Together Marienau
Students in
Marienau
Marienau stands out because of its small class sizes and its friendly, respectful atmosphere in which all students are supported and are able to learn with confidence. We promote a sense of personal responsibility, tolerance to others and encourage social action, based on our democratic roots. We encourage our students to expand their knowledge and discover the world.
The Schule Marienau consists not only of boarding students but also day students who live in the area around Marienau. We believe this to be a strength of the school that all students come together during the day so that the boarders can build friendships and connections in and to the local area. Day students enjoy making friends with the international students which can lead to all kinds of opportunities. Both groups of students benefit from life outside the classroom. They can take part in the whole school community with all their talents and character and develop their personalities.
Sofia from Mexico
In 2020 the world suddenly became very different and so did a year abroad for many students. What did the pandemic mean for life at boarding school? Here Sofia reports how she spent her time at Marienau.
Headteacher Heike Elz
March 2020 was the start of a major challenge for our Headteacher, Heike Elz and her team and still the pandemic continues. Here Heike gives her account of the first lockdown in March 2020.
Juliana from the USA
No one, least of all Juliana could have predicted the effects of the pandemic and how they would affect her and her time at Marienau. You can read about how life was for her.
Zihan from China
Zihan spent his Easter holidays at Marienau as flights back home to China became restricted. He recorded his experiences.
The boarding school during the pandemic
Video ansehenThis section shows our unique perspective of the pandemic and particularly how it affected our international students who were able to count on a safe and secure second home here in Marienau.
More on the current Coronavirus situation here.
We pride ourselves on being both friendly and open, something we hope you feel straight away on your first visit to Marienau.
This special atmosphere is made possible by an approachable leadership team who work closely with around 85 dedicated teachers, youth workers, office staff, cleaners, cooks and maintenance staff.
Marienau is more than a school, for students, parents and those who work here too.
Besides the Marienau teachers, there’s also a very visible group of welfare staff, office staff, housekeepers and maintenance staff, who are all part of the Marienau community. We all work hard every day to make Marienau the place it is today and to ensure our school can thrive both now and in the future.
Teaching Staff
While various occupations are represented at Marienau, what they all have in common is that they are well-qualified and are committed to providing a good second home to your children and contributing to the Marienau community.
For many of the approximately 40 teaching staff at the school, Marienau is also where they live. Our residential areas are supervised by staff who often live here with their families. Working closely with the teachers are our youth and social workers, other educators and a school psychologist.
Psychology and Social Work Team
Our multi-professional team is always available as a point of contact for students, parents and teachers. Through good communication and full integration in the life of the school, our team is always there for advice when needed. The team supervises residential areas, study time and puts together a programme of activities for the afternoons and weekends. Under German law they are also responsible for particular aspects of children’s and young people’s welfare.
maintenance and Caretaking staff
Marienau is more than a school. We don’t just employ teachers and youth workers but a range of other staff such as cooks, cleaners, gardeners, caretakers, secretaries and even a school nurse. All of them are a part of the Marienau community and all support the students in their life here.
Domestic Staff
Our catering staff provide other staff and students with freshly prepared meals every day, while our cleaning staff ensure clean residential, teaching and general facilities throughout the school. They are not only an important part of the school community but are always prepared to help and carry out their work with love and care for the wellbeing of our students.
Together For Your Child
As your child starts his or her new life in Marienau, it means a new beginning for you too. Here at the school, we feel like a complement to you as parents, whether your child is a boarder or day pupil. The most important thing you trust us with is to support your child and we will of course do that to the best of our ability. In the time that they’re at Marienau, we want to be an important partner in the education of your child and the development of their personality. You’re welcome anytime to share any concerns you might have with us.
At The Boarding School
The start of your child’s time at the boarding school means getting used to trusting your child to the care of someone else. Your daughter or son will be spending a part of their life at Marienau. You will hear lots of new names and we hope you will always feel welcome here. We appreciate that you are trusting your child to us and look forward to working with you to achieve the same aims: to support all our children and young people in their development and to achieve academically.
Parents' Representatives
Since we can’t all talk with each other at the same time, you have the opportunity to elect parents’ representatives who will be able to answer many of your questions. There are two types of parent’s representatives: class parents’ representatives and school parents’ representatives. The following parents represent the whole parent body on the school council. They are elected for one year and while they are responsible for a certain area, they will also try to answer other questions too.
Governing Body
Marienau School is a registered charity, established exclusively for the purposes of the advancement of education. This independent, state-registered school meets this purpose by educating the boys and girls according to the aims of progressive education. The Board of Trustees (Governors) has the overall legal responsibility for the charity and its activities while the day to day business of the school is led by the Headteacher and the Business Manager, according to the school’s own rules of procedure.
Governors
- Vorsitzender: Jan Behrmann, Tespe
- Vorsitzender: Jürgen Metz, Überlingen
- Vorsitzende: Cornelia von Ilsemann, Bremen
- Esther Hey, Pinnenberg
- Dieter Plate, Berlin
- Dr. Hajo Müller, Hamburg
- Gunther Ostwald, Dahlem
- Thomas Sievers, Hamburg
- Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Darmstadt
- Pia Stobernack, Kiel
- Dirk Loßack, Schwielowsee (OT Ferch)
- Ralf Müller, Lüneburg
- Arndt Baumann, Hamburg
- Stephan Friedrich, Bremen
- Maryam Habib, Hamburg
- Prof. Dr. Johann Peter Vogel, Berlin
- Delf Egge (†)
- Prof. Ernst Cramer (†)
- Dr. Bernhard Knoop (†)
- Dr. h.c. Annemarie Roeper (†)
Manchmal braucht es ein offenes Ohr außerhalb der Schul- und Internatsgemeinschaft.
Daher hat die Schule Marienau seit vielen Jahren einen Ombudsmann bzw. eine Ombudsfrau eingesetzt. Seit 2018 hat Frau Katrin Bühring-Uhle dieses Ehrenamt inne. Ihre Aufgabe ist es, allein im Bereich von Übergrifflichkeiten im aktuellen Schulbetrieb der Schule Marienau unter Wahrung absoluter Anonymität Hinweise oder Beschwerden von Schüler*innen, Lehrkräften, Mitarbeiter*innen, Eltern und gesetzlichen Vertretern entgegenzunehmen, zu untersuchen und für Lösungen innerhalb der Schule/Internats und/oder für eine Aufarbeitung durch die zuständigen Behörden zu sorgen.
Katrin Bührung-Uhle ist Richterin a.D. am Amts- Arbeits- und Landgericht in Hamburg. Sie ist außerdem als Mediatorin tätig und erfahren.
Katrin Bühring-Uhle kommt regelmäßig, meist einmal im Schuljahr, nach Marienau um sich den neuen Marienauer*innen vorzustellen und auch Gelegenheit zum Gespräch zu bieten. Weitere Informationen und auch die Kontakdaten von Frau Bühring-Uhle sind im beigefügten Dokument zu finden.