The City Gymnasium of 's-Hertogenbosch is a grammar school, which is known as a gymnasium in the Netherlands. It is the second oldest school of the Netherlands.
History
Organized by the church
The City Gymnasium is the direct continuation of the medieval Latin school. The Latin School of 's-Hertogenbosch was mentioned in the archives for the first time in 1274, making it the second oldest still existing grammar school of the Netherlands (the oldest is the Johan de Witt-gymnasium in Dordrecht). The school used to belong to the chapter of St. John's church. When the Jesuits arrived in 's-Hertogenbosch in 1609, they took control of the school.
City School
After the 1629 Siege of 's-Hertogenbosch, the city magistrate got authority over education, which then had to teach along the lines of the Reformation.
Dutch Latin School
It was during the French period that subjects like history and geography were taught for the first time. In 1809 the municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch bought a house on the Papenhulst to house the Latin School. In 1815 a decree regulated the organization of all Dutch Latin schools. Some numbers are available on the rather low number of students that the Latin School had in the early nineteenth century. On 31 December 1839 the Latin School had 19 students. On 31 December 1840 the number of students had diminished to just 14. On 31 December 1841 it was 19. In 1844 the latest count was 12. In 1845 the latest count was 18. In 1846 this was 15. In 1847 it was also 15.
The broad gymnasium
In October 1847 the Minister of the Interior made the Latin School of 's-Hertogenbosch a gymnasium. The name also surfaced in 1847. In November 1847 the school then advertised for teachers in mathematics, Dutch, French, German and English. On 18 September 1848 the City Gymnasium school was opened.
The gymnasium had two departments. The first department prepared for university, while the other department focused on preparing for service in the army, navy, commerce or other societal positions that required a good education. The first department taught Latin, Greek, ancient literature, antiquities, mythology, ancient geography, and general and Dutch history. The second department taught calculus, logic and geometry; basics of physics, chemistry, and mechanics as applied to commerce, industry and manufacturing; geography; general and Dutch history; Dutch, French, German and English language and literature; and finally double-entry bookkeeping. The first department would take six years of study, the second only three years. The first rector of the gymnasium was the old rector of the Latin School, C. R. Hermans.
In July 1853 the Provincial Society for Art and Sciences , the City Gymnasium and the municipality made a plan for a new building. It would house the gymnasium and the great library and cabinet of curiosities of the society. The municipality approved and offered to contribute 6,000 guilders. In July 1854 the provincial authorities approved to contribute 3,000 guilders for building the rooms for the society library. Meanwhile, the cost rose to 14,305, which substantially increased the cost for the municipality. In September 1854 the order for construction of the new school was given.
By October 1855 the new building on the west side of Papenhulst was ready. It combined the school and the library of the society. It was situated on the grounds of the Latin School, with the house of the principal of the school to the west, and the warehouse of A. P. Sopers to the east, a few buildings north of the casino society.
The HBS is split off
In the 1850s there was quite some criticism about the curriculum of the second (practical) department of the gymnasium. By 1854 it had been lengthened to four years. By that time teaching about commercial subjects, drawing and clear writing were added. Indeed, separate teachers were appointed for clear writing and straight drawing in 1855. By 1857 the number of students had increased to 60, and the second department got a special class to prepare for the military academies.
In 1863 the desire to have better practical secondary education in the Netherlands led to the law that established the very successful Hogere Burgerschool (HBS). In August 1863 the minister for education wrote the municipal council that he thought that the second department of the gymnasium would be a good core for a new HBS. In October 1863 the council agreed to offer classrooms for the HBS. By September 1865 the municipality had decided to give the building of the gymnasium and provincial society to the national government. In 1925 this former building of the gymnasium was demolished.