Thanks to excellent preparation: Thumbs up for the high school graduation at Steinmühle Boarding School
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Hooray, we’ve finally done it! All high school seniors at Steinmühle Boarding School have passed their Abitur exams. After written exams, presentation exams, and oral exams, the Class of 2026 at Steinmühle Boarding School has also successfully completed their Abitur.

The students at the Steinmühle boarding school were able to prepare for the Abitur and its requirements in a particularly intensive way.

“It all started at the end of January,” says Patric Hahn, director of the learning center. A weekly math prep course began, and the students went over and worked through the problems.

 

As the exams drew nearer, the intensity increased

The intensity of our preparation increased as the written Abitur exams drew nearer.

Many students took chemistry, so there was a chemistry workshop. The international students received extra support in German.

Other subjects in which students might have needed support for the Abitur included politics, history, ethics, and physical education. Patric Hahn: “We took a close look at who still had minor gaps in specific areas, or who was simply feeling uncertain due to nerves.”

 

The last week of Easter break was devoted to intensive review

For over four years now, the last week of the Easter break has regularly been turned into an intensive preparation week at Steinmühle Boarding School. “During this time, we’re always a real study camp,” recalls Patric Hahn. This year, 14 boarding school students started the day at 9 a.m. with breakfast together, during which they planned the day: a morning session until 1:30 p.m., an afternoon session, and a group barbecue in the evening.

“It’s important to be selective: Who learns what?” explains the head of the learning center. The written subjects were predetermined from the outset. After the Easter break, one or two additional weekly sessions were held in parallel for these subjects. On May 6, the written high school graduation exams in math took place. Supplementary support sessions for this subject provided a safety net for any questions that might arise.

 

High-level professional exchange

For the presentation exams, every student at the Steinmühle boarding school had at least two preparation sessions; for the oral Abitur exam, they had at least one.

“It’s always a high-level professional exchange on all topics that may be relevant.”

In this way, Steinmühle Boarding School ensures that all students in the graduating class achieve the best possible results.

Patric Hahn: “We will continue to offer this as part of our structure.”

 

(Angela Heinemann)

 

Beaming Faces on the First Lap: Young Riders from Steinmühlen Follow in Their Mothers’ Footsteps
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It was literally all sunshine and roses! After all, having the same riding instructor as her mother Katharina Eitel once did—that’s certainly not something you see every day. She knew right away that her children, Karl-Friedrich Eitel (5) and Carlotta Eitel (4), were in the best of hands with Beate Schridde, director of the riding school and stables at the Steinmühle School & Boarding School. The A-licensed trainer even made it possible for the youngest children to participate in the dressage competition hosted by the Weißer Stein Riding and Driving Club (RFV): The logo-embroidered saddle pad was placed on the Steinmühle school horse, the saddle neatly set in place—and off they went, after a manageable number of practice sessions, to the lead-rein competition, their first step into competitive riding.

 

From Fun to Performance

“It’s amazing how quickly the little ones have come to trust her,” said Katharina Eitel, delighted with the success that resulted from the approach taken by experienced riding instructor Beate Schridde. Schridde knows: “That’s how you turn fun into achievement.”

The older riders, such as Maya Sophie Mey, Elise Backes, and Zoe Miltscheff-Petroff—the daughter of Manuel Miltscheff-Petroff, the president of the Steinmühle Riding Club—have enjoyed success on more than one occasion. They performed very well at the tournament and were able to gain further valuable experience at the same time.

 

Excellent results

Elise Backes competed in the basic riding competition in her division and was evaluated on her walk, trot, and canter, achieving very good results. Zoe Miltscheff-Petroff also delivered excellent performances. These very good results were all the more impressive given that the competition took place near a tennis tournament that was in full swing. Neither the horses nor the riders were distracted by the sound of balls hitting the court, the noise of the game, or the occasional shouts from the players. Beate Schridde: “For horses, which are flight animals, this is sometimes a reason to run away, but everyone was completely relaxed.”

 

Horseback Riding at Steinmühle Boarding School

“Relaxed” is also the keyword for the equestrian future of all students who ride or would like to learn to ride at Steinmühle School & Boarding School. Our network is extensive, and word gets around when good work is done. That’s why boarding students who love riding—whether they have their own horse or not—are welcome at Steinmühle. It’s a place where not only girls but also boys feel right at home on horseback.

Little Karl-Friedrich Eitel shows us how it’s done.

 

(Angela Heinemann)

 

A Varied Exchange Trip to Châlons-en-Champagne

French is one of the languages offered at Steinmühle. Our students share their experiences from their trip to Châlons-en-Champagne:

 

Our trip began early in the morning on April 26 at the main train station in Marburg. From there, we took the train to Châlons-en-Champagne, where we were warmly welcomed by our host families upon arrival. Our teacher, Kevin Völlmig, accompanied us on the exchange.

The following Monday began at 8 a.m. with a joint school visit, during which we attended the regular classes of our exchange students until the lunch break. In the afternoon, we had an intensive German class with our teacher, Madame Cordier, until 5 p.m. Because of the exhaustion from the trip, all the German students headed straight home afterward to rest.

