Odysseus knew it well—the odyssey, that journey fraught with trials that demands every ounce of strength, as well as courage, patience, and a sense of direction. Even today, it is no relic of bygone eras. We encounter it again in the most diverse life situations—as a detour, as a search, as a path through the unknown. When we consider such an odyssey through the German school system, we encounter the astonishing, the unexpected, and sometimes the barely believable—and ask ourselves with concern where this journey is leading.