Bavarian International School (BIS)

 

A short section devoted to my school- the Bavarian International School at schloss Haimhausen in kreis Dachau

 

In the district of Unterschleißheim is Lohhof, the nearest station to the Bavarian International School in Haimhausen where I work. The population of Unterschleißheim itself exploded between 1933 when it had 753 inhabitants to 1939 with 1,737 inhabitants when the Nazis focused on housing construction in Lohhof. In 1937 a forced labour camp was set up in Lohhof near the train station to extract flax for the textile industry, called "flax roasting", in which hundreds of French and Polish women were used for forced labour. From 1941, Jewish women were also deployed, whilst at the same time deportations began from the Lohhof flax roastery until the camp was closed in 1942.

Behind the .50-calibre Machine Gunner on the Squad Halftrack from a series of photos by Sergeant C.O. Witt (HQ Platoon, B CO., 65th AIB) showing the American 20th Armoured Division leaving Haimhausen travelling towards Lohhof on April 2929, 1945. By this time at least two thousand members of the Waffen-ϟϟ and a last contingent of adolescent flak helpers and older men from the Volkssturm had gathered for the defence of Munich. A bloodbath awaited them all. First, several American tanks were destroyed. Flight support was denied to the units due to fresh snow and fog. Only by around 9.30 did infantrymen from the Rainbow Division, an elite unit, come to the rescue from Schleissheim airfield. Bulldozers simply rolled over the trenches, with numerous German defenders buried. The nearby barracks continued to fight hand to hand until 15.00. Besides Lohhof, the ϟϟ also resisted in Feldmoching, Freimann and Schleißheim. In Planegg, fanatical soldiers of the ϟϟ fought fiercely after the occupation. During the "Battle of Lohhof" about an hundred were killed, forty of whom were Americans. On the left is the site of the assault then and now. Lohhof's subsequent growth after the war can be seen here in the GIF showing the site on November 1, 1943 and today. Everything looked peaceful from the Maisteig on what is now the B 13 as white flags fluttered in Lohhof. However, units of an ϟϟ army corps had taken up positions in Lohhof at night, hiding in the bushes on the railway embankment, in houses in Hollern and in the flax roast in Unterschleissheim. When the Americans advanced, the German soldiers first let two tanks pass, then opened fire on the crew trucks behind them. The tanks were almost on Kreuzstrasse before they were forced to react leading to a bitter struggle. The tanks fired and the American soldiers crawled up to the occupied houses, threw petrol cans into them and fired on them to set them on fire. The flax roast also burned and the guesthouse beside the station ended up being badly damaged by shelling. Whilst nearly on the German defenders were killed, on the American side seven have been named, including the commander and his driver along with forty dead and wounded. Apparently if the artillery had not won the fight, aircraft would have been called to bomb Unterschleissheim. As it is, the fighting had continued into the early evening. The part of the air base crew stationed in Unterschleissheim had surrendered without a fight and were collected in the school yard for transport. The Americans then searched the houses because they feared more ambushes. Three young ϟϟ soldiers had fled and were hiding in the straw with a farmer. The Americans stabbed the haystacks with pitchforks but didn't find the three who were eventually rescued from the straw four days after the Americans left - almost starved and thirsty.

Much of the information and images for the Battle for Lohhof come from Rich Mintz and his remarkable Facebook group 20th Armoured Division in World War II. The image on the left relates to colonel Newton W. Jones, Commander of Combat Command B (CC-B), who was the first casualty in the ambush in Lohhof, killed by a sniper as he led his troops whilst standing in his Jeep. The photograph and caption is from 1st Lieutenant Felix E. Mock, commander, 3rd Platoon, B CO, 65th AIB. That on the right is of 1st Lieutenant Samuel F. Barnes of 2nd Platoon, B CO, 65th AIB (Task Force 20), who too was killed in action in a German ambush April 29, 1945. The letter is the death notification to Mrs. Barnes from B CO. Commander, CPT George Jared, 65th AIB.

The Brauerei Gasthaus Lohhof today (where the wife and I first stayed when we moved to Germany from China) and as it appeared April 29, 1945 with the Americans after the battle for the town. On the right is how it appeared three years later. Here the Americans celebrated their victory and "decimated the beer stores", as Christoph says. The group advanced to Munich meeting resistance, in Hochbrück, in Neuherberg. Fighting raged on the tank meadow and around the ϟϟ barracks in Freimann, the Americans lost  tanks there alone, 70 of their soldiers died, and several were wounded. On the afternoon of April 30, the day Hitler committed suicide, resistance in the barracks was broken. Munich was occupied from May 1. The Nazis were then picked up by the Americans in Unterschleissheim, Pötsch reports and then taken to a camp in Moosburg.
Lohhof was the site of a flax processing plant owned by the Lohhof Flax Processing Company (Flachsröste Lohhof GmbH.) which was, in effect, a forced labour camp. Located on what is now (possibly appropriately) Siemensstraße, today it is the site of the refugee centre to which my students at Bavarian International School visit as part of their service commitments. Administratively, it was a satellite camp of Dachau. The location was chosen due to its proximity to Munich and to the local train station. The camp premises consisted of residential barracks, barns, retting pits and an initial processing plant. The municipal Aryanisation Department (Arisierungs-Dienststelle) of Munich instigated and supervised the forced employment of three hundred Jews at the camp. Among these, 110 were women and they worked at the plant; 68 of them were sent from Lodz, and other women had to arrive each day from Munich, primarily from the assembly site at the Berg am Laim monastery, and return at night using trains and streetcars. Lohhof also served as an assembly site where Jews from Munich were assembled prior to their deportation. Additionally, during the war, over an hundred foreign workers from Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Russia, Poland and the Ukraine were employed at the plant. When the mass deportations of German Jews began in November 1941, the Jewish workers were sent away from Lohhof to the Milbertshofen camp, and from there they were deported to Kaunas, Piaski, Theresienstadt, and Auschwitz. The last Jewish women who worked at the camp were transferred on October 23, 1942, and were in all likelihood deported to Auschwitz on May 18, 1943. During the last few weeks of the war, the plant was damaged; afterwards, it was rebuilt. Of the 300 Jews who worked at Lohhof, only thirty survived the war.

