“Friedensland – Utopia”: A Musical That Inspires Hope

,

As the first notes of “Imagine” rang out, countless candles and cell phone lights gradually began to glow. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. The stage and the audience were united in a shared message—a striking image that captured the theme of this year’s musical by the 5th-grade classes: “Land of Peace—Utopia.”

When Steinmühle looks back on the highlights of the school year, the fifth-graders’ musical has held a special place for many years. Once again, the school’s youngest students demonstrated just how much creativity, musical talent, and team spirit they can bring to bringing a story to life on stage. At the heart of the production was a message that could hardly be more timely: “We’re moving toward peace.”

Music, Drama, and Movement

With great enthusiasm, the students told their story about the desire for a more peaceful world. They impressed the audience not only with their stunning choral performance but also with their acting talent and athletic feats. Creative choreography and acrobatic performances added extra energy to the musical and were repeatedly rewarded with spontaneous applause from the audience.

The varied program took the audience on a musical journey through different decades and featured peace songs that have lost none of their power to this day. The set list included “We Shall Overcome,” “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan, “Imagine” by John Lennon, “Heal the World” and “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson, “99 Luftballons” by Nena, “Wir ziehen in den Frieden” by Udo Lindenberg, as well as the traditional pieces “Dona nobis pacem” and “Kumbayah, My Lord.”
The fifth-graders particularly impressed the audience with their powerful voices during their performance of “99 Luftballons.” When the last note faded away, the applause went on for a long time. The audience demanded encores—and got them.

A collaborative project involving the entire school community

Ulrike Wilmsmeyer served as the overall musical director. Together with Daniel Sans, Olaf Roth, Ines Vielhaben, and Frank Wemme, as well as the teachers of the 5th-grade classes, they created a performance that clearly demonstrated how many people contributed their ideas and dedication.

The collaboration among the different grade levels was also impressive. The accompanying band, led by Frank Wemme, was made up of students from grades 8 through 12. With flutes, clarinet, trumpet, euphonium, guitar, piano, drums, and bass, they highlighted the musical diversity of Steinmühle and gave the songs their distinctive sound.

 

Behind the scenes, too, there was a great deal of hard work. The Sound & Light Club handled the technical aspects, and Kira Gräser was once again in charge of props and makeup. The posters for the performance were created in the 5th-grade art class taught by Ms. Rado and helped spark interest in the musical well in advance.

A message that leaves a lasting impression

In closing, Principal Björn Gemmer thanked the many people who had contributed to the success of the evening. He particularly highlighted that, as part of the musical, the students had also explored historical songs and impressively conveyed their messages.
“Friedensland – Utopia” was far more than just a musical performance. It was an evening that demonstrated what schools are capable of: young people pushing themselves to new heights together, taking on responsibility, and using music, drama, and movement to send a message of peace, solidarity, and hope—a message that resonated long after the final applause.

(Heinm)

Open Stage 2026 – The Stage Is Set for Our Elementary School

, ,

As the school year draws to a close, the “Open Stage” event has become a fixture on the calendar at Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School. Numerous parents, family members, and friends gathered in the school auditorium to enjoy the diverse performances by our students.

The event was opened by Principal Julia Daube, who warmly welcomed the guests. At the conclusion of the Open Stage, she thanked all the teachers for their great dedication, as well as the families, whose interest and support play such an active role in their children’s school life.

 

Band music, movement, and singing

All four elementary school classes presented what they had been working on throughout the school year with great enthusiasm and confidence. The varied program was rounded out by the elective course “Hobby Horsing” with physical education teacher Nikki Johnson, by our elementary school band called “Girls on Fire,” led by Olaf Roth, and an impressive musical performance by students Letitia Pabst and Violetta Sans, who delighted the audience with their singing and instrumental playing.

With their performance of “The Duck Dance,” Class 2 actively involved many parents in the event. With a touch of nostalgia, Class 3 bid farewell to all the fourth graders at the end of the performance. If they move up to Class 5i at Steinmühle, their common meeting place in the coming school year will likely be the schoolyard.

(Herrm/Heinm)

Dance Club: Energy, Action, and Hip-Hop to Wrap Up the School Year

, ,

To mark the end of the school year, on Thursday, June 18, the youth dance club presented a dazzling display of lively choreographies to their classmates in the 5th-grade classes.

