August | 2025
A look back – the anniversary Abitur class of 1965 of Schule Schloss Stein in the mirror of a changing world:
An Abitur class is so much more than just a collection of names on a list. It is a close-knit community that experienced the formative years of school together – exciting hours within the venerable walls of Schloss Stein, countless lessons learned, both in the classroom and in the boarding house, and friendships formed that can last a lifetime. The Abitur class of 1965 of Schule Schloss Stein is a shining example of this.
The year 1965 was a year of upheaval, hope, and growing tensions. While these young people were finishing their school days, the world outside pulsated with decisive events that made 1965 an era of transition.
The Vietnam War escalated massively: in February, US President Johnson ordered increased bombing raids, and the first US combat troops landed in Vietnam, sparking worldwide protests.
Yet 1965 was also a year of significant cultural and technological progress. Canada received its new maple leaf flag, while musically, the Beatles with “Help!” and Simon & Garfunkel with “The Sound of Silence” dominated the charts. Technologically, “Early Bird,” the first commercial communications satellite, was launched, and the Gemini missions achieved the first controlled rendezvous in Earth orbit.
As the students received their certificates, they stepped into a world full of rapid changes and challenges. The year 1965 laid the foundation for many developments of the coming decades and remains inseparably linked for the Abitur class of 1965 with their memories of graduation.
A very special anniversary was recently celebrated: the 60th anniversary of the Abitur of this very class of 1965 of Schule Schloss Stein! From July 13 to 15, 2025, the remaining companions gathered in Obing and Stein an der Traun to look back on six decades full of memories, developments, and life stories.
The reunion was an occasion for joy and nostalgia, but also for moments of reflection. Of the original 24 Abiturients (including external students), life has drawn many paths: eight classmates have already passed away, and four are struggling with serious illnesses. These developments underline how precious and unique the remaining connections are.
Yet the spirit of this class remains unbroken! Five Abiturients – Volker Thorey, Wolfgang vom Scheidt known as “Eule,” Jürgen Heinemann known as “Heini,” Isolde Meyer known as “Iso,” and Wolfgang Tillmanns known as “Tilly” – undertook a journey through time through their old school in July. They were accompanied by Ms. Ingrid Konrad and Ms. Angelika Ziegler, as well as a modern-day caretaker, a role that did not exist in their time.
Exploring the former living quarters and classrooms was an experience full of “aha” moments for the group. “So much has changed enormously!” they noted. Their boarding life back then was structured quite differently: without shower cubicles, washing machines, smoking, fitness, party, and club rooms, and certainly no modern gym or climbing walls. And yet, as they recall, they generally enjoyed their boarding school life very much.
Wolfgang Tillmanns, an Abiturient of the class of 1965, remembers:
The structure of boarding life at the time was straightforward: four administrative staff took care of everything, five teachers were simultaneously Educators in the home, supplemented by four female Educators for the girls and the “little ones” in the so-called “Hades.”
The class of 1965 was the first to take its Abitur without the formative figure of Dr. I. Wiskott – a sign of the change that also took hold of the school itself. Despite the lack of modern amenities and the “different times,” the Abiturients were satisfied, fulfilled their duties, indulged in pranks, and all found their successful paths in careers and families.
A look at the achievements back then also shows a difference to today: the top of the class was undisputed external classmate Fritz Wenig with an impressive grade point average of 1.0, followed by Mausi (Gertrud Kiszczuk) with 2.3. The other grades were mostly 3.0 and above. “We had nothing in common with today’s average grades back then,” they summarize with a smile, “but we turned out alright too!”
Memories of the teachers are vivid and diverse. Dr. Johannes Linsbauer, Erhard Dworschak, Helmut Konrad, Helmut Hilz, the strict Ms. Hilde Weymar, and the dear Josephine von Hohenzollern were absolutely recognized and respected. They shaped the students positively. Other teachers such as Ernst Gum, Heinz Lämmel, and Countess Ebba von Reichenbach are remembered as less capable and unpopular.
The Abitur Celebration – A Sailing Trip and an Unforgettable Night.
The official announcement of the Abitur grades took place in the hallowed rooms of Ms. Ilse Wiskott, where Mr. Olaf Ziegler presented the certificates. But the actual celebration began afterward: after a sailing trip on Lake Chiemsee, the students rented a local pub in Tittmoning and celebrated through the night. Proud and safe, they returned to Stein at 9:00 AM. “I no longer know what we did,” it is said today with a laugh, “we were proud of our courage, but they couldn’t kick us out anymore!”
This nightly escapade was an act of youthful freedom, as leaving the Stein grounds was strictly regulated at the time. Only on Wednesdays from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM were students allowed to shop at “Klara’s,” a corner shop opposite the entrance gate. Pocket money in the upper school amounted to a modest 5.00 DM per week.
The official graduation ceremony then took place solemnly in the gym with speeches by Dr. Johannes Linsbauer and Wolfgang Kettner, before the newly minted Abiturients set off for home with their parents and started a new chapter in their lives.
