History

1946

Foundation  of a two-years hotel management school in Pichl an der Enns (Pichlmayrgut) on the initiative of the Styrian committee for tourism of the Chamber of Commerce (inauguration on the 15.10.1946)

“It required quite some courage and confidence to found a school in the first year of peace after zero hour, after the catastrophe of 1945, in a country then occupied and divided into 4 parts, where students were trained for the area of tourism which in those days was basically inexistent”, said Josef Krainer 1986.

1949

Transfer of the hotel management school to Bad Gleichenberg, to the Haus Possenhofen (reconstruction until 1952), official inauguration on November 19, 1949; in those days the number of students amounted to 79.

1957

Foundation of the Styrian Hotel Management School Association by the Styrian Trade chamber, the expert group of pubs and inns and the expert group for accommodation facility companies (acquisition of the hotel management school on October 1, 1957)

1958

After leasing and subsequent acquisition, the reconstruction of the Wallnerhof was concluded – it was then for the first time equipped with a separate trainee’s kitchen (number of students 144)

1960

During holidays (in summer), the Wallnerhof is used as first school-administered bed and breakfast company.

1961

Foundation of a two-years hospitality school

Original name: “Gastwirtefachschule” (school for innkeepers).
Goal of this type of school: Training for children of business people working in the hospitality industry. Extension of the training period to 3 years.

1965-1967

New construction of the school building close to Possenhofen; in use since 1967 (investment volume: 10 million shilling; number of students 254)

1970

Purchase and reconstruction until 1971 of the almost condemned building “Hotel Venedig” (approx. 144 beds)

1971

Year of anniversary: 25 years of hotel management school – 10 years hospitality industry college

Already more than 1,000 graduates worldwide

1972

End of Possenhofen as school-administered hotel for students’ internships

1973-1975

New construction of gym and boarding school Venedig “Ludwig Kussmann games room”

Reconstruction and expansion of Possenhofen (cooling rooms, dining room, games room, toilets, Possenhofen lounge, teaching butcher’s shop)

Realisation of a new staircase and a wine house

1976

Foundation of the tourism college (4-semester professional training after the final school leaving examination to become a tourism manager)

1977-1978

Reconstruction Venedig-Süd (lecture hall, language lab, teaching kitchen and video equipment)

External reconstruction of Wallnerhof

1979-1981

Moving into house Venedig-Süd

Reconstruction of teaching kitchen and boarding school Wallnerhof as well as school building (video equipment etc.)

Acquisition of the Rosenschlößl for the hotel management school association and reconstruction of the boarding school, inauguration in 1980

1^st edition of the students and graduates’ magazine “Wellingtonia”

Ab 1982

Tourism college due to the increasing number of students with two first and two second classes

1985

Foundation of the new type of school “Academy for tourist professions”

(5-year training with final school leaving examination and technical diploma)

1986

40 years anniversary of the Styrian Hotel Management School Association

1986-1987

Reconstruction and topping up of the school building (investment volume 8 million shilling, 4 classes, room for school physician, banqueting hall, teacher’s room; new: teaching kitchen and restaurant 3, teaching workroom: IT-teaching room, room with typing machines. Travel agency class)

1990

Inauguration of the House Possenhofen after its reconstruction (44 million shilling, 180 beds) and new outdoor and indoor sports facilities

Foundation of the management college in catering trade: after one year integration into the hotel management school (abandonment of the hospitality industry college)

1991

45 years hotel management school and 15 years tourism college

1992

Re-inauguration of the students’ hostel Haus Venedig after its reconstruction

Equipment of the library and the newspaper studio

1993

Change of name from Höhere Lehranstalt für Fremdenverkehrsberufe (HLF) into Höhere Lehranstalt für Tourismus (HLT)

1995

Installation of a modern IT-system (multimedia computers with windows 95 as operating system) Renovation of interiors in the Rosenschlößl

Inauguration of the newly designed students’ library (computer for rental and research work as well as CD-ROM function)

Change of name of the tourism college into “Kolleg für Tourismus und Freizeitwirtschaft” (“College for tourism and leisure time activities”), with the training focus: 3^rd foreign language (Italian or Spanish), school-autonomous subjects in English

1996

4,168 graduates, 50 teachers, 45 employees, 450 students

Implementation of the TQM (Total Quality Management)

1997

First time of “Culinary Course” (Cooperation of the Tourism Schools Bad Gleichenberg with the US-foreign economy, focus on Austrian cuisine)

1998

First realisation of the “Styrian wine trophy”

2000

2 new computer rooms (01 and 02)

Renovation of the school office (new furniture and IT- equipment)

2001-2002

Reformation of the curriculum for the College of tourism and leisure time economy (training focus: hotel management)

2002

Addition of another store on the boarding house building Venedig-Süd (four floors with 36 beds)

Expansion of the laundry facilities

Construction of connection corridor Venedig-Süd to the building Venedig

2002-2003

New college branch “College for tourism and leisure industry” (English-speaking college)

2003

Construction of connection corridor from the school building to the Venedig house

Construction of the lecture hall Venedig

2003-2004

New school type “Advanced training course” (3-years with final school leaving examination after a college or apprenticeship)

2004

First Graduates-Star-Gala

2006

Fire protection measures in all buildings

60 years anniversary ceremony for the Tourism Schools Bad Gleichenberg in the Gleichenberg Hall

2006-2007

“College for tourism and leisure industry” Training focus “3^rd foreign language”

2007-2008

New training focus at the HLT “Management in health and wellness tourism”

2008

Barrier system Possenhofen and Venedig Süd

First Beer gala in cooperation with the Brau Union Österreich as well as the first Recruiting Day (career fair)

New internet presence of the Tourism Schools Bad Gleichenberg

2009

First “Cheese-Trophy” in cooperation with the company Schärdinger

New series of events “Literatur-Café” in cooperation with the company Hornig

2012

Inauguration of the enlarged building Possenhofen Süd on 12.01.12 at 12.01 Uhr

Sales of boarding school Wallnerhof

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Relaunch and Redesign of the website

2013

Inauguration of the reconstructed and rebuild gym in January

Implementation of the daily sports lesson for all students of the first year

• New additional training to become “energy manager in tourism” and “banquet manager”
• Inauguration of the energy class and the renovated teaching restaurant 2 with the Heineken bar
• Renewal of the WLAN infrastructure in all boarding house buildings

2014

Reconstruction of the wine cellar of the school

Sales of the boarding house “Rosenschlössl”

Inauguration of the cheese class for the additional training to become a “cheese connoisseur”

New curricula for all types of school with new training emphases

HLT: Modular Tourism Management and 3^rd Foreign Language

HFS: Hotel and Catering Management as well as Patisserie

AUF: Modular Tourism Management

KTF: Modular Tourism Management and 3rd Foreign Language

2015

Implementation of the additional training to become a “sustainability manager in tourism”

Abrogation of the boarding school obligation for all students of the college and all students of the advanced training course

Building Venedig-Süd will be administered as open students’ house as of autumn 2015

2016

First centralized final school leaving examination in June 2016

Implementation of the additional training to become an “oil and vinegar connoisseur”