Nine Leipzig schools receive new names – who are the namesakes?

Nine Leipzig schools receive new names – who are the namesakes?

At a meeting on June 25, 2025, the Leipzig City Council decided on several new names for nine schools, which will come into force on August 1. These name changes reflect the desire to associate schools with individuals who inspire through their work and values. The new names are intended not only to enrich the school environment, but also to promote memory and identity.

Among the newly named schools is the 20th school in Schönefeld-Ost, which will henceforth be known as the Rosa Parks School - High School of the City of Leipzig. Rosa Parks (1913–2005) is considered a symbolic figure of the civil rights movement in the USA and was famous for her courageous resistance to racial discrimination. The 68th school will also be renamed and will in future be called the Klaus Gottschalk School – High School of the City of Leipzig. Klaus Gottschalk (1937–2020) was an important sports doctor who was particularly committed to sports for the disabled. The school already has a comprehensive inclusion concept and works closely with a special needs school.

More name changes

The name Christian Morgenstern School - Elementary School of the City of Leipzig was chosen for the 74th school in Anger-Crottendorf, in recognition of the German poet Christian Morgenstern (1871–1914), who is known for his children's poetry. The 78th school will in future be known as the School at Kulkwitzer See - elementary school in the city of Leipzig, whose design is in water-blue tones and focuses on the nearby Kulkwitzer Lake.

Another important name is Lina-Morgenstern-Schule - elementary school in the city of Leipzig, which is named after the German educator and women's rights activist who campaigned for the education of girls. The 90th school will be called the School at Schönauer Park - primary school in the city of Leipzig, which houses around 80 students, a third of whom have a migrant background.

New schools and their meanings

From now on, Gießerstrasse will be called the Johanna Magdalena Beyer School – primary school in the city of Leipzig, a homage to the composer and pioneer of electronic music, Johanna Magdalena Beyer (1888–1944). In addition, the school at Tauchaer Straße 188 will in future operate as a school at the Parthe elementary school in the city of Leipzig, whose move to a new building is planned for autumn 2026. The name refers to the nearby Parthe river. Finally, Diderotstrasse receives the Denis Diderot School - a high school in the city of Leipzig, named after the French writer and enlightener Denis Diderot (1713–1784).

In addition, nine additional name requests were submitted from various schools for the coming school year. These suggestions were developed by the schools in collaboration with the city administration and include, among other things, the name “Regine Heinecke School” for the 157th school, which will be named after an illustrator, and the “Marie Curie School” for the school on Messe-Allee, named after the famous physicist and chemist.

The final decision on the new names must still be made at one of the next council meetings, which is a further step in the continuous development of the school landscape in Leipzig. As the school year begins August 1, it remains to be seen what additional names the city will approve and what new stories they will tell.

For more information, see the reports l-iz.de and tag24.de be read.