On May 27, 2023, the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung (HAZ) published an article delving into the rich history of the school site at Schützenplatz. The article sheds light on the significance of this location, tracing its origins back to 1824. The article, available in its German form here, serves as a testament to the historical importance of the school site. Here the translation:

HAZ // 27. May 2023 // Robin Beck

From the Villa “Bella Vista” to the International School: This is the history of the school location at Schützenplatz

On historic ground: The listed building of the International School at Bruchmeisterallee 6.

Once there was the “Bella Vista” between Schützenplatz and Leine, a villa used as a restaurant, cycling school and youth center. Today, the International School can be found at the site – in a building that was erected in the 1950s. Another installment of the HAZ series “Monuments in Hannover”.

Calenberger Neustadt. The International School Hannover Region has only been located at Bruchmeisterallee 6 in Calenberger Neustadt for around 25 years. The building opposite the Schützenplatz dates back to the 1950s and was previously used as a school. The building has been listed since 1990 – because of its “historical significance due to the testimonial and visual value for building and art history,” as the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments puts it. The history of the site dates back to 1824.

“Bella Vista” as a predecessor of the International School

At that time, Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves built a classicist villa on the site in a landscaped park. After the death of the owners, the site was used around 1850 as a restaurant and entertainment establishment with a dance hall added in 1886, and a cycling school was added in 1895. After the First World War, the pub became a youth home and from 1936 the “Führer School” of the Hitler Youth. During the Second World War the former “Bella Vista” was destroyed.

Once upon a time, a villa steeped in history stood at Bruchmeisterallee 6 in Calenberger Neustadt – now it is a building monument that is used today by the International School.

Afterwards, between 1952 and 1954, the current building monument was built on the site, designed by the architects Werner Dierschke and Annemarie Bätjer-Kiene. The two created a predominantly two-story new building for the Ratsgymnasium (municipal high school). The main building is connected to three classroom wings via an open corridor. Between them is the atrium courtyard, in whose roof is a circular opening. In addition, there is a hall with an auditorium in the main building.

The Ratsgymnasium was located there until 1994, when it was incorporated into the Kaiser Wilhelm Gymnasium in the Zoo district. And finally, the International School moved into the school building at Bruchmeisterallee 6 in 2000.

HAZ