Blindenanstalt Nürnberg

Blindenanstalt Nürnberg is a private, non-profit organization based in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany, dedicated to the education, support and inclusion of blind and visually impaired children, adolescents and young adults. It was founded in 1854, when the Nuremberg St. Johannisverein opened a private school for the blind, and it has operated continuously since then, apart from a wartime interruption around 1943–1946. Today the association is the legal sponsor (Träger) of the bbs nürnberg – Bildungszentrum für Blinde und Sehbehinderte, a modern social institution active in education, development, upbringing, counselling, support and pedagogical accompaniment. The organization's service spectrum is broad. It includes a Förderzentrum (special-needs support centre) with a focus on vision, a vocational school centre for special-needs education with a focus on vision, a boarding school (Internat), a therapeutic day centre, a school-preparation facility, an early-intervention centre and a counselling centre for people with visual impairment. More than 430 pupils acquire state-recognized qualifications in its two own schools, the Förderzentrum and the Berufliches Schulzentrum. The Förderzentrum is attended mainly by visually impaired pupils from the five northern Bavarian administrative districts, and offers qualifications ranging from the special-needs learning certificate through the Hauptschulabschluss and the qualifying certificate to the Mittlere Reife. The vocational school centre comprises six training schools and offers nationally unique vocational training opportunities, including a vocational school for music (training state-certified Protestant or Catholic church musicians, choir and ensemble leaders in amateur music, and singing and music school teachers at Bavarian music schools), a vocational school for office occupations (office communication clerk, also with a data-processing focus) and a vocational school for massage and physiotherapy (masseur and medical bath attendant, with an additional course to become a physiotherapist). The institution became increasingly supra-regional as more visually impaired people from the nearer and wider surroundings sought admission. Its supporting partners now include the five Bavarian administrative districts of Middle, Upper and Lower Franconia, Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate, the two churches and the city of Nuremberg. The association is registered as a voluntary association (eingetragener Verein) and is recognized as a non-profit organization. Its long history includes the admission of adults from 1888, the merger of the blind school with the Middle Franconian Blind Home, the Blind Support Association and the Blind League into a working community in 1932, the resumption of teaching on 1 September 1946, the addition of a school for the visually impaired from 1955, recognition as a special school and the founding of the non-profit sponsoring association in 1967, the end of adult blind training in 1973, and the move to a new building in the Nuremberg district of Langwasser in 1978. Leadership has passed through a long line of directors, with Simone Podarewski serving as managing director since 2019.

The Blindenanstalt Nürnberg traces its origins to 19 June 1854, when the Nuremberg St. Johannisverein opened a private school for the blind. The school initially admitted children, and from 1888 also adults; religious affiliation played no role in admission. In 1932 the blind school was merged with the Middle Franconian Blind Home (Mittelfränkisches Blindenheim), the Blind Support Association (Blindenunterstützungsverein) and the Blind League (Blindenbund) into a working community. From 1943 operations were restricted because of the war, and after 2 January 1945 they were completely suspended. Teaching resumed on 1 September 1946, and from 1954 it was carried out in a new workshop building. From 1955 the institution was expanded by a school for the visually impaired. In 1967 it was recognized as a special school (Sonderschule) and the non-profit sponsoring association "Blindenanstalt Nürnberg" was founded. In 1973 the training of adult blind people ended; this was henceforth provided at the South German Retraining Centre for the Late-Blinded (Süddeutsche Umschulungsstätte für Späterblindete). In 1978 the Blindenanstalt moved into a new building in the Nuremberg district of Langwasser. Later the Nuremberg institution became supra-regional, as more and more visually impaired people from the nearer and wider surroundings wanted to enter the facility. The five Bavarian administrative districts of Middle, Upper and Lower Franconia, Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate, the two churches and the city of Nuremberg joined as supporting partners. In terms of structure, more than 430 pupils acquire state-recognized qualifications in two own schools, the Förderzentrum and the Berufliches Schulzentrum. The Förderzentrum is attended predominantly by visually impaired pupils from the five northern Bavarian districts, and possible qualifications are the special-needs learning certificate, the Hauptschulabschluss, the qualifying certificate and the Mittlere Reife. The vocational school centre has a total of six training schools. In the Berufliches Schulzentrum für Blinde und Sehbehinderte, nationally unique vocational training opportunities are offered, including the Berufsfachschule für Musik (with training for state-certified Protestant or Catholic church musicians, state-certified choir and ensemble leaders in amateur music, or state-certified singing and music school teachers at Bavarian music schools), the Berufsfachschule für Büroberufe (office communication clerk, also with a data-processing focus) and the Berufsfachschule für Massage und Physiotherapie (masseur and medical bath attendant, with the possibility of an additional course to become a physiotherapist). Leadership has been exercised by directors since the founding: Friedrich Müller (1854–1859), Georg Friedrich Scherer (1859–1861), Freiherr von St. Marie (1861–1863), J. G. Böhmländer (1863–1870), Kunigunde Langhanns (1870–1882), Marie Langhanns (1882–1884), Karl Schleußner (1884–1918), Wilhelm Reiner (1919–1928), Georg Heinz (1929–1945), Walter G. Wagner (1946–1954), Josef Radspieler (1954–1969), Günther Vogel (1969–1993), Bernd Hamann (1993–2006) and Patrick Temmesfeld (2006–2019). Since 2019 Simone Podarewski has served as managing director (Geschäftsführerin). The organization is a private institution and operates the Bildungszentrum für Blinde und Sehbehinderte Nürnberg; it is registered as a voluntary association and recognized as non-profit.

