High-Quality Performances at the Summer Concert

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What a wonderful treat for the ears, what a spectacular sight! Time and again, you see that when a teacher is fully committed to the task at hand—whether at the conductor’s podium or playing an instrument—the students are too! And that’s exactly how it was at the Steinmühle summer concert shortly before the end of the school year.

Once again, the event offered the audience an impressive showcase of the vocal and instrumental talents of students of various ages at our school. The program featured the 6th-grade choir, led by teachers Daniel Sans and Anna Prokop; the 5th-grade wind ensemble, conducted by Andreas Jamin; the concert band and the 6th-grade wind ensemble, conducted by Stephan Reissig; and the 10th-grade class, led by Anna Prokop. The concert band presented itself as an impressive ensemble that has grown out of the 6th-grade wind ensemble and—supported by several students from grades 6, 9, and 12—delivered a confident performance.

“That really hits the spot”—that’s what the audience thought as they listened to the colorful medley of songs performed, including “We Will Rock You,” “Rock Around the Clock,” “The Final Countdown,” “Radioactive,” and, to wrap things up, “What a Wonderful World” and “Lean on Me.”

The evening, hosted by Ulrike Wilmsmeyer and with technical support from the Sound & Light Club, showcased the results of a tremendous effort by all the performing students and all the teachers in the music department at Steinmühle. Hats off to them!

 

9th Grade: Back from the language trip to Vila-real, highly motivated

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The second exchange program to Spain for the Steinmühlen 9th-grade class took a group to the city of Vila-real, made possible by ERASMUS funding. “This support enhances the quality and organization,” reports María Ramos, offering insight into the preparation and planning of these projects, which she applies for together with her colleague Laura Cubillas. The exchanges pursue goals in the area of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

“For the students, these trips always mean new experiences,” said María Ramos. “A different climate, a different environment, an even more mindful approach to water, and different flora and fauna. We were delighted to have found a partner school in Vila-real that also operates sustainably. This school works on practically the same projects as the Steinmühle.”

Activates dormant vocabulary

The trip to Vila-real was very rewarding for the students on several levels. Many activities were woven into the program, including tours of caves and rock formations, a boat trip, and a visit to the city of Valencia. The group of 9th graders from Steinmühle benefited linguistically through the active use of Spanish, English, and, of course, German, and more than a few of them realized during conversations just how extensive their foreign-language vocabulary actually is.

María Ramos: “It was a wonderful language trip, and the students came back highly motivated. What’s more, they even made friends.”

 

The following photos give a glimpse of the trip—not only of the English classes, classroom discussions, and various field trips, but also of the visit to City Hall and the soccer stadium of the quite popular soccer club Villareal CF. There, students from Steinmühle clearly had a lot of fun simulating a press conference.

 

Supported by Erasmus: 9th-grade exchange to Granada, Spain

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The trip to Spain for Mar Montenegro’s group began with a flight on a very small plane via Madrid to Granada, where we were picked up at the airport by our respective host families. Over the next few days, after a Spanish breakfast with our host families in the morning, we went to our exchange students’ schools with them. Our class was split among three different schools, all located in the center of Granada.

In the mornings, we sometimes participated in the Spanish students’ regular classes. At the schools, we were also able to continue working on our ERASMUS projects. Since our exchange was funded by ERASMUS, we focused on four topics:

  • Interfaith Dialogue/Coexistence of the Three Religions (Cultures): Islam, Judaism, and Christianity—Then and Now
  • Environment/Climate Change: Water as a Fundamental and Indispensable Resource; Water Management in Marburg and Granada Then and Now
  • Sustainable School: Mobility/Waste Separation/Sustainable Consumption
  • Environment/Climate Change: Changes in the Surroundings After class, we often met up with others from our Spanish course in the city and went on excursions together, led by our three accompanying teachers (Mar Montenegro, Ronja Heckmann, Stephan Kersten). A major highlight for us students was the trip to the Alhambra, the ancient fortress built by the Moors. We were able to explore the entire interior, and the magnificent architecture and the view over the entire city were particularly impressive. In the afternoons, we had free time with “our” Spanish friends and could go shopping in the city or go on our own excursions. On the weekends, some of us went on individual outings with our host families, such as trips to the beach. But we also went as a group to the big “Corpus” fair, which took place for Corpus Christi. With all the rides and the traditional clothing everyone was wearing there, it was a wonderful experience. To wrap up the trip, we went hiking in the mountains and then swam in a lake. The next morning, we drove to the airport together and arrived safely back in Marburg after a 12-hour journey. Overall, we thought the Spanish exchange was really cool, and it was definitely an eventful exchange.

