Archives 1955-1956
10th 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 ErlangenAmericanHigh School.
A year later, on Monday, September 6, 1947, this American high school opened its doors as NürnbergAmericanHigh 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 NürnbergHigh 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 1955-56 school year, the tenth year of the school’s existence, were the fourth 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.
The 1955-56 school year saw the reorganization of the industrial arts department. Both the shop and its teacher, Mr. Hoyt, were praised in the local German newspaper. In December the Residence Hall addition was completed, adding quarters for new supervisors, two more lounges, and 16 new rooms for a total of 48. Traditions that continued included the school carnival, the junior class “Slave Sale,” the AFN radio program, and, of course, the Junior-Senior Prom and the senior trip. After a two-year absence, a Dramatics Club reappeared and there was a school play.
Coach Blackstead’s football team posted a stellar 4-1-1 record that was good enough for second place in the USAREUR 11-man football conference. Moving up to Class A in basketball, the Eagles fared less well. The 1955 track team took second place in the Southern Regional track meet held at Soldiers Field. The 1955 baseball team of the previous school year won the Southern Division championship for the second straight year.
In the files that are linked to from this page, you can read an attempt to preserve the history and memories of the 1955-56 school year. Thanks to Ethel (Walske) Lapitan,’58, Berta (Williams) Bryner,’56, and Larry Shuman,’57, for help in providing words and pictures.
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