Bremen ES (formerly American ES, Bremen) History
Opened: 1946
Closed: 1954
The first Bremen Enclave Dependents’ School opened its doors at number 15 Kurfürsten Allee, Bremen, Germany in 1946. At that time the Bremen Troop Intelligence and Education School shared the building. The building was a red brick, former residence surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds. Prior to World War II, the building had served as the American Consulate in Bremen. The first year the school had students in grades one through eight, and the next year grades nine through twelve were added. Bremen was one of the original schools opened in Germany after World War II.
For the 1946-47 school year, there were thirty-five students. The Bremen school had students in grades one through twelve by November 1947. The high school portion of the school had three American teachers and two host nation teachers. The principal for the entire school, elementary and high, was Mr. Weitz.
About half of the students attending the school lived in Bremerhaven, a city about forty miles northwest of Bremen. The Bremerhaven students commuted daily. In good weather, the students traveled by bus, and in bad weather, they traveled by a special furnished Diesel train. The trip took about one and ½ hours each day. Lunch was sold at the Bremen Hotel for a small fee for those who chose not to bring lunches.
In September of 1948, a new school was opened at Lehe Barracks in Bremerhaven, Germany. High school students then attended school in Bremerhaven and only elementary students continued to attend school in Bremen until the school was closed in 1954. The final year there were forty-seven students attending the school in grades one through eight.