title: Hildegardis-Schule Bochum
text: # Hildegardis-Schule Bochum
  
  The Hildegardis-Schule is a secondary school in the city of Bochum, Germany.
  
  ## History
  
  The school was founded in 1860 by a young Bochum teacher, Henriette von Noël, as a private school for girls. An extension was built in 1901 and in 1916, the school was named after naturalist, theologian and author, Hildegard von Bingen. There is a statue of Hildegard von Bingen in front of the main entrance.
  
  Today, the school is a public Gymnasium for boys and girls. The Hildegardis-Schule was one of the first schools in Germany to offer French bilingual education. History, politics and geography are taught in French and students may graduate with a French baccalaureat as well as an Abitur. In 2008, the school was certified as a "Europaschule" (de) (English: Europa School) by the Ministry of Schools of North Rhine-Westphalia.
  
  ## Student exchange program
  
  The Hildegardis-Schule has a student exchange program with schools in
  
  * Wolverhampton in England
  * Lyon, Duttlenheim, Châlons-en-Champagne, Châteauneuf-sur-Sarthe, Ile de la Réunion in France
  * Vicenza in Italy
  * Piekary Śląskie in Poland
  * Be'er Sheva in Israel
  