Max Strnad has researched the camps for Jews in Munich in some detail. A special case there was the Lohhof Jewish Labour Detachment (Jüdisches Arbeitskommando). The Lohhof camp was established in June 1941 on the orders of the Munich Aryanization Authority (Arisierungsstelle), a radical antisemitic office of the Munich/Upper Bavarian Regional Headquarters (Gauleitung) of the Nazi Party. This was the third residential and work camp for Jews established in Munich, after the Milbertshofen "Jewish Settlement" (Judensiedlung) and the Berg am Laim "Home Facility" (Heimanlage). The Aryanisation Authority set up this camp system in 1941, as a multipurpose instrument of terror against the Jewish population. The camps served, apart from their central function of forced labor, to remove Jews from rental accommodation and put them into separate Jewish residences, for better supervision and also to assemble them ready for deportation. In Lohhof, mainly Jewish women between fourteen and forty-five years old were deployed there in June 1941, but later much older Jewish women and men were included. Until the fall of 1942, about 250 Jews were employed there altogether. The Jewish work force numbered on average about 110 people. Some seventy women were accommodated in barracks on the factory grounds, while the remainder had to travel daily from Munich. After Gauleiter Adolf Wagner's decree forbidding the use of trams by Jews in September 1941, the daily trip to Unterschleissheim became an exhausting journey lasting several hours. On November 20, 1941, sixty-three people, comprising more than half of the Jewish forced labourers, were deported to Kaunas in Lithuania. In the middle of December 1941, the Lohhof Flachsröste was sent sixty-eight young Jewish women, who had been working on other flax-roasting farms in Bavaria for several months, but who all originally came from the Łódź (Litzmannstadt) ghetto. These Polish Jewish women remained in Lohhof until the fall of 1942, when they were transferred to Augsburg, where they stayed as a group in another camp, before being deported to Auschwitz in 1943.

 Simone Gigliotti, Hilary Earl (268) A Companion to the Holocaust

Schloss Haimhausen in a turn of the century postcard and today

Schloss Haimhausen's story begins in the mediæval period, with its first documented mention in 1281 when it was listed as a castle (castrum) in a gazetteer of Upper Bavaria. This initial structure, likely a fortified building, was emblematic of the era's architectural style, designed for defence in a period marked by local conflicts and power struggles. The early history of Schloss Haimhausen is reflective of the broader feudal structures prevalent in Bavaria during this time. The impact of the Thirty Years' War on Schloss Haimhausen and the surrounding region was profound. This period, one of the most devastating in European history, saw widespread destruction and upheaval. The original structure of Schloss Haimhausen didn't survive the war and was left in ruins and the war's effect on the region's architecture and society was significant, leading to a period of rebuilding and transformation across Bavaria.

In 1660, a pivotal moment in the history of Schloss Haimhausen occurred. Andreas Wolff, a notable figure of the time, undertook the reconstruction of the Schloss, choosing to rebuild it as an ornate Baroque structure. This decision marked a significant departure from the original medieval fortress, reflecting the changing architectural and cultural trends of the era. Wolff's reconstruction of Schloss Haimhausen is indicative of the broader shift in European architecture towards the Baroque style, characterized by grandeur, drama, and richness in design.  The work of François Cuvilliés the Elder in 1747 further transformed Schloss Haimhausen. Cuvilliés, renowned for his contributions to Bavarian Rococo architecture, expanded the villa, adding seven bays on each side and two wings. His work on Schloss Haimhausen is particularly notable for its high roof, typical of the region, a feature that has remained unchanged to this day. Cuvilliés' influence extended beyond Haimhausen, with his notable works including the Munich Residenz and the Amalienburg in the grounds of Schloss Nymphenburg. The ceiling murals in both the Golden Room and the Chapel, executed by Johann Bergmüller in 1750, are another significant aspect of the Schloss's architectural evolution. Bergmüller, a famous Augsburg artist, brought a unique artistic flair to the Schloss, his work reflecting the rich artistic traditions of the period.  The architectural evolution of Schloss Haimhausen, from its initial construction in the medieval period to its Baroque and Rococo transformations, mirrors the broader historical and cultural shifts in Bavaria and Germany. Each phase of its development reflects the changing tastes, requirements, and artistic trends of the times, as well as the shifting social, political, and cultural landscapes.

In 1747 and ensuing years, Francois Cuvillies the Elder enlarged the villa by seven bays on each side and added two wings.

The external form of the house, with the high roof typical of the region, has remained unchanged to this day. Cuvilliés was also responsible for such famous buildings as the Munich Residenz, the Residenz Theatre, the manor Amalienburg in the grounds of Schloss Nymphenburg, and rooms in Schloss Brühl, near Bonn. The ceiling murals in both the Golden Room and the Chapel were executed by the famous Augsburg artist, Johann Bergmüller in 1750. Schloss Haimhausen's origins can be traced back to the mediæval period, a time marked by feudal structures and the burgeoning influence of noble families in Bavaria. The initial structure was likely a fortified building, designed for defence in a period characterised by local conflicts and power struggles. This early phase of the Schloss's history is indicative of the broader architectural trends in medieval Bavaria, where fortifications were crucial for survival and power assertion. As the region transitioned into the Renaissance in the 16th century, Schloss Haimhausen underwent significant transformations. This period was marked by a shift from defensive architecture to more residential and representational buildings. The noble family of Haimhausen, who owned the Schloss at this time, initiated extensive renovations and expansions. These changes included the addition of ornamental gardens and the enhancement of living quarters, reflecting the Renaissance's emphasis on aesthetics, humanism, and the rediscovery of classical antiquity. The impact of the Thirty Years' War on Schloss Haimhausen and the surrounding region was profound. During this tumultuous period, many structures, including manor houses and castles, were damaged or destroyed. However, Schloss Haimhausen not only survived but also underwent further modifications in the post-war period. This resilience and adaptation are emblematic of the broader historical narrative of Bavaria during the Thirty Years' War, where despite immense destruction, there was a concerted effort towards rebuilding and restoration. In the 18th century, the Schloss witnessed another significant phase of transformation under the influence of Baroque and Rococo styles. This era, known for its ornate and elaborate artistic expressions, saw the Schloss's façade being redesigned and the interiors richly decorated. The grand staircase and the main hall, adorned with frescoes and intricate stucco work, were products of this period. These architectural elements are not just decorative but also symbolic of the era's artistic and cultural ethos, characterised by grandeur, opulence, and a strong emphasis on visual appeal. The architectural evolution of Schloss Haimhausen is a reflection of the broader historical and cultural shifts in Bavaria and Germany. Each phase of its development, from a mediæval fortress to a Renaissance château and later to a Baroque and Rococo masterpiece, mirrors the changing tastes, requirements, and artistic trends of the times. This evolution is not merely a matter of aesthetic change but also indicative of the shifting social, political, and cultural landscapes.

