Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe
By Aylarah Scale
Introduction
Magic is a worldwide phenomenon, it is not limited by either country or continent. We can find witches and wizards of all ages, races, genders, speaking hundreds of different languages anywhere from Africa to Asia to Antarctica. We are not quite sure what year the first magical being came into life, but it was long before recorded history, of that we are sure.
A witch or wizard is not 'made' magical. By this I mean a person cannot start off muggle (or non-magical) and then be given magic and therefore 'made' into a witch or wizard. Wizards and witches are born with innate magic. However don’t misunderstand me; I say magical people are born knowing magic. This doesn’t mean that they are born knowing how to use it.
So what is the difference? Knowing magic means that you know you can make things happen, and maybe have experienced bouts of accidental magic. Knowing how to use it is a completely different matter. It requires the learning of spells, charms, and potions: methods to harness the magic inside and use it in a way that it is needed.
Some people are able to do this themselves. After all, the spells and potions that we use on a daily basis did not just ‘appear’ out of thin air. Someone had to create them, work out the incantation or potion needed to do what they wanted to do. But this is not easy, and most wizards and witches will never invent a spell in their lifetime.
Which brings me to my next point. Most witches and wizards use the same set of basic spells and charms. Some may know more than others, and some may know more of a specialised type of spells; for example, a healer will know more charms for healing than a shop keeper will. However, the fact remains that these people did not invent these spells, so they must have learnt them from somewhere.
Back in the beginning, magic was probably something that was taught to children by their parents if they were pureblood, but by no one if they were muggleborn.
However as the magical population grew and communication increased, magical children were probably sent to a witch or wizard to be taught, someone who was known for high magical ability. This eventually led to Wizarding Schools being set up around the world.
In this book I am going to look at magical education in Europe. I will look at some of its history, as well as the three major Wizarding Institutes: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. I hope you find this book both informative and enjoyable.
The Beauxbatons Academy of Magic
As stated in the first chapter, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic is one of the three major European schools for wizards and witches. This particular academy is situated in France. As with other magical schools, the exact situation of Beauxbatons Academy is not widely known, not even by wizards from other schools. It is Unplottable and as such, cannot be found in any map. It is also surrounded by magic that protects it from both Muggles' and Wizards' eyes alike, making it impossible for anyone to see its true form unless they know where to look and how to lift the protective charm.
The school's symbol is seen on its coat of arms, in the form of two crossed golden wands over each other, with three stars shooting from each tip. This fits with the school name, which in English translates to beautiful batons, and batons can be interpreted as wands as well.
Beauxbatons has existed for more than approximately seven hundred years. It has participated in the Triwizard Tournament ever since it was founded, and has become an excellent competitor for the other two schools; Hogwarts and Durmstrang. A lot of students from this school have graduated and become great wizards; most have pursued an independent career while the rest work for the French Ministry of Magic. Beauxbatons is a school that focuses on supporting its students' creativity, so it is no surprise that the majority of its students start their own businesses with the most peculiar and interesting ideas, while others invent their own products that sell extremely well in the market and become important new magical inventions.
The academy's current headmistress is Olympe Maxime. This most elegant woman has served the school for years before being promoted to her current position, and has done a lot to develop the school throughout her time there. She is bigger and taller than most witches, but nobody in Beauxbatons judges her based on her physical appearances, since size does not matter, and Beauxbaton promotes the cherishment of one's inner beauty. Madame Maxime has done a lot of service for the academy and, as such, is treated with respect by all students and staff.
The official Beauxbatons uniform is colored blue and made from the softest silk. Like everything else about the school, it shouts elegance. Indeed, students here are taught more than mere academic knowledge; they also get to learn basic social graces and are often found to be very much understanding, and have proper manners and politeness when behaving in front of others. The school's reputation is an important thing for all its students. It looks like their hard work does not go to waste, because even after centuries, the Beauxbatons Academy is still the most famous and well-respected academy in all of France.
The Durmstrang Institute for Magical Learning
The Durmstrang Institute is the third school (beside Beauxbatons and Hogwarts) that often competes in the Triwizard Tournament and one of the biggest schools in Europe. As with the other schools, their exact location is unknown, though it is said that they are from the North, possibly from Russia or Scandinavia. Durmstrang has existed for around 700 years, when they started partaking in the Triwizard Tournament. The school's exact founding date or year remains unknown as well, although it is believed that they have existed since at the very least the year 1294.
