The Texas Historian, Volume 40, Number 4, March 1980 Page: 7
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tributors belonged. Chief among these men,
and president of the board from 1859 to 1876,
was Julius Berends. He was a pioneer of cul-
ture in Texas. He founded the first bookstore
in San Antonio and represented the area in
the state legislature from 1872 to 1874. In
addition he gave much time and money to the
school and helped to assure its success.
The first classes of the German-English
School were held at the Kloepper Hotel on
West Commerce, in two rooms rented for fifty
dollars a month. The first teachers were a Mr.
Doyle in English and a Herr Moller in German,
who received seventy dollars a month. The
children were divided into two classes, ac-
cording to age, with the two teachers alter-
nating classes.
Soon enough contributions were collected
to build in the La Villita district, on a tree-
shaded lot at 421 South Alamo Street. The
rectangular structure is made of unstuccoed,
coursed limestone walls, with a metal-clad
gable roof extending over a six-foot front gal-
lery. There has been some speculation over the
source of the stone. Possibly it came from the
Quartel, an early Spanish fortification that had
stood next door. The stone used is similar, but
the high price eventually paid for the con-
struction reflects new, quarried stone, rather
than on-site materials.
The board of directors laid the cornerstone
on November 10, 1859, dedicating the struc-
ture to the poet Friedrich von Schiller on the
hundredth anniversary of his birth. Designed
by G. Freisleben, a member of the school
board and city engineer, the edifice was con-
structed by John H. Kampmann, a prominent
local builder. Due to the shortage of funds, a
chronic problem during construction, a "Schil-
ler Stiftung" was held, raising over $1,200.
Another contribution of $250 from the Casino
Society solved the financial problems. A sec-
ond building, erected on the lot in 1869, was
dedicated to Baron Alexander von Humbolt on
Opposite: The German-English School of San
Antonio was located in this building. All pho-
tographs courtesy of author.
Above: Julius Behrends was president of the
school board from 1859 to 1876.the occasion of his hundredth birthday. These
buildings remain as they were when they were
built 120 years ago and serve as a monument
to the German pioneers' desire for education.
Several basic principles guided the teaching
at the school. The first was the totally dual
nature of the instruction. Classes were taught
in both English and German, and teachers ex-
pected students to be proficient in both lan-
guages.
Secondly strict discipline, modeled after the
German gymnasium system, demanded total
obedience. The maxim "spare the rod and
spoil the child" became the school's motto.
The frequent and severe beatings were ad-
ministered with a leather-covered rod, and be-
fore being beaten, the unfortunate one who
had violated the rules had to hunt from room
to room for the hated stick, thus adding to his
humiliation.
Also, the school had a total absence of re-
ligious education, a principle embodied in the
original charter granted by the Texas legisla-
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Texas State Historical Association. The Texas Historian, Volume 40, Number 4, March 1980, periodical, March 1980; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth391511/m1/9/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.