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History

What began as a small school of just eight students has grown into a remarkable, highly respected international school that welcomes around 800 students each year. Here, we chart the school’s steady growth.

EARLY DAYS

Our journey began on 2 October 1990, when the school's application for state registration was accepted - just one day before Germany’s reunification process was complete. Back then, there was a growing international population in Berlin, yet no international school. It took passion, big ideas and a lot of lobbying to get our school off the ground.

Then called the International School Berlin-Potsdam (ISBP), we welcomed eight students on 16 September 1991 to our first school facility in a rented villa. By the end of the first school year, we had 25 students.

In September 1994, we opened a second facility in a recently renovated villa in Potsdam to accommodate a growing upper school. Indeed, over the next three years the school grew to over 100 students. In 1997, we moved to a beautiful waterside park in Neu Fahrland, just north of Potsdam, and established a campus in renovated buildings near the Heinenhof.

In 1998, Berlin-Potsdam International School GmbH (BPIS) was established as a limited liability, non-profit GmbH.

RAPID GROWTH

By 2000, BPIS had over 200 students. After an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Heinenhof and its park – so we could expand the campus to accommodate growing numbers – we had to move again. Happily, we found the perfect site in Kleinmachnow.

From April to September 2001, the school worked hard to renovate one of the six buildings on the Seeberg site. House 2 opened on 3 September 2001 with a library, computer lab, three science labs, administration offices, art centre, music rooms and 18 regular classrooms on its four floors. Renovation of House 3 continued in 2002.

As a result of the move and the new campus, the BPIS student population grew to almost 300.

On 1 September 2002, the school changed its name to BBIS Berlin Brandenburg International School in recognition of three things – the school was no longer in Potsdam, it was grateful for the strong support of the State of Brandenburg, and its students and families came from a large geographical area.

NEW MILESTONES

After its relocation to the Seeberg site, the school began negotiations with Deutsche Telekom and the village of Kleinmachnow for the purchase of Kleinmachnow's Seeberg. We finally bought the area in December 2005.

BBIS opened a boarding school in nearby Potsdam with five students in 2008. Six years later, the school had 54 boarders. In Autumn 2010, the boarding facility moved onto the school campus. After extensive renovation works, there was space for up to 120 boarding students.

Other significant milestones included construction of a state-of-the-art gym, sports field and purpose-built outdoor play spaces, and the full renovation of House 1 (our Early Education Centre and Primary School) – which were all completed in time to celebrate the school’s 25th anniversary.

In August 2021, the school opened a fully refurbished House 5. This new home for our Secondary School students contains modern learning spaces, hi-tech science labs, a spacious library, a media centre, an inviting communal area and learning hub.

To cater for our growing numbers, a brand-new modular Primary School building, next to House 1 was opened a year later. The Primary Centre has nine fully equipped, modern classrooms across three levels, and a corridor that connects to House 1 for easy, seamless transition between the two learning zones.

House 2, which first opened in 2001, underwent major renovations to update its facilities and classrooms in line with our Primary and Secondary School buildings. As part of this project, we added a range of learning spaces, a visual art centre, a purpose-built design/technology area, a makers space and a new cafeteria – which expands over two floors and includes a full kitchen.

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