Friedrich Merz visits former school in Rüthen as past 3.8 graduation grade resurfaces

Centenary return to Rüthen

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited his former secondary school on Monday to participate in celebrations for its 100th anniversary. The Friedrich-Spee-Gymnasium in the Sauerland town of Rüthen in North Rhine-Westphalia welcomed the 70-year-old CDU politician as part of an alumni speaker series titled "Ehemalige erzählen." The private discussion with current students was arranged behind closed doors, allowing an open exchange regarding his turbulent academic record. Merz, who grew up in the Sauerland region, used the school anniversary to emphasize the importance of Germany's public education system. In recent public remarks, the Chancellor designated schoolteachers as the most important professional group in the country and pledged to make regular visits to classrooms nationwide.

Grade records kept under lock and key

The Chancellor's return to his old classroom brought renewed attention to his high school performance and his reluctance to disclose his final graduation score. German media reports, including commentary by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, noted that Merz has long avoided detailing his Abitur results. The topic previously arose when Merz addressed his academic past during an appearance on the Die Zeit podcast "Alles gesagt." The Chancellor, who is a grandfather to seven grandchildren, explained humorously why his official transcript remains private at his residence.

My high school diploma is in the safe at my house and is not coming out either.

Merz explained that several of his grandchildren are currently enrolled in school and that he wants them to maintain their academic motivation rather than look at his poor marks. When podcast hosts asked whether his grade point average stood around 3.8, Merz acknowledged that his score fell within that range before ending further inquiry. Under the German secondary education system, a 3.8 average represents one of the lowest passing grades possible without failing the Abitur. Commentators noted that North Rhine-Westphalia was known at the time for having comparatively lenient academic standards.

Discipline struggles and 1960s classrooms

Merz has openly acknowledged that he was a difficult pupil who lacked personal discipline, struggled with motivation, and simply had no desire to attend classes. His academic path included repeating a grade and transferring to another school following behavioral issues before he eventually passed his Abitur examinations at age 19. During his podcast recollections, Merz pointed out that his teenage social circle contributed to his lack of drive. He also detailed the strict and physically punitive environment of West German primary schools during the 1960s.

We still had teachers who were World War participants. One of the teachers constantly threw his heavy bunch of keys across the classroom.

Merz recalled that corporal punishment remained an active practice during his early schooling, describing how a third-grade teacher struck him on the fingers and buttocks with a wooden stick. West German federal states gradually dismantled physical discipline in classrooms, with nearly all states outlawing the practice by 1973.

Educational engagement and public perception

The Chancellor has increasingly focused on national education standards, showing visible emotion during recent events dedicated to school policy. The focus on his past academic deficiencies contrasts with political tensions earlier in the year, when student demonstrators protested across Germany against his policies under the slogan "Merz, leck Eier." By discussing his own history as an unmotivated student who repeated classes, Merz has positioned his personal background alongside his current push for educational improvements.