{"id":45606,"date":"2023-07-14T18:59:42","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T16:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.steinmuehle.de\/blog\/2023\/07\/14\/you-breathe-steinmuehle-official-retirement-ceremony-for-principal-bernd-holly\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T17:37:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T15:37:00","slug":"you-breathe-steinmuehle-official-retirement-ceremony-for-principal-bernd-holly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/blog\/2023\/07\/14\/you-breathe-steinmuehle-official-retirement-ceremony-for-principal-bernd-holly\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cYou Breathe Steinm\u00fchle\u201d: Official Retirement Ceremony for Principal Bernd Holly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Where the encouraging high school graduation banners usually hang, at the entrance to the Forum, there is only a single large poster on display this Tuesday in July. \u201cBernd, you can do it! Your friends.\u201d His friends and most of those who know the outgoing principal\u2014they all know: Bernd Holly wasn\u2019t looking forward to this day. After 22 years at Steinm\u00fchle and at the age of 66, Hessian civil service law has brought an end to the career of Bernd Holly\u2014the educator, the organizer, and above all, the philanthropist\u2014because he has reached the mandatory retirement age. <\/p>\n

It was no ordinary farewell\u2014this event, which had begun at 4 p.m. Even five hours later, the last guests were still standing in the foyer and outside the door, glasses and hors d\u2019oeuvres in hand, chatting with other attendees and with Bernd Holly himself. By that point, the most emotional part of the late afternoon was behind them, and the tissues had been more or less put away. It was over\u2014for Bernd Holly, too. <\/p>\n

A teacher is leaving\u2014a principal. So what, you might say; these things happen. But it was the names on the guest list, and above all the profound words of the numerous speakers, that made it clear: a special person is leaving Steinm\u00fchle. Not even the usual rhetorical flourishes meant to make a person\u2019s work seem particularly important and dazzling. Not even the standard platitudes\u2014not even a ultimately bland biography, as is so often the case, with little to remember, laugh at, or pass on. <\/p>\n

A good job reference, they say, simply describes what someone has done. If one were to sum up Bernd Holly\u2019s work in so few words, the following phrasing would likely capture its essence: We are losing an excellent communicator for whom social skills were more important than grades, and who conveyed messages clearly even in difficult situations. We are losing a respected authority figure who always had an open ear for the needs of the school community. We are losing someone who truly understood students. <\/p>\n

For Bernd Holly, the goal was to help students overcome any fears they might have in an increasingly complex world and to give them a sense of direction. He felt it was important to serve as a role model, and being authentic came naturally to him\u2014he didn\u2019t have to put on an act. <\/p>\n

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that conditions in Bernd Holly\u2019s life were not always easy. To this day, he is grateful to his former elementary school teacher for recommending him for high school\u2014which was the exception for a working-class child back then. <\/p>\n

When Bernd Holly, a German, politics, and physical education teacher, first arrived at Steinm\u00fchle 22 years ago, it was not the place it is today. He is grateful that he was able to help shape those changes, and also for the many students he has had the privilege of guiding. He already knows what he will miss most: \u201cThis wonderful faculty. This is where new life stories are made possible.\u201d <\/p>\n

Bernd Holly sees the teaching profession as involving crucial responsibilities for schools and society. That is exactly what he stood for. <\/em>
\n(Egon Vaupel, President of the Steinm\u00fchle School Association)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m grateful to Bernd for being willing to run with me\u2014who was 34 at the time\u2014in the election for the co-leadership position. He became completely one with the Steinm\u00fchle and always answered the phone by saying, \u201cHolly from the Steinm\u00fchle\u201d\u2014no matter where he was calling from, whether it was the school district office, parents\u2019 homes, or toom. <\/em>
\n (Bj\u00f6rn Gemmer, Principal)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

He always put people first, and in doing so, he left his mark on the Steinm\u00fchle.<\/em>
\n (Rainer Nietzke on behalf of the Works Council)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

School should be a place where children enjoy going. Bernd Holly has achieved that. <\/em>
\n (Dr. Thomas Spies, Mayor of Marburg)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Bernd Holly always has a kind word to say; he’s approachable and has always been available and willing to talk.<\/em>
\n (Nadine Bernshausen, Mayor and Head of the Education Department for the City of Marburg)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

He was affectionate yet energetic, proactive, and consistent in his approach to stressful situations.<\/em>
\n (Brigitte Kettner, former principal of Steinm\u00fchle)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

