History in a Nutshell

School Foundation

In July 1879, the town councillors of the town of Vysoké Mýto passed a resolution on founding a general grammar school. Two month later, in September 1879, they appointed the headmaster and the tuition of 107 students started. Then there wasn’t a special school building for them, and so the classes took place in various public buildings and other schools of the town. In 1880 the new school building was designed and within two years built opposite the church. The new building was festively opened in 1882. In 1887 the first 51 graduates sat their graduation exams – the school had 345 students then. 

 Beginning of 20th Century

World War One influenced school life in a negative way. The number of soldiers in Vysoké Mýto raised to 20,000 and so for some time they were put up in the building of the grammar school and the classes had to take place in other municipal buildings. Some older students had to leave for the army; a lot of people also died in a flu epidemic in the autumn 1918.

After the war, the new era of the development of Gymnázium Vysoké Mýto started. During the 50th anniversary celebrated in 1929, the school was visited by the minister of education, Gustav Habrman. In the period of the first republic, a number of persons of consequence taught at the grammar school, e.g. Otmar Vaňorný, a distinctive translator from Greek and Latin, or Rudolf Šetina, a musician, philologist and philosopher.

Second World War

The German occupation in 1939 changed dramatically the fates of many people and influenced the school as well. Some students published illegally a school magazine. In the end of 1939, an illegal anti-fascist movement arose. In 1941 the headmaster of the school, Josef Kolář was arrested and tortured to death by Gestapo. In 1942 Gestapo arrested 9 students of the grammar school and after a trial they were assassinated in Dresden in 1943. Today, in front of the school  you can see a memorial with their names commemorating their bravery.

After 1945

There were a lot of changes after 1945, e.g. there were more female students and new practical school subjects were introduced. In 1948, the Parliament of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic passed the Law of equal Education and consequently all children under 15 had to attend primary school. That is why the lower classes of the grammar school were abolished and only higher classes for students aged 16-19 remained. The new curriculum also required work experience of the students in factories and cooperative farms. On 5^th January 1957, the first school ball of Gymnázium Vysoké Mýto was held. It was very successful and so it became a tradition.

The school celebrated its 90th anniversary in 1969 and its 100th anniversary in 1979. Both the celebrations included festive gathering in the Square of Otakar Přemysl II, a lot of exhibitions in the school building and class re-unions.

After 1989

The end of the communist regime in 1989 brought a lot of changes; the most important one was re-introducing the lower classes of the grammar school. In September 1990, the school opened the first PRIMA class for gifted students aged 11/12 and gradually there was a growth in number of classes. At present, there are 12 classes all together (see the chart on the left).

Other changes included introducing new packets of elective subjects in the last two years of studies reflecting the future university majors of the students. In 1997, part of the loft of the old building was rebuilt into a new ICT room and three language labs. The classrooms and labs are being equipped with videoplayers, data projectors and interactive boards. Since 1989, the students can also take part in regularly organized excursions abroad.

Headmasters

Present Classes

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