Stepping into the school was almost like stepping back in time. Suddenly, we were no longer adults in our late thirties or early forties, but once again those twenty-year-old students of class 5B who had learned, laughed, and shared boarding school life together.
The years in between seemed to vanish for a moment. It felt as if we had never really been away. The voices sounded familiar, the quirks remained the same, and some laughter sounded just as it had twenty years ago. No one had truly changed—and yet each and every one of us carried the traces of two decades of lived experience within us.
It wasn't the people who had fundamentally changed, but their life stories had evolved. Career, family, and personal experiences had written new chapters. And yet, there was immediately that familiar feeling again of being part of a very special class community.
A look at the 2006 graduation yearbook, which had been brought to the reunion, also caused many laughs. In it, we had made predictions about our future careers and personal lives. Surprisingly, many of these predictions were remarkably accurate – one classmate's prediction was even almost spot on. The reports and photos from field trips, school events, and shared experiences also brought back countless memories. As we flipped through the pages, we laughed, reminisced, and shared memories as if the events had happened only yesterday.
The career paths of our graduating class were also a frequent topic of conversation. The past twenty years have produced an impressive diversity. Some graduates have taken over family farms and now successfully manage suckler cow, beef cattle, dairy, vineyard, or arable farms. Others have found their way into science and research, teach at schools or universities, or work in agricultural consulting. Still others have become self-employed as entrepreneurs or work internationally in highly specialized fields.
Many of our classmates have started families and are now parents. Here, too, an impressive diversity was evident – from one to four children, everything was represented.
The development of agriculture within our graduating class was particularly interesting. While some graduates run their farms full-time, others have found their professional focus in consulting, education, research, or other fields and manage their farms part-time or support family farms in various ways. The transformation that agriculture has undergone in the past twenty years also became clear: only about one-sixth of our graduating class now earns their living exclusively from their own farming.
A special highlight of the program was the guided tour of the school, including a visit to the boarding school. This was led by the school'sdirektor , Professor Breitenbaumer, who gave us fascinating insights into the school's development over the past few years. He guided us through all areas of the school with great openness and took ample time to answer our questions thoroughly and expertly.
Many of us were surprised by how much the school has changed in the past 20 years. The boarding school, the gymnasium, and the school kitchen have been extensively modernized, numerous areas have been digitized, and everything has been adapted to meet the demands of modern times. Despite all the changes, the school's unique character has been preserved.
Our former class teacher, Professor Carlsson, also attended the reunion and joined us for part of the program. The reunion concluded with a shared lunch at the Kirchenwirt restaurant in Aigen. Over good food and lively conversation, we laughed, reminisced, and talked about the past twenty years.
Afterwards, we ended the day with a pleasant gathering at the Dornbusch family's Putterer Seehof. It was a fitting end to a special reunion and offered another opportunity to share memories and relive old stories.
The HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein school's motto is "The school for life." Our reunion made us realize how fitting these words are. The school not only provided us with professional knowledge, but also instilled in us friendships, experiences, and values that continue to guide us today.
Our thanks go to everyone who, through their participation, their memories, and the many conversations, made this reunion such a special experience. We are already looking forward to the next meeting.
Because some memories never fade – and some friendships last for decades.
Feeberger Magdalena (née Kaml)
