Information Sign about the History of the School in Rosenthal

Kastanienallee 56-59, 13158 Berlin

Construction and Dedication

The school building at Kastanienallee 56-59 was built between 1978 and 1980. It became the new home of the 21st Polytechnic Secondary School (POS) in Pankow, which had previously been located at Hauptstraße 94. On October 3, 1984, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the GDR, the K-9 general education school was named after actor and folksinger Ernst Busch. Polytechnic instruction took place at the nearby state-owned enterprise (VEB) Bergmann-Borsig.

13th Elementary School

In 1991, the 13th Elementary School moved into the school building. Some of the first through fourth-grade classes were located at the school’s branch at Schillerstraße 49. The name Ernst Busch was dropped, and the school retained only its “Number 13” designation. On September 16, 2004, the school was named after local historian Rudolf Dörrier, and a small exhibition on his life was displayed in the school foyer. Members of the “Pankower Früchtchen” supporting association periodically spoke in school classes about his life and work. In 2008, a commemorative plaque designed by Pankow artist Manfred Butzmann was unveiled at Dörrier’s former residence at Hiddenseestraße 2.
Following the publication of an article about Rudolf Dörrier’s service as an SS guard at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, a controversy arose in the district and within the school’s governing committee. As a result, the school was renamed “Grundschule in Rosenthal” in the summer of 2020.

Rosenthal Elementary School

Today, the half-day elementary school places special emphasis on reading and violence prevention. After school, students are supervised by social education professionals into the evening.

Further information on Ernst Busch and Rudolf Dörrier