Drebert, Karl

Educator, city councillor

Born: 14.11.1896 in Frankfurt am Main

died: 06.08.1972 in Wiesbaden

Drebert received his pedagogical training at the teacher training college in Usingen and studied in Frankfurt am Main and at the Mainz University of Music. From 1916, Drebert took part in the First World War and was awarded the Iron Cross II Class for his military service.

He worked as a teacher and church organist in Schierstein from 1920-32. Karl Drebert was then principal of the elementary school in Erbenheim for a year, which met with some resistance due to his SPD membership. In 1933, after the National Socialists seized power, he was dismissed from his post with immediate effect due to his political stance. Just one year later, however, Drebert was reinstated due to staff shortages. This time, however, he was no longer employed as a principal, but only as a simple primary school teacher. He also joined the National Socialist Teachers' Association and the National Socialist People's Welfare Organization in 1934.

After the Second World War, Drebert immediately made himself available for the establishment of a democratic order. He was reinstated as principal in Erbenheim and in 1946 became a municipal school councillor alongside Johannes Maaß.

In 1954, Drebert became a full-time city councillor and head of the department for education, physical education and youth welfare. During his time in office, the Helene Lange School, the Adalbert Stifter School, the Dilthey School, the Johannes Maaß School and the August Hermann Francke School were built. Drebert also planned the new vocational school center and was able to hand over the Kerschensteiner School himself after its completion. Last but not least, he was a keen promoter of the second educational path with the establishment of the Hessenkolleg. He was also responsible for the construction of the commercial high school and the new sports hall on Elsässer Platz. He retired from active service in 1960.

For his services to the school system, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1960), the Freiherr-vom-Stein plaque and the plaque of the German Association of Commercial Teachers. A street in Erbenheim commemorates Karl Drebert.

[This text was created in 2012 by Dr. Rolf Faber for the printed version of the Wiesbaden City Dictionary and revised and supplemented by Lena Böschemeyer in 2023]