Under the cheerful guidance of Lilya Jokar, Class 9a, and Madlena Preck, Class 10c, it was impressive to see the beautiful variety of movements, movement combinations, and group formations that define this energetic dance style.

Victoria Ackerschott, Nele Becker, Sunna Dorndorf, Mira Duran, Luana Kempf, Marlene Kötter, Smilla Manczyk, Lene Müller, and Carla Scharlau offered a wonderful glimpse into what they enjoy and are capable of.

(Who)

 

Marie Grosse, a student at Steinmühlen School, won the First Marburg School Slam

, , , ,

This time, it was the stage instead of the classroom: On Wednesday evening, June 10, the first Marburg School Slam took place at the Steinmühle. Thirteen students from three Marburg high schools took the stage with texts they had written themselves—and faced the traditional slam judging process: The audience decided who would advance to the finals based on their applause.

The premiere was the result of a collaboration between the Elisabethschule (Ute Trautwein), the Gymnasium Philippinum (Christian Steiner), and the Steinmühle (Kristina Sokoli and Björn Wagner), which had initially held a writing workshop at each school. The texts created during those workshops then made their way onto the stage.

 

Bestselling author Leah Weigand explained how poetry slam works

The evening was hosted by Marburg-based spoken word artist and bestselling author Leah Weigand, who began by explaining to the audience how a poetry slam actually works: only original texts, a maximum of 6 minutes, no props—and an audience of about 130 people, who ultimately become the jury by “clapping” for the winner.

In terms of content, the young poets didn’t mince words. Their texts revolved around topics such as respect and equality, mental health, the big questions, and the meaning of life—topics that visibly moved the predominantly young audience. A total of nine artists or teams competed in the preliminary round; during a break, guests had the opportunity to read the texts displayed around the room at their leisure and strike up conversations with one another.

 

Elisabethschule, Philippinum, and Steinmühle Are in the Running

The Elisabethschule was represented by Rou AbdAlrahman, the duo Nikas Schmidt and Leonie Schultz, and the trio Maria Traute, Jara Jahn, and Louis Klöck. The Philippinum sent Mara Dumitru and Louise Malévé into the competition. Competing for the Steinmühle were Christabel Okafor, Marie Grosse, Sophia Hach, and the duo Ida Kraft and Lennard Kröger.

After the preliminary rounds, the audience first selected three finalists, who then gave it their all once again with a second piece. In the end, Marie Grosse came out on top, winning the first Marburg SchoolSlam.

 

Project funded by the HBB

The event ran smoothly thanks to the “Sound&Light” technical team at the Steinmühle. The project was funded by the Office of the Hessian Innovation and Advisory Network for Talent Development (HIBB), which is responsible for promoting talent as part of the Hessian Ministry of Culture, Education, and Opportunity.

Judging by the evening’s applause, it was clear that this first School Slam couldn’t possibly be the end: Marburg’s first School Slam showed just how much courage, eloquence, and open-ended questions young people possess—and that Marburg’s schools are happy to come together to build a stage for them.

(Björn Wagner/Kristina Sokoli)

DS 11 presented a captivating theatrical performance titled “Titanic 2.0—A Reconstruction”

, ,

The 11th-grade DS class, under the direction of Ines Vielhaben, presented a magnificent performance at the Theater am Schwanhof (Tasch). The ensemble performed the play “Titanic 2.0—A Reconstruction” so authentically that the audience felt not as though they were sitting in front of the stage, but almost as if they were right in the middle of the action themselves. The 45-minute performance was extremely captivating and provided a few goosebump-inducing moments, which were due not only to the play’s title but also, to a large extent, to the actors’ skill.

 

Praise for Outstanding Teamwork

The performance at the Theater am Schwanhof took place as part of the Central Hesse School Theater Festival, as Ines Vielhaben reported. She was most pleased with the excellent teamwork among the students in the drama course, even in the run-up to the stage performance: “Together, the students found solutions for recasting roles due to illness. Everyone took responsibility for the props and all the stage equipment.”
The larger stage, Ines Vielhaben continued, was obviously a great challenge, and it was worth enriching the play with two additional scenes so that the versatility of the actors and actresses could be showcased even more.

