Two sports facilities in Lübeck undergo temporary shutdown
In the small town of St. Gertrude, the Albert-Schweitzer School and the Maria-Montessori School are facing a significant challenge. The sports halls at both schools have been temporarily closed due to safety concerns, posing potential issues for physical education (PE) classes.
The sports hall at the Albert-Schweitzer School, built in 1956, shows significant deformations, while the sports hall at the Maria-Montessori School, constructed in 1976, has exceeded its service life. The Albert-Schweitzer School's sports hall is being demolished due to damage and narrow wooden cross-sections, with a new sports hall scheduled for completion in 2025 at an estimated cost of around 7.5 million euros. The Maria-Montessori School's sports hall, on the other hand, requires fundamental repairs, with the repair planned for the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025.
The closure of the gym halls is a significant restriction for the schools, as alternative solutions for physical education are needed. To address these challenges, the schools and local authorities have proposed several measures.
Firstly, alternative gym times are being considered, with PE classes rescheduled to off-peak hours or coordinated with nearby facilities to secure gym time slots. This might involve early morning, late afternoon, or weekend sessions.
Secondly, transportation arrangements are being organized to ensure students can attend alternative gym facilities, such as community sports centres or other nearby schools with available gym halls.
These measures aim to minimize disruption to students’ physical education programs while the gym halls undergo maintenance or repairs. The Maria-Montessori School has already arranged for a barrier-free sports hall time, including transportation, for one class, but further barrier-free sports hall times are still being sought. The Albert-Schweitzer School, meanwhile, is conducting sports lessons on the sports field, the artificial turf pitch of the TuS Lübeck, and the adjacent Lauerholz due to the closure of the sports hall.
The collapse of a Netto supermarket roof in Ratzeburg in August has raised awareness among municipalities about structural safety concerns. In response, the administration informed politicians during the consultations on the municipal budget 2025 about the existing damages and limited funds being used for risk prevention. No specific amounts for repairs or demolitions were mentioned.
The primary and community school with over 500 students is considering using the free capacities of the Meesenhalle for sports lessons during the cold and damp season. However, sports lessons will only be possible temporarily in some cases due to weather and organizational reasons.
The renovation concept with cost estimate is being created for the Maria-Montessori School sports hall, while the repair of the sports hall at the Maria-Montessori special school has already been found to require a completely fractured glulam beam. The repair of the Albert-Schweitzer School sports hall, on the other hand, has been deemed extremely expensive and uneconomical.
In some classes at the school, teachers have already implemented combined single lessons into double lessons due to the sports hall closure. Despite the challenges, the schools and local authorities are working diligently to ensure that students remain active and engaged in physical activities during this transition period.
- Due to the temporary closure of the sports halls at the Albert-Schweitzer School and the Maria-Montessori School, football lessons might need to be replaced with alternative physical activities.
- With the sports halls of both schools undergoing maintenance and repairs, the football teams may have to practice on available sports fields or community sports centres.
