“We look forward to a fruitful collaboration and are just a little bit proud to have secured a tenant with a public educational mission,” Keilhammer emphasizes.

The building’s elegant facade facing Wilhelmstraße certainly reflects the splendor of bygone days, as it once housed the former “Metropole” Hotel, one of the spa town’s most important grand hotels. The move opens up new avenues for adult education. At the new location at Luisenstraße 4–6, even more people will be able to take advantage of educational opportunities in the future. However, the move is not solely about reaching a larger audience: over time, the demands on adult education have changed significantly. For one thing, it is not uncommon today for a good thousand or more course participants to attend the VHS in a single day. “The new location offers significantly larger classrooms, and the central location further improves accessibility—even by public transit—in a noticeable way,” emphasizes Dr. Schmehl, adding: “New spaces also offer new opportunities for the citizens of the city and the surrounding area.”

Furthermore, modern, air-conditioned rooms in a historic setting, along with barrier-free access, make it possible to implement entirely new event formats. As a result, the VHS is set to become an even stronger hub for social interaction, shared learning, and cultural participation in the future. The “new VHS” therefore features, among other things, its own teaching kitchen, thereby expanding its offerings in a practical and contemporary way. In the large historic hall, which faces Wilhelmstraße, new event formats can be implemented—for example, in cooperation with the State Theater and many other partners. Last but not least, the move will result in significantly better utilization of the available space. This is made possible, in part, by the landlord accommodating the Adult Education Center’s needs, with the rent set to remain practically at the same level as in the Europaviertel.  

Construction work and planning for the move are already in full swing, even though the first phase of the move will begin somewhat later than originally planned. The first phase of the move will now take place during the fall break in October instead of in mid-July. In this first step, the registration office will move into the storefront on Luisenstraße; starting then, the first courses and programs offered by the “Work & Career” department will also take place in the building at Luisenstraße 6, which is located in the inner courtyard. In the second and final phase of the move, scheduled for next year, the “Health & Nature,” German, and Foreign Languages departments, as well as the Basic Education Center, will follow. The Villa Schnitzler location will remain in operation. 

Once the move to the Luisenstraße premises is complete, the historic hall and the teaching kitchen will also open their doors to all visitors. Depending on approval procedures and construction progress, the director of the VHS, Dr. Stephanie Dreyfürst, hopes that the entire move will be completed by next summer. 

Wiesbaden’s mayor is also pleased: “Locating the VHS in the heart of the city is not only a good solution for the institution itself, but also for revitalizing the downtown area,” Mende emphasized in conclusion.