 

Reception at City Hall

Tuesday also began with two class periods, followed by a city scavenger hunt. This took us to City Hall, where we were welcomed by the deputy mayor. After lunch at school, classes continued until 4:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, we started with two hours of German class, and then had the rest of the day to ourselves. The group spent the afternoon together in the city center, went out to eat, and then returned to their host families.

 

Trip to Paris

On Thursday, the group went on a trip to Paris. The German group met at the train station at 8 a.m. and, upon arriving in the capital, first visited the Louvre. After a walk to the Eiffel Tower and lunch together at a burger joint, there was still time for some shopping at Galeries Lafayette. Finally, they visited the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées before heading back in the evening.

 

Joint Pool Party

The weekend was all about togetherness: On Friday, all the exchange students gathered at Lunes’s host family’s home for a pool party. Some of the group spent Saturday on a trip to Reims, which included a visit to a trampoline park and a shopping spree. That’s how our last evening together came to a close.
On Sunday morning, we finally said goodbye to our host families and began our journey home, arriving back in Marburg that evening.

(French, 9th grade – Arthur, Ceysu, Lunes, Noah, Zoe, and Margarete (8th grade))

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)

Steinmühle mourns the loss of Günter Eschenbrenner
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Steinmühle mourns the loss of Günter Eschenbrenner (Jan. 21, 1956 – June 2, 2026).

From 1988 until his retirement in 2022, Günter Eschenbrenner taught Latin and Ethics at Steinmühle.

 

His goal was to give philosophy a prominent place within the Steinmühle. In both Latin and ethics classes, his dedication was particularly appreciated by those students who take pleasure in thinking through complex ideas in depth.

 

As part of the elective curriculum, Günter Eschenbrenner taught calligraphy courses with great success. The work of his students—which is characterized by its aesthetic appeal, precision, and overall harmony—still adorns some of the hallways in our school buildings today.

 

Günter Eschenbrenner’s sense of humor will also be remembered: Whether a sharp, dry remark was meant as a provocation to liven up the discussion or was pure irony, his conversation partners often only realized this when he broke into a reassuring smile.

 

Toward the end of his tenure, Günter Eschenbrenner suffered a severe stroke from which he was never able to fully recover. He passed away on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

 

We would like to express our sincere thanks to him for his work and dedication.

 

Parental support at regattas fostered fun and camaraderie
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“Those were two great regattas for Steinmühle,” says head coach Martin Strohmenger, raving about the most recent competitions for Steinmühle’s active rowers.

He begins by looking back at the International Junior Rowing Regatta in Cologne. There, Janina Conrad won her heat by a margin of 13 seconds, taking first place, and the next day competed in the A final as part of a racing team with Bremen and Berlin, delivering a spectacular performance. Finishing 6th out of 36, the boat crewed by the athlete—who only took up rowing a year and a half ago—achieved an outstanding result. “An explosion of performance that is far from over for Janina,” commented “Stromi.”

 

Harmony and a family-like atmosphere

That same weekend, the area around the Giessen Pentecost Regatta served as the venue for many Steinmühlen rowers. “Everything just came together perfectly,” says the coach, delighted by the dedication and support of the many parents who traveled with the team.

Regardless of age or skill level, everyone stuck together, helped one another, and cheered each other on. — The family-like atmosphere, in which everyone helped everyone else, motivated everyone to perform at their best, including our elite para-rower Lennart Koch.

 

Rowing to Beat Graduation Stress

Lilu Schmidt delivered her usual strong performance and won two races in the single sculls in the junior women’s division. Leonard Hilger (14) won his very first race in the single sculls—and by a wide margin! Ricardo Tapia was also a newcomer to the starting line, and he quickly got the hang of things. Jacob Romsdorfer didn’t let his rowing boat down despite cramming for his high school graduation exams and competed anyway. What a great gesture—that’s what we call a refreshing change of pace.

Due to an injury, Freya Dorndorf had to sit out. She was replaced by Emma Schütt. Together with Lotta Funk, she took second place in the double sculls. Afterward, all three girls posed for the photographer.

Salentin Wittgenstein demonstrated great skill and concentration while rowing. He won his race by a wide margin, and we’re sure we’ll be seeing a lot more from this 12-year-old in the world of sports.

 

(Angela Heinemann)

 

 

Steinmühle Without a Filter: Family Day at the Boarding School

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Not “edited,” not altered by AI—but just as it is: That’s how the Steinmühle Boarding School presented itself at its annual Family Day.

 

During the tour, we went to the beach volleyball court on the Lahn and took a boat shuttle a few meters further to the boathouse. We toured the buildings, including the specialized classrooms for our science subjects, the gyms with a weight room, the tennis court, the soccer field, and the equestrian facility, where the horses had recently been given brand-new stalls.