Haimhausen schloss became the property of the family Butler v. Clonebough, after having been awarded to the Irish officer Walther Butler (known as the "Wallenstein murderer") in thanks for his fulfilling a contract to deliver Wallenstein "dead or alive" on February 25, 1634. Friedrich Schiller immortalised Wallenstein in the dramatic trilogy that bears his name (completed in 1799).  He did not enjoy his success for long, passing away in 1635 after being wounded. The schloss was rebuilt in 1660 after a fire in the Thirty Years' War and has been expanded ever since. Under Reichsgraf Karl Ferdinand Maria von und zu Haimhausen, from 1743 to 1749 a major renovation was carried out by François de Cuvilliés the Elder. Since then, the late baroque chapel Salvator Mundi with stucco work and altars by the Flemish artist Egid Verhelst and his sons and the ceiling painting by Johann Georg Bergmüller, which was made in 1750, has been a special gem within the castle.

The property was then passed from generation up until Theobald, who had a close relationship to Count Stauffenberg. Theobald, the last heir to the Butler von Clonebough line, was born in Shanghai on July 15, 1899. His father Arthur died when Theobald was not yet five years old. He was sent to Munich, he became a lieutenant in 1918 and studied mechanical engineering, where he also did his doctorate. In 1937 he married Irene Rosewsky in Riga with whom he had four children, one of whom died in 1941. The family lived in Neubrandenburg, north of Berlin. During the Second World War, Theobald had an important position in the armaments industry and by 1943 he lived alone in Kempten in the Allgäu. As early as 1944, he is said to have repeatedly urged his wife to move away from Neubrandenburg to join him in Kempten which was not allowed by the local Nazi district leader. In March 1945 Theobald left Kempten by car in an attempt to save his wife and children from the approaching Soviet troops. In the end he is said to have poisoned his wife and three children on April 29, 1945, then set the house on fire before shooting himself. So ended the line of the Counts of v. Clonebough gen. Haimhausen on April 29, 1945.

  

In front of the Golden Room and inside today. This banqueting hall, with its ceiling painting of The Four Seasons by Bergmuller (dated 1750) and its two rare Nymphenburger porcelain stoves, forms the visual climax of the state apartments of schloss Haimhausen.

   

 The war memorial on the high street is flanked by two flag poles, neither of which can hoist any flag under which those commemorated died for. Further down the high street on the right is the memorial to both world wars.

In his May 6, 1945 sermon, the local Ottershausen priest spoke of how "God has helped us up to this point". Thus far the damage caused by the war in Haimhausen and the area around was only minimal. Despite the proximity of the Schleissheim airfield, only a few windows in the Ottershausen church were broken by air raids. Bombs repeatedly fell on the parish fields, but never on a village. On Sunday, April 29, the day the Americans invaded, no church service could be held. From early in the morning, the start of fighting was to be expected at any moment. At around ten in the morning the first American grenades fell on the parish village but there was no major damage to buildings. In Inhausen, a grenade hit the sexton's stable the day before, killing several animals. A grenade exploded in the new cemetery in Haimhausen. Several gravestones were more or less damaged. Another grenade fell into the rectory garden. A number of fruit trees were damaged and about 15 windows were broken in the rectory but the church remained undamaged, right next to the rectory. During the bombardment, the German defence retreated south into the forest between Haimhausen, Inhausen and Ottershausen. Fifteen minutes after the bombardment, the first American reconnaissance troop arrived in the village.

Showing the balcony erected in front of the chapel for owner Haniel's wife who had suffered an accident shown in 1939

  

Bavarian International School's chapel then and now. It owes its splendour to its ceiling painting, again by Bergmuller- the Salvator Mundi, dated 1750- as well as the delicate Rococo stucco work by Verhelst. The chapel is located in the south wing and is remarkably spacious for its purpose. In shape it is a simple, flat-roofed rectangular hall, but the chapel only derives its effect from its rich furnishings. The construction and furnishings date from the time of Cuvilliés' castle expansion from 1747. The central parts of the furnishings - altar structures, pulpit, confessionals, stucco - were created by the Verhelsts. The builder Karl Joseph Maria Reichsgraf von und zu Haimhausen is commemorated by his epitaph on the southern inner wall of the chapel; the inscription praises the integrity of the deceased and his good Christian care towards his subjects. The chapel bears the patronage of St. Salvator, which was taken over from several previous chapels in the old palace complex that were attested one after the other. The ceiling fresco and the high altar refer to this, the excerpt of which shows sculptural representations of Christ carrying the cross and the Arma Christi and in the centre of which is an older Christ with the flag, created around 1680-1690. Both side altars have altarpieces by Johann Georg Bergmüller, which he probably painted in the winter of 1748-49. The picture on the left altar has the signature “JGB 1749” at the bottom left. The themes of both images refer to church festivals that were modern at the time with the festival of the Marriage of Mary introduced in 1725 and John of Nepomuk, canonised in 1729. However, according to one source, Bergmüller's numerous altarpieces are inferior in artistic value to his frescoes. They contain a variety of borrowings from the type treasure of the time; as compositions they are usually cleverly arranged, but they are not convincing as a creative idea. The skillful and safe treatment of the human body suggests a thorough study of anatomy. His work as a fresco painter developed more freely and effectively. Without being one of the pioneering talents, his talent and solid skills provided him with a wealth of important commissions, including, above all, the churches in Dießen, Ochsenhause and Steingaden.

