VCS - History



In 1985, a community of missionary families asked Black Forest Christian Academy in Kandern, Germany to help them start a school in Vienna. Most of the fathers from these families worked in Eastern Europe while their families lived in the safer environment of Vienna. Black Forest Academy agreed and sent Dick Derksen to Vienna to help begin the school. In 1986, the school was registered with the Wien Stadtschulrat and opened its doors to children of these missionary families. The school, with an American curriculum, was recognized as an official school that meets the compulsory requirements of foreign children to the age of 16. When the school began, it was housed at Quellenstrasse in the 10th district. The first year there were only 25 students. There were two other moves before we were able to settle at Kreilplatz ½ in the 19th district in 1992. At that time there were over 100 students, overcrowding demanded a larger facility. The Kreilplatz site was located on the second floor of an old empty paper factory. The contract was signed on July 7, 1992. With the help of voluntary work crews from the US and the UK, this paper factory was converted into a school in four months. The project was completed and VCS opened its doors in early September 1992 with 156 students and 40 faculty and staff. In 1995 the school board made the decision to change the vision of the school. The original vision of “meeting the needs of missionary families” was expanded to include the international community of Vienna. Since this decision, the number of international students has risen dramatically and students from around the world have the opportunity to receive a sound academic instruction in an environment characterized by vibrant faith in Jesus Christ.
New School Building in 2001
In 2000, VCS had to turn children away due to overcrowding. Funds were raised and a porcelain warehouse was purchased north of the United Nations facility in the 22nd district. Throughout the 2000-2001 school year, teachers, parents, and work teams from the U.S. labored together to transform the warehouse into a school. When teachers arrived in August 2001 for orientation, they were handed paintbrushes, sandpaper, and electrical tools in place of faculty handbooks and class rosters. The opening of school was postponed for two weeks to allow the staff to complete the building to the point that classes could be held. Over the next two years the remaining projects were tackled and eventually the building reached completion. The current location offers a safe and pleasant environment for learning. We currently have 225 students enrolled in primary through 12th grades. Plans are underway to expand our current facility by adding a gymnasium/auditorium as well as additional classrooms and offices. After 19 years, hundreds of students have graduated with high school diplomas and have attended universities such as U.C. Berkeley, Cedarville, Notre Dame, and Wheaton in the United States. VCS graduates have also attended London’s Richmond University, Waseda University in Japan, and the University of Thessaloniki in Greece. ACCREDITATIONS: Accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International: October 2001 Recognition of Public Right (Öffentlichkeitsrecht) from the Austrian government for grades 1-4: Fall of 2001. Recognition of Public Right (Öffentlichkeitsrecht) from the Austrian government for grades 5-12: August of 2002