Their school uniform consists of heavy fur cloaks and robes with blood-red colors. This suggests that they are from somewhere with a cold climate. They have their own castle much like Hogwarts; a four story ancient building. For some reason, fires in the Durmstrang castle is only lit for magical purposes. Although the school is Unplottable except for their own students, it is said that they have vast grounds despite the building's considerably short height.
Perhaps the thing that sets Durmstrang apart from its two rivals is that they actually focus on studying Dark Arts in its curriculum. We know that most other schools learn Defense Against the Dark Arts instead, so this is one of Durmstrang's uniqueness compared to other schools. In fact, one of the biggest dark wizards, Gellert Grindelwald, did in fact attend this very school.
However, do not judge so quickly that this is a school that promotes dark arts, because practice of dark arts is still very forbidden within school walls. Students are only taught of the theories and are not permitted to perform what they have learned. Indeed, Gellert Grindelwald's expulsion from Durmstrang was because he broke this very rule.
Durmstrang is very selective about the students they admit, and unfortunately this means they do not accept Muggle-born students. During the latest Triwizard Tournament (1994), Igor Karkaroff was the Headmaster of Durmstrang, until he disappeared later during the second rise of You-Know-Who.
It is said that the school governors have agreed not to hire anyone known to have a dark magic related past anymore for any position within the school from then on without any exception. This is a way to convince potential and existing students and their family that Durmstrang is still a safe place to learn as well as a fine and respected institute for magical learning.
The Schwertzahnig School of Dark Arts
The Schwertzahnig School of Dark Arts was a deliberate offshoot of The Durmstrang Institute for Magical Learning. It was founded in the year 1510 and is rumoured to be located on or around the border between Germany and Austria.
The name Schwertzahnig means Sword Toothed. This name was chosen deliberately by the three wizards who created the School. Graduating from Durmstrang in the late 1400s and going out into the world, they discovered that learning magical theory without being able to practice it was highly detrimental to survival when fighting wizards who'd had lots of both theory and practice.
So they decided to create a school of magic which would teach all kinds of magic -- and that would practice them within the school grounds. They started out small, with only a few students, but soon the knowledge of this school of Dark Arts spread. The total population of the school, both teachers and students, numbered in the low hundreds by the beginning of the 1500s.
A partial reason for the small Schwertzahnig population was the death toll. Learning to actually practice the Dark Arts is highly dangerous for both the teacher and the student. While protective charms and spells are used to shield oneself from the effects of a spell gone wrong, they are not fool-proof.
So the school is one of the few that has its own cemetery. The headstones usually give the date of birth, date of death and cause of death. A practice, started in the middle 1500s, was that every Sunday the whole of the school's population went through the cemetery to read the headstones. The death toll showed a marked decrease after that practice-turned-tradition had been in effect for a few years.
By the 1600s, Schwertzahnig was becoming renowned for the students that it graduated. They admitted students both male and female, not having the short-sightedness of Durmstrang -- and knowing that the female is often considered the more dangerous of any species. Their graduates were often snatched up by the wealthier families as personal body-guards and/or for use as mercenaries.
The population of the school has averaged about 500 for the past four hundred years. This small population is both partly because of the death toll, which is still quite high (an average of 10 to 20 a year) and because they charge more than the other schools in tuition.
Schwertzahnig is regarded as an aberrant interloper within the general scope of schools of magic. They persist, however, in teaching both theory and practice of the Dark Arts and are considered to be a thriving school of magic.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Talking about the biggest magical schools in Europe, of course we could not leave Hogwarts out of the equation. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is located in Great Britain, and just like the other schools, its exact location remains unknown to those who don't have either a direct connection or business with the school. Lots of strong protection spells surround the school, one of them being an anti-Apparition spell. Electronic devices also would not work on the school grounds.
The school was founded around the 10th century by its famous four founders; Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Their last names ultimately also became the names of the four Houses in which students would be sorted into upon their first arrival at the school. The school motto is "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus", which translates to "Never tickle a sleeping dragon". Quite an interesting choice of motto, but practical and true indeed.