Directly above is this fascinating representation of the return of Christ on the throne 0f the Trinity; the largest Salvator Mundi of its kind in which God holds the Flaming Sword of Judgement and has the left hand on the empty seat to his right whilst in the centre a kneeling Christ with the cross rises over a world in flames, depicting the four continents known at that time. But what makes this painting remarkable is the representation of the Holy Spirit in human form. This is expressly forbidden by the Catholic Church, as Pope Benedict XIV declared in October 1745 just before this painting was created, and and today is only permitted in the form of a dove. As a Catholic colleague remarked upon entering, "God is not present," noting the lack of a sanctuary lamp.
On the right is a close-up during the 650,000 euro renovation of the chapel completed in 2010. An interesting touch on the ceiling is the expulsion from Paradise on the right, showing Adam and Eve being followed by a dog and snake hopping along, and at the other end above the altar Christ on the Mount of Olives, with the snake making a reappearance with apple in mouth.
The Bavarian State Library in Munich on Ludwigstrasse, shown after the wartime bombing and today. A beacon of cultural and historical preservation, the library faced a daunting challenge with the onset of the Second World War. Before the war, the Bavarian State Library, established in 1558, was renowned for its extensive collection of manuscripts, rare books, and scholarly works. It held manuscripts from the Carolingian era, first editions from the Renaissance, and documents pivotal to European intellectual history. With the growing threat of war in the late 1930s, the library's director, Dr. Gustav Hofmann, foresaw the potential destruction of these irreplaceable treasures. Under his guidance, the library undertook a comprehensive cataloguing and prioritisation process. This meticulous effort aimed to identify items of irreplaceable value and historical significance. Manuscripts, incunabula, and rare books were earmarked for relocation, a task demanding discretion and urgency. The relocation strategy involved selecting both local and distant sites for storage. By the time of the 1944 bombing, the library's collection was distributed throughout 28 sites in Oberbayern. Schloss Haimhausen was chosen for its strategic location, offering relative safety from the anticipated aerial bombardments targeting major cities.
The photos here date from 1949 and show the thousands of books from the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek that were stored for safety in the Haimhauser Schlosskapelle in today's Bavarian International School. The transportation of the library's treasures to Schloss Haimhausen was executed with utmost secrecy. Items were moved under the cover of darkness in unmarked vehicles. This operation was governed by a directive issued by Dr. Hofmann in early 1940, which outlined the procedures for the safe transport and storage of the library's most valuable items. The directive emphasised the need for speed and secrecy, acknowledging the advancing threat of aerial raids on Munich.
The logistical challenges of moving and storing the library's collection were immense. Dr. Hofmann and his team had to ensure the safety of items that were not only physically delicate but also of immense historical value. The transportation process was fraught with risks, including potential damage from handling, environmental factors, and the ever-present threat of discovery by enemy forces.
In addition to the physical transportation, Dr. Hofmann had to navigate the complex political landscape of the time. He was acutely aware of the Nazi regime's interest in cultural artefacts, especially those of significant historical and ideological value. This added a layer of complexity to the operation, as he had to balance the need for secrecy with the demands and scrutiny of the regime.
The choice of Schloss Haimhausen as a storage site was strategic. Its location away from major urban centres reduced the risk of damage from air raids. Moreover, the structure of the Schloss, with its spacious rooms and stable environmental conditions, provided an ideal setting for the preservation of delicate manuscripts and books. Upon the successful transportation of the items to Schloss Haimhausen, the next challenge was their preservation and protection in situ. Hofmann implemented strict protocols for the handling and storage of the items. These protocols were designed to mitigate the risks of environmental damage, such as humidity and temperature fluctuations, which could be detrimental to the fragile manuscripts and books. The staff at Schloss Haimhausen, under the guidance of Hofmann, maintained meticulous records of the items stored, their condition, and their exact location within the Schloss. This level of detail was crucial not only for the immediate preservation of the collection but also for its eventual return to the library post-war.

The war years brought unprecedented challenges to Schloss Haimhausen, transforming it from a mere repository into a bastion safeguarding Bavaria's cultural heritage. The Nazi regime's policies towards cultural artifacts, especially those of significant historical and ideological value, posed a constant threat. Dr. Hofmann and his team had to navigate these treacherous waters, balancing the preservation of the library's collection with the regime's increasing interference.  The Nazi regime was engaged in a systematic campaign to appropriate cultural artifacts for ideological propaganda or personal gain. This put the collection at Schloss Haimhausen at risk of confiscation or destruction. Dr. Hofmann, therefore, had to employ a combination of diplomatic tact and subterfuge to keep the collection safe.  One strategy employed by Dr. Hofmann was to obscure the true value of the collection. He would often downplay the significance of certain items or mislabel them to avoid attracting attention from the regime's officials. This tactic was risky but necessary to ensure the safety of the collection.

In the latter years of the war, Schloss Haimhausen faced its most severe challenges. The advancing Allied forces, particularly the American troops, posed a new set of risks to the collection. The Schloss, like many other historic sites in Germany, was at risk of being caught in the crossfire or being requisitioned by the occupying forces.
Dr. Hofmann's foresight in the early years of the war proved invaluable during this period. He had established a network of contacts within the local community and among various military personnel, which he leveraged to negotiate the Schloss's safety. His diplomatic skills were crucial in ensuring that the Schloss was not used as a military base or subjected to unnecessary destruction.
Moreover, the staff at Schloss Haimhausen played a pivotal role in liaising with the American troops. They provided crucial information about the cultural and historical significance of the Schloss and its contents, persuading the troops to spare it from harm. This interaction highlighted the importance of cultural diplomacy during times of conflict.
Post-war, Schloss Haimhausen emerged as a symbol of cultural resilience. The successful preservation of its collection was a significant achievement, given the widespread destruction of cultural heritage sites across Europe. The Schloss's role in safeguarding the Bavarian State Library's collection was not just a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of Dr. Hofmann and his team but also a reflection of the broader efforts to protect cultural heritage during wartime.

