School

The rich tradition of Jewish education is thousands of years old. The style and content of education in the communities and families was not comparable to practices in the Christian schools in Wuerttemberg. The education in schools was a particularly important aspect in the eyes of the reformers to encourage the integration of Jews into the state. Reformers saw the education in schools to be a particularly important aspect in their bid to encourage the integration of the Jews into the state.

The Buttenhausen "Cheder"

There has been a private Jewish school in Buttenhausen presumably since the beginning of Jewish settlement. The teacher, who more often than not was also the precentor, was appointed by the community. The paltry wage forced these teachers to pursue a trade in addition to their teaching duties. The legislation of 1828 introduced compulsory school attendance also for the children of Jewish faith between the ages of 6 and 14. Aside from the subjects religion and Hebrew, the lessons where identical to those in Christian schools. The strict supervision of regular school attendance often lead to difficulties. This was owing to the fact that it was common practice for children of Jewish tradesmen to accompany their parents on their business trips from an early age, so as to learn the adults' trade.

Joint schoolhouse

From 1834 the Jewish school was located in the Muehlsteige in what was later to become the Rabbinat (Rabbi's house). In 1862 a joint schoolhouse was built for all school students of the village. There was one classroom for the Christians and one for the Jews, each with its own entrance. The homes of the Christian and Jewish teachers were located on an upper floor. At this school Jewish and Christian children came in daily contact with one another. Sometimes teachers even taught students of both religions. This interaction continued until 1933. The Jewish school was changed into a private school and relocated to the former schoolhouse in Muehlsteige after 71 years. The final Jewish teacher and precentor, Naphtali Berlinger, was known and respected for his erudition and his character well beyond the boundaries of Buttenhausen. However, even this fact could not save him from deportation to Theresienstadt, where he died from illness and malnutrition in 1943.

Bernheimer'sche secondary school (Realschule)

Apart from a few exceptions, higher education was not available to children from rural regions. Lehmann Bernheimer's aim in founding this secondary school, an act influenced by his own experience, was to make such an education possible for children from Buttenhausen - regardless of religion or wealth. From 1904 Jews and Christians attended lessons together. However, only twenty years after the school was built, foundation funds had been exhausted through inflation. Despite attempts by the community and the Bernheimer family to save the school, the institution had to be closed. Today this building, which served as a kindergarten for many years, is an important part of community life. The town council of Buttenhausen meets here, and the former school hall has become a popular venue for community events. Today the permanent exhibition, Jews in Buttenhausen, is situated on the first floor.