After 1925, immigration for German citizens was re-opened. Many immigrants received advice and support from Pastor Frank and his wife. Pastor Frank taught English in the evenings and reestablished a Saturday school.

After the death of Pastor Frank on the 21st of October 1934 at the age of 59 years, Pastor Ewald Steiniger took over as the Parish Pastor. Henceforth he led the German Saturday School and lessons were taught between 10am and 12pm. It is not known how long the school operated; presumably the school had to be closed at the beginning of the Second World War.

Pastor Seyler (1964-1974) re-established the German Saturday School as it was commonly requested by the congregation. For 20 years the school developed as a church school, though over the years students of other religious denominations were also accepted.

The present history of the Saturday School started 1975 under the leadership of Anneliese Druskat, who tirelessly worked for the success and continuance of the school.

At this time as well as the school in the city there was a campus in Boronia and overall 130 students were enrolled.

Up to 1992 the German Saturday School had ties with Trinity Church. After that the school became financially independent and negotiated a lease with the church although only a few years later the church building couldn’t accommodate the rapidly rising numbers of students.

For the last 10 years the German Saturday School has been leasing rooms at Clifton Hill Primary School for teaching purposes. At the moment 130 students between the ages of 4-17 years are enrolled. Currently there are 10 teachers and three assistants who are employed at the school. Lessons are taught on Saturdays from 9-12am and the committee is responsible for administration. The school is financed by school fees and subsidies from the department for education.

In 1996 seven Saturday Schools belonged to the ‘Deutscher Sprachverein’ (German language association). Due to low enrolment numbers four of these closed. Now alongside the German Saturday School in Clifton Hill, ‘Templerschule’ in Boronia/ Bayswater and ‘Templerschule’ in Bentleigh/ Moorabbin persist. The latter two have an after school program to teach German after day school during the week. These three schools are members of the ‘Deutscher Sprachverein’ and hold a meeting once a term.

German Saturday School has an extensive website on the internet.

www.germansaturdayschool.org.au

Resources: A German Church in the Garden of God. Melbourne’s Trinity Church 1853-2003. Herbert D. Mess, General Editor

Images reproduced with kind permission of the Historical Society for Trinity German Lutheran Church.