Why join for free?
Already have an account? Log In
Portugal, Lisbon
Let the school know you're thinking of applying — they can share their prerequisites and help you through the process.
It's best to ask — circumstances can change at any time.
The DSL is the oldest German school on the Iberian Peninsula and the third oldest German overseas school. It was founded in 1848 by a Protestant pastor to counter the gradual disappearance of the German language in Lisbon. Instruction began on August 1, 1848 with six children taught by Anton Hermann Röder, a teacher from Germany, and the school soon attracted Portuguese students; leadership passed from the evangelical community to a German-sent philologist in 1895. It was closed in 1916 during Portugal's alliance with the Entente and reopened in 1922; after World War II, operations ended and it reopened on October 20, 1952 with 151 students, including 96 non-German nationals. A smaller Estoril campus opened in 1956, curricula in Lisbon and Estoril were aligned with Lisbon's educational content, the first final exams were held in the late 1950s and the Abitur was introduced in 1959; in the 1970s a reform made the school bicultural with diplomas equal to the national systems.
The Deutscher Schulverein in Lissabon licenses the DSL as a private educational institution and administers the school's operation, staff recruitment, tuition setting, and maintenance of facilities. Membership is open to DSL parents and others, with an annual fee of 25 euros. Members may attend the annual general meeting to get to know the DSL, offer proposals or feedback, and participate in important decisions, and receive a quarterly newsletter about upcoming events and association news. The association provides information through PDFs including the Satzung (statutes) and other organizational documents and maintains contact via the provided email address.
The School Parents' Council (Elternbeirat) represents the parent body and acts as a mediator between the school leadership, teachers and parents. The SEB typically meets once a month with invited members of the school leadership and the Schulvorstand, and participates in the monthly SEB meetings and in general and subject conferences. Biannual general assemblies allow parents and representatives to discuss issues; the school leadership and the Schulvorstand share developments and listen to feedback. The SEB comprises nine representatives elected by the parents, with representation from the primary, kindergarten, and Gymnasium sections; the current chair and other officers are listed. Contact for the SEB is [email protected], and more information is available in the bilingual statutes and related documents (PDFs).
Deutsche Schule Lissabon is a private German-Portuguese encounter school for ages 3 to 18, with about 1,060 students and around 145 teachers. It operates as a Deutsche Auslandsschule and offers the German International Abitur, with Hauptschulabschluss and Realschulabschluss awarded; Abitur is taken at the end of Grade 12 and is recognised for university admission in Portugal. Instruction is in German across Grundschule (primary) and Gymnasium (secondary). Grundschule Lisbon follows the Thüringen education plan, teaching Deutsch Sprachkompetenzraster for Grades 1–4, Sachunterricht, Mathematics, Portugiesisch as L1 and L2, Ethik/Religion, Sport, Musik, and Kunst, with English introduced in early grades. Gymnasium follows German curricula for Sekundarstufe I (Grades 5–9) and Oberstufe (Grades 10–12) with subjects including Biology, Chemistry, Deutsch, Englisch, Geografie, Ethik/Philosophie, Französisch, Geschichte, Portugiesisch, Informatik, Mathematik, Musik, Kunst, Physik. The school emphasises bilinguality between German and Portuguese and intercultural exchanges. Facilities include Lisbon and Estoril campuses, science labs, arts and sports facilities, a swimming pool, and ongoing earthquake reinforcement and expansion.”
