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2/22/1957 - No More Nationalism: Giessen’s Primary Schools by David Binder

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT VrORLD AFFAIRS DB Plockstrasse No Nationalism Giessen Cermany Giessen Primary Schools Nr Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Nr Rogers Six years U S State Department education wrote report German schools It summarized problems American Zone occupation officials trying reshape German school system these words For generations schools universities Germany breeding ground nationalism Despite reforms enacted Weimar Republic since Hitler nationalism authoritarianism traditionalis pervade German school system Tabus German politicians educators others influence field education resist basic school reforms These remarks quoted beginning lengthy rather alarming article Education For What It appeared under pseudonym Robert Leison This Is German New York William Sloane Associates The author visite schools several teacher training schools before adding conclusions those occupation officials Briefly Lewison impressions German schools Youngsters being taught German nationalism hatred Allies Nazi theme about Lebensraum Teachers least former Nazis instructi students Nazism badly carried Germany present difficulties fault other countries Germany Two weeks I began visiting Giessen elementary schools going level German education whether Lewison views substance First I City School Sperintendent Adam Scheurer short skinny fifties eyebrows other He Nazi The Gestapo kicked teaching Job because Jewish Later Nrs Scheurer snatched Nazis concentration camps lucky survived Dr Scheurer meanwhile spent World War II working bench Frankfurt factory Of Nazis They house In Scheurer superintendent He inherited three totally destroyed schools damaged school DB Dr Scheurer introduced director assistant director Schiler School Heinrich Frank Karl Huser Both Both fought trenches during World War I Both beloved teachers students alike Frank intellectual In wrote novel about Nazi regime suppressed 0estapo about Third Reich quoSed 8erman plywright Dietrich rabbe First ourselves pieces before capable The Schiller School among three Giessen elementary schools pulver bombs cataclysmic Gradually rebuilt practically brand school today Like Giessen schools Jammed students classrooms Its teachers classes large Few teachers pupils This institution bines types schools Volkschule Mittelschule The combination present inmany twoci State Hesse practicing Giessen Darmstadt The Volksschule classes first through eighth Hrade TheNittelscul classes fifth through tenth grade During Germa sCRoichild fourth grade takes series exams lasting eight These exams decide basis ability whether pupil remain Volksschule advanced Nittelschule change upper schools which uiersities There controversy about virtues faults splitting students IO Some system archaic undemo cratic Others defend educate according ability Back Lewison described system medieval He furthers caste system strengthens Middle Agesconcept stratification society At first glance I inclined agree But there strong arguments system More about later Lewlson found other ominous elements German schools Among these individuality students teaching subject instead child excessively strict discipline whipping cases student initiative I looked these Giessen elementary schools Here classroom impressions Schillerschule Pestalozzischule Ralmund Domogalle fourth grade teacher A native Breslau pellee territory belonging Poland He expellee Sudetenland child A featured gentle mannered person Domogalle veteran Russian campaigns When school directs amateur theatre productions writes poetry published short storie He working psychological novel Among subjects teaches local Hssian history geography At point during asked class WWnat Hesse The answers quickly The Iron Curtain The Russian Zone The East Zone Domogalle explained This homeland belongs another world In following Crman teacher worked blackboard Once dropped piece chalk Three rushed upfor Another brushed chalk Domogalle jacket It liked immensely rearded their friend I asked about later Yes teacher slipped floor dropped something whole class would burst laughing We overcome Now Domo smaller classes pupils He showed arranged schooldesks semicircle rather military ranks I closer He added We still exper imental stage progressive methods We children before insult teachers We teach child think himself We groups possible The teacher should adviser helper Before matter strained relations between teacher pupil Erwin Lich cherub tousled composer He commutes daily Oiessen native Londorf village about miles He fought Finland during After prisoner studied Ins titute International Educational Research Frankfurt In spare working paper kindergarten educabion social influence children Institute seminars His interests psychology music His third graders reading fairy during their lesson German The story about elves shoemaker become prosperous Lich three pupils stand before class contents story He They Then moved Schiller School diminutive auditorium Lich picked other pupils story three elves shoemaker narrator three light technicians Lich piano played background music It began narrator The stage lights suddenly switched Lich played waking music For night scenes technicians switched green light Lich layed music three elves running crouch They leaped stage performed shoemaking motions The class enchanted So I This masterpiece improvisation seemed teaching After class Lich I think comfortable teach authoritarian manner which I taught From gestures vivid expressions enthusiasm Nikolaus Weidenbrner Latin He smile irongray warts When ittelschule tenth grade class lagging cries Faites Attenti Toute suite Avantil A native Hessian Weidenbrner Itin mannerisms student Italy combat France during Before World War II taught electronics prefessional school He Party member Weidenbrner teaches algebra literature social studies history equal skill energy He class I0 minute pauses before tearing subject During history Weidenbrner asked various members class definitions Europe political geographic senses dialectical materialism culture Weltanschaung The answers prompt original Students afraidt ontradict Weidenbrner In discussion communism teacher asked cultural significance Russian Revelution A student answered ltussia Eurpean herself turned East Weidenbrner asked defences West against communism besides economic strength religion A Freedom reliance Weidenbrner commented You ready globetrot Later German literature class discussed Maria Stuart masterpiece written namesake school Friedrich Schiller Weidenbrner thought relationship between Mar Mortimer strange Why strange Helga He loved indig nantly What Weidenbrner greatest concern teacher CharacBer buildingS citizens pupils That wanting Germans We minds enough politics economics Before always ordered think The Crman school system failed prepare generation adequately W dictator I teach students respect plants animals human beings God Fraulein Katherine