At first glance, it becomes clear that a lot has happened at the VHS Peißenberg in the past 70 years, when the program from 1953 is next to that from 2021.
What defines the VHS has not changed.
Peißenberg
- "In the beginning the program was mostly limited to lectures, a little gymnastics and languages", says the director of the adult education center Peißenberg (VHS), Mechthild Merz.
She has collected a whole box of old programs and placed it on the table in the office in the VHS course center in the “Rigi Center”.
Just from these booklets, their scope and their content, one can see how much the VHS in Peißenberg has changed over the past 70 years: The program today comprises 260 courses and events in various fields and is printed in color in A4 format.
"From the world of the editor"
The first program booklet that Merz found in her archive is more of a "program sheet" and dates from 1953. It is a small DIN A5 sheet of paper that was folded in the middle so that there is a front, a back and a bigger inside. Over the years the paper has yellowed a little, but the writing is still legible: On the front, the “Volksbildungswerk Peissenberg” announces its “work program from January 1953”, which largely consisted of lectures. Illustrious speakers could be won: At that time, the Weilheimer Heimatforscher, after whom a local award was later named, made the start, who presented treasures from the Pfaffenwinkel enriched with photographs on the subject of “farmers, artists and monks”. Nine more lectures followed,where, among others, Ms. District Court Judge Anna Endres from Munich gave a lecture on “The future reform of marriage and family law” and the author, editor, translator and journalist Wilhelm Emanuel Süskind reported “From the world of the editor”. The program of the Peißenberger Volksbildungswerk for 1953 ended with a musical ceremony. "At that time, top-class people came to Peißenberg," says Merz of the lecture program."At that time, top-class people came to Peißenberg," says Merz of the lecture program."At that time, top-class people came to Peißenberg," says Merz of the lecture program.
Performed pieces even as a child
In addition to the lectures, four courses were also offered.
Stenography, gymnastics, depth psychology and speaking school and brand new in the program at the time: a language course in French or Italian "depending on participation".
“Theater trips will be continued” is the final announcement in the three-page program.
The VHS Peißenberg kept this promise until about two years ago. Until the corona pandemic ensured that all theaters and concert halls were closed, a bus with people interested in culture regularly drove to Munich to visit various performances. These trips must have been offered as early as 1952. Dietlinde Schweyer, who set up theater sets and performed plays in the courtyard as a child, was also enthusiastic about the theater trips as a young girl: "I often went to the theater," she says: "At that time I was mostly one of the younger ones."
When the organizer then stopped, it was "pointed out" that the theater trips would be stopped, says Schweyer, and in 1980 she took on the task of putting together a theater program, organizing tickets and receiving registrations, says Schweyer.
As a rule, a bus from Peißenberg drove to various Munich theaters and concert halls six times per fall-winter semester.
Schweyer now hopes that the old tradition can be resumed soon.
“People are already asking when we will start again,” says the Peißenbergerin.
Marriage seminars were very popular in 1958
The VHS Peißenberg was founded on October 12, 1951 at the request of the mayor at the time, Josef Zerhoch.
And the first events could already take place in November.
At the beginning, mainly the adjoining rooms of the restaurants in Peißenberg were used to be able to offer VHS events.
The room situation relaxed significantly in 2017 at the latest when the VHS moved to the “Rigi Center”.
In general, a lot has changed since the adult education center started 70 years ago in Peißenberg.
This applies not only to the scope of the program, but also to its content.
For example, in 1958 "marriage seminars" were very popular.
So popular that in 1961, for example, a separate program booklet was printed for them.
While these seminars have since disappeared from the program, there were other offers after Merz's observation that boomed earlier, then only interested a few and are now attracting many participants again.
“That is the case with sewing, for example,” says the manager: “At the beginning it was very successful, then there was a lull and at the moment sewing courses are very well booked again.
In 1980 a new time began in terms of personnel at the VHS Peißenberg.
A manager was employed on a permanent basis.
In the course of this, the “Volksbildungswerk” became the “VHS”.
With everything that has changed at VHS Peißenberg over the past 70 years, the core has remained, as Mechthild Merz said in an interview in 2018: "With us, education is accessible to everyone."