Jael Bieber (9b) and Evelyn Hildermann (9c)

 

Fun Takes Center Stage: Steinmühle Has the Largest Contingent at the Marburg Night Marathon

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With nine relay teams, three half-marathon runners (Leon Vielhaben, Ron Owen, and Clara Freudenstein), and one marathon runner (Marlon Welsch), Steinmühle was once again the largest group of runners at this year’s Marburg Night Marathon.

The groups were diverse, meaning they were mixed in terms of running ability and not focused on achieving particularly high rankings. Fun and camaraderie were once again the main priorities this year, reported Principal Björn Gemmer, who successfully participated in the race. His group secured the top spot among those who finished. The fact that this particular group didn’t have a name—and that this was even noted on the certificate—was a minor source of amusement.

The following photos, showing all participants, depict—in no particular order—those who started the Marburg Night Marathon at the Steinmühle.

Have fun scrolling!

 

Surfing Trip for the Advanced Sports Class

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A week of summer, sun, and surfing. That already sounds like vacation, doesn’t it!? But it wasn’t quite time for that yet… For the 12th-grade advanced sports class, however, it was already a reality—they went on a field trip! Early Saturday morning, they hopped on the TGV headed for the popular surfing town of Carcans-Plage in southern France.

After a long trip, we kicked off the evening by watching the soccer round of 16 match between Germany and Denmark at a local restaurant. The initially bad weather was more than made up for by the great atmosphere and joy over Germany’s victory.

The next day, feeling refreshed and well-rested, we set out for our first day of surfing. For some, it was their first time on a surfboard; others had already moved beyond the beginner stage and were giving their skills a thorough refresher. The great weather and excellent conditions sparked a love of surfing in most of us and allowed us to enjoy the rest of the day at the beach.

 

Surfing the “green waves”

The following surfing sessions led to more and more success, and we realized that with the right technique and a few tricks, you can make rapid progress. In the evenings, we sat together on the beach, built bonfires, and enjoyed the sunset on Carcans Plage. With our experienced surf instructor Tim, the bravest among us ventured out to ride the taller “green” waves, while others honed their basic skills in the “whitewater.” We also strengthened our class bond and spent a lot of time together through our group Spikeball, volleyball, and soccer tournaments.

Even though the trip was coming to an end at an ever-faster pace, our schedule was still packed. On the last evening, the sports class passionately cheered on our German national soccer team, wearing Germany jerseys and waving flags. The entire restaurant was filled with the spirit of Germany, and emotions ran high. The frustration and sadness over our national team’s elimination from the European Championship briefly dampened the mood, but it couldn’t take away the wonderful memories of a fantastic week of surfing!

Martha Mengel and Emiliya Yanets

 

Steinmühle is officially the “State Training Center for Para Rowing”

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The Hessian Association for Sports for People with Disabilities and Rehabilitation (HBRS) took advantage of the Steinmühle’s major sports festival on Friday, June 28, and the presence of its sports partners at the event to officially designate Steinmühle as a “State Training Center for Para Rowing.” HBRS President Heinz Wagner presented the official award in front of the Steinmühle boathouse to rowing instructor and coach Martin Strohmenger, who had been instrumental in driving this development forward with the support and backing of Steinmühle Managing Director Dirk Konnertz (in the background). The plaque now complements the existing sign reading “Steinmühle Inclusive Water Sports Center,” which was officially unveiled exactly one year ago at the summer festival of the “Rudern und Sport Steinmühle” club. Both of Steinmühle’s designations are closely linked to its partner, blista, the German Institute for the Blind in Marburg. For years now, inclusive rowing involving sighted and visually impaired rowers has been a vibrant and successful program. Their joint inclusive water sports program also includes canoeing. Other sports for people with physical disabilities are offered jointly as well. On the same day, blista received the official designation “State Training Center for Goalball, Para Judo, and Blind Soccer” from the HBRS president.

Together with several visually impaired and sighted athletes, Steinmühle, blista, and guests celebrated the awards and paid tribute to them: blista Board Member Patrick Temmesfeld, City Councilwoman and Head of the Sports Department Kirsten Dinnebier, Björn Backes, head of the City of Marburg’s Sports Department, blista Principal Peter Audretsch, Steinmühle Principal Björn Gemmer, Michael Neirich, rowing coordinator at Steinmühle, Janosch Briel, sports coordinator at blista; and Claus Duncker, finance director of RuS Steinmühle and former blista board member.

