Henriette Goldschmidt School
Team WissensSpuren and Henriette Goldschmidt School
The Henriette-Goldschmidt-Schule was the first university in Germany that offered education for women. Thus, it provided the opportunity for women and girls to acquire a scientifically based education, as well as the self-esteem and opportunity of financial independence based on a profound professional education — a privilege not widely available in that period.
History of the Building
The school still resides in its original location, and much of its interior is preserved in the original state. It emerged as a merger of a private residence erected in the 1860s with an extension built in 1914, with the front facade fitted in such a way that the extension is only visible at the back of the building.
History
The women’s rights activist and educationalist Henriette Goldschmidt (1825–1920) was one of the founders of the organized feminist movement in Germany. Time and again her educational concept “from Kindergarten to a university for women” brought attention to Leipzig, till at the age of 86 she completed her life work by founding the first University for Women in Germany. This endeavor was supported by generous donations of the music publisher Henri Hinrichsen, the owner of Music Publishing House Edition Peters. Via this link the history of the school is tightly linked to this Music Publishing house and also to the Musikinstrumentenmuseums der Universität Leipzig. Moreover, the Kemp Research Estate on Heriette Goldschmidt of the school history is now preserved and expored at the Leibniz-Institut für jüdische Geschichte und Kultur – Simon Dubnow.
Education and Research
Presently, the school is a modern school centre for professional education of podologists, childcare and healthcare support workers, and a city college for health care and social professions. The school embraces tolerance, diversity, and a pluralistic society — as well as combining tradition and embracing the spirit of time.
Outreach
The school community is actively commemorating its founders. The portrait of its founder Henriette Goldschmidt by the painter Philippine Wolff-Arndt 1884/1881 is on display in the school, and in 2022 a historic room was set up for the cultivation of traditions and educational purposes. Presently, 1,293 historic artifacts, 185 larger objects, and 624 books are on display in this collection.