Water damage forces Jüterbogs Gymnasium to use alternative rooms!

Water damage forces Jüterbogs Gymnasium to use alternative rooms!

School starts with restrictions: At the Goethe-Schiller-Gymnasium (GSG) in Jüterbog, preparations for the new school year are underway under difficult conditions. How maz-online.de announced that school operations will remain restricted for the time being due to water damage that was discovered in April. A newer part of the building is affected, which was recently modernized for more than five million euros.

In its current state, the affected area is not accessible: open cables, peeling plaster and running drying equipment indicate that the renovation work is still in progress. A total of three specialist rooms, two preparation rooms, three classrooms and two hallways are affected. Heike Lehmann, spokeswoman for the Teltow-Fläming district, confirms that the drying and construction work is still ongoing, while school principal Sebastian Möller describes the condition as a “shell”.

High renovation costs and lack of space

The status quo raises important questions: How will teaching be secured in this situation? Möller and the teaching staff have responded by using additional rooms in the auditorium, cafeteria and sports halls. In the coming months, science lessons will temporarily take place in other classrooms, which requires flexible use of the rooms.

The reasons for the delays in the renovation are sobering - the costs have tripled because the renovation of the masonry and the rooms is significantly more complex than originally assumed. A provisional restoration is promised by the end of the year, but Möller does not expect actual completion “before 2026”. The water damage was caused by a broken pipe in the chemistry cabinet, which led to water reaching the basement.

Investments in the future

As part of the renovation work, the Teltow-Fläming district also invested 8 million euros in the maintenance of the Goethe House, which was officially handed over on February 14, 2025 konni-wehlan.de reported. District Administrator Kornelia Wehlan handed over the symbolic key to school principal Dr. Sebastian Möller and emphasized the importance of creating modern, bright learning spaces.

The renovation of the Goethe House aims to use the building structure sustainably and at the same time ensure barrier-free connections between the main building and the neighboring building. With the new connecting building and a modern staircase and elevator system, students and teachers can reach all floors without any problems.

School renovation as a task for society as a whole

The situation at the GSG corresponds to a larger trend in Germany: the renovation backlog in schools is alarming. According to a study by KfW, an investment requirement of around 50 billion euros is estimated for nationwide renovations. The conditions in many educational institutions, from peeling plaster to unhygienic toilets, endanger the well-being and quality of learning of students. schools.de calls for the urgent need for investments and creative approaches to overcome the renovation backlog.

The responsibility clearly lies with the school authorities, whose budgets often depend on municipal funds. Innovative models such as public-private partnerships could help implement necessary projects more efficiently in the future. In the case of the Goethe-Schiller-Gymnasium, support is required from all sides in order to sustainably improve the learning environment for students and teachers.