A Place for Learning and Living: Steinmühle School and Boarding School Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary

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The numerous invited guests brought plenty of praise with them when they gathered for the ceremony in the forum of the host institution, the Steinmühle School and Boarding School. It was a true anniversary worth celebrating, as the educational institution in southern Marburg turned 75 and marked the occasion with a week of festivities. Many well-wishers attended: from the school community, other schools, the school district office, the political sphere, various associations, and top officials from the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs. The Steinmühle and its leadership, however, remained humble and grateful.

“We are here in a place of learning and life,” noted Egon Vaupel, chairman of the Steinmühle Marburg support association. At Steinmühle, he said, investments are made in education, training, and integration. These are the most important building blocks for the success of an institution that is known far beyond the district’s borders. However, he added, it is also important not only to acknowledge successes but also to admit mistakes.

Principal Björn Gemmer provided a retrospective, in words and pictures, of the most important historical milestones at Steinmühle in the period after 1949. The founder, Joseph Müller, and the educator, Gerhard Buurman, were brought together through their activities in the Association of German Private Schools. Buurman invested 40,000 German marks in the Steinmühle, which had 123 students on May 10, 1949. As an independently operated school and boarding school, the then “Landschulheim Steinmühle” received state recognition in 1955. In 1973, Steinmühle had 226 boarding students—more than ever before and more than ever since. Currently, the total number of students is 820, of whom about 100 live in the boarding school and the rest are day students from the city. Around 1,000 people are currently active on campus, including all staff members.

 

Significant Investment in Internationalization

Over the years, the Steinmühle has had many success stories, but it has also been involved in the occasional scandal that the press eagerly picked up on, such as when students helped a citizen of the GDR escape during a class trip in the 1980s. To this day, the school has retained, to some extent, the image of being “a school for the rich”—due to the fact that the private school operator charges tuition, and hardly any boarding school accommodates young people for free.

What is less well known is that Steinmühle enrolls 20 percent of its boarding students through youth welfare services, and the efforts it has made since the 1980s to take in refugees, most recently in 2015. Significant investment has also been made in Steinmühle’s international character. In Class 6i of the International High School track, in addition to German and English, the students also speak Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Turkish, Polish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Flemish, Persian, Marathi, and Kurdish at home.

 

Praise for Sustainability

Much to the delight of Dirk Konnertz, the school and boarding school’s director, many former colleagues and alumni had also come to see what had become of “their” Steinmühle. Everyone praised the school’s diverse curriculum—particularly in the natural sciences—as well as its commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, and its active construction and modernization efforts. Among the alumni was Felix Müller, a 2023 Steinmühle high school graduate who is now a student at the Mozarteum in Salzburg; together with Gabrielle Sans on the piano, he provided the musical accompaniment for the event. Together with singer and teacher Anna Prokop and tenor Daniel Sans, Dirk Konnertz brought the evening to a musical close on the keyboard; at the very end, the event offered a unique opportunity to take a group photo of all the school principals from past years up to the present.

The Steinmühle welcomed the following guests: Dr. Manuel Lösel (State Secretary, Hessian Ministry of Culture, Education, and Opportunity), Christoph Aßmann (Director of the State School Authority), Michael Röhrig (Director of the Marburg Teacher Training Seminar for High Schools), Dirk Bamberger (Member of the State Parliament), Angela Dorn (Member of the State Parliament and Vice President of the Hessian State Parliament), Nadine Bernshausen (Mayor), Peter Hesse (Head of the Cappel Local Council), Dr. Falk Raschke (Executive Director of the Association of German Private Schools in Hesse), Hans-Martin Meth (Vice Chair of the Boarding Schools Association), Jasmine Weidenbach (Chair of the Steinmühle Support Association), Bianca Zenker (Chair of the School Parents’ Council), Joela Schwing and Lennart Holly (student representatives).

Steinmühle also welcomed: the Buurman family, principals from nearby schools, former and current faculty members from the school and boarding school, former and current students, parents, friends, and supporters of Steinmühle.