The house colors are as follows; the Gryffindor colors are scarlet and gold, Hufflepuff has yellow and black, Ravenclaw bronze and blue, and Slytherin green and silver. As for the mascots, Gryffindor is symbolized by a lion, Ravenclaw is symbolized by an eagle, Hufflepuff is symbolized by a badger, and Slytherin is symbolized by a snake. Where each student is sorted to, is determined by their personality traits.
The school uniform consists of a black robe and grey jumpers beneath. They also wear white collared shirt scomplete with a necktie in their respective house colors. The boys wear black long trousers while the girls wear dark pleated skirts with black tights. Although rather simple compared to some other schools and their expensive-looking uniforms, it signifies Hogwart's principle to stay humble on the outside and yet wise in the inside. Many students that have graduated from the school have become great and admired figures in the Wizarding , well as being known for their tendency to give back to the community.
Hogwarts has had many celebrated Headmasters and Headmistresses, one of the most well-known of course being Albus Dumbledore. It is common knowledge that the faculty members all excel in their respective areas. The school has frequently competed in the Triwizard Tournament along with Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang Institute.
Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts (W.A.D.A.)
The Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts or W.A.D.A. is an arts school located in southern England. While it is not nearly as well known as the other Wizarding schools in Europe, such as Beauxbatons or Hogwarts, and is not home to nearly as many students, but it is, nonetheless, noteworthy.
Founded in 1823, it is, at this moment, the only arts school in Europe for young witches and wizards. It is unlike Hogwarts in the respect that there is very little focus on uniforms – at W.A.D.A., the professors like to make each of the students remain as unique as possible, and the school is different from many of the other Wizarding schools out there because uniforms are not required.
W.A.D.A. accepts students who exhibit exemplary skill in the performing arts. It is very difficult to get into W.A.D.A. as a student hopeful has to go through three different sets of exams in which they show a panel of teachers their skills, another in which they write about why they would be a good addition to W.A.D.A., with a final test about what they know about Drama so far.
Students who pass these exams can specialize in Drama, Set Design or Music at the school. Students are expected to participate in at least two performances during the year that typically take place at the end of semester. Whether they are involved with the set, the music or are acting in the plays, participation is mandatory to advance to the next year of their schooling.
While the focus of the school is to educate students on the performing arts, many other subjects are taught as well. Students learn Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, as well as many other subjects that are commonly taught at Wizarding schools. However, they are one of the few in Europe to also teach foreign languages as well as literature classes. Many students that have graduated from W.A.D.A. have gone on to have long and successful careers in the performing arts, which many attribute to the diverse curriculum at the school.
Wulfenstein
Wulfenstein was established in the 18th Century, by a pair of Muggleborn sisters. The sisters, having been educated at Beauxbatons, returned to their home country of Germany after graduation. Having a fondness for Muggles and 'polite society', they decided to establish a finishing school for young women.
The young ladies would have been educated at home by family members and/or by tutors, as was typical for certain levels of the population, but then they would be sent to an outside 'finishing school' to make them socially acceptable to society at a large. This was a particularly important step in the lives of most young women who lived in that social stratum, even if most of the less fortunately born were completely unaware of the rules and regulations of 'polite society'.
The sisters soon realized that many or most of the young women who came to them were witches and that something had better be done about these Muggleborn witches before they blew someone or something up, or were suspected of being witches. This was not so long after the burning days of the Inquisition and while properly educated witches and wizards knew about the flame-freezing charm (and other spells to cause a bonfire to simply cause a gentle tickling sensation), the Muggleborn persons of that time had no such knowledge. So the various knowledge of magics was added to the regular courses of study.
Wulfenstein started out as a finishing school for young ladies in the small town of Ulm, Germany but moved to another location after about 16 years. The precise whereabouts of the school are presently unknown but is suspected to be somewhere in either Germany or in Austria. The sisters who founded the school have since died, but their successors have maintained a rigid standard of who is accepted into the school. Only daughters of those peoples who are notable for being in the social register are admitted. The school is unusual in that they accept both Muggle and magic peoples as their students. Letters of acceptance are sent to the appropriate parties when the daughters come of an age to be able to attend the school.
The graduates of Wulfenstein are said to be scattered throughout the higher ranks of the Muggle population and, indeed, have been noted as being amongst the royalty of different countries (or companions to said royalty). It is a closely guarded secret; openly known to those that know, but otherwise most people, Muggles and witches or wizards, are completely ignorant of the existence of Wulfenstein.