Hotz Mittelschule ninth grade class Pestalozzi School She pieasant faced Hessian Eleven years after began teaching Hesse Hitler power The Nazis demanded Party She So Party decided teach lesson They moved Pesta ozzischule They moved times years successively smaller towns I ended Vogelsberg sticks today After State Pestalozzi School At school quarry according observer Now rebuilt spanking Fraulien Hotz teaches English French finesse During English students asked questions about America Their diction grammar excellent They wanted about Negro problem South Later I asked about wanted after graduation girls become secretaries stewardess watchmaker They marry The expect engineering machine tooling aviation They marry about girls three years younger I asked One youth If She younger longer How about serving German Army All looks forward serving This contrast German youths saying three years Their reasons The discipline We soldiers defense At school Otto Strauch forester former school principal former member Nazi Sturm Abteilung brownshirts storm troopers wounded whiie defing Hitler Festung Europa Strauch joined S A Because ch001 superintendent Oiessen recommended The superintendent District Leader party I faced Strauch I thought party future I leading When Hitler attacked Poland I That National Socialism Strauch Nazi He teacher His Nittelschule fifth grade class having first drawing paitig trauch gives theme Happy New Year Skating Fa stnacht Shrove Tuesday lenten holiday The Children paint occurs water colors When finished class criticizes Some drawing ather unimaginative other paintings quite Oays Strauch Tey themselves their subjects develop One things bothered Lewison German schools rigid obedience enforced pupils barracks discipline He argues ndividuality American students possess extentf throwing spitballs No spitballs thrown Giessen schools thisWeek sixth grader spread sneezing power around Herr Otto Bork classroom After dozen sneezes pupils Bork stopped lesson It doesn bother dried desert I Rommel Africa Now Who Be honest A darkhaired timidly raised Bork continue After class short lecture That sternest discipline I meted Here fleeting impressions schools short prayers beginning school slacks sweaters girls shorts younger current events newspaper distributed students classes carpentry sewing cooking typing singing excellent school chamber orchestra dramatic productions class teacher sports competition between schools aptitude testing graduating classes professional advisory services psychology clinic pupils family schoolwork problems The question Cerman textbooks matter special concern Allied education authorities during occupation Nazi books ground New books written published distributed Did schools Lewison But national istic teachers sabotaged history among others making their lecture material banned Nazi books This students reading discussing Giessen elementary schools without sabotage fifth grade social science Wnerever distress people bombed refugees distress unemployed wounded homeless widows orphans poverty sickness distress which fault Peaceful community demands everyone respect ohers tolerance others What happens decent peopl intolerant clear reflect experiences We terrible cruelties innocent human beings In unconscionable fellow citizens killed gaschambers concen tration camps executed other horrible means Through crimes which incomprehensible today thousands families unspeakable misery Germany brought shame The essay describe bestial handling Jews Nazis DB2 other aspects terror Third Reich The companion volume entitled In Service Community seventh graders It excellent comunity family republic It essay uestions Why nationalism What rights citizen As history tenth gradesf called Man Changing Times It general education survey modern history The factual clearly written essays Reichstag Fire invasion Poland London Blitz Stalingrad murders Jews Slavs collapse Hitler Reich Even ugliest incidents recent German history skipped These essays clear however there Germans Nazis Germans Social science thing German education Befo professional schools civics courses In Hessian schools social science education The point elementary education where Giessen teachers school officials disagree separation pupils fourth Volksschule As older teachers prefer preSentstm while younger would change Following opinions sides Erwin Lich From intel lectual point split comes social point ofviewit stooearly RaimundDomogalle It stooearlytobeable Judge abilities children The system medieval maintains class consciousness Nikolaus Weide nbrner You train better early division Adam Scheurer It developers transfer higher schools handle Superintendent Scheurer pointed there certain amount flexibility Hessian school system He cites called second which V_ol ksschul graduate eventually university professional trade schools Since State encouraged scholarships needy families second students tuition Also being considered ninth school Volksschule pupils One where Giessen schools Can improve relations parents according Dr Scheurer Before parents thought because state ordered children attend school state responsibility their education That schools educated subjects We tried interest parents schools after But enough Many parents today deliver their children schools parcels postoffice Before Elternabende parent evenings P T A meetings But beter I Elternabend Schiller School About parents Herr Dmgalle entitled Are Today School children Overworked He interesting points Overcrowded classrooms teacher pupil Vith pupils throw stuff catch Teachers overloaded extras consuming administrative commemorative Arbor Day Constitution Day Unity Day Safety Day Civilization demanding children Domogalle Films radio traffic television everything speeded The student taught these media grasp things quickly superficiall It harder concentrate subject dream stare Is junior getting homework No Domogalle Students homework usually study radio I Domogalle American school children study television There discussion after lecture One parent vigorous baldheaded windbreaker One thing I think ought child going become adult We should isolate children separate rooms They should belong family rooms We child adult world Yesterday I asked Dr Scheurer problems anticipated future Hessian schools He We course developing films radio television local schools already radio films recorders quite It question money We television either strive visua materials The future The important question development teachers We gited young people profession Too young people going industry during caled Wirtschaftswunder economic miracle money The school question Luesioofhumanbeings Wemustattractthebest Right Only worry about having enough We still short classrooms Giessen gymnasiums Both Pestalozzi Schiller schools share their three other schools We aiming pupils teacher hortage classrooms sounds familiar American The United States supposed short OOO classrooms right West Crmany short Compare populations OOO000 percentage about Anybody federal Cordially yours David Binder Received New York