The Latin Students in Trier: Two Student Reports

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For the 9th-grade Latin field trip, we traveled to Germany’s oldest city, Trier. After a long train ride and a brief detour to the beautiful city of Luxembourg, we checked into our hostel, which was located right in the city center, just a few hundred meters from the Porta Nigra. After getting an overview of tranquil Trier through a city scavenger hunt, we had the chance to explore the city on our own. The next day, a “Roman slave girl” guided us through the city. She took us to many places where traces of Roman life are still visible. We also gained deeper insights into Roman life through a guided tour of the Rhineland State Museum in Trier, featuring mosaics, sculptures, and everyday objects. The tour ended with a look at the gold treasure that was discovered in 1993 during the construction of an underground parking garage in Trier. In addition to the Porta Nigra, we also visited the Basilica of Constantine and the thermal baths. Our visit to Trier was rounded off with a private theatrical tour of the amphitheater. Isaac Boateng used a dramatic performance to tell us the story of a gladiator who attended a gladiator school in Trier and took part in fights in the amphitheater.

Nele Heinemann and Lotta Ritter

 

This year’s Latin field trip took us to the historic city of Trier, considered Germany’s oldest city. There, at the Rheinisches Landesmuseum, a truly impressive exhibit awaited us: the Trier Gold Coin Hoard.
This sensational discovery is one of the largest and most significant coin hoards ever found worldwide. It was discovered in 1993 during excavation work in Trier and handed over to the museum. In total, the hoard comprises 2,650 gold coins that were minted during the Roman Empire between 63 and 196 AD.

From Emperor Nero to Marcus Aurelius, the coins feature the portraits of 27 famous Romans. The discovery gives us a fascinating glimpse into just how splendid Trier was during the Roman Empire. The gold used in these coins alone is worth several million euros today.

However, something so valuable also attracts shady characters. In October 2019, two masked men attempted to steal the treasure by force. Fortunately, the robbery failed because the thieves were unable to break the display case’s security glass. Since then, security measures have been strengthened, and the “
” gold treasure of Trier can now continue to be admired by interested visitors.

My conclusion:
Trier is great! If you ever find yourself there, immerse yourself in the history and richness of a city that was once almost as resplendent as mighty Rome itself.

Clara Victoria Meinrad

 

 

… and it’s spinning again!

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After ten years of “retirement,” the stone mill wheel was set in motion again

After decades of constant, round-the-clock rotation, the millwheel of the stone mill could no longer hide the signs of wear and tear: Both the left and right bearings had practically disintegrated; they had “worn out.” The worst part of this situation was the terrible squeaking that constantly echoed through the neighborhood. Ten years ago, a decision was finally made: We’ll block the millwheel; we’ll shut it down.

No matter how bustling the activity on the Steinmühle grounds became from then on, its millwheel—the actual symbol featured in the school and boarding school’s logo—stood still. Every now and then, voices were raised calling for the millwheel to be brought back to life. At first, to no avail.

A few months ago, a change began to take shape. At that time, Principal Björn Gemmer also suggested that people please take care of the traditional millwheel. With the upcoming anniversary, the time seemed right to take this step: “Steinmühle Moves” and “Steinmühle Runs” were the slogans used in recent promotional campaigns. — But the millwheel—was that supposed to stay put?

“We got to work on it,” recalls Till Buurman, referring to the challenging undertaking that could only be accomplished as a team. The mill wheel had to be lifted out using a hydraulic tool from the auto body repair trade, the kind normally used to straighten dented cars. Once it was jacked up, the old bearings were removed and new ones installed. The wheel was then put back in place—a meticulous process that required strength, patience, and skill.

That makes the excitement over the revitalized landmark all the greater across the entire Steinmühlen campus. And it’s not just the school administration and management who are thrilled to see things in motion everywhere—in the school and the boarding school—and even when looking at the mill building.

 

“Locked Out of Heaven,” “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”: Getting Active with Music for Diversity Day

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To mark German Diversity Day on May 28, which promotes diversity and inclusion in organizations, Steinmühle actively addressed the topic of diversity both in the classroom and as a school community. To mark the occasion, a special program was held in the schoolyard during the second long break that day, featuring live band music, a flash mob, presentations, and performances. The students supported the event by wearing T-shirts with designs representing the theme of diversity. Even elementary school students joined in the fun! Once again, the Student Council made a strong showing at this event. Art teacher Ines Vielhaben hosted the activities in the schoolyard and was delighted by the presence of various colleagues. “We need everyone! Because diversity enriches our lives,” explained middle school principal Frank Wemme. Earlier, students had written down on colorful slips of paper what diversity means to them personally and why it is important. In this way, the event became a cross-grade-level activity with practical applications for everyday life.

 

 
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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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