Archives 1954-1955
9th year of the school’s existence
On Monday, October 21, 1946, a new American high school opened. It was one of six high schools that opened in the fall of 1946, not in the United States, but in Germany. This high school was in a small town approximately 15.5 miles north of Nürnberg, one of Germany’s most historic cities. It was called Erlangen American High School.
A year later, on Monday, September 6, 1947, this American high school opened its doors as Nürnberg American High School, in a new location, 19 Tannenstrasse in Fürth, a town approximately 6.5 miles from the Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof. The school was to remain at this address for five and one-half years.
The sixth year of the school’s existence was begun in the old school on Tannenstrasse, but the students, on January 3, 1952, moved into a brand new American school at 30 Fronmüllerstrasse in Fürth.
The doors of NHS were to remain open at this new address until the school closed in 1995, after 49 years. In 1995 thousands of Nürnberg High School alumni had to face the fact that their school was gone. But it lived on in their memory, and these alumni have bonded together to preserve their high school friendships and their memories through the Nürnberg Alumni Association.
The students of the 1954-55 school year, the ninth year of the school’s existence, were the third to spend their year in the new building on Fronmüllerstrasse. The new school building had come about as a result of the change in Germany’s status as an occupied territory. In 1952 the allied forces went from armies of occupation to co-partners with the Germans in defending the West. On May 5, 1955, West Germany became a sovereign state and immediately joined NATO.
In December of 1954, “Life” magazine was planning to make USAREUR dependent schools better known in the U.S., so announced the “Trichter,” but whether this plan ever came to fruition is not known. What is known is that NHS continued to make use of its talented students in auditorium programs, at school dances, and in the lively choral programs directed by Miss Erma Knighton. Musically oriented clubs included the Mixed Chorus, the Sextet, the Boys Double Barbershop Quartet, and the Orchestra. Traditions established in earlier years continued. It was the second year for the school’s own radio show on AFN. A new tradition was begun when the faculty played the seniors in both basketball and volleyball. It was a successful year for the sports teams. The football team tied for third, winning 3 and losing 3. The basketball team won the B league at the USAREUR tournament in Frankfurt.
In the files that are linked to from this page, you can read an attempt to preserve the history and memories of the 1954-55 school year.
If you find anything here that you believe to be historically inaccurate or know of something that can be added to these files, please contact me.
Bob McQuitty, NAA historian/archivist