A SYMBOL OF GERMAN-FRENCH UNDERSTANDING
The Franco-German High School opened on 25 September 1961. This marked the creation of the first model of a binational secondary school based on educational objectives recognised in both countries. This school was intended to become a symbol of the ever-evolving German-French understanding. Initially, however, it represented merely a collaboration between a German and a French secondary school. During this phase, work began on developing joint, harmonised curricula.
This painstaking work culminated in the ‘Agreement on the Establishment of Franco-German High Schools and the Creation of a Franco-German Abitur’ and the ‘Conditions for the Award of the Abitur Certificate of 10 February 1972’. In June 1972, the first pupils sat the joint Abitur. At the time, it was hailed as a model case for European integration policy in the field of education, and two further partner schools were established in the 1970s based on this model: one in Freiburg im Breisgau and one in Buc near Versailles. Since 1977, it has been legally established that the Franco-German High School in Saarbrücken is a state school in the Saarland. Since 1992, the school has been run by the Saarbrücken City Council.