OF_03: Former Offermannsheide school

Former Offermannsheide school

Hans Reck

Version from January 2021

The children from Offermannsheide are said to have been taught in one room from as early as 1818. From 1821/22, the school for children from Offermannsheide, Biesfeld and the surrounding area was located in Oberkollenbach, the most populous town in the area at the time. After this school became too small, schools were built in both Offermannsheide and Biesfeld between 1864 and 1867. The school districts were redrawn between the two villages.

The school building in Offermannsheide had two storeys, two classrooms, two teachers' apartments and outbuildings (toilets, cowshed). There was also a courtyard, playground and gymnasium as well as a large garden. The school opened on January 2, 1868. The lower school hall served as an emergency church in 1882/83 when the new church was built because the existing chapel was demolished. School lessons were therefore held in the classroom on the second floor. The school remained a single class. All children from all year groups were taught simultaneously in one class by one teacher. Schools of this type continued to exist after the Second World War.

The school district was almost identical to the parish district of the parish. In addition to Offermannsheide, these were the villages of Engeldorf, Linde, Unterbörsch, Oberclef, Heidmannnsauel, Welpertsiefen, Oeldorf, Kleverhof and Schmitte. Later, the villages of Bilstein, Wallerscheid, Georghausen, Hommerich, Welzen, Welzerberg and Tüschen, which now belong to the municipality of Lindlar, were added.

The school was completely rebuilt in 1955/56. School operations ended with the school reform in 1968 and was merged with the school in Biesfeld. The school was closed after a transitional period in which partial lessons were still held. The school building was sold in 1977 and is now used commercially and as an apartment.


Sources:

Förster, Kunibert: Offermannsheide - The village on the edge of the world - Kürtener Schriften,
Geschichtsverein für die Gemeinde Kürten und Umgebung, issue 6, November 2007,

Peter Opladen: Das Dekanat Wipperfürth, Verlag F. Schmitt, Siegburg, 1955,

Büchel, Josef, Gronewald, Peter: Pictures from old times, Kürten parish, December 1986 (picture)

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