As the war intensified, Schloss Haimhausen's role in safeguarding the Bavarian State Library's treasures became increasingly perilous. The year 1943 marked a turning point; the relentless Allied bombing campaigns were inching closer to the region. The Schloss's custodians, led by Dr. Hofmann, were acutely aware of the impending danger. They undertook meticulous measures to fortify the Schloss against potential air raids and ground assaults. Sandbags were strategically placed around the most vulnerable parts of the building, and fire-fighting equipment was kept at the ready. In addition to physical preparations, Dr. Hofmann initiated a series of discreet negotiations with local military commanders. His objective was to secure a tacit understanding that Schloss Haimhausen would be spared from deliberate targeting. These discussions were fraught with risk, as they had to be conducted without arousing suspicion from the Nazi authorities, who were increasingly paranoid about any form of collaboration with the enemy.
The arrival of American forces in the region in 1945 brought a new set of challenges. Dr. Hofmann, aware of the potential for looting or inadvertent damage by occupying forces, sought to engage directly with the American military leadership. He provided detailed briefings on the cultural and historical significance of the Schloss and its contents. His efforts were instrumental in ensuring that the Schloss was treated with respect by the occupying forces.
Furthermore, the American officers stationed in the area, recognising the importance of the Schloss, appointed a small detachment to guard the premises. This move was unprecedented and highlighted the growing awareness among the Allied forces of the need to protect cultural heritage during conflict.

The immediate aftermath of the war presented a complex set of challenges for Schloss Haimhausen. The post-war period saw Schloss Haimhausen transitioning back to a more traditional role. However, the legacy of its wartime activities continued to influence its operations. The strategies developed for protecting and preserving the collection during the war years informed future conservation efforts, setting a precedent for cultural preservation in times of crisis. The region, like much of Germany, was in a state of disarray. The Schloss, having survived the war relatively unscathed, found itself in a unique position. It was no longer just a repository for cultural treasures; it had become a symbol of resilience and continuity amidst the ruins of war.
Moving the books postwar back to the Staatsbibliothek on Ludwigstraße showing the necessity for having relocated its collection with me at the site today. Between 1949 and 1975 the Schloss was used by the Bavarian Legal Aid School and later the Munich Police Academy. Between 1976 and 1986 the International Antiques Salon occupied all rooms with its period exhibits. In the years following the war, Schloss Haimhausen underwent a period of transformation. The Bavarian government, recognising the Schloss's significance, initiated a series of restoration and preservation projects. These efforts were not merely about repairing physical damage; they were aimed at revitalising the cultural and historical essence of the Schloss. One of the key figures in this era was Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm, a historian and conservationist. Wilhelm played a pivotal role in the restoration efforts. He advocated for a restoration approach that respected the historical integrity of the Schloss, arguing against modernisation that would erase the historical character of the building. Under Wilhelm's guidance, the restoration work at Schloss Haimhausen was meticulous. Original materials and techniques were used wherever possible, and artisans skilled in traditional methods were employed. This approach ensured that the Schloss not only regained its former glory but also retained its historical authenticity.

The schloss during the war and today

In the decades that followed, Schloss Haimhausen continued to evolve, adapting to the changing needs and circumstances of the times. By the 1970s, the Schloss had become a venue for cultural events and exhibitions, hosting a range of activities from art shows to historical exhibitions. These events were not only popular with the local community but also attracted visitors from across Bavaria and beyond, helping to establish Schloss Haimhausen as a significant cultural landmark.  The 1980s and 1990s saw further changes at Schloss Haimhausen. The Bavarian government, recognising the Schloss's potential as an educational centre, initiated a project to convert part of the building into a school. This decision was met with some controversy, as there were concerns about the impact of such a conversion on the historical integrity of the Schloss. However, careful planning and a commitment to preserving the Schloss's character ensured that the conversion was successful, blending the old with the new in a way that respected the building's heritage.

The role the schloss played in preserving our shared past and passing it on to future generations free from war and violence makes Bavarian International School's logo particularly resonant. In 1944 the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek was bombed along with most of Munich’s centre. Fortunately, just before, it had distributed its collection of books to 28 different sites around Oberbayern. One of those sites was our Schloss chapel used today in the service of our students.  I always felt it rather touching to think that the logo was a representation of this- that something vital and profound was preserved for future generations even after this country’s darkest period when none knew what would be left at null stunde when there was nothing left to believe in. And there it is- our Schloss, like Pandora’s box in stone, from which a single book is presented in hope and expectation to inspire success.  What a lovely proud logo that was- it couldn’t have been designed for any other school on earth. Sadly, it was decided to replace it, at considerable expense, with the kind of thoughtless logo that any Grade 6 child could have designed in a single lesson shown. The outcry was great enough that the old logo returned, albeit with the Mussoliniesque motto "Believe, Inspire, Succeed" attached to it only for it to be replaced yet again in 2021 with the much-hated 'B' on the right which could represent anything.

