Bavarian School Drops Otfried Preußler's Name After Controversy Over Author's Past

The Pullach-based gymnasium will revert to its official name on March 1 following concerns over Preußler's early works and ties to Nazi-era ideals.

• The Otfried-Preußler-Gymnasium in Pullach, Bavaria, will officially change its name to Staatliches Gymnasium Pullach i. Isartal starting March 1, 2025.
• The decision follows years of internal discussions and a formal request from the school community, citing discomfort with Preußler's early writings and his lack of public reckoning with his Nazi-era affiliations.
• Preußler's 1940 work 'Erntelager Geyer,' written when he was 17, was criticized for glorifying life in the Hitler Youth, prompting concerns from students, parents, and staff.
• The school adopted Preußler's name in 2014 but has since experienced what the Bavarian Ministry of Education described as a 'sustained estrangement' from the author.
• Susanne Preußler-Bitsch, the late author's daughter, supported the name change, stating it aligned with her father's wishes not to impose his name on a disapproving institution.

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