1902Vocational school is built

In the middle of the 19th century, Alsfeld’s tradespeople and craftsmen—together with the city—founded a trade association. The motivation was the lack of a continuing education facility for their young trainees, and the association took on the task of founding a craftsmen’s further education school. In 1862, lessons began initially as a Sunday drawing school with two teachers. Later, an evening school for German style exercises and arithmetic was added. On average, about 40 students were taught in the rooms of the Alsfeld City School.

In 1891, the trade association expanded this institution into the “Extended Craftsmen’s School of Alsfeld.” From then on, lessons were held daily, specifically aimed at apprentices in the building trades. Two classes of 12 students each were taught in rooms within the Hochzeitshaus. By 1897, the school already consisted of three classes, and two years later, in 1899, it was renamed the “Alsfeld Trade School” (Gewerbeschule Alsfeld). In the following years, student numbers continued to rise, and the Hochzeitshaus became too small. Consequently, the trade association, in cooperation with the city of Alsfeld and the local savings bank, erected a new school building at Jahnstraße 8, which was occupied in 1902.

The school remained at this location—expanded by an extension in 1956—until 1979. It then moved to a new building at Krebsbach 6, having been renamed the “State Technical School of Alsfeld, Technical College for Building, Civil Engineering, and Reinforced Concrete Construction.” The “State Technical Academy of Alsfeld” is still located there today. (JP)