Stein Collectors International
Featured Stein: January 2020

Frankfurt American High School Stein

 By Wayne F. Schildhauer

From Wikipedia:  Frankfurt American High School (FAHS) was a Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) system school located on what was once known as the Abrams Complex in Frankfurt, Germany. One of DoDDS original six high schools in Germany, the school served the children of American military, government and civilian personnel from 1946 until its closing in 1995. Originally known as the "Maroon Raiders", the "Eagle" was adopted as the school's mascot during the 1948–49 school year. The school's colors are black and gold. The motto is "Eagles Über Alles."

This porcelain stein was made for the graduating Class of 1975 at Frankfurt American High School in Frankfurt am Main.  Could one imagine the furor caused by a high school in the United States offering such an item?

The sides of the stein list all the names of the senior class, which had about 400 students.  The students came largely from Frankfurt and the surrounding areas' military bases, but some were from diplomatic missions behind the Iron Curtain and elsewhere in Europe.  The latter resided in the school's dormitory while school was in session.

The interior bottom of the stein has a lithophane image of a dancing couple, the man wearing Lederhosen and the woman wearing a Dirndl.

As one can see, each stein was customized with the student's name at the top.

According to the bill of sale, the stein was designed and made by the firm of Heinrich Korb Porzellan in Eberbach.

With the redeployment of US forces in response to the Gulf War and closing of bases in the Frankfurt region following the Cold War and German reunification, the school closed following the 1994–95 school year, and the Abrams Complex where it was located was returned to the German Federal government.

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