It will be interesting to see what the audience will get to see during the Q phase.

(Heinm)

Grade 7 Theater Workshop: Who can do something like that?

,

Who could possibly do something like that?

Young actors and actresses in 7th grade can do that. They can tell entertaining stories of their own, create a wide variety of characters who bring these stories to life, and reliably slip into their roles, entertaining the audience brilliantly with wordplay, theatrical performances, and plenty of surprises. This is exactly what happened in the performances by all four 7th-grade classes as part of the theater workshop on May 7 and 8.

 

We got a glimpse of a dangerous school day where a dog was causing trouble (“Pipi, Piss Off” by Class 7c). “Werewolf” became a game that went beyond the boundaries of a children’s game (“The Werewolves Among Us,” Class 7a), Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, and other fairy-tale characters boldly traveled back and forth through time, with plenty of predictable twists and turns (“Once Upon a Time” by Class 7b), and finally, there was an entertaining talent show featuring hilarious dancers, a dazzling three-generation band, and one of those worldly-wise scientists who, after all, has something dangerous up his sleeve—including the usual strong clichés in the jury members (“Who can do something like that?” by Class 7i).

The audience enjoyed excellent entertainment and warm hospitality from the Class of ’13 and responded with warm, well-deserved applause. Thus, another Theaterworkshop season came to a very joyful and satisfying conclusion.

Many thanks to everyone involved, both on stage and behind the scenes. For cast lists and additional information, see the program: Theaterwerkstatt. Flyer. 2026

(Frank Wemme)

 

To get a sense of what it’s like, we recommend scrolling through the photo gallery (Photos: Rainer Waldinger):

From Poetry to Slam: A Treasure Waiting to Be Uncovered

, , , , ,

Literary talents from Steinmühle met with the well-known author and spoken-word artist Leah Weigand to prepare for the 1st Marburg School Slam. It is a treasure waiting to be unearthed: the ability to transform one’s own thoughts and experiences into artistic words and to inspire others with them. This goal united the 11th-grade students who met with Leah Weigand at Steinmühle on May 8 to write—in a way that was quite different from how they usually have to write in school.

 

“Respect the poet”

In a pleasantly relaxed and highly motivating atmosphere, the participants gained valuable inspiration through various creative writing exercises. The result was a range of texts, both short and long—sometimes funny, sometimes mundane, occasionally philosophical, thought-provoking, and poetically striking—all guided by the event’s theme: “Respect the poet,” and captured on camera by Björn Wagner.

 

How It All Began

It all started at the poetry slam at KFZ last December. Class 11a attended the event, was very impressed by the artists there, and our colleague Björn Wagner—who also performs as a slammer in his free time—put us in touch with Leah Weigand, who hosted the slam at the KFZ, who is also a bestselling author and a sought-after slam poet in her own right.

 

Cross-School Collaboration

The desire to nurture not only scientific but also artistic and literary talents at Steinmühle has long been a priority, and now the opportunity has arisen to bring a professional woman to our school. But that’s not all. When discussing how to finance this project with the Hessian Innovation and Advisory Network for the Promotion of Gifted Students (HIBB), the idea arose to establish a cross-school collaboration.

 

The project’s highlight on June 10

We were able to recruit a teacher from the Elisabethschule and a teacher from the Philippinum, who also offered poetry workshops at their respective schools. The highlight of this project so far is scheduled to take place on June 10 at 7 p.m., when students from all three schools will compete in a literary contest at the Forum der Steinmühle and celebrate the 1st Marburg School Slam, moderated by Leah Weigand.

We’re really looking forward to it and say: Don’t miss it! Mark your calendars.

(Kristina Sokoli)

 

So Good, So Diverse: Steinmühle’s “Bands on Stage” Takes a Historic Top Spot

,

Principal Björn Gemmer called it the “best ‘Bands on Stage’ ever.” And indeed: There were plenty of goosebump-inducing moments at this year’s concert, which has a permanent spot on the Steinmühle calendar every March. Music teacher and organizer Frank Wemme, as well as the entire music department, received high praise from many quarters for the performances in the Steinmühle Forum. There’s truly a lot of talent, hard work, and perseverance behind it all.

