This idea is particularly meaningful at the German School of Budapest as the 2026/27 school year marks the beginning of a new chapter. Martina Fuchs has taken over as head of school, bringing new perspectives and impulses while building on DSB’s strong foundations.
The school’s former head, Carolin Schmidt, expressed this idea in her farewell message: a school needs resources, but it lives through the people who shape it; through their curiosity, energy, respect, and patience for one another.
Martina Fuchs describes her understanding of education with a simple principle: heart, hand, and mind belong together.
Academic achievement remains an important part of DSB. But education is about much more than grades. It means helping young people discover their strengths, develop independence, and take responsibility. Art, music, and sport therefore matter just as much for personal development as languages, mathematics, and the sciences.
This attitude is also reflected in DSB’s approach to talent development. Students are encouraged to explore their interests, go beyond the classroom, and test their abilities.
The results are impressive. DSB students have achieved outstanding success at Jugend forscht, the Hungarian Science and Innovation Olympiad (OTIO), the Mathematics Olympiad, and international physics competitions. In 2026 alone, 16 DSB students presented 12 projects at Jugend forscht, with three first-place winners qualifying for the state finals.
Natali Hajsz went from a second prize at the Hungarian Science and Innovation Olympiad to fourth place at the Taiwan International Science Fair and a silver medal at I-FEST in Tunisia. Dóra and Mátyás Szederkényi received a second prize for STEAMflow, while Adél Fürcht-Beck and Petra Schmidinger received a special award. Bertalan Biró achieved second place in the state round of the German Mathematics Olympiad, while Lőrinc Biró qualified for its national final for the second time. Stella Sipeki and Ármin Nagy joined the Hungarian national physics team, with Stella captaining the team to bronze at the IYPT in Zurich.
But behind every result are people: students who persevere, teachers who recognize potential, teammates who support one another, and experts who open doors.
At DSB, education deliberately reaches beyond the classroom. Meeting people with different experiences and perspectives can sometimes teach as much as a lesson itself.
One extraordinary example was the opportunity for Year 11 students to meet former German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the presentation of her autobiography, “Freiheit,” at the Goethe-Institut Budapest. Students could engage directly with her on responsible leadership, the future of Europe, civic engagement, and her personal experiences in office.
DSB students also encounter people from science and innovation. At the Hungarian Science and Innovation Olympiad, Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu presented prizes. Through programs such as Girls’ Day, Researchers’ Night, and Brain Awareness Week, students enter laboratories, meet researchers and companies, and experience science as something created by real people rather than something confined to textbooks.
Alumni are another important part of this culture of encounter. Former DSB students regularly return to share their experiences of university, professional life, important decisions and even unexpected detours. Their stories demonstrate that there is no single “right” path after graduation.
From this school year onwards, sport will receive significantly greater emphasis. As a PE teacher with a background in athletics, Martina Fuchs wants to create more opportunities for sporting development. Sport strengthens not only physical abilities but perseverance, fairness, teamwork and resilience.
New ideas also include a school garden, animal-assisted education or a school dog, stronger student participation, and more shared experiences. The aim is to make school not only a place where knowledge is acquired, but a place where people enjoy spending time, taking responsibility, and creating something together.
Ultimately, all these elements come together in one idea: DSB is a community.
This is visible in everyday relationships, but also in traditions, projects, celebrations and alumni returning years after graduation. The yearbook describes former students traveling from different countries for reunions and immediately rediscovering that familiar sense of belonging.
Martina Fuchs expresses her vision with a powerful image: she wants to “tear down walls rather than build them.”
That is also what education at DSB can mean: bringing people together. Students and teachers, German and Hungarian perspectives, science and creativity, individual talent and community, but also young people and those who can inspire them.
Because in the end, education happens through people. And it is the people of DSB, and the people they encounter, who make the school what it is.
Would you like to experience the DSB community in person? Prospective families are warmly invited to our Open Day on Sep. 25 from 10 a.m. It is a great opportunity to get to know the school, meet members of our community, and gain a first-hand impression of everyday life at DSB.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of September 18, 2026.
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For over 30 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