Introduction
Magic is a worldwide phenomenon, it is not limited by either country or continent. We can find witches and wizards of all ages, races, genders, speaking hundreds of different languages anywhere from Africa to Asia to Antarctica. We are not quite sure what year the first magical being came into life, but it was long before recorded history, of that we are sure.
A witch or wizard is not 'made' magical. By this I mean a person cannot start off muggle (or non-magical) and then be given magic and therefore 'made' into a witch or wizard. Wizards and witches are born with innate magic. However don’t misunderstand me; I say magical people are born knowing magic. This doesn’t mean that they are born knowing how to use it.
So what is the difference? Knowing magic means that you know you can make things happen, and maybe have experienced bouts of accidental magic. Knowing how to use it is a completely different matter. It requires the learning of spells, charms, and potions: methods to harness the magic inside and use it in a way that it is needed.
Some people are able to do this themselves. After all, the spells and potions that we use on a daily basis did not just ‘appear’ out of thin air. Someone had to create them, work out the incantation or potion needed to do what they wanted to do. But this is not easy, and most wizards and witches will never invent a spell in their lifetime.
Which brings me to my next point. Most witches and wizards use the same set of basic spells and charms. Some may know more than others, and some may know more of a specialised type of spells; for example, a healer will know more charms for healing than a shop keeper will. However, the fact remains that these people did not invent these spells, so they must have learnt them from somewhere.
Back in the beginning, magic was probably something that was taught to children by their parents if they were pureblood, but by no one if they were muggleborn.
However as the magical population grew and communication increased, magical children were probably sent to a witch or wizard to be taught, someone who was known for high magical ability. This eventually led to Wizarding Schools being set up around the world.
In this book I am going to look at magical education in Europe. I will look at some of its history, as well as the three major Wizarding Institutes: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. I hope you find this book both informative and enjoyable.
The Beauxbatons Academy of Magic
As stated in the first chapter, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic is one of the three major European schools for wizards and witches. This particular academy is situated in France. As with other magical schools, the exact situation of Beauxbatons Academy is not widely known, not even by wizards from other schools. It is Unplottable and as such, cannot be found in any map. It is also surrounded by magic that protects it from both Muggles' and Wizards' eyes alike, making it impossible for anyone to see its true form unless they know where to look and how to lift the protective charm.
The school's symbol is seen on its coat of arms, in the form of two crossed golden wands over each other, with three stars shooting from each tip. This fits with the school name, which in English translates to beautiful batons, and batons can be interpreted as wands as well.
Beauxbatons has existed for more than approximately seven hundred years. It has participated in the Triwizard Tournament ever since it was founded, and has become an excellent competitor for the other two schools; Hogwarts and Durmstrang. A lot of students from this school have graduated and become great wizards; most have pursued an independent career while the rest work for the French Ministry of Magic. Beauxbatons is a school that focuses on supporting its students' creativity, so it is no surprise that the majority of its students start their own businesses with the most peculiar and interesting ideas, while others invent their own products that sell extremely well in the market and become important new magical inventions.
The academy's current headmistress is Olympe Maxime. This most elegant woman has served the school for years before being promoted to her current position, and has done a lot to develop the school throughout her time there. She is bigger and taller than most witches, but nobody in Beauxbatons judges her based on her physical appearances, since size does not matter, and Beauxbaton promotes the cherishment of one's inner beauty. Madame Maxime has done a lot of service for the academy and, as such, is treated with respect by all students and staff.
The official Beauxbatons uniform is colored blue and made from the softest silk. Like everything else about the school, it shouts elegance. Indeed, students here are taught more than mere academic knowledge; they also get to learn basic social graces and are often found to be very much understanding, and have proper manners and politeness when behaving in front of others. The school's reputation is an important thing for all its students. It looks like their hard work does not go to waste, because even after centuries, the Beauxbatons Academy is still the most famous and well-respected academy in all of France.
The Durmstrang Institute for Magical Learning
The Durmstrang Institute is the third school (beside Beauxbatons and Hogwarts) that often competes in the Triwizard Tournament and one of the biggest schools in Europe. As with the other schools, their exact location is unknown, though it is said that they are from the North, possibly from Russia or Scandinavia. Durmstrang has existed for around 700 years, when they started partaking in the Triwizard Tournament. The school's exact founding date or year remains unknown as well, although it is believed that they have existed since at the very least the year 1294.
