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3/31/1957 - Eberhard The Incorrigible: An Educational Tale by David Binder

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN STITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS DP Eberhard The Incorrlglble An ducatlonai Tale Plockstrasse Giessen Germany March Mr Walter S Ro5ers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Rogers Before stands pepper He thinning Anthony Eden moustache large His complexion stance command In accustomed exercising authority rector private school He responsible stomachs souls Ask whathls theory education tells therly A child likes taken seriously seriously likes thought individual We allow dividual Wipe years It You middle crowd village square A hundred uniform drawn attention They brown shirts polished sckboots military National Socialist Storm Troopers On their swastikas Thousand Year Reich You facing another uniform He standing platform about He wears insignia ObertruppfGhrer senior troop leader The occasion gathering reminds ielden gedenta_ Heroes Memorial Day His speech about German blood honor 6lory Now which which Why course The schoolmaster Storm Trooper But schoolmaster Obertruppfhrer person Try another question You director privae school This insZitution family century Your three forefathers ministers schoolmasters You yourself stanch member Lutheran Church In politics You active Socialist Party Your pacifist sympathies known neighborhood It spring The Reichstag Fire already Hitler already clamps Germany infamous Enabling Act The Nazi Party riding What socialist pacifist known opponent Hitler going This terrible decision Do decide country profession family tradition Or elect stick incriminating papers mouth yourself uniform carry under terror These aretough questions unpleasant They uestions which pepper himself And today asked myself times afterwards whether I acted wrongly I think I acted correctly school going But still I asked myself oncessions without injuring conscience The school director former ObertruppfGhrer Dr EberHard Lucius He small school village chzell southeast Dr Lucius Nor villain This century eared middle heroes share middle villain especially Germany It would Dr Lucius It certain amount courage great conviction Perhaps after Him better answer first question Giessen Denazification Court Dr Eberhard Lucius It Maobeth asked Wo amazed temperate furious loyal nutra moment Macbeth answered himself These other times Dr Lucius another answer question Here about running private school Hitler period I Bismarck Prussian family tradition In I Joined German Peace Society I oriented Left politically We rised Christian manner I clear German nationalist Christianity Lutheran Christianity which entirely pacifistic Thus I wrote sister believe Vry difficult stand politically right religious athies But I convinced political compatible Christianity My children educated militarists pacifists They allowed least contact Hitler Youth Out whole family sisters Nazi reason I broke relations thinss until My friends naturally I member Republican Teachers Le I scribed F W Foestr Zeit which banned Hitler I Marc Segnier French Peace Society conference Biervills I cussion leader Social Democratic Party Supported S P D years These actions especially altogether prove I extremely dangerous incorrigible criminal I surprised appearance Third Reich I ready recognized monstrous power Hitler daemonie Thus I wrote sister Argentina Youth everywhere being encouraged Nazis rebel aainst their parents teachers This terrible authority continues theyoungsters The expected terror began months February March After I Reichsta Fire declaration Enablin Act serious My colleague Andres I burned I boxes books incriminatin literature furnace papers buried garden The neighborhood stirred against People talked about previous support point neish narly marched Lucius By April completely clear school would unless I Joined Nazis somehow The legal state ceased exist And everythin I become criminal One start stone rollin I would crushed I personally entire educa tional institution which fmily years As I thought I realized school would turned veritableNazi stronghold Finally I conclusion rather completely hopeless mthods resistance I would fisht width weapons appearin publicly I could school house ainst O conscience years I hated Nazis before middle their heyday NevertheIIess I Joined S A Storm Troopers Reserve I remained hostile system I still employed Communist klnder garten teacher Luise Gelst party friend eight during while flight Gestapo In ovember denounced housemaids traitor Party forced I found She couldn because whole family Some already caught Therefore I small village Odenwald minister I child Relnard ployed further ofhim She stayed there until cousin Berlin found place where could appear The Nazi housemaid course remained caused US tlnuln danger there Still another source danger family broher Mumm He fanatic national socialists rabid semltes earliest Relations between family tense Lucius submitted demands Mumms money several years Early S A Reserve swelled The Sturm several hundred The group Echzell included large number Party members Alte K mpfer Old Fighters activists Who Nazis beginning found among The S A Echzell needed leader someone llttle milltary experience professional standln As former corporal I chosen June temporary Fhrer Tsklng consideration rowlng interest whole I accepted Job Also I regarded position temporary already reserve group least Echzell taken seriously political sense Naturally I point activities minimum moreover It never political actions against Germans other convictions against Jews In course three years I displaced three always voted again because liked their peace quiet I wouldn I never leaders school I attend Party conferences Reich sports events That being named troop leader I obliged myself public times during years The National Socialist State enough private schools especially boarding schools reaching influence education Its policy therefore sharp During waited every I would close school At Nazis preparin investigate private schools alresdy closed opponents regime From S A which neutral rightlry should It always searcin tssks At seemed right found The S A member should become soldier Weltanschauun Fhrer In pressure began All leaders clear Weltanschauun decision That meant church The logical development current directly attack synagogues This partly attack Jews attack foundations Christian church called telephone night November ordered District Gzoup Leader action against Jews refused naturslly I thankful For I possible pupils members Hitler Youth might ceive similar order Therefore I called Hitler Youth leaders house immediately I Schzell asked paths village order students through The developments showed internal political situation through basic change eriod The Nazi struggle against purely political enemies retreated ground bhese decimated political power Many former opponents having better their aostili basis apparent success Nazis Into foeground struggle opponents different Weltan_schauu_ng I longed these Just I belonged beginning political opponents My hostility Nazis discovered reported authorities Beyond N Ovember plain could required S A future A couple later District Group Leader asked street whether I still belonged I pretended I meant But clear concessions I would school In situation important I S A My position longer I disappear completely possible There At November I family doctor requested Ill I would Healthy I visit order sickness known Shortly after I allowed leave S A indefinite period account serious state health In choosing pupils I careful tried I convinced active Nazis boardin school At I religion classes I religious instruction fifth sixth cIasses although ifically forbidden I called Wehrmacht SeptembeP served until December During school DIaZ Lucius nephew dayschool pupil school Mumm blackmail letter while I He threatened pacifist Party communist unless I continued support family letter To hated enemies fatherland prlvilege which member German should renounce I renounce right either We everything about I giving chance elatives I every means wrote Olaf I wouldn blackmailers At I informed friend Echzell happened could could stand At broke contact Mumms In I boarding school makln6 progress classes At fther civil employee Kiev He S S become great world conqueror there Suddenly turned snatched Luxembourg Later learned mother S S officer father school chances career later I smelled nothing Suze enough father ported heard S S Luck Gestapo again The Gestapo officials checked about first mayor Echzell policeman village friend The police talked Gestapo their suspicions When investiga nally I prepared In April hired housemaid We failed necessary investigation shocked wearing Party emblem This Gulckly discovered opinions