Welcome | State press office for the state of Vorarlberg

Hohenems (VLK) – The 50th anniversary of the Hohenems Country School and Education Center (BSBZ) was celebrated today (Saturday, October 26th) in a festive atmosphere. “Five decades full of creativity, innovative spirit and passion to encourage young people into agriculture and make them fit for the future – this is a story of cohesion and knowledge as well as continuous improvement. The agricultural school, which started working in 1974, has now become a rural educational campus where education takes place at all levels of life – from school training to additional vocational training ,” emphasized the State Councilor for Agriculture Christian Gantner in his welcoming remarks. He congratulated and thanked everyone who helped shape this path with their commitment to agriculture stable in Vorarlberg.

Over the past 50 years, the demands on agriculture have changed, technical developments have taken hold and knowledge of sustainable management and modern agriculture has steadily increased. “However, one thing has remained constant: the commitment, the love for farming culture and the will to combine our traditions with the demands of the future. The BSBZ has been a beacon of these efforts since its inception,” said Gantner.

Vorarlberg’s agricultural schools offer well-founded basic training to future generations who want to take responsibility in the main agricultural and forestry sectors and have also become a center for adult education in rural areas. Gantner said the purchase of Rheinhof’s agricultural training business in 2004 was a milestone.

Gantner mentioned the joint strategy “Landwirt.schafft.Leben” with the vision “Courageous in action” as an important framework for agriculture in Vorarlberg. The strategy consciously focuses on the close relationship between agricultural production, environmental protection and quality of life in the area. “Especially here, education is the key success factor. With this in mind, today we not only look back at BSBZ’s 50-year success story, but also look ahead to take advantage of our opportunities and tackle challenges different in the future – climate, digitization, convenience. conservation, renewable energy, securing the food supply “to mastery,” says Gantner.

“As State Councilor for Agriculture, I will continue to do my best to ensure that Vorarlberg’s agricultural schools remain here in Hohenems as a place of learning, growth and community in the coming decades,” concluded Gantner.

50 years of agricultural schools BSBZ Vorarlberg: history & milestones

• 1974: School work begins at the new agricultural school in Hohenems
• 1996: School activities begin at the 3-year technical school for rural home economics and the 2-year technical school for workers in Hohenems
• 1998: Commissioning of first extension with new training workshops; Rheinhof town agricultural business lease
• 2004: Purchase of the agricultural training business Rheinhof from the city of Hohenems by the state of Vorarlberg
• 2006: Official opening of the second extension and completely renovated school building as well as the new stable building at Rheinhof
• 2015: School operations begin at the 5-year college for agriculture with the school’s independent focus on resource management and renewable energy
• 2019: Move into the third expansion building

Agricultural schools BSBZ Vorarlberg in numbers:

• In total, the BSBZ currently has over 400 students. Despite the declining number of agricultural businesses, interest in nature-based training among young people – even from non-agricultural backgrounds – is growing.
• The training is also appealing to more and more women – the proportion of women is currently close to 50 percent!
• Every year, around 100 young people graduate from the school as skilled workers in agriculture (school and hired) or housekeeping, and another 20 graduate from rural training centers with a high school diploma.
• Adult education: More than 12,000 interested adults attend the extensive and comprehensive educational offer at more than 650 events each year
• The history over 50 years: about 2,500 degrees in agriculture; about 600 graduates of the technical school for workers; 600 graduates in home economics; almost 100 graduates from the college of higher education for agriculture (Matura)