»Courage for the future«

Kiwi is not just the name of New Zealand’s national bird: for decades, it is also an abbreviation for the grammar school founded in 1901 in Kirchdorf/Wilhelmsburg. In the search for a new name, which is completed in 2012, Schmidt’s efforts as coordinator of the rescue efforts in the floods 50 years earlier stand out. The district suffered particularly heavily in the disaster. In Hamburg, it is not officially permitted to name educational facilities after living persons – but an exception is made for the 94-year-old Schmidt. During the ceremony, Schmidt is presented with the school’s mascot – a stuffed toy kiwi – which becomes a permanent fixture in his Langenhorn home.