An interview with Principal Bernd Holly on the occasion of his retirement: “Looking forward to life beyond the school gates”

The end of July 2023 is drawing inexorably closer. It is the date on the certificate issued by the Minister of Education that signals Principal Bernd Holly’s retirement from the teaching profession. He has reached the mandatory retirement age. Retirement after 22 years at Steinmühle, after nearly 40 years in his dream job as a teacher. And now? Angela Heinemann spoke with Bernd Holly about defining moments in his life and his current thoughts.

It’s hard to even bring myself to ask. How are you doing right now?

Holly: It is a little awful. Who would willingly leave a place like this? It’s like saying goodbye to a dream. Right now, I’m really aware of what I’m losing. And I’m having so many very emotional goodbyes.

Until now, it’s been a heavy workload—but now there’s time to travel and spend time with the two grandchildren. Isn’t that something to look forward to?

Holly: Oh, absolutely. They’re looking forward to having Grandpa around more often soon. I also love the idea of traveling through Europe in a RV. Or maybe even visiting Ireland sometime. I have an Irish grandfather—that’s where my last name comes from. But I’m being honest with myself: going from endless work hours—a 60-hour week—down to zero is quite something. First, I need to figure out how I’ll define myself now—just through the Steinmühle, or as my own person. I’m curious to see what life will be like in front of the bollard.

Retirees often fall into a slump…

Holly: Not really. I have a wonderful social circle, a great family, and I’m privileged when it comes to the people around me. I’ve also had some very lucrative job offers, but I’m not accepting them. I’ll only be volunteering at the Marburg Food Bank, and I’ll be encouraging people to plant trees.

We know that social involvement was important to you during your time at Steinmühle. So that hasn’t changed?

Holly: I come from a very humble background, from a small village in the Westerwald. My father was a railroad crossing guard, and my mother was a seamstress. They were wonderful parents! In our family of five, there was no money for extras. Whenever I needed money or wanted to buy something, I’d get a part-time job—as a construction laborer, a mail carrier, or an industrial diver. The latter was really risky, but it paid well.

Is that why you’re committed to helping the socially disadvantaged?

Holly: The term “socially disadvantaged” is incorrect and derogatory. People labeled that way aren’t socially disadvantaged—they just don’t have money. I know some people who are very wealthy but are truly socially disadvantaged. The problem isn’t in their wallets—it’s somewhere else.

And you don’t have much trouble expressing that? Social skills are important to you…

Holly: I’ve always been straightforward, which didn’t always sit well with my own teachers. Although I was an A student, I often rubbed people the wrong way. I was excused from the graduation ceremony and wasn’t allowed to give the student speech, even though that’s what my classmates had actually wanted. The school’s reasoning: “General insubordination and insistence on my own opinion.”

Is that something you wanted to do differently as a teacher?

Holly: Actually, I always wanted to be a teacher—both because of good role models and because of bad ones. Even though I got straight A’s on my exams, I couldn’t find a job at first; as we all know, the job market for teachers has been crazy for decades. Sometimes there are too many teachers, sometimes too few. Then it finally worked out.

After stops in Frankfurt and Giessen, you ended up at the Steinmühle…

Holly: I came from the Willy-Brandt-Schule in Gießen. It’s a vocational school, and to some extent, a school in a high-risk neighborhood. As the youngest staff member, I quickly became a department head and “supervisor” for more than 50 colleagues. That’s where I got to know all the different aspects of the job. At the time, many people didn’t understand my application to Steinmühle because it didn’t seem to fit at all. I even heard comments like, “You’re usually a decent person. What do you want at this school?”

In 2001, the Steinmühle was facing a crisis that threatened its very existence…

Holly: The school had only 445 students, was in a precarious financial situation, and, for various reasons, had a very poor reputation. As a team, we managed to turn the school around back then and, over time, turn it into a sought-after educational institution. This approach—combined with having the right people in various key positions—has made Steinmühle what it is today. I’ve put a lot of my heart and soul into it.