• 2019

  Simone Podarewski becomes managing director (Geschäftsführerin).

• 1978

  The Blindenanstalt moves into a new building in the Nuremberg district of Langwasser.

• 1973

  Training of adult blind people ends; it is henceforth provided at the South German Retraining Centre for the Late-Blinded.

• 1967

  Recognition as a special school and founding of the non-profit sponsoring association "Blindenanstalt Nürnberg".

• 1955

  The institution is expanded by a school for the visually impaired.

• 1954

  Teaching is carried out in a new workshop building.

• 1946

  Teaching resumes on 1 September.

• 1945

  After 2 January, operations are completely suspended.

• 1943

  Operations are restricted because of the war.

• 1932

  The blind school is merged with the Middle Franconian Blind Home, the Blind Support Association and the Blind League into a working community.

• 1888

  The school begins admitting adults as well as children.

• 1854

  On 19 June, the Nuremberg St. Johannisverein opens a private school for the blind.

Non-profit, private provider of education, support and inclusion services for blind and visually impaired people in Bavaria, with a history dating back to 1854 and a supra-regional catchment area.

• Förderzentrum with focus on vision

  Special-needs support centre attended mainly by visually impaired pupils from the five northern Bavarian districts; offers the special-needs learning certificate, Hauptschulabschluss, qualifying certificate and Mittlere Reife.

• Berufliches Schulzentrum für Blinde und Sehbehinderte

  Vocational school centre with six training schools, offering nationally unique vocational training opportunities.

• Berufsfachschule für Musik

  Training for state-certified Protestant or Catholic church musicians, state-certified choir and ensemble leaders in amateur music, and state-certified singing and music school teachers at Bavarian music schools.

• Berufsfachschule für Büroberufe

  Training as office communication clerk, also with a data-processing focus.

• Berufsfachschule für Massage und Physiotherapie

  Training as masseur and medical bath attendant, with the possibility of an additional course to become a physiotherapist.

• Internat

  Boarding school for pupils of the institution.

• Heilpädagogisch-therapeutische Tagesstätte

  Therapeutic day centre.

• Schulvorbereitende Einrichtung

  School-preparation facility.

• Frühförderstelle

  Early-intervention centre.

• Beratungsstelle für Menschen mit Sehschädigung

  Counselling centre for people with visual impairment.

1. 1Willkommen am bbs nürnberg - BBS Nürnbergbbs-nuernberg.de
2. 2Blindenanstalt Nürnberg - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Blindenanstalt Nürnberg - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org