considering membership. What does the Friends Association fund, and where does it provide financial support? — The Autumn Festival provided the answers in person.

The same goes for the school parents’ council. There, Chairwoman Bianca Zenker and her team shared a bit of information with everyone.

The boarding school and the school shared responsibilities

Whether it’s interactions among alumni, activities organized by current classes, the presence of parents and siblings, the desire for information, or the extensive food and beverage offerings—with the impressive four-digit number of visitors, excellent organization is essential. This responsibility lies largely with the boarding school, but the school also played a significant role in many areas.

Amazing: Parents pitched in

Many people and countless helping hands volunteered their time to prepare for the fall festival. The parents also pitched in—a fact that cannot be praised highly enough, given the positive outcome.

Take another look at the beverage concept

There’s no denying that the organization can be challenging in some respects. However, that’s not because it’s fundamentally impossible to manage.

Dirk Konnertz: “The Fall Festival is an event where several generations come together to celebrate, including minors. “The food and beverage aspect needs to be well thought out,” says the managing director of Schule & Internat Steinmühle. He does not rule out the possibility that the concept may be adjusted slightly over the years to address this aspect.

This aspect should not be overlooked, but it is by no means the most important one: “The Steinmühle has shown itself to be a professional, cosmopolitan, and cheerful community, and we are delighted about that.”

Angela Heinemann

For those who couldn’t make it to the Steinmühle Fall Festival or didn’t get to visit all the booths, here are a few photos to give you a glimpse of the event: