The Peter Thal School (Școala Gimnazială Peter Thal) is a historic school in central Râșnov, continuing an educational tradition that reaches back to the town’s Saxon community in the early 16th century. The present building developed from the former Evangelical school and still serves its original educational purpose today.
The first known school in Râșnov was established in 1508 near the Evangelical Church, where generations of children from the Saxon community were taught. Fires repeatedly damaged the early school buildings, including major outbreaks in 1787 and 1841, leading to reconstruction in the 19th century. The present school complex largely dates from this period, with the main building rebuilt around 1841-1842 and additional classrooms added later as the town grew.
For much of its history the institution functioned as the Saxon Evangelical School. After the Second World War, Romanian-language education was introduced alongside the German school, reflecting the changing population and education system of Râșnov. In 1968 it became General School No. 2, while the historic building continued to be used for teaching.
The school received its present name in 2014 in honor of Peter Thal, a longtime teacher who taught English and German here between 1960 and 2000. Later extensions have added modern classrooms and facilities, but the older building remains the most distinctive part of the complex, with its traditional proportions and historic character still visible along Strada Izvorului.
