- 1919: Mr. Anton Kraus returns to Colombia with his family after the First World War, and on the ship, he meets Professor Elisabeth Schrader. She was traveling to Colombia as a governess for a German family. Ms. Schrader was interested in Mr. Kraus’s proposal to create a German “Kindergarten” in Bogotá, which later led to the founding of a German school in Bogotá.
- 1921: On October 4th, 1921, a group of German friends founded the “Deutscher Schulverein” (German School Association) to establish a school, which would become the first international school in Bogotá.
- 1922: In February 1922, the campus called “Deutsche Schule in Bogotá – German School” opened its doors, thus fulfilling the founders’ wish to offer German and Colombian children the possibility of having access to the German language and culture.The soul of this initiative was Mr. Anton Kraus, who entrusted the task to the German teacher Elisabeth Schrader. This teacher spent two years at the head of the school and, later, moved on to the German School in New York.Forty Colombian and German children, including Mr. Kraus’ children and those of the school’s other founders, began classes in German according to German programs in a rented house on Calle 15 and Carrera 9.Later, Professor Fritz Gericke, a graduate of the German school service, was hired as the school’s principal. From the first year of operation, another six teachers were hired.
This promising start was possible thanks to the support of the German community in Bogotá and to the collaboration that Mr. Kraus received from interested and committed people, such as Mr. Ernesto Schmidt-Mumm and Mr. Carlos Winz. The German Government offered its help from the beginning, with financial contributions and leaves of absence granted to German teachers so the school could hire them.
- 1925: Due to the increase in students, it was necessary to rent a larger house. In 1925 the school moved to Carrera 8ª and Calle 19, where it operated until 1933. In that year, it was possible to acquire a large house with large patios, located on Calle 20 between Carreras 12 and 13.