We got along like a house on fire, despite our often conflicting views. Our collaboration was legendary. He was a master at creating class schedules; he once locked himself in a room and didn\u2019t come out until he was finished. Thank you, Bernd. <\/em>
\n(Ulrich Schmermund, former principal of Steinm\u00fchle)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Just a great guy\u2014full of humanity, strength, and courage.<\/em>
\n(Matthias Bosse, principal of the Alfred Wegener School in Kirchhain)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

He made sure there was a good school atmosphere.<\/em>
\n(Joela Schwing, Julia Fischer, and Eren Pektas on behalf of the Student Council)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

You’re a legend. You live and breathe Steinm\u00fchle. <\/em>
\n (Dr. Claudia Schm\u00f6lz, Chair of the School Parent Advisory Board)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

From the very beginning, you’ve been a strong advocate for boarding schools. That’s what sticks in my mind. <\/em>
\n(Gisela Buurman on behalf of the Steinm\u00fchle Boarding School)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I’m truly moved. So many kind words. It’s such a shame that we didn’t get to know each other better until relatively late. <\/em>
\n (Christoph A\u00dfmann, Director of the State Education Office in Marburg)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Quotes from Bernd Holly:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m feeling absolutely lousy, and there’s no way I’m going of my own free will.<\/em><\/p>\n

We’re discussing gender asterisks and wolves. We should be thinking about other things. <\/em><\/p>\n

Pay attention to who the \u201copinion leaders\u201d are in your classes. This is crucial (addressed to the teaching staff, referring to a term once coined by his daughter Michelle). <\/em><\/p>\n

Two greats are leaving the stage. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and me (said self-deprecatingly, in reference to the professional soccer player who just ended his career). <\/em><\/p>\n

A certain kind of \u201cfluffocracy,\u201d sometimes a bit overprotective (which is what Bernd Holly encountered at the start of his time at Steinm\u00fchle).<\/em><\/p>\n

Schools and kindergartens should be the most beautiful and best-equipped buildings. Not banks. <\/em><\/p>\n

We reached immediate agreement on 90 percent of the decisions. We discussed the rest thoroughly and reasonably (Bernd Holly on his role as principal in the co-leadership structure with Bj\u00f6rn Gemmer). <\/em><\/p>\n

He\u2019s good with education, he\u2019s good with numbers, and he\u2019s good with people. Dirk Konnertz, as managing director, is a real stroke of luck for Steinm\u00fchle. <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A very personal side program: <\/strong>Favorite music and lots of photos <\/strong> <\/p>\n

Dirk Konnertz took the lead in organizing the farewell ceremony\u2014complete with background music and personal touches that couldn\u2019t have been more fitting. Tenor F\u00e9lix M\u00fcller, a senior at Steinm\u00fchle this year, together with Olaf Roth on the piano, moved the audience deeply with the ballad \u201cTime To Say Goodbye.\u201d Olaf Roth on the piano and Tom Herfert on the saxophone performed one of America\u2019s greatest hits, Frank Sinatra\u2019s \u201cMy Way,\u201d as background music for a photo slideshow about Bernd Holly. Dirk Konnertz presented an impressive selection of photos from the collection of his former Steinm\u00fchlen colleague, Dr. J\u00fcrgen Beier. <\/p>\n

To make sure that sitting for long periods wasn\u2019t too taxing for the approximately 200 attendees\u2014including Bernd Holly\u2019s family members, friends, and former and current colleagues\u2014Marcel Kalb, the future school athletic director, led a participatory exercise session. When asked about his favorite song, Bernd Holly had once mentioned, among others, \u201cImagine\u201d by John Lennon. And this song, too, was presented to him as a surprise, sung by Anna Prokop and accompanied by Tom Herfert. The student council presented Bernd Holly with a gift certificate for a charitable project of his choice\u2014knowing full well that the outgoing principal is always eager to support charitable causes. <\/p>\n

Dirk Konnertz thanked Bernd Holly for the wonderful time with the Peter Gabriel song \u201cDon\u2019t Give Up,\u201d which was sung by Matth\u00e4us Otte and Anna Prokop and accompanied instrumentally by Tom Herfert (saxophone) and himself (keyboard). In this context, the outgoing principal offered the faculty the following words of encouragement: \u201cStay hopeful. Optimism is important.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Where the encouraging high school graduation banners usually hang, at the entrance to the Forum, there is only a single large poster on display this Tuesday in July. \u201cBernd, you can do it! Your friends.\u201d His friends and most of those who know the outgoing principal\u2014they all know: Bernd Holly wasn\u2019t looking forward to this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":45607,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101,102,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events-celebrations","category-former-students-alumni","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45606"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49422,"href":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45606\/revisions\/49422"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}