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Founding
Inge Aicher-Scholl, Founder and Director of vh Ulm, 1946–1974
‘Interference desired’—that is what I wished for my Ulm Volkshochschule. After the murder of my siblings Hans and Sophie for their participation in the White Rose resistance group, it became clear to me: a school of democracy had to be created. On April 24, 1946, I founded vh Ulm. It was meant to open windows to the world. Ulm lay in ruins; we had to rediscover who we wanted to be. People had to learn to critically examine connections and to develop a thick skin against slogans and incitement. Because of my assertiveness in Ulm’s male-dominated world, I was called ‘gentle force.’ I invited speakers from across Germany: writers, theologians, artists, and politicians. It was important to demonstrate that a new beginning was being made—through a building of our own. For years, we set aside 50 pfennigs from each member until we had saved enough for a new building in the city centre. In 1968 we could move into it. After I stepped down following 28 years, Dr. Thomas Lindemann, Manfred Escherig, Dr. Dagmar Engels, and Dr. Christoph Hantel followed in my footsteps. My advice is to remain a house for everyone, stand up for human rights, keep the legacy of the White Rose alive— as a continuing reflection on responsibility and conscience for generations to come.ionen.
Inge Scholl, Leiterin der vh Ulm, ca. 1950.
Foto: Hannes und Ike Rosenberg
© Museum Ulm / HfG-Archiv und Hannes und Ike Rosenberg
Otl Aicher, Inge Scholl und Hans Werner Richter auf dem Ulmer Marktplatz, ca. 1950.
Foto: Hannes und Ike Rosenberg
© Museum Ulm / HfG-Archiv und Hannes und Ike Rosenberg
Inge Scholl mit Walter Gropius (rechts) während der Eröffnung des HfG-Gebäudes, 1955.
Foto: Ike und Hannes Rosenberg
© Museum Ulm / HfG-Archiv und Hannes und Ike Rosenberg
The Ulmer Volkshochschule (Ulm Adult Education Centre) was founded on April 24, 1946—exactly one year after the city’s liberation by American forces. Inge Aicher-Scholl, the sister of Hans and Sophie Scholl, with the support of her husband Otl Aicher, initiated its founding. In the spirit of the White Rose, she sought to rethink education as a foundation for democracy and civic responsibility. At the time, the motto was: ‘Interference desired!’—and vh Ulm early on encouraged members of the community to take an active role in public life. Under the slogan ‘No fear of education’, vh Ulm became a place of awakening and debate. By 1948, it already had 3,000 members—an impressive success in a time of new beginnings. In the 1960s and 1970s, the EinsteinHaus became the centre of Ulm’s culture of debate: the 1968 generation participated in discussions here, young people gathered for Open Saturdays, later the Latin America movement emerged, and engaged citizens planned Ulm’s future. From the 1980s onward, the programme continued to expand: in 1986 the Women’s Academy was added, followed in 1987 by the kontiki cultural workshop for children and young people. In the 1990s, computers and the Internet were introduced; in 2000, the White Rose Memorial Centre and the Health Academy with its yoga centre were opened; in 2005, the Academy for Civic Engagement; and in 2013, the Aicher-Scholl College.
Today, with its expanded educational programme and strong network of partners, vh Ulm remains one of the most important centres for culture and learning in the region—a space that makes an impact.
»It was about throwing open the windows to the world and encouraging individuals to think and judge for themselves, and to take shared responsibility for society as a whole.«
Inge Aicher-Scholl, Founder and Director of vh Ulm