Their school uniform consists of heavy fur cloaks and robes with blood-red colors. This suggests that they are from somewhere with a cold climate. They have their own castle much like Hogwarts; a four story ancient building. For some reason, fires in the Durmstrang castle is only lit for magical purposes. Although the school is Unplottable except for their own students, it is said that they have vast grounds despite the building's considerably short height.
Perhaps the thing that sets Durmstrang apart from its two rivals is that they actually focus on studying Dark Arts in its curriculum. We know that most other schools learn Defense Against the Dark Arts instead, so this is one of Durmstrang's uniqueness compared to other schools. In fact, one of the biggest dark wizards, Gellert Grindelwald, did in fact attend this very school.
However, do not judge so quickly that this is a school that promotes dark arts, because practice of dark arts is still very forbidden within school walls. Students are only taught of the theories and are not permitted to perform what they have learned. Indeed, Gellert Grindelwald's expulsion from Durmstrang was because he broke this very rule.
Durmstrang is very selective about the students they admit, and unfortunately this means they do not accept Muggle-born students. During the latest Triwizard Tournament (1994), Igor Karkaroff was the Headmaster of Durmstrang, until he disappeared later during the second rise of You-Know-Who.
It is said that the school governors have agreed not to hire anyone known to have a dark magic related past anymore for any position within the school from then on without any exception. This is a way to convince potential and existing students and their family that Durmstrang is still a safe place to learn as well as a fine and respected institute for magical learning.
The Schwertzahnig School of Dark Arts
The Schwertzahnig School of Dark Arts was a deliberate offshoot of The Durmstrang Institute for Magical Learning. It was founded in the year 1510 and is rumoured to be located on or around the border between Germany and Austria.
The name Schwertzahnig means Sword Toothed. This name was chosen deliberately by the three wizards who created the School. Graduating from Durmstrang in the late 1400s and going out into the world, they discovered that learning magical theory without being able to practice it was highly detrimental to survival when fighting wizards who'd had lots of both theory and practice.
So they decided to create a school of magic which would teach all kinds of magic -- and that would practice them within the school grounds. They started out small, with only a few students, but soon the knowledge of this school of Dark Arts spread. The total population of the school, both teachers and students, numbered in the low hundreds by the beginning of the 1500s.
A partial reason for the small Schwertzahnig population was the death toll. Learning to actually practice the Dark Arts is highly dangerous for both the teacher and the student. While protective charms and spells are used to shield oneself from the effects of a spell gone wrong, they are not fool-proof.
So the school is one of the few that has its own cemetery. The headstones usually give the date of birth, date of death and cause of death. A practice, started in the middle 1500s, was that every Sunday the whole of the school's population went through the cemetery to read the headstones. The death toll showed a marked decrease after that practice-turned-tradition had been in effect for a few years.
By the 1600s, Schwertzahnig was becoming renowned for the students that it graduated. They admitted students both male and female, not having the short-sightedness of Durmstrang -- and knowing that the female is often considered the more dangerous of any species. Their graduates were often snatched up by the wealthier families as personal body-guards and/or for use as mercenaries.
The population of the school has averaged about 500 for the past four hundred years. This small population is both partly because of the death toll, which is still quite high (an average of 10 to 20 a year) and because they charge more than the other schools in tuition.
Schwertzahnig is regarded as an aberrant interloper within the general scope of schools of magic. They persist, however, in teaching both theory and practice of the Dark Arts and are considered to be a thriving school of magic.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Talking about the biggest magical schools in Europe, of course we could not leave Hogwarts out of the equation. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is located in Great Britain, and just like the other schools, its exact location remains unknown to those who don't have either a direct connection or business with the school. Lots of strong protection spells surround the school, one of them being an anti-Apparition spell. Electronic devices also would not work on the school grounds.
The school was founded around the 10th century by its famous four founders; Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Their last names ultimately also became the names of the four Houses in which students would be sorted into upon their first arrival at the school. The school motto is "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus", which translates to "Never tickle a sleeping dragon". Quite an interesting choice of motto, but practical and true indeed.