 

All age groups on stage

It’s a well-known fact that you can only do well what you enjoy doing. A promising and diverse program was on the agenda—featuring participating artists ranging from elementary and high school students to members of the current graduating class. On stage were the Bilingual Elementary School’s AG Band (conducted by Olaf Roth), its successor group, the AG Band for Grades 5/6 (led by Frank Wemme), 12th-grade singer Annica Bartsch and Mio Bender on piano, the Laubfrösche 2026, as well as the Jazz Ensemble and the StoneMill House Band, all led by Frank Wemme. The Sound & Light team ensured everything ran smoothly from a technical standpoint. — We highly recommend browsing through our photo gallery below!

 

Plenty of energy among the youngest

That was pretty awesome—what our youngest performers just put on! From “Girls on Fire” to “Dance Monkey” to “Umbrella,” they showed tremendous energy. Olaf Roth’s live band is always a key element of Steinmühlen’s musical performances. A round of applause for so much rousing music!

 

Annica Bartsch with her crystal-clear voice

For several years now, whenever Annica Bartsch takes the stage, the audience knows: here comes someone with a crystal-clear voice. Once again, the 12th-grade student at Steinmühlen proved that she has tremendous talent and received long, sustained applause for her performances.

 

Special trip from Munich

Then the tree frogs got ready for their performance. And let’s be honest: Not everyone would make a special trip all the way from Munich just to perform with the school band one more time at “their” school. But Constantin “Consti” Franz did. And the audience in the packed rows realized: He’s still got it!

The jazz ensemble, led by and featuring the active participation of organizer Frank Wemme, then struck a somewhat more subdued note, performing, among other pieces, the Sinatra classic “Fly Me to the Moon.” Was there a connection to current events?

 

Recognizing Potential – Nurturing Talent

This energizing journey—which offered insights into various genres and once again showcased the musical potential of the Steinmühlen students—came to a close with classic tunes performed by the legendary StoneMill House Band. There is no doubt that the prerequisite for all of this is having teachers who recognize this potential, nurture talent, and, through their personal enthusiasm, help students develop the skills needed to perform on stage.

And luckily, Steinmühle has them.

(Angela Heinemann)

 

Fear is a reaction; courage is a decision: DS 12 performs *Antigone*

, ,

The ancient tragedy *Antigone*, written by Sophocles—in which Antigone defies King Creon’s law and, despite the threat of the death penalty, attempts to bury her brother Polynices with dignity—has been reinterpreted in various ways time and again over the centuries. Joining the ranks of translations and adaptations—from Hölderlin to Schimmelpfennig, Brecht, and Anouilh, all the way to Bodo Wartke—is now a completely new, fresh adaptation, developed by the “Performing Arts 12” class under the direction of Nina Merzenich.

The students recently performed this version—which is almost entirely in rhyme—at the Steinmühle Forum, captivating the audience from the very first second.

 

The people of Thebes danced to “YMCA”

Whether it was the moving moment right at the beginning, when Antigone gently sprinkled sand on her dead brother Polynices, who lay on a platform right in the middle of the audience, or the battle for Thebes, fought with lightsabers to the beat of techno music; whether it was the tender love scene when Antigone and her lover Haimon met one last time on the catwalk among the audience before her death, or the coronation party for Creon, where the people of Thebes danced exuberantly to “YMCA”—every scene captivated, fascinated, was fun, and enchanted.

Not only did the course demonstrate how to pull out all the stops when it comes to theatrical magic (lighting, sound, fog, proscenium, set design, costumes, ensemble acting, dance…), but each individual also delivered a magnificent performance.

 

Impressive amounts of text

The People of Thebes (Sophie Becker, Gregor Bigeschke, Amely Blazek, Ron Georg, Dominik Koerth, Antonia Kurlinsky, Felix Schlegel, Jesko von Werder, Jan Ole Wollersheim) captivated the audience with constantly shifting formations, battle and dance scenes, and both choral and solo speech and action. In the role of Polyneices, Gregor Bigeschke gave a compelling performance as the enraged brother who had been cheated out of his rightful claim. Jan Ole Wollersheim gave a magnificent performance as his brother Eteocles, portraying him as majestic and statesmanlike. Kimo Achteresch and Alrik Keßler provided top-notch entertainment time and again in the roles of the two guards. Antonia Kurlinsky gave a moving portrayal of Queen Eurydice, who struggled to maintain her composure and ultimately took her own life out of grief. Orlando Geisel appeared eloquent and self-assured as Creon’s son Haimon, while Celia Giebing gave a wonderful performance as Antigone’s sister Ismene, portraying her as both tender and courageous.

