The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (realna gimnazija), Denmark and Norway (realskole), Sweden (realskola), Hungary (reáliskola) and in the Russian Empire (Реальное училище), and Slovenia (realka).
The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. While efforts were made to introduce more science into the classical schools generally, the Realschule offered a more scientific emphasis than the Gymnasium, with its emphasis on classics and humanities. In 1747, Johann Julius Hecker established at Berlin an "economical-mathematical" (ökonomisch-mathematische) Realschule, which may be regarded as the prototype of the Realschule of the twentieth century. The Realschule offered a six-year course, while the Oberrealschule had a nine-year course.
In the German secondary school system, the Realschule is ranked between Hauptschule (lowest) and Gymnasium (highest). After graduating from a Realschule, good students are allowed to attend a professional Gymnasium or a general-education Gymnasium. They can also attend a Berufskolleg or do an apprenticeship.