At the start of the 2019 school year I received the following remarkable email from Mr. Tim Gillespie of Oregon whose father had been stationed at our schloss after the war before being in charge of American forces in the Dachau camp, guarding ϟϟ prisoners before the upcoming war crimes trials, charged with guarding the books from the state library that were being protected from wartime bombing here in our school's chapel: 

In going through some long stored-away boxes of my parents after they passed away, I recently found some photographs of Schloss Heimhausen [sic].
My father, Claud Schmidt Gillespie (whose mother's family were Schmidts who emigrated from Germany to the United States in the late 1800s), was in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war was over, he was in charge of a company of U.S. soldiers that was stationed there. In the box of photographs I found this note, hand-written by my father: "Schloss Heimhausen is in Germany--not too far from Munich--where I lived for awhile (with my rifle company) in 1945 after the war was over. Our mission was to protect hundreds of books stored in the schloss by the Germans to protect them, most from libraries in Munich. (We also kept an eye on the German civilians, especially the teenagers.)" I should also tell you that during that time my father was also put in charge of the U.S. Army's command of the Dachau concentration camp. After its survivors were liberated and taken away by the Red Cross, the Dachau camp was used as a temporary prison for ϟϟ officers--many thousands of them--being tried in the postwar trials. My father was in charge of running the camp and guarding the ϟϟ prisoners. He came home in 1946. Needless to say, he had very powerful memories of his time in Germany during the war and after the war. In any case, in the box were over 40 photos (most less than a foot or 30 centimeters in length) of various indoor and outdoor scenes from Schloss Heimhausen. [sic] These were not war photos but appear to be formal photographs showing the Schloss in its glory days before the war, with ornate furniture and decorations---and no people shown at all. Though none of them are dated or labelled, they are quite remarkable and in pretty good condition. 
In thinking of what to do with these old photos from 1945, I did not want to simply throw them away, so I did some research on Schloss Haimhausen and happily discovered that your school is now using the site. These were clearly photos that my father took to remind him of his time there, but he is long gone. The most appropriate place for them is to be returned to the site itself, I think. If you are interested, I would be very happy if you would like to become the custodians of these historic photos. 

 A selection of extracts from his father's letters home relating to the schloss with assorted GIFs I made from the photographs he kindly donated to the school: 

Sunday 30 Sept 1945

Dearest Phyl:

            …Our new home, the Castle, is really beginning to look better. Friday I told the boys to fix up the ballroom for our “Day Room” where the boys can read + write. So the Sgt in charge put a Polish GI on the job. Now this boy is one of those who looks + talks like a rather rough character but he must have the soul of an interior decorator because it’s the fanciest job I’ve ever seen. He took the rugs off all the stairways + completely covered the floor. Then he found furniture - beautiful chairs, settees + tables + little desks - all of which go beautifully with the way the ballroom is decorated - and arranged them so it looks as grand as anything I ever saw…It always amazes me the hidden talents that all men have if you happen to give them a chance to show such talent…

            You’d go nuts if you could see the things still left in the castle - even after it seems that it has been looted. It’s unbelievable how grand the place must have been. All the walls in the main room are covered with very luscious cloth instead of paper or paint. And the drapes are still hanging in many windows and though I know nothing of cloth etc it’s not hard to see they’re almost priceless. And there are still about 20 paintings - all huge and most of them dated in the 1700s. 
Some rooms have murals on the walls - the ballrooms has one huge painting covering almost the entire ceiling. And there are dozens of small, medium, + huge tables + cabinets - hand carved, inlaid with mosaic, marble topped + very finely polished. Joe Schroeder [a fellow officer and close friend] and I were looking around today + found large supplies of fancy china, glassware (gold rimmed) and vases ’n stuff. I found us 5 fancy metal “swizzle sticks” to mix our drinks. Much of the stuff is too fancy to suit me but if it were possible to send you stuff we could furnish about half our house without any trouble. I get socialistic ideas when I see such evidence of wealth surrounded by many countryfolk who have so little. For example the other day I took the chief electrician for the town…over to see about repairs and he spotted a fancy fireplace screen which he claimed was worth “fil” (many) dollars. [He meant “viel” in German.] In fact he said thousands of dollars. And his weekly wage is about $7.00.

            Still have the problem of getting the water + heat fixed but they’re doing pretty good considering that the place is over 800 years old + has had much alteration + repair. Had to dig one main water pipe out of walls which were about 4 feet thick - there was a leak. Guess I told you we had a fire that burned out about 25 feet of roof - defective chimney…

Oct. 6 1945

            …Made a trip to our castle this p.m. + things are going pretty good. Look like we might get our water system working OK + we now have most of the parts to fix the heating system. Big problem now is to find a cable to run from a power house for our electricity. Pretty hard to find - the big stuff -  about 1 inch, I think, + we need about 600 yards of it. Have the roof almost completely repaired now where we had the fire. And our officers quarters are shaping up beautifully. Wish you could see some of the fancy china + glassware we located + may use to throw a party some day. Have some scouts out now to try and get some coffee cups + some silverware…

            It’s just 7 p.m. + the radio program has changed to a hillbilly program (like the Saturday Barn Dance program)  and it’s coming from the Hofbrau Keller in Munich (of all places - that’s where Hitler planned his original “putsch” - + and it is now made over into a Red Cross club). Podden me whilst I change to another station. You’d be amazed at the dozens of stations you can get over here now. It seems so strange at times to tune in on some good American music + then when the record stops to hear some Kraut announcer talk in German…I can get programs in English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Polish, Russian, and one which sounds like Chinese or Japanese. The Krauts play a lot of waltzes and what sound like Polkas + Schottischen. Have seen some of these dances + they look like they’d be fun - slapping their knees + feet ’n stuff. Right now they’re playing something and some Kraut is talking like he was calling a square dance…

            I’m still looking for lace but it’s kinda hard now. Except in large places, outside of Germany, you don’t see anything like that. May be able to arrange to have the local natives make me some. We cannot buy at stores here, and except for foodstuffs I’ve seen no stores anyway. I suppose it’s hared to imagine towns or cities without things like department stores but that’s the way it is. In places large enough to have such stores the bombing has destroyed most of them…

            [Later] As I write this I’m listening to the 5th game of the World Series coming by short wave from the States…

Thursday

11 Oct 1945

            …Today and yesterday have been beautiful days - clear and sunny- and very welcome after two weeks of almost continuous rain and cold. Sunday and Monday night we had very heavy frosts which have quickly changed the leafed trees into huge masses of red, gold, and brown. It is comparatively warm yet there is a crispness in the air. It reminds me of the fall football days back in Nebraska.

