Sankt-Ansgar-Schule


The Sankt-Ansgar-Schule is a private secondary school in Hamburg, Germany. It was created in 1946 as a boys' school by the Society of Jesus, an order of the Catholic Church. It became a co-educational school in 1978. The motto of the SAS is: "bonitatem et disciplinam et scientiam doce me, domine". It is engraved above the official main entrance. The Jesuists gave up running the school in 1993 but it is still a member of the association of Jesuit schools. Today, the archbishoppric of Hamburg runs the school.

History

Already in 1917, there were first plans to found a Jesuit school in Hamburg. For many reasons like World War I, the economic crisis of the 1920s, and the following period of Nazi Germany they could not be implemented. Right after World War II, the catholic church negotiated with the British occupation authorities as well as the Senate as the city civil government. The plans for a new secondary school were approved and the SAS was founded on 4 May 1946.

Education

The Leitmotif at the SAS are the educational concepts according to Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. His Ratio Studiorum is the basis of Ignatian pedagogy. It emphasis three pillars: altruism, justice, and self-reflection of one's own deeds.
The SAS follows all rules and regulations made by the state for all public schools in Hamburg. Therefore, despite the fact that religion is an obligatory subject, evolution is taught in biology and not creationism.

Buildings

The property of the SAS at the Bürgerweise street used to be home for an elementary school which was destroyed during the Operation Gomorrah, a massive bombing in 1943 by the RAF Bomber Command. The building which is today known as the Altbau was erected in 1952/1953, based on plans of the architect Gerhard Kamps. In 1970/1971, an extentsion building alongside the adjacent Alfredstraße was built and opened. In 2010, it was expanded.

Location

The school lies in the district of Borgfelde, near the city center of Hamburg and the Alster lake.

Notable alumni