Is the stone mill facing challenges today as well?

Holly: Steinmühle faces the challenge of finding teachers. Teaching is a highly complex profession; more needs to be invested in building relationships. At Steinmühle, this is even more difficult because teachers are expected to be more present than at public schools. Presence in more ways than one. And we don’t have tenured positions. Then there’s the power of “anti-social” media and a culture of debate that needs to be nurtured. But the last two points apply to all schools.

And at a time like that, Holly’s leaving?

Holly: Well, I’m not going willingly. And I’m not dead, after all. I’ll join the school association and stay on top of things.

So many people are sad to see you go and have expressed their feelings. Something in particular touched you…

Holly: Every day, two girls from elementary school bring me an apple or some other piece of fruit. They want me to stay healthy. They want me to live to a ripe old age—at least until they graduate from high school. Unfortunately, I can’t grant that second wish…

Finally, an autumn festival again! With more guests than before the pandemic, Steinmühle School and Boarding School celebrated their traditional event last Saturday. Thanks to the excellent organization by Frank Wemme, the head of the lower secondary school, everything ran smoothly and according to plan for the students at their booths and during their performances in the classrooms. Visitors were thrilled by all the activities. Alumni were amazed at how much “their Steinmühle” has changed for the better over the past few years.

The Steinmühle has expanded to include several new buildings, giving it a uniform and modern look. The grounds have become more spacious, which meant that the large number of visitors was spread out across the site. There had been some concern beforehand about the weather for the Fall Festival, but those concerns proved unfounded. The autumn sun shone brightly from the sky—as if it knew just how important this festival is to the Steinmühle community.

Since good food and drinks are naturally part of a successful and convivial celebration, this aspect was in the capable hands of the boarding school. From coffee and cake to grilled meats and the wine bar, there was a delicious and comprehensive selection of food and drink available. This was complemented by the popular Aroma ice cream truck on the grounds, which—as in previous years—drew long lines of people. The proceeds from the sales are regularly donated.

Shortly after the opening remarks by Principal Bernd Holly, who welcomed the guests alongside Boarding School Director Anke Muszynski and Nils Schwandt, the stage program got underway. The 6th-grade choir entertained the audience with musical theater songs, followed by the musical theater elective class. Next, the 5th-grade band, the StoneMill House Band, and the Jazz Ensemble took the stage. Starting at 8:00 p.m., DJ Veit kept the party going in the tent.

More than three dozen booths and activities were spread across the grounds and in some classrooms, and it’s very difficult to single out any particular ones here. Once again, the “Chemikum mobil” with its elective research class in front of the Bremerhaus was a crowd-pleaser. The experiment with the “exploding” colorful balls just never loses its appeal! The “Chicken Run” on the sports field at the Hessenhaus was a big hit. The goal here was to raise funds for Tanzania, organized and carried out by the elementary school and its team of teachers. Neighboring activities also focused on movement, speed, and agility. The Steinmühle Riding Club also invited visitors to go pony riding.

One of the longest lines on the grounds was for the “Ghost Train Reloaded” run by Class 7b at the Hessenhaus. The chance to get a real scare—this idea clearly appealed to many guests, both young and old.

While other activities offered games, fun, and brain teasers, there were also booths that are closely tied to the Steinmühle School. The Friends of the School Association, chaired by Jasmine Weidenbach, provided information about its important work and invited Fall Festival guests who are not yet members to join. Membership is open at any time, by the way! An information booth for prospective students in the new 1st and 5th grades was set up right at the entrance, under the first awning. Principal Björn Gemmer and his team were on hand to answer questions and had organized tours of the Centrum 5&6 building.

In the main building, visitors were able to learn about the vital topic of “CPR.” There, anesthesiologist Markus Spies answered questions, provided instructions on the resuscitation process, and let guests try their hand at it themselves using a mannequin. “It’s so easy to help—anyone can do it,” he emphasized, reinforcing the campaign’s goal of preventing sudden cardiac death.