            …This week has included the usual daily training and more intense work on the new castle. There sure is a lot of work necessary to do on that place just to get the facilities - light heat + plumbing - in order. Today I made a trip down near Munich to try and pick up my cable for the electricity but got stymied. I had an order from General Ladd but they wouldn’t come through as they claimed that they had orders from General Ike himself to let nothing go out of the place. It was formerly the Bavarian Motor Works [BMW] (made good cars) and in spite of much bombing there is still a tremendous amount of material there - much of it underground. So tomorrow I’m going to try a place near Augsburg as our Ba Cmdr says we will move in next week - lights or not. Wish me luck, Bub.

            …Did I tell you that our castle has an organ? It’s in a huge and very beautiful chapel. Unfortunately the organ does not work and the chapel is now full of thousands of books from the Munich libraries…

            The grounds on our estate have not been damaged nor has the building. Only damage was caused by vandals + looters who broke in here and there and tried to burn it in one place…

Sunday 14 October

            …this p.m. went to Dachau to arrange to get two trucks to pick up a big electric cable tomorrow.

            That’s about the last thing we need to complete repairs on our castle as they now have most of the plumbing fixed. Tomorrow they try the central heating system + keep your fingers crossed for me, honey. Yesterday they pumped water into the system (it’s hot water type heat) and about a dozen leaks sprung out + almost flooded the place. The plumber got those fixed but left the pressure on + this p.m. another leak started and partially flooded all three floors but now he thinks he has that fixed too. All this has been with cold water + tomorrow they put heat on + then - holy mother, I hope it works! In any event, we move Wednesday because a week from today we start on maneuvers [sic] for one week + must be moved before then. 

Saturday 20 Oct 1945

            ..How do you like this for stationery? [Letter written on quality blue paper with embossed initials FH under a little crown and Haimhausen München at the top]  The former owner of the castle placed this at my disposal recently. Ho-hum! -wonder what the poor people are doing today…

Haimhausen 
Monday night 29 Oct 1945

            …Our town of Haimhausen is just about 4 miles closer to Dachau than we were before. We’re about 15 miles from Munich. [Draws map]

Sunday Nov 4 1945

            …We’ve been trying to get settled in the castle since we returned from maneuvers a week ago. Wed it was announced that we would have to take over the area of the 3rd Battalion while they went on maneuvers. So yesterday I took about 95 of my men to Freising - about 45 minutes northeast of here + set them up to guard a couple of DP camps - mostly Polish people. I’ve been tearing over there and back here trying to keep both places running…

            Honey, I miss you so much it gets under my skin at time. And I have a fairly tough hide. Soon it will be our 11 month anniversary [since he proposed just before he left for his overseas duty]. Irv + I were talking about how long it has seemed + we both agreed that we probably shouldn’t kick too much as so many of our buddies will never go back…

            Freising is a large place - about 25000 + they have 2 movies [theaters?] which the boys really go for. They also have “fil” (many) [viel] frauleins and polsky which in plain language means that the German + Polish gals are plentiful + very good looking + the boys also go for that. They spaziren (walk) + dance with the gals although I personally can’t see most of them - they are all mostly interested in seeing how much food or cigarettes they can chisel…as for me I’ll take any American gal in preference but mainly one in particular - guess who?…

            You should see the desk I am writing on. It’s another little number they had around here and shows much work + probably cost a young fortune. It has very fancy metalwork on inlaid wood on the front and a carved leather top…

The dining room with the Israelites' Gathering of Manna on the ceiling. A reference to Exodus XVI (and possibly supplemented through Josephus’s Jewish Antiquities III), it relates the story of the Israelites travelling en masse across the desert after having left Egypt and crossing the Red Sea when, famished, they were miraculously provided with water, quails, the fine, white manna which covered the ground like a heavy frost. It's signed “MC” and dated 1733.

The Schlossbrauerei next to our school during the Third Reich and today. Founded in 1608 when Duke Maximilian I granted Theodor Viepeckh the right to build a brewery in Haimhausen. The building was demolished around 1750 because it had become dilapidated due to war and neglect. Karl Ferdinand von Haimhausen rebuilt it in he 18th century on the site that still exists today. Under Theobald Sigmund Butler, the brewery became a worry again because he had previously invested heavily in new brewery technologies and was running out of money. The brewery only experienced an upswing again with Theobald Graf Butler-Haimhausen. After years of good economic development, he sold it in 1890 to the Haniel family. The brewery has remained in the family since, however after 400 years, it ceased production at the end of 2019 owing to the drop in sales in addition to the increased costs due to the oversized operating space as well as the ancient building and machinery. After no investor was found to invest in the brewery, the municipality is now trying to ensure that the site does not degenerate into a disused industrial building, especially as large parts of the company are under monument protection.

In October 2025 the following was spray-painted over the gates leading to the school:

"Learn Gematria" on the left post and "Relearn 1945" on the right in red. Interestingly it was in English outside a school whose language of instruction is English. Taken together it is meant to represent "Holocaust is fake /Jews control history” which is why German police and the Zentralrat der Juden classify this exact pairing as antisemitic incitement under section 130 of the Strafgesetzbuch, the law prohibiting Volksverhetzung or incitement to hatred. This classification arises from their deployment as dog whistles in neo-Nazi, Reichsbürger, Querdenker, and conspiracy networks, where they signal Holocaust denial, Jewish world conspiracy theories, and revisionist history without explicit slurs, permitting plausible deniability whilst mobilising extremists. Gematria lernen mocks Jewish tradition for conspiracy proofs. Gematria, a Kabbalistic practice assigning numerical values to Hebrew letters such as Aleph for 1 and Bet for 2, serves biblical interpretation which antisemites pervert into a secret code tool. The slogan urges learning it to decode events as Jewish-staged hoaxes, embodying the eternal trope of Jews controlling media or events. Usage examples include COVID-19 claims where Corona Gematria equals 666 and Plandemic equals Juden. For the Trump shooting on July 13, 2024, event date sums to False Flag, prompting replies of Gematria lernen with a kiss emoji. The Zentralrat warns it perverts sacred Jewish exegesis into a hate cipher, akin to Zayin or 7 patterns on stickers symbolising the seven million lie for Holocaust exaggeration. RIAS Brandenburg reports from 2020 and 2022 document Gematria graffiti and stickers as modern coded antisemitism, such as heptagonal Zayin clusters evading swastika bans. Police in Berlin and Brandenburg classify it under section 130(1) for hatred against Jews and section 130(3) for Holocaust trivialisation.

