Flagship of the Soest schools: Aldegrever-Gymnasium shines again!

Flagship of the Soest schools: Aldegrever-Gymnasium shines again!

On September 11, 2025, the time had finally come: the extension to the Aldegrever High School in Soest was officially handed over. Mayor Eckhard Ruthemeyer held the reins in his hand on this special day and handed over the symbolic key to school principal Martin Fischer. Entrepreneurs of the educational location in Soest can be happy because the city has not been stingy and has invested an impressive 2.9 million euros in the new building wing. The building, which now shines after a year and a half of hard work, also represents a significant step in the school infrastructure.

The new, three-story building replaces the former intermediate wing and offers five new classrooms. Attention was paid not only to aesthetics: on the ground floor there is a multifunctional break room that can be used for many occasions. The entire structure is almost completely barrier-free, thanks to an elevator that also reaches the existing old parts of the building - with the exception of the cafeteria.

Progress in school development

Another highlight of the new building is the energetic equipment. The modern technologies, including an air source heat pump and an expanded photovoltaic system on the roof, bring the building up to date with the latest energy efficiency. The investment will not only benefit the school, but also the environment. And the money doesn't just come from the city treasury: around 1.4 million euros come from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia's "burden equalization G9" funding program, which also benefits other high schools in Soest - including the Archigymnasium and the Petri primary school.

But that's not all! Security and emergency assistance also played a role in the planning. Just in case, an additional 175,000 euros were made available to make the building suitable as emergency accommodation for residents of the city center. Mayor Ruthemeyer described the Aldegrever-Gymnasium as a “flagship school” and expressed his joy about the positive development. 29 years ago there was talk of closing the school due to declining student numbers - fortunately those days are over, as the school currently has the highest registration numbers among the high schools in Soest.

A thank you from the principal

To honor the friendly cooperation, headmaster Fischer presented the mayor with a “right to use the Alde beach chair for life”. A charming gift that symbolizes good cooperation! In addition, in recent years the schoolyard of the Aldegrever-Gymnasium has been redesigned and upgraded with green spaces - a place where students can feel at home.

Parallel to these developments in Soest, there are also nationwide initiatives to promote accessibility and school quality. The “Inclusive Reconstruction: Increase School Quality – Promote Accessibility” program enables Protestant schools to secure financial support to create inclusive learning environments. The funding amount can be up to 14,500 euros per application, and the application deadline is April 30, 2025, so schools in our region could also benefit from this opportunity.

Overall, it is clear that the city of Soest wants to sustainably modernize the school infrastructure. These measures are not only forward-looking, but above all benefit the Soest educational location and its students. It remains exciting to see how the development of schools will continue to unfold in the coming years.

Further details about the expansion of the Aldegrever-Gymnasium can be found at Soester Anzeiger and to promote Protestant schools EKD school foundation. There is also interesting information about school development in the city of Soest here: Press service.