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Anneliese Schools founder Anneliese Schimmelpfennig , a teacher , visionary and entrepreneur , passed away peacefully due to complications from pneumonia , surrounded by her family , on May 4 , 2023 .
Schimmelpfennig was born Anneliese Krempl on July 17 , 1939 , in the village of Tüssling in Bavaria , Germany . In her heart and spirit , she nurtured a lifelong love of learning and a dream : to one day found a special school in the United States . In the years that followed in post-war Germany , she gained her basic education as an intern teacher at an orphanage , a pediatric assistant at the University Clinic of Munich , and a private governess . She then studied pedagogy at the teacher ’ s college of The
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University of Munich by day , working as a chef by night . After serving as Director of the Red Cross-administered Giessen School for troubled children , Schimmelpfennig moved to Laguna Beach in 1967 to join her husband , Paul Schimmelpfennig .
In 1968 , the Schimmelpfennigs opened a 24-hour daycare in a small studio garage on Brooks Street at the height of Laguna ’ s hippie era . Word quickly spread of the unique environment provided at the Brooks Street location . In 1971 , Anneliese and Paul purchased the Manzanita Campus , a 17-room Mediterranean revival estate on a 3 / 4-acre lot in the heart of Laguna Beach . The creation of the Manzanita Campus cemented the whimsical magic of Anneliese Schools in physical form -- stained glass windows , vintage rugs , bountiful plants and flowers , playgrounds covered in soil rather than concrete , art lining the walls , and several animals ; even at one point , a wallaby . Stories passed through the community of a school where children could interact with nature , develop autonomy , and discover their passions and sense of self .
In a 1987 Los Angeles Times article , Schimmelpfennig said , “ Our goal is for the kids to be kind , aware , critical , compassionate and responsible . Given half a chance , and a little direction , it ’ s
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a natural course for them anyway . But you have to trust them . They don ’ t like being herded , and they instinctively resist losing their individuality , so you must nurture that need for freedom and that hunger to learn .”
With a growing demand for Anneliese School ’ s private education and philosophy , in 1983 , Schimmelpfennig opened the Aliso Campus in a former elementary school on Wesley Drive in South Laguna . Later in 1986 , Schimmelpfennig purchased a five-acre compound property in the Laguna Canyon which became the Anneliese Schools Willowbrook Campus , educating children from nursery age to sixth grade .
Over the years , Schimmelpfennig ’ s daughter , Liesa , and her team have carried the Anneliese philosophy into the 21st century . Anneliese ’ s legacy has blossomed into a robust and inspiring proprietary curriculum that includes whole child education , cultivating the nine intelligences , a world language program , animal care , music and orchestra , gardening , eco-literacy , art and much more . The three campuses of Anneliese Schools all feature a team of seasoned educators teaching the philosophy of the Anneliese Child in inspiring environments . At its core , Schimmelpfennig ’ s north star has
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always been to help children realize their full potential as human beings and feel supported and confident in taking risks to live meaningful lives .
While Schimmelpfennig was involved in big-picture planning up until her passing , and her shoes can never be filled , her staff and family will carry on her legacy of beauty and magic in the way she taught all whom she came across . In the 55 years since the Brooks Street daycare location opened , generations of families have passed through Anneliese Schools , including students who later became administrators and employees who have served the school for decades . An unwavering community remains with the example set to be fearless and remember that nothing is impossible .
Over the lifetime of the Anneliese Schools history , Schimmelpfennig ’ s family shared her with thousands and thousands of families whose students attended from many cities across Orange County . She is survived by Paul Schimmelpfennig , her daughters Liesa and Ruth , her grandchildren Lucas , Max , Ava , Eliza , and June , and her sonin-law Heinrich Martin .
An announcement for a Celebration of Life honoring Anneliese Schimmelpfennig is forthcoming .
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