On 19 December 2003 the head teacher Ursula Kreft and BUTTING managing director Hermann Butting signed a cooperation agreement to set up a close cooperation between the Haupt-und Realschule/Europaschule Wesendorf (HRS) (General Secondary School/Intermediate Secondary School/Europe School Wesendorf, HRS) and the stainless steel processing company in Knesebeck. Recently, the 5th anniversary of this cooperation, which is unique in the region, was duly celebrated on the school premises. For the ceremony, Hermann Butting, Heinrich Meyer (the then co-founder) and Frank Tetzlaff (a member of staff involved in technical and commercial training) went to Wesendorf, to look back with Ursula Kreft, Reiner Rode, her fellow-teacher and co-founder of the project, other teaching staff of HRS and the Year 9 class of the school, on the time spent working together. The purpose of this unique cooperation lies partly in using the expertise of the stainless steel processor to open up many new possibilities for the HRS pupils and teachers in the fields of technology, manufacturing and also with placements and pupil-teacher projects. Hermann Butting presented the school with an exclusively designed stainless steel grill, manufactured by BUTTING apprentices, to thank them for the good collaboration. Head teacher Ursula Kreft returned the compliment with a sycamore, the 2009 tree of the year, which possessed important virtues such as cleanliness, discipline or a sense of duty and responsibility, which are greatly respected at BUTTING. The tree is to have its home in the extensive garden of the BUTTING Academy in Knesebeck castle.