 

“Antigone” provided some spine-tingling moments

Jaan Ebbing portrayed the blind seer Teiresias as a figure somewhere between a god and Gandalf, a role he brought to life brilliantly on stage. He was guided by a child, a guest role lovingly played by Mona Merzenich (6th grade). Sophia Rogosch’s performance was also outstanding; as Antigone, she repeatedly gave the audience goosebumps. Last but not least, Maximilian Glock impressively portrayed (and with an impressive amount of dialogue!) the harsh ruler Creon as a figure caught between power and self-doubt.

Kimo Achteresch, Ron Georg, and Anna-Lena Grießler (11th grade) made sure the sound and lighting set the right mood. We would like to thank the Freie Waldorfschule Marburg for the stage design (columns, throne, fog machine) and the guards’ costumes.

Hats off to everyone for a fantastic stage show!

(Nina Merzenich)

A Journey Through Time in a Rowing Boat: The Steinmühle from an Artistic Perspective

, ,

What was originally intended as a substitute for a written exam eventually developed into an impressive artistic expression: The students in the advanced art class in 13th grade were tasked with looking back on 76 years of Steinmühle’s history in their final project, artistically reflecting on the present, and at the same time designing a vision for the future. The result was to be a mural adorning the interior of the main building.

 

From Individual Figures to the Big Picture

“It’s truly amazing how the dynamic evolved from individually designed single figures toward a shared overall image of all five students,” says art teacher Ines Vielhaben, commenting on the creative process. It quickly became clear: All the figures should be sitting in a boat. To achieve this, the group decided to take on the challenge of creating life-size figures using the stencil art technique, which is well known from street art—particularly through Banksy.

 

Workshop in Giessen as preparation

In line with this, the class took part in a workshop led by Kai Krieger of 3 Steps at the HUETTE38 Art Hub in Giessen. Armed with their prepared stencils, the students used graffiti spray paint to spray-paint the rowboat and figures onto three strips of smooth wallpaper under expert guidance.

 

A work with multifaceted content

In terms of content, the work is multi-layered: The figure in the background, with its black face, symbolizes the fading memories of prominent members of the school community. The next figure refers to the successes in the important Steinmühlen “Jugend forscht” program—depicted by a bubbling laboratory experiment. The next figure, wearing the distinctive red one-piece uniform, represents the school’s current successes in rowing and its international victories, accompanied by the German flag as a symbol of the international context. Another figure, composed of pixels, embodies the future, shaped by digitalization and artificial intelligence. Finally, the coxswain looks ahead, pointing toward a hopeful future. His jersey features a combination of various versions of the Steinmühle’s past and present logos.

 

Display during Senior Year Theme Week

During the graduating class’s theme week, they managed to enlist the help of the facilities staff to install the mural. Together with the art class, the artwork was installed in the main building next to the cafeteria entrance. The event was accompanied by lively music and applause from fellow graduating seniors. Special thanks go to the students involved—Cilia Evelbauer, Janice Houdek, Raphael Richard Miller, Nele Schultheis, and Lina Zippel—as well as their art teacher, Ines Vielhaben, for the successful completion of this extraordinary project.

 

 
12
 
123456

Do you have questions about the school?

School Administration & Management

Björn Gemmer & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-20

schule@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the boarding school?

Boarding School Administration & Management

Anke Muszynski & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-0

internat@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the school?

School Administration & Management

Björn Gemmer & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-20

schule@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the boarding school?

Boarding School Administration & Management

Anke Muszynski & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-0

internat@steinmuehle.de

  • NEWSLETTER
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • WORK AT THE STONE MILL
  • SUMMER CAMPS
  • LEGAL NOTICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • CONTACT