WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL

About us

The Wirtschaftsschule am Oswaldsgarten (formerly Friedrich-Feld-Schule) is a vocational school with a focus on commercial training. We offer a variety of courses leading to different qualifications:

college and university entry qualification,

intermediate school leaving certificate,

vocational training on a full-time or part-time basis.

Situated in the very centre of Giessen, a medium sized university town in Germany (population approx. 80,000 plus 24,000 university and 7,000 college students), the Wirtschaftsschule am Oswaldsgarten looks back on nearly 100 years of successful teaching.

In total we have about 1,100 students, who are taught by approx. 90 staff members. In Germany this makes us a medium-sized vocational school.

We offer a variety of courses leading to different qualifications. Each training course is taught in what we in Germany call a “Schulform” which in English could be called an individual internal school type.

Two of the internal school types offer full-time courses leading to general school qualifications with a focus on economics, either for an intermediate school leaving certificate (10th and 11th grade) or as a university entry qualification (11th to 13th grade).

A further three school types provide specific vocational training on a full-time basis over a two-year period (intermediate vocational schools). We offer state recognised qualifications in Office Management and Administration, Information Technology with a commercial focus, and for Foreign Language Secretaries.

Other students train at the Wirtschaftsschule am Oswaldsgarten in our part-time vocational school. The students train under the “Dual System”, which is typical for Germany. Here the students come to school for theoretical commercial and foreign language training on two days each week and they take part in practical “training-on-the-job” in selected local companies on the other three days. Two different school types offer three dual system training courses, either as Wholesale and Import/Export Professionals or as Warehouse Logistics Specialists or as Skilled Employees for Warehousing.

three-year vocational grammar school - economics (BG)
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two-year vocational school in Office Management (HBW), Information Technology (BFi) and for Foreign Language Secretaries (FS)
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two-year Commercial Vocational College (KBFS)
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pre-vocational programs (BzB and InteA)
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part-time vocational school (BS)
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With such a variety of courses available our students are of very different ages, but within our secondary program students are generally aged between 17 and about 22 years.

Each course has a commercial focus and features subjects related to economics and administration as well as the usual school subjects. All courses include periods of practical training which take place under supervision in local companies. Many of our students learn about the processes involved in office work in our “Learning Office”, where they get a first taste of office life. We are keen to give our students the best possible start to their working lives and so we not only offer courses in typing, data processing and other office relevant skills, but also provide them with training for job interviews and job applications, and other life skills such as teamwork and communication.

School Management

 

Mr. J. Dormagen (Principal)

Mr J. Binkhoff (Deputy Principal)

Ms N. Schneppensiefen, Ms E. Regan, Ms D. Schlosser, Dr. R. Siebert (Departments)

Click pictures to e-mail

Timeline

School Policy

The Wirtschaftsschule am Oswaldsgarten is a vocational school with a long-standing tradition.
Situated in the centre of the University Town of Giessen, the WSO aims to make an important contribution to highlighting the relevance of commercial vocational education.

We take our role seriously, working together with our students to conscientiously build bridges to their future by offering all students the best possible preparation for their private and professional lives.

For the learning environment this means that equal significance is afforded to general and vocational education.

The following factors share priority

Mutual respect and esteem
Openness and transparency
Support and assistance for all students
Respect for cultural diversity
Practical and vocational orientation
Networking with training companies and other institutions
Independence and a sense of self-responsibility
Prioritisation of teamwork
Health awareness

in a true house of learning in which both students and teachers enjoy working together for a common purpose.

Activities

 

Alumni - Let’s Get Together Again

We would like to pass on our experience to our students through contacts with alumni who are now in professional life. A meeting takes place every two years for this purpose.

Bestseller Library

Pupils can choose their holiday reading from the freshly stocked stelves of the bestseller library.

Job Orientation - Alumni Offer Advice

Former students and cooperation partners of the WSO, formerly FFS, provide insights into a wide range of professions.

