Figure 1.--Father was educated in both Switzerland and Germany. He attended Ober-Realschule in Mannheim, Germany. A class portrait reads, "Sexta B der grossherzoglichen Ober-Realschule, Mannheim". That means Class Six B of the Grand-duchy Upper-elementary Ober-Realschule in Mannheim. I'm not sure just how to translate Ober-Realschule, but it was a selective secondary school with a science oriented curriculum. Father is in the third row on the extreme right against the window. Click on the image to see the rest of the class.

Father was educated in both Switzerland and Germany. He attended primay school in ??. He then began Ober-Realschule in Mannheim, Germany. A class portrait reads, "Sexta B der grossherzoglichen Ober-Realschule, Mannheim". That means Class Six B of the Grand-duchy Upper-elementary school in Mannheim. Mannheim is a German city on the Rhine east of France. Sexta was the entry-level class of a Gymnasium (selective academic secondary school), 10 year old children. In English we write "six", it is another derivation from the latin origin. "Sexta" is the beginning of counting backwords in school level ending up in "Prima", the last year, ending Gymnasium with the Abitur (or in Switzerland the "Matur"/"Maturum"--means ready to attend university). Sexta, Quinta, Quarta, Untertertia, Obertertia, Untersekunda, Obersekunda, Unterprima, Oberprima, nine levels. "Sexta B" means that the gymnasium also had a "Sexta A", (at least) two classes in the same entry level year. It is a portrait of my father's class about 1904. Notice the gas lights and how spartan the classroom was. There is nothing on the walls, but the boys have a very well-lighted room. The boys wear collar buttonong suits, blouses, and sailor suits. Father is in the third row on the extreme right against the window. He was a very good student. Father went on to to the university. We have a photograph of him in his fancy franternity outfit.

Primary School ( -1904)

Father was educated in both Switzerland and Germany. He attended primay school in ??.

Ober-Realschule (1904- )

Father then began Ober-Realschule in Mannheim, Germany. Mannheim is a German city on the Rhine east of France. A class portrait reads, "Sexta B der grossherzoglichen Ober-Realschule, Mannheim". That means Class Six B of the Grand-duchy Upper-elementary school in Mannheim. Oberrealschule was similar to a academically selective gymnasium (or to-day just an Oberschule). It was a secondary school, leading in 9 years to the Abitur. The Oberrealschule is more science-oriented requiring only two foreign languages than the gymnasium. The gymnasium is more language-oriented, requiring three foreign languages. Both were for academically competent children from 10 to 18 years old. "Realschule" was only for 6 years, the graded students, 16 years old, were not allowed to go to an university, only to an engineering/technician/merchants school if they not just started an apprenticeship. Sexta was the entry-level class of a Gymnasium (selective academic secondary school), 10 year old children. Eexta is just a fancy way of saying "six", it is another derivation from the Latin origin. "Sexta" is the beginning of counting backwords in school level ending up in "Prima", the last year, ending Gymnasium with the Abitur (or in Switzerland the "Matur"/"Maturum"--means ready to attend university). Sexta, Quinta, Quarta, Untertertia, Obertertia, Untersekunda, Obersekunda, Unterprima, Oberprima, nine levels. "Sexta B" means that the gymnasium also had a "Sexta A", (at least) two classes in the same entry level year. It is a portrait of my father's class about 1904. Notice the gas lights and how spartan the classroom was. There is nothing on the walls, but the boys have a very well-lighted room. The boys wear collar buttonong suits, blouses, and sailor suits. Father is in the third row on the extreme right against the window. He was a very good student.

University

Father went on to to the university. We have a photograph of him in his fancy franternity outfit.

Sources

Voute, Tom. E-mail message, June 13, 2006.

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Created: 8:07 PM 6/13/2006
Last updated: 4:06 PM 6/14/2006