What Happened to Education in Nazi Germany? And How Did it Affect the Youth?
In this section we will study how the Nazis used the youth to consolidate its control of German citizenry and attempt to assure continued support for the Nazi Party in years to come via 'indoctrination'.
The schools during the Weimar Republic had "acted as incubators of nationalism" (Grunberger). Apparently anti-Semitism was encouraged during this period. Grunberger's opinion was that there was "little surface disturbance of the routine of education" after 1933 because educators were already strongly nationalistic. (However, only a small minority were dedicated National Socialists.) The game of "Cowboys and Indians" was sometimes called "Aryans and Jews" by schoolboys. Jewish papers, by 1931, published lists of schools where anti-Semitism was minimal.
Education became much more ideologically driven during the Nazi years than in the past. Essays became not much more than a rewriting of propaganda handouts e.g. the theme of an essay set for school leavers , The educational value of the Reich Labour Service. The overall emphasis was on Nazi racial doctrines and physical education with far less emphasis on intellectual pursuits. This had a dramatic effect on standards. There was a combination of a severe reduction of opportunities for girls, the distraction of the Hitler Youth, a shortage of trained teachers and the radical removal of standard educational practices that were replaced by coloured political views of the world. All this reduced education in Nazi Germany to an elementary level. (SOURCE: HSC Online)
RECOMMENDED READING:
Hoepper, B. 1996 Inquiry 1. Jacaranda. pp.104-116
Spartacus Educational - Hitler Youth: CLICK HERE
Spartacus Educational - The German Girls League (BDM): CLICK HERE
RECOMMENDED VIEWING:
Documentary - History File: Nazi Germany - Youth in Nazi Germany
ACTIVITY - Class discussion: A Hypothetical
- your education and development?
- society en mass?
iii. Why would it be 'political suicide' for a major party to propose such a syllabus for Australian schools?
ACTIVITY - Source Analysis Here to the left is the actual Nazi History Curriculum from 1934
i. What are the similarities between the two syllabuses?
ii. What seems to be the aim of the syllabus here?
iii. To introduce this syllabus, what must the education authorities (like our QSA) have believed about the attitudes of many Germans?
(Both Sources were cited in Hoepper, B. (1991) Inquiry 1. Jacaranda. Qld. pp.104-105)
ACTIVITY: Prezi on the Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth)
EXTENDED WRITING:
Answer this sections focus question 'What Happened to Education in Nazi Germany? And, How Did it Affect the Youth?' in an extended piece of writing using the source evidence studied above and other to support your ideas - the next installment in your preparation for the upcoming Category 1 Exam. The success criteria is below in order to guide you and allow you to self-evaluate, i.e. gauge how well you are doing. When you have finished the writing, post it in the 'Comments' at the bottom of the page.
SUCCESS CRITERIA (things to include):
Silver: Analyses EXPLICIT MOTIVATIONS for the indoctrination of the German youth and their education. CORROBORATES secondary evidence to support your ideas. Includes evaluation of the likely RELIABILITY of evidence used in writing.
Bronze: Describes what happened in education in Nazi Germany.
REVISION ACTIVITIES:
CLOZE EXERCISE 1: Test your knowledge! CLICK HERE
CLOZE EXERCISE 2: CLICK HER