Berufsorientierungstage 2016 - Studium? Studium Plus? Duale Ausbildung? Welcher Weg ist für mich der Richtige? Wie bereite ich mich vor?

Learning Office/ Learning Secretariat

The learning office of our school is a wholesale company in the office supplies sector. It is located in a modern open-plan office in our main building. All departments (Purchasing, Sales, Warehousing, Accounting, Human Resources and General Administration) are equipped with PC workstations. In this respect, the learning office differs neither in its organisation and equipment nor in the way it works from a modern office, even if it is merely a “simulation”.

Our students who attend the two-year vocational school for Foreign Language Secretaries (FS) or for Office Management Assistants (HBW) work in various departments of our Learning Secretariat on practical learning situations.

If you would like to try out lessons in the learning office, get in touch with the school and we can organize for you to take part in sample lessons.

Project week

During the project week students test their ability to work in a team. Joint planning, execution and perseverance are most important for a successful project – no matter whether in designing, acting, dancing, climbing, playing table tennis or video filming.

Student Exchange China

An annual exchange between Students from Gießen and from Wenzhou China (Giessen’s twin town) has been taking place since 2011. Students from all the Giessen schools can take part, and a group of around 30 students travel to China for two weeks.

Following a short stay in Peking or Shanghai, the famous Chinese megacities, experiencing the hustle and bustle that is modern urban living in China and seeing some of the remarkable historic and tourist sights, the group flies to Wenzhou. Here the students are picked up at the airport by the host families and this is what makes the Wenzhou exchange so special – the German students get involved in true family life.

The students are either assigned to the Wenzhou Foreign language school or the Wenzhou No. 2 Senior High School. Both the schools have at least one attractive campus and are very well equipped for academic studies and with sports facilities. The Chinese hosts organize a variety of activities for the German students, ranging from Kung Fu training to cooking lessons.

Participating in this exchange is a unique chance to get to know a new world in an exotic country and possibly to start global friendships.

For more information talk to Mrs Elizabeth Regan (room A104).

Student Exchange USA

Exchange programs are very special because they offer insights into the everyday world and cultures of other countries. In this way they serve international understanding, because finding friends in other parts of the world helps to break down prejudices and lay the foundations for a common peace.

All of this is part of the guiding principles of Friendship Connection’s annual USA exchange program, in which our school traditionally participates.

The German students live in a host family with who brings closer to them american life within four weeks.

Team Building Days - Outdoor Events

At the beginning of the school year, so-called team building events take place. During these days the students get to know each other better and learn to understand themselves as a group.

Visiting Plants, Factory Tours

During the school year, most classes go on plant visits. These tours are intended to give our students a first impression of the world of work.

Yearbook

In 1996/97 the idea was born to publish a yearbook every two years. This memento has now been published for more than 20 years and is still very popular among students. Photos of all our classes are included, and reports and many pictures show how diverse and active our school life is.

Contact us

  • Phone

    0641 306-3101 or -3102

  • Address

    Georg-Schlosser-Str. 20, 35390 Gießen

  • Fax

    0641 306-3103

  • Instagram

    wsogiessen

Where to find us

The school consists of three buildings plus an assembly hall and a sports hall. We are right in the centre of the town and benefit from the urban infrastructure. We can easily be reached by public transports, with many bus stops including the central “Marktplatz” – Market Square only a few minutes away on foot. The nearest train stop, “Oswaldsgarten” is a mere 100 meters away and the neighbouring shopping mall “Neustädter Tor” offers great covered parking facilities.
Adult students may prefer to use the free parking on the other side of the railway bridge – although here it’s a good idea to be there early.

The administrative and secretarial offices are located in Building A on the Georg-Schlosser-Str. 20 site.

House C and the assembly hall are also situated on the Georg-Schlosser-Str. 20 site.

House D, which houses the vocational grammar (high) school, is one street away opposite the main entrance to the Neustädter Tor shopping centre, at Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 1.