Barbara is originally from Germany and moved to Sydney in 2008 and Melbourne in 2015. She loves languages, cooking, walking her neighbour’s dog, singing, dancing and children. 

Her teaching career started when she joined one of the private schools here in Melbourne as a language assistant. She loves working with the students! 

Now she is looking forward to passing her passion for the German language on to the Kindergarten group here at the German Saturday School.

Hey there! My name is Julia, originally from the beautiful city of Bremen, Germany. I permanently moved to Australia in 2016.

I am thrilled to be part of the German Saturday School, bringing a strong passion for teaching and a world of experience working with children of all backgrounds and needs. I am a patient, friendly and organized person who is highly motivated to support children's interests and needs to the best of my abilities. I recently completed my Master of Teaching (Primary) at La Trobe University and have been working as a Casual Relief Teacher in multiple primary schools across Melbourne since then.

Outside the classroom, you'll find me exploring new places, staying active, catching up with friends, soaking up the sunshine, or getting lost in a good book. Ready for an exciting journey ahead!

Brigitte is one of our longest-serving teachers, teaching Year 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Born and raised in Osnabrück, Germany, Brigitte moved to Melbourne more than 30 years ago. She has been involved with the German Saturday School for over 20 years, first as an assistant and then as a teacher.

Both her children attended the German Saturday School. She likes to give children the opportunity to explore hands-on new horizons, loves to read books or sing songs with them and talk to them in German.

Iryna is a passionate German language teacher with a background in Linguistics and Development Studies, having studied at the University of Vienna. With a strong professional foundation in policy development and implementation within the education sector and experience teaching German as a second language, she brings a deep appreciation for multilingualism and intercultural learning into the classroom.

She is dedicated to supporting students in developing their language skills in an engaging environment, fostering confidence, curiosity and a love for language and culture.

Mareike grew up in Southern Germany and studied Linguistics at the University of Potsdam, where she subsequently worked as a language researcher. Along the way, she gained teaching experience in various part-time and volunteer positions, teaching both children and adults in language and dance. In order to commit to teaching full-time, she completed a dance teacher program as well as a German teaching program.

After her relocation to Australia in 2025, she started working for the Goethe-Institut Melbourne and the GSS, where she took over Years 3 & 4. Mareike is committed to supporting students on their individual learning journey and providing a fun and enjoyable learning experience.

Sophie has been involved in the GSS for well over 10 years as a student, assistant and now as a teacher of the 5/6 class. Her family is from Baden-Württemberg, and she was raised in Melbourne in a bilingual household. She is passionate about the benefits of learning a second language and enjoys sharing and discussing German culture with students.

Sophie is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne University with German studies being part of her coursework.

Liz was born and raised in Bavaria, but she has found a home in Melbourne in 2008. Liz is fascinated by languages and teaching has always been an integral part of her professional life.

Language means freedom, expression, independence, conversation, self-reliance and connection for her. Liz is happy to be teaching Year 9 at the German Saturday School. It is such a pleasure to continually help the students improve their German skills. She works as a language teacher and offers private language lessons.

Moritz joined the GSS in February 2019 after retiring from full time work as a social worker and policy advisor in Germany, Australia and New Zealand. He was born and raised in Berlin, a city he still loves and visits regularly. Teaching at the GSS enables Moritz to share his passion for the German language culture and history. He firmly believes that knowing and experiencing different cultures and languages promotes a more open-minded and inclusive approach to life.

His children are attending the GSS as students.