With this in mind, the “Students Save Lives” campaign (www.schuelerrettenleben.de) was launched by the Professional Association of German Anesthesiologists (Berufsverband Deutscher Anästhesisten e.V.). For several years now, the school has offered an annual summer course on this topic—under professional guidance. Eighth-grade students are taught CPR. The Steinmühle School is thus playing a pioneering role in Marburg in this area.

The faculty’s summer party, held on the last Thursday before summer break, is a roller coaster of emotions: a sigh of relief that everyone has made it through another year, but also a moment of reflection as teachers leave Steinmühle.

First of all, a big round of applause: The food at this event was once again absolutely delicious! One thing we can say right off the bat as a summary of this school year is this: Whenever the boarding school kitchen on campus provided the meals—it was fantastic!

Under these circumstances, the end of the school year got off to a splendid start. Although there was a touch of sadness as the farewells began. It was time to say goodbye to Johanna Zuschlag, who had helped out as a teacher for half a year and is now heading to Sweden. A heartfelt thank you went to Max Rubrecht, who—according to principals Björn Gemmer and Bernd Holly—“was not only reliable in his subjects of physical education and math, but could also be counted on for any task.” Those present said “Goodbye,” “Thank you very much,” and “Farewell” to Jolanta Hilbert after eight years on the Steinmühle cleaning team.

Charlotte Stroh’s colleagues expressed their hope that this would not be a permanent farewell. She teaches math and Spanish, and Spain will be her home for the next 12 months.

For Günter Eschenbrenner, who was unable to attend the farewell celebration for health reasons, his colleagues had prepared a special farewell ceremony. Led by Daniel Sans, those present sang a song for the Greek and Latin teacher—who also holds a teaching certification in ethics—and recorded it: “Gaudeamus igitur”! It was an original idea and a gesture through which everyone conveyed their best wishes for his recovery.

An exceptionally large number of warm farewell messages, tributes, and gifts were given to a teacher who, after 28 years and three months, is leaving Steinmühle to begin her retirement: Jeannine Walter. This multitalented language specialist—head of the Languages and Arts Department and a teacher of English, French, and Italian—was honored with praise and expressions of respect from the school administration and management, as well as from numerous colleagues: The mother of two, who once completed her teaching internship at Steinmühle with a grade of 1.0, had earned a reputation at Steinmühle as a fighter who always prioritized professionalism. “Respected and feared,” she tackled pedagogically challenging tasks and was regarded as demanding, extremely organized, energetic, and assertive. With a twinkle in their eyes, colleagues recounted Jeannine Walter’s nickname, “Master of the Raster”—everything had to be in a logical and understandable order at all times. Many said they had learned a great deal from Jeannine Walter and ultimately concluded that saying goodbye weighed heavily on their hearts, as today they had to bid farewell to a colleague who was not only capable but also very warm-hearted.

Jeannine Walter expressed her gratitude for the numerous gifts and the “fireworks of ideas that had been set off in her honor.” She said that at the Steinmühle, she had not only learned an incredible amount herself, but had also experienced a tremendous sense of camaraderie among her colleagues. Jeannine Walter: “Many friendships have developed that enrich my life.”

At the end of the evening, school director Dirk Konnertz thanked everyone present for an eventful year: “A round of applause for everyone who achieves the impossible.” Konnertz directed this message to the administrative office, to Till Buurman in his dual role as IT specialist and photographer, to Cornelia Oestreicher-Gold for “pulling off the Abitur,” and to Marcel Kalb, Lisa Ebinger, and Lothar Potthoff for their dedication to sports, particularly girls’ soccer. He also extended his thanks to the boarding school, specifically to Director Thomas Hoffmann for the fruitful collaboration. The final praise of the evening went to the head of lower secondary school, Frank Wemme: “A master of organization.”