Schule, ehem. Bürgerspital Ybbs

The Handelsakademie und Handelsschule Ybbs an der Donau stands in the riverside town of Ybbs in Lower Austria. Its main building began life in 1305 as a hospital founded by Adelheid Gottschalk and later became a citizens’ hospital. In 1860 a two-storey extension was added with shallow side gables and a plain façade. A further wing designed by Leo Kammel junior was added in 1973. The school itself was created in 1969 by the Vienna Chamber of Commerce to ease local demand for commercial training. Two years later the first Handelsakademie opened, and by 1993 a shortage of space forced plans for rebuilding. After enlargement the enlarged school reopened in September 1996. Since 1992 the town council has run the school, offering three distinct programmes. Visitors approach the historic hospital block on Bürgerspitalplatz. Inside, the original stonework meets modern classrooms for Entrepreneurship and Management or Digital Business with Mediendesign and SAP. The Handelsschule provides three years of practical training. The building remains listed, its quiet riverside setting a contrast to the busy school life within.