 

Schönbrunn

The GIF on the left and below show photos of the Schönbrunn living facility for the disabled taken by the ϟϟ in 1934. At the end of the 18th century, our school's schloss passed to the Counts of Butler-Clonebough (later Butler-Haimhausen) through female succession. Viktorine von Butler-Haimhausen founded a poor girl's house here in 1861, but moved it to Schönbrunn in 1863 when it was in dire need of renovation. There, she and five sisters began work in 1863 with the aim of creating a home for elderly women in need of care, and to provide education and training for young women from poor backgrounds. Her aim was to create a home for old and dependent women and enable young women and girls through education and training. To support this endeavour, she enlisted the help of a community of sisters from Munich, which later developed into the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Schönbrunn. Even in the early years, an increasing number of people with mental disabilities came to Schönbrunn. The facility developed and expanded over the years, and the number of so-called residents increased. A church was built in 1880.  In 1911, a Franciscan religious order was founded in Schönbrunn under episcopal law, the Congregation of the Servants of Divine Providence. With the help of the associated agricultural activities, the institution's supplies were ensured even during the Great War. The present monastery church of St. George dates from 1922 and was extended by eight metres in 1932. Between 1920 and 1936, the institution was expanded, the infrastructure, water supply, and roads were improved, and the number of residents increased from 475 to approximately 1,200.  Many of our students at the Bavarian International School volunteer through our CAS programme here at the Franziskuswerk Schönbrunn-  working with people with  physical and mental disabilities and at outreach houses with those who are more independent. 

During the Nazi era, many residents fell victim to forced sterilisation. From 1940 onwards, 905 residents were mostly transferred to the Haar District Hospital. Of these, at least 546 people were killed as part of the Nazis' euthanasia programme, with at least 196 of them in the Hartheim killing centre near Linz. The Haar District Hospital itself had a " children's department " for killing with Luminal and 'so-called starvation houses'. Among the individual fates is that of 13-year-old Edith Hecht, who was brought to Eglfing-Haar on June 2, 1944; her parents were informed of her death on December 23, 1944. The photos on the left are by ϟϟ photographer Franz Bauer, Himmler's personal photographer, taken on February 16, 1934 of children at Schönbrunn suffering from Down's syndrome. From 1940 to 1945 a few hundred residents, mostly children and young people, were deemed lebensunwert ("unworthy of life") and killed. During this time a total of 905 residents were transferred to other institutions, mostly to the Haar district hospital. The transport of March 20, 1941, was the first of four large transports to this hospital; in 1943 alone, more than 580 women and men arrived in Eglfing-Haar, the so-called 'headquarters of euthanasia in Bavaria.' One victim of that first transport was 17 year old Johann, who suffered from Tourette's syndrome. The transport's director, neurologist Dr. Hermann Pfannmüller, wrote the death sentence by drawing a red cross in the black box at the bottom left of the registration form allowing  Johann to be murdered in the Hartheim killing centre. His family was told that the boy died of dysentery and was sent an urn containing ashes. Finally, in 1944, "the fourth and final stage of Munich's seizure of Josef Steininger's institution began whilst large parts of the Nymphenburg Hospital of the "Third Order" of the Franciscans, which had been bombed out in Munich, were relocated to Schönbrunn in July 1944. The then-director, Joseph Steininger, cooperated with the Munich Health Department and was thus actively involved in the Nazi euthanasia programme.

From 1944 onwards, evacuated patients from Munich could be accommodated in the institution. Hans Joachim Sewering, who worked as a medical professional politician nationwide for decades after the war, worked as a doctor in Schönbrunn from 1942. Recent analyses of patient files document nine individually drafted transfers by Sewering from Schönbrunn to Eglfing-Haar, five of whom died there. Sewering denied throughout his life knowing what happened to the patients after their transfer. The postwar period was characterised by the reconstruction of the institution. Starting in 1972, due to the declining number of nuns, lay staff were also hired. In the following years, the institution was continually expanded and diversified. The Schönbrunn Institution developed into one of the largest facilities for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities in Bavaria.  

From 2007 to 2017, the subject of historical research was to what extent the director of the institution, the clergyman Joseph Steininger, accepted the deportation and, as a consequence, the murder which he possibly considered as the lesser evil to maintain the institution because, as a result of this cooperation, the institution was not confiscated and expropriated, but made available to accommodate hospitals and old people's homes that had been evacuated from Munich. After 1945, this pact with the Nazis was systematically concealed by Steininger. The extent of this cooperation and the actual number of victims only slowly became known as a result of the more intensive preoccupation with the euthanasia murders from the 1990s onwards. The sisters knew about the 'Action T4' that had started in 1940 and about the importance of the transfers, but due to their position within Schönbrunn they couldn't counteract this. Contemporary witnesses reported that they had embellished patient files or that residents were hidden. They also reported that one deportation, unknown to them beforehand, had taken place while they were praying in the church.

It wasn't until January 2012 that a memorial was erected at Schönbrunn located directly to the south side of the church of St. Joseph consists of a stained glass cross behind which the names of the 546 children killed are listed. The names are in different sizes and fonts to make the uniqueness of each person visible, and every January 27 the victims of the Nazis are commemorated.

 The memorial was designed by the Benedictine monk Thomas Hessler which has the basic form of a cross consisting of coloured glass of which its outline is designed as a tree with branches, thorns and three hands. According to the artist, this arrangement commemorates the Last Supper, the supper of Judas' betrayal and Jesus' supper of atonement.

My classroom at Bavarian International School- a work in progress:

 

Two pages of trips I've made with my students; click on each:

 

 

 

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