11 Oct. 1960 At the initiative of interested parents and the Zehlendorf town counselor, Herr Jäger, the German-American Community School opens. It is housed initially in rooms of the Mühlenau School on 7 Molsheimer Straße and comprises two preparatory classes of thirty 6-year olds each (15 Americans, 15 Germans).

11 Sep. 1961 The German-American Community School applies for status as "a school of a special pedagogical character."

May 1962 Society of Parents and Friends of the German-American Community School in Berlin (the Verein) is founded.

Oct. 1962 The school spans Entrance Class through fourth grade, with 214 children (190 of them Americans and Germans).

Apr. 1963

Having grown to 360 students and 13 teachers, the German-American Community School moves into its own provisional building on Teltower Damm in the district of Zehlendorf. By October, the school has 390 Americans and Germans across 14 classes.

Jun./ Nov. 1963

Berlin greets Kennedy on his visit (left)--and mourns his death five months later (right).

Dec. 1963 JFKS gets its name

The German-American Community School is renamed the John F. Kennedy School at the initiative of the Berlin Senate, the Zehlendorf district office, and the school's teachers, students, and parents.

Oct. 1964 The Berlin State Law Applying to the John F. Kennedy School is adopted.

Apr. 1965 JFKS expands to 650 students across 24 classes.

Aug. 1965 JFKS's first high school class enters grade 7.

Aug. 1966 JFKS's first American principal hired.

Mar. 1967 Faculty recruitment trips to the United States begin.

Mar. 1969 Yearly student exchange begins with Blois High School in France.

Jun. 1970 The new building is dedicated.

Jun. 1971 JFKS's first high school graduation is held.

Jan. 1972 The school's first Abitur is conducted.

Mar. 1977 Regular student exchange begins with Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA. It is combined with a study trip to the east coast of the United States.

1978 On the playground JFKS

John F. Kennedy School

Mar. 1979 Exchange of students and educational material begins with the Minneapolis school district, MN.

1980 - 1981 Construction Aerial View

Even building construction fails to daunt JFKS’s elementary school students (left). Aerial view of the JFKS grounds (right).

Apr. 1982 The planning of additional school buildings begins.

Mar. 1983 An exchange of students and teachers begins with the Poudre R 1 school district in Fort Collins, CO.

1983 The John F. Kennedy Friendship Center opens a German-English daycare facility for 55 children.

1984 School Life

School life becomes more hectic (left).
Elementary school children make their way to school (right).

1984 (continued) Playground Fun Day

JFKS Elementary school children playing (left).
The first JFKS Fun Day, a major community event, takes place on a rainy day (right).

Oct. 1985 The JFKS high school is accredited for the first time--by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Dec. 1987 Renewing of JFKS

A new building project begins, turning the school grounds into a huge construction site.

Sep. 1989 The new gymnasium opens.

Oct. 1990 Germany is reunified. All remaining Allied occupation rights in Berlin end.

May 1991 The new buildings of the high school and elementary school open.

Jan. 1992 The process of reevaluating JFKS goals and programs in view of Berlin's changed political situation begins.

Aug. 1992 Berlin's first Europaschulen--international schools with bilingual programs--are established, with JFKS as the model. By 2002, their number grows to 30.

Nov. 1992 Berlin Model United Nations (BERMUN) established, and the first BERMUN conference at the JFKS is held.

Jun. 1993 U.S. Army School bus

The school bus service hitherto sponsored and provided by the U.S. military ends. Privately contracted bus service begins.

Jan. 1994 The role of JFKS as a bicultural German-American school is reaffirmed by the faculty. A new school philosophy is published.

Jul. 1994 Hillary Clinton and Hannelore Kohl


Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Frau Hannelore Kohl speak at the JFKS graduation ceremonies and present the diplomas to the graduates.

Jul. 1994 The former Nicholson Library collection becomes part of the JFKS
library holdings. Teachers, parents, and students move the books to JFKS.

Sep. 1994 U.S. forces officially leave Berlin. The first school year without students from U.S. military families starts.

May 1995 Renovation of the old JFKS buildings is completed, and the remodeling of the school yards begins.

Sep. 1995 The first JFKS Information Fair involving numerous German-American
groups is held as a service event for the school community.

Oct. 1995 Negotiations between the Senate of Berlin and the U.S. Embassy concerning future support of the JFKS are initiated.

Sep. 1997 The JFKS network is created, and the school's first website goes on-line.

Sep. 2003 Planning and conceptualization of the new website commences.

Apr. 2004 Technical redesign of the JFKS web site begins.