The house colors are as follows; the Gryffindor colors are scarlet and gold, Hufflepuff has yellow and black, Ravenclaw bronze and blue, and Slytherin green and silver. As for the mascots, Gryffindor is symbolized by a lion, Ravenclaw is symbolized by an eagle, Hufflepuff is symbolized by a badger, and Slytherin is symbolized by a snake. Where each student is sorted to, is determined by their personality traits.
The school uniform consists of a black robe and grey jumpers beneath. They also wear white collared shirt scomplete with a necktie in their respective house colors. The boys wear black long trousers while the girls wear dark pleated skirts with black tights. Although rather simple compared to some other schools and their expensive-looking uniforms, it signifies Hogwart's principle to stay humble on the outside and yet wise in the inside. Many students that have graduated from the school have become great and admired figures in the Wizarding , well as being known for their tendency to give back to the community.
Hogwarts has had many celebrated Headmasters and Headmistresses, one of the most well-known of course being Albus Dumbledore. It is common knowledge that the faculty members all excel in their respective areas. The school has frequently competed in the Triwizard Tournament along with Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang Institute.
Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts (W.A.D.A.)
The Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts or W.A.D.A. is an arts school located in southern England. While it is not nearly as well known as the other Wizarding schools in Europe, such as Beauxbatons or Hogwarts, and is not home to nearly as many students, but it is, nonetheless, noteworthy.
Founded in 1823, it is, at this moment, the only arts school in Europe for young witches and wizards. It is unlike Hogwarts in the respect that there is very little focus on uniforms – at W.A.D.A., the professors like to make each of the students remain as unique as possible, and the school is different from many of the other Wizarding schools out there because uniforms are not required.
W.A.D.A. accepts students who exhibit exemplary skill in the performing arts. It is very difficult to get into W.A.D.A. as a student hopeful has to go through three different sets of exams in which they show a panel of teachers their skills, another in which they write about why they would be a good addition to W.A.D.A., with a final test about what they know about Drama so far.
Students who pass these exams can specialize in Drama, Set Design or Music at the school. Students are expected to participate in at least two performances during the year that typically take place at the end of semester. Whether they are involved with the set, the music or are acting in the plays, participation is mandatory to advance to the next year of their schooling.
While the focus of the school is to educate students on the performing arts, many other subjects are taught as well. Students learn Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, as well as many other subjects that are commonly taught at Wizarding schools. However, they are one of the few in Europe to also teach foreign languages as well as literature classes. Many students that have graduated from W.A.D.A. have gone on to have long and successful careers in the performing arts, which many attribute to the diverse curriculum at the school.
Wulfenstein
Wulfenstein was established in the 18th Century, by a pair of Muggleborn sisters. The sisters, having been educated at Beauxbatons, returned to their home country of Germany after graduation. Having a fondness for Muggles and 'polite society', they decided to establish a finishing school for young women.
The young ladies would have been educated at home by family members and/or by tutors, as was typical for certain levels of the population, but then they would be sent to an outside 'finishing school' to make them socially acceptable to society at a large. This was a particularly important step in the lives of most young women who lived in that social stratum, even if most of the less fortunately born were completely unaware of the rules and regulations of 'polite society'.
The sisters soon realized that many or most of the young women who came to them were witches and that something had better be done about these Muggleborn witches before they blew someone or something up, or were suspected of being witches. This was not so long after the burning days of the Inquisition and while properly educated witches and wizards knew about the flame-freezing charm (and other spells to cause a bonfire to simply cause a gentle tickling sensation), the Muggleborn persons of that time had no such knowledge. So the various knowledge of magics was added to the regular courses of study.
Wulfenstein started out as a finishing school for young ladies in the small town of Ulm, Germany but moved to another location after about 16 years. The precise whereabouts of the school are presently unknown but is suspected to be somewhere in either Germany or in Austria. The sisters who founded the school have since died, but their successors have maintained a rigid standard of who is accepted into the school. Only daughters of those peoples who are notable for being in the social register are admitted. The school is unusual in that they accept both Muggle and magic peoples as their students. Letters of acceptance are sent to the appropriate parties when the daughters come of an age to be able to attend the school.
The graduates of Wulfenstein are said to be scattered throughout the higher ranks of the Muggle population and, indeed, have been noted as being amongst the royalty of different countries (or companions to said royalty). It is a closely guarded secret; openly known to those that know, but otherwise most people, Muggles and witches or wizards, are completely ignorant of the existence of Wulfenstein.