The official part of the reunion began on Friday at noon with a shared lunch in the school's newly built dining hall. In a pleasant atmosphere, memories were exchanged and numerous anecdotes from their time together at school were rekindled.
It was a particular pleasure for all participants to welcome their former class teacher, Roland Jahn. Despite his busy schedule, he took the time to spend the entire Friday with his former graduating class. His presence sparked many interesting conversations and rekindled numerous memories of their time together at school.
Following lunch, gave Direktorthe graduates a detailed tour of the school. For many, it was their first visit in years, and they were amazed by the numerous changes and modernizations. The former students were particularly impressed by the modern classrooms, the superbly equipped departments, and the many investments made over the past decades. It was frequently remarked that today's school life offers a real "luxury" in terms of facilities and opportunities compared to the 1990s.
Of course, a visit to the training facilities was also a must. Many memories of the practical lessons were rekindled, leading to lively discussions about the training period in Raumberg-Gumpenstein.
Due to the sweltering summer temperatures, the group decided to forgo the originally planned tour of the research facilities. Instead, they gathered at Gumpenstein Castle for some refreshing drinks. There, old stories and shared experiences were rekindled. Colleague Gerhard Ovnik provided some particularly lighthearted moments, having meticulously documented all his school exams back in the day. He actually brought his notes along, even after 30 years, and confronted his former classmates with the exam questions from back then. It quickly became apparent that some of the problems were no easier to solve today than they had been back then – much to the amusement of everyone present.
In the early evening, the group continued on to the Grabenwirt. There, two more familiar faces joined the gathering: former gymnastics teacher Werner Buketits and former kindergarten teacher Christa Margreiter . In a convivial atmosphere, memories were shared, funny stories recounted, and many anecdotes from their boarding school and school days were brought back to life until late into the night.
The second day took the class to Schladming. At the invitation of their former classmate Peter Weichbold, who is now the managing director of Planai , the group received an impressive tour of the company's diverse business areas. Although Peter Weichbold himself was unable to attend due to vacation, his invitation provided a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of one of the region's most important tourism companies.
After a leisurely morning get-together, the group continued their journey to Lake Constance in Styria . At the Forellenhof restaurant, the graduates enjoyed an excellent lunch before walking around the idyllic mountain lake together. The stunning natural surroundings provided the perfect backdrop for further conversations and reminiscing about their time at school.
At Lake Constance in Styria, the first participants gradually said their goodbyes, including the only woman from that year's graduating class. However, the "hard core" were undeterred by the almost tropical temperatures for the Enns Valley and brought the reunion to a pleasant close at the St. Martin am Grimming outdoor swimming pool.
A heartfelt thank you goes to the organizers Franz Schantl and Matthias Kandolf, who prepared the anniversary meeting with great dedication. The participants also extend their gratitude to the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein for their warm hospitality, excellent catering, and the interesting school tour.
The numerous positive responses and the palpable sense of camaraderie among the former classmates made it clear that their time together in Raumberg-Gumpenstein has lost none of its significance, even after three decades. Therefore, it was unanimously decided not to wait another ten years for the next reunion – the next graduation reunion is already planned for five years from now.
