Giessen HS History
Opened: 1985
Closed: 2007
Giessen American High School opened its doors for the first time in August 1985. The school provided educational programs for students in grades nine through twelve from the communities of Geissen North, Butzbach, Kirchgoens, Friedberg, and Bad Nauheim. The opening of Giessen High School aroused great public interest. Negotiations and planning had gone on for several years prior to construction. It was finally determined that the school would be located across from the Giessen Army Depot and behind the Woodland Club. Construction on the school started in June 1984.
During the construction the contractors found a 250-pound World War II ear bomb and there was intermittent protests by the German Green Party due to the placement of the building in the midst of woodlands, surrounded by forest and foliage, such as rhododendrons and mushrooms. The area was described by the workers as “fairytale” like and the prettiest campus in DoDDS Europe. Much of the unique attributes were due to environmental accommodations at the time of planning and construction.
According to the 2000-01 yearbook, “In order to build the school in the forest, contractors had to clear a large section of trees. Before the school was built, the 7th – 9th graders went to the middle school in Dulles housing and the 10th – 12th graders were bused to Frankfurt American High School.” Students took buses and/or trains to Frankfurt and were often housed in dormitories during the week, returning to their homes in Friedberg, Bad Nauheim, and Giessen on the weekends and during holidays.
Students were involved in the decision making for the school colors and mascot. The school colors were red and black, and the high school mascot was the mythological Griffin. The Griffin was a creature composed of the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As a result, the creature possessed courage, strength, speed grace, and nobility—the characteristics of a winner.
The original high school facility consisted of eight general purpose classrooms, three science labs, art room, a home economics lab, an industrial arts lab, a gymnasium, and a fully equipped media center. Additionally, there was office space for administration, counseling, secretarial services, and supply. The first principal was Robert Kubarek, and the assistant principal was Helen Ducey. There were about 350 students in grades nine through twelve.
Both male and female students competed in the DoDDS sports program, and a variety of extracurricular activities were available including a drama club, National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and a Black History Club. The first year of the school, JROTC was part of the curriculum. The JROTC unit was the 16th JROTC Battalion, and its motto was “Accept Nothing But the Best”. The school also had its first yearbook, and the school newspaper was the Crimson Griffin. The school’s student athletes, clubs, and other activities traveled throughout Europe on a weekly basis to convene and compete with students from other DoDDS schools.
The next year, the school had a seven-period day schedule and the FBLA ran the school store. The sports program had a banner year including an undefeated season for the football team, the Small Schools Championship for cross country, and undefeated seasons for girls’ and boys’ basketball. Ed Siemaszko was the principal.
For the 1987-88 school year there were 420 students in grades nine through twelve. The educational staff consisted of twenty teachers. Additionally, there were specialists for learning development, media, and guidance and counseling. The football team won its third consecutive Germany A Championship with a three-year record of 24-2-1. Girls’ volleyball placed first in the Central A division and third in the Small Schools Championships. Cross Country won the Small Schools Championship again and boys’ basketball won their third Germany A Championship. Thirteen high school students traveled to Russia for a school trip in February 1988.
Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) was added as an extracurricular activity for the 1988-89 school year. The girls’ volleyball won their conference, and the Small Schools Tournament and the girls’ basketball team won the European Championship. The boys’ cross country team won their third consecutive A Central Championship and the regional meet.
Mr. Hal Hagmiere was the principal for the 1990-91 school year, and Gordon Gardner became the principal for the 1991-92 school year, with Marjorie Llewallen as his assistant. In the fall of 1995, Robert Bennett was the principal and Dr. Doris Brodie was the assistant principal. Ms. Kuzmick became the principal for the 1998-99 school year.
Notable athletic achievements for the nineties included the Griffins winning the European Basketball Championship in 1994 and placing three players on the DoDDS All Star team. The school wrestling team won its sixth consecutive championship.
Students at Giessen also began participating in Outdoor Education trips, Model United Nations, and Brain Bowl. AVID was added to the curriculum. The first yearbook to be done completely on computer was published for the 1998-99 school year.
The school enrollment began dropping after the 1990-91 school year. By the 1993-94 school year, there were about 200 students in grades nine through twelve. In 1996, the continued drawdown of the US Army presence in Germany led to a consolidation of school facilities, and students in grades seven and eight were moved to the high school location.
According to the 2000-01 yearbook, in a section written by student Rose Amelang:
Though the years the school has offered the same sports and activities except we no longer have a gymnastics team or a science club. Several classes were offered then that aren’t now, to include: Latin, photography, child care, driver’s ed., AP language. However, students can now take Anatomy, honors english, AP government and MUN, among others. The business lab has evolved from typewriters to Pentium computers.
Many teachers and 6 different Principals have come and gone through the doors of Giessen American High School. Ms. Love, Ms. Marek, and Ms. Sheehan are the only teachers left from fifteen years ago.
At one time the school was so large that classes were taught at the chapel, the Hessen Club, and the quonset huts next to the chapel. Due to downsizing, the middle school joined the high school in 1994.
At the time of its closing, the school was known as Giessen American Middle/High School. The school closed in 2007 following the 2005 round of Base Realignment and Closure in Germany, in advance of the final closure of the Giessen Army Depot the following year. Though the grounds were returned to the German Federal government, they and the school buildings remained largely untouched and fell into disrepair.
Information from DOD School information guides and school yearbooks