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Hanau's Charity Drive Brings Fresh Books to Primary School Libraries

A citywide effort turns pages into possibilities. See how Hanau's schools are transforming libraries—and young minds—with fresh books and community spirit.

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The image shows a group of children standing in front of a wooden door, with some of them holding...
The image shows a group of children standing in front of a wooden door, with some of them holding books in their hands. On the right side of the image, there is a table with books on it, and at the bottom of the picture there is some text which reads "supplement, British school, contemporary".

"Together for Hanau" Boosts Reading Promotion in Primary Schools

Hanau's Charity Drive Brings Fresh Books to Primary School Libraries

First Books from 2025 Christmas Market Campaign Delivered to Erich Kästner School

Erich Kästner School has symbolically launched the "Books for Hanau Primary Schools" project with a fresh batch of books for its library, funded by the Christmas market initiative of Together for Hanau—a coalition of 14 local service clubs. Last winter's campaign raised a total of €20,000 for charitable causes.

Ten municipal primary schools in Hanau will benefit from the donation, each receiving approximately €850 to purchase new books or other requested materials for their school libraries. Together for Hanau had previously reached out to all local primary schools, with ten responding to participate and sharing their wish lists.

At the handover of the first books to Erich Kästner School, Mayor and School Superintendent Dr. Maximilian Bieri expressed his gratitude to the participating service clubs and the many volunteers for their dedication: "Together for Hanau is truly an outstanding project—far from a given in this form. For years, countless people have volunteered their time at Hanau's Christmas market, week after week, all for a good cause. Using these proceeds to support reading promotion in our primary schools is an excellent decision, as reading and writing are fundamental skills for every child's educational journey."

Initiative Aims to Foster a Love of Reading

Bieri also highlighted the local impact of the campaign: "It's wonderful to see that a Hanau-based bookseller, Buchladen am Freiheitsplatz, is involved. This way, our initiative not only supports our schools but also strengthens local businesses—a win for the entire community."

The selection and ordering of the books were carried out in close collaboration with Dieter Dausien's bookstore, which has processed numerous school orders in recent weeks. Jörg Börstinghaus of the Lions Club Hanau Brothers Grimm expressed his thanks to the bookstore team on behalf of all participating service clubs. "Without reading, you get nowhere," Börstinghaus emphasized. "Reading is a foundational skill that matters throughout life. That's why it was so important for us to nurture this ability from an early age."

Thomas Neeb of the Rotary Club Hanau echoed the initiative's significance: "Reading is the foundation for everything. The future belongs to our children—and without the ability to read, they face far greater challenges later in life. We're thrilled to be able to directly support school libraries through this campaign."

Tina Valdfogl-Saier, principal of Erich Kästner School, accepted the books alongside assistant principal Martina Grünsfelder and two volunteer library staff members. "New books open up new worlds for children and offer a wonderful way to inspire a love of reading," she said. "I'm deeply grateful to all the volunteers whose efforts made this support possible. I'd also like to thank our own team of volunteers, who make our school library possible in the first place."

Claudia Steinkrüger, principal of Paula Fürst School, already has plans for her school's donated books. "We intend to use the new books to host a reading and writing workshop for our students this summer," she explained. "The support from Together for Hanau is invaluable in helping us foster children's joy of reading and further develop their language skills."

Mareile Kleinwächter of the State Education Authority adds: "Reading is the gateway to the world, and promoting literacy is a core element of language education in Hesse's primary schools. On behalf of the State Education Authority for the Main-Kinzig district and the city of Hanau, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for this generous book donation."

Joining Forces for a Good Cause

For many years, service clubs united under the banner "Together for Hanau" have been raising funds through charitable initiatives. During Hanau's Christmas market, club members volunteer throughout the entire event, selling soups, lard sandwiches, and drinks to support local causes. In 2025, their efforts—spanning 163 volunteer shifts—yielded €20,000 in donations.

The total proceeds will now be split equally between two projects: in addition to the books for Hanau's primary schools, the Main-Kinzig Rescue Dog Unit will also receive support from the Christmas market campaign.

For over 13 years, the service clubs under "Together for Hanau" have operated a stall at Hanau's Christmas market. The initiative is backed by local restaurateurs and businesses, which provide soups and other supplies for sale. The city of Hanau further supports the project by providing the stall free of charge.

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