 

First-hand Plus-MINT information

Teenagers from our plus-MINT team gave the young people—who had been selected by Steinmühle during the plus-MINT casting—a tour of the entire campus to provide information to them and their parents and answer any questions they had. We’d love to have you on the team! While the kids ran around the front sports field in transparent “bumper balls,” the boarding school’s teaching staff exchanged information with parents of interested students and conducted several admissions interviews.

 

Close to nature, yet centrally located

Parents and relatives of our prospective students, as well as the young people themselves, got a sense of our nature-oriented campus in southern Marburg, not far from the university and close to the lively atmosphere of the bustling city center and the traditional Upper Town with its historic half-timbered houses. Having all of this within easy reach is a very special bonus, in addition to our comprehensive academic program!

The weather was kind to us as organizers, and likewise to the families who gathered around the tables in our courtyard for a friendly get-together. They enjoyed food and cold drinks until, toward evening, the kitchen team served up delicious grilled treats.

Click through the photos—and get a feel for Steinmühle School & Boarding School!

We’re saying goodbye—and see you soon!

(Angela Heinemann)

 

Steinmühle = Sportmühle: Children braved the high temperatures

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Phew, it was hot! But despite the high temperatures, Steinmühle’s Lower Secondary School Sports Day turned out to be a great event—with no injuries or unpleasant incidents. This suggests that parents and physical education teachers did a great job of preparing the students for the challenging conditions! “The kids participated really well and with great enthusiasm,” said school sports coordinator Marcel Kalb happily.

On that day, the students competed in a dodgeball tournament, a soccer tournament for boys and girls, and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. The program also included an Ultimate Frisbee tournament and a beach volleyball tournament. Earlier, many children had competed in the sprint and running events (50, 75, 100, and 800 meters) to earn their scores toward the Sports Badge.

The photos by Björn Wagner give a sense of the event.

(M. Kalb/A. Heinemann)

New Concept: The Steinmühlen Spring Ergo & Gig Cup Kicked Off for the First Time

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Rowing is part of the curriculum for every 7th-grade class at Steinmühle. Because of this focus on the sport, the four 7th-grade classes once again organized the rowing event at the Steinmühle boathouse during this year’s Lower Secondary School Sports Day.

The Steinmühle rowing team has expanded on the concept of the rowing event from recent years to create a new event called the “Steinmühle Spring Ergo & Gig Cup.” This modified format made its debut at this event.

 

What has changed:

The new format consists of a triathlon featuring the following events, all of which are based exclusively on rowing-specific competition formats:

– Rowing-Ergometer-Challenge over 250m

– Rowing rally “ Monte Carlo ” in gig*)-4s: each mixed gig races over a distance of 500m-
Boat per class at the start.

– 250-meter gig boat sprint: Two mixed gig boats per class compete in the preliminary round using a time-trial elimination format to determine the four semifinalists. Starting with the semifinals, the winning boat is determined through head-to-head competition.

Despite limited time to prepare for the event, some of the students delivered outstanding performances, reported organizer Michael Neirich. The competition day was therefore marked by great athletic dedication, and the beautiful weather further contributed to the positive atmosphere. It was also impressive that the students cheered each other on during all the events—a lovely gesture that demonstrated their sense of camaraderie despite the competitive atmosphere!

A big thank you to all our colleagues who helped organize the event and provided photos!

(M. Neirich/A. Heinemann)

 

Below are the results of the 2026 Steinmühlen Spring Ergo & Gig Cup:

 

Ergometer Results (250 m)

Girl:
1st Place: Dana Schleich 7i
2nd Place: Clara Koch 7c
3rd Place: Lara Burk 7c – Anouk Sedlmayr 7a – Romilda Baralis 7c

Boys:
1st Place: Julian Lange, 7b
2nd Place: Titus Lampert, 7a – Jakob Heck, 7b
3rd Place: Leo Niederhöfer, 7c

 

Results of the “Monte Carlo” Gig-BootCompetition
1st Place: 7c Hannes Sondergeld, Ole Brutzer, Romilda Baralis, Johanna Schütte, Theodor Weber
2nd Place: 7a Tabea Moses, Anouk Sedlmayr, Finja Porth, Philipp Zschau, Mika Nordwald
3rd Place: 7b Miranda Lammerskötter, Justus Böth, Leo Keil, Yiheng Liang, Noe Becker

 

Result “250m Sprint” Competition Gig Boat
1st Place: 7i Ismail Özmen, Noah Gavrilas, Emmanuel Sarumi, Dana Schleich, Nika Jablonski
2nd Place: 7i Nic Dohmen, Alea Stübner, Aurelia Thielicke, Gianluca Schneider, Ricardo Tapia Gehring
3rd place: 7b Maximilian Bliemel, Philipp Leont, Jakob Heck, Alisa Neufeld, Nora Rettig

 

Results “Fastest Rowing Class” Competition
1st place: 7b
2nd place: 7a
3rd place: 7c
4th place: 7 i

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For clarification:

*) The Gig-Boot (Gig for short) is a fast, sturdy type of rowing boat. It is characterized by its wider and more stable design compared to narrow racing boats and is the standard boat for recreational rowing, training, and touring.

 

 

 

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

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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)

 
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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

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