The municipal grammar school of the Saxon town of Werdau is now located in this Wilhelminian-style building, which was erected in 1889 (also recognisable by the two inscriptions 1888/1889 in the central portico). The prestigious building was initially erected for the former elementary and girls’ school and then became a regular secondary school for decades as the Pestalozzi School. Shortly after reunification, the municipal grammar school finally moved into the building in 1992, which had only introduced seventh grade the year before, and has been offering classical grammar school education from the 5th to the 12th grade ever since. Saxony has always had an eight-year grammar school (G8) up to year 12.
History of the Werdau Gymnasium
The forerunner of Werdauer Gymnasium was initially a selective school from 1860, which later became a Realschule with Progymnasium and in the 1920s a Oberrealschule (located in the former Bürgerschule on today’s Dr. Breitscheid-Platz). In 1950 it was given the name “Alexander-von-Humboldt-Schule” and from 1960 it was known as “Erweiterte Oberschule” (EOS). In 1992, it finally became a traditional Saxon grammar school and moved into the building portrayed above.
The Werdauer secondary school trial of 1951 was a significant event in the history of the town.
