The Flying Classroom facts for kids

The Flying Classroom (German: Das fliegende Klassenzimmer) is a children's novel written by the German writer Erich Kästner. It was first published in 1933.

The book is a type of story called a "school story," which was very popular in the UK. These stories usually take place in a boarding school. Kästner took this idea and set it in a German school, making it unique.

Story of the Book

The story happens in the last few days before Christmas at the Johann-Sigismund Gymnasium boarding school. The main characters are:

• Martin: The best student in his class.
• Jonathan: An orphan who was adopted by a ship captain.
• Matz, Uli, and Sebastian: Other students from their class, called Tertia (which is like Year 8).

There's a big rivalry between the students of the Gymnasium and another school, the Realschule. The students from the Realschule are called "Realists."

The Big Fight

The "Realists" cause trouble by stealing the Gymnasium students' schoolbooks. These books had important dictations (like notes or essays) that a teacher's son was supposed to take home to his father. The "Realists" also captured the teacher's son!

This leads to a big fight between two champions: Matz from the Gymnasium and Wawerka from the Realschule. After that, there's a huge snowball fight. The six friends from the Gymnasium win both battles!

However, they get into trouble for being late back to school. As a "punishment," they lose one afternoon of free time. But their kind teacher, Mr. Johann Bökh (nicknamed "Justus"), invites them to his office for coffee and cake. He tells them a story about his own school days and how he dealt with unfair older students.

The Flying Classroom Play

The friends also put on a play called The Flying Classroom, which Johnny wrote. The story also shows their friendship with a man known as the "Nonsmoker." He used to be a doctor but now lives in an old railway car and plays piano in a pub. The boys help the "Nonsmoker" become friends again with Mr. Bökh.

Uli's Brave Act

Uli, the smallest boy, wants to prove he's not a coward. His best friend, Matz, has often told him to be braver. But Matz is shocked when Uli tries to jump off a tall climbing frame using an umbrella like a parachute! Uli crashes to the ground and passes out.

The boys remember that the "Nonsmoker" used to be a doctor, so they quickly get him. He tells them Uli is not dead, but he has a broken leg. Because of this event, the "Nonsmoker" decides to become a doctor again and becomes the new school doctor.

Main Characters

The Students

• Jonathan Trotz (or Johnny): A boy who loves poetry and writing. He dreams of becoming a famous writer and having a kind family.
• Martin Thaler (or Das Dreimarkstück): A very smart student from a poor family. He's worried because his parents can't afford for him to go home for Christmas. Martin always stands up for what's right, even if it means risking his scholarship.
• Matthias Selbmann (or Matz): Not the smartest, but very strong. He wants to be a professional boxer. The other kids count on him to win fights. Matz is very protective of his best friend, Uli.
• Uli von Simmern: A small, blond boy from a rich family. He's Matz's best friend. Uli often tries his best in fights but usually gets scared. He tries to do something very brave to stop others from making fun of him.
• Sebastian Frank: The most serious of the five friends. He spends his time reading smart books about science or philosophy. Even though he hangs out with the others, he's a bit lonely and acts tough to hide his feelings.

The Adults

• Theodor Laban (called Der Schöne Theodor or Handsome Theo): He is Martin's prefect (an older student with some authority). He tries hard to impress the teachers.
• Dr. Johann Bökh (nicknamed Justus): The students' favorite teacher. He used to be a student at the same school and knows how tough it can be. He came back to teach so that students wouldn't have to suffer like he did.
• Dr. Robert Uthofft (nicknamed Nonsmoker): An old friend of Justus'. He was a doctor but stopped practicing after losing his family. He lives in an old railway car that has a "Nonsmoker" sign on it, which is how he got his nickname (even though he smokes a lot!).

Movie and TV Versions

The book has been made into movies several times:

• The Flying Classroom - A film from West Germany in 1954.
• The Flying Classroom - Another film from West Germany in 1973.
• Das fliegende Klassenzimmer - A German film from 2003. In this version, some parts of the story and characters were changed to fit modern times. For example, Sebastian Frank's character was combined with another, and the story included topics like girls and divorce.

About the Book

This book was the last one Erich Kästner published before the Nazis came to power in Germany. Even though the Nazis aren't directly mentioned, the book shows how hard life was during the Great Depression, when many people in Germany were struggling with money and jobs.

Soon after this book came out, the Nazis took control. They even burned Kästner's books, along with those of other writers they didn't like.

Kästner wrote a short follow-up story where the characters visit the Winter Olympics in 1936. This story was published much later and wasn't as popular as the original. In it, the characters meet friendly English boys and even win a British Gold Medal in ice hockey. This was at a time when these boys might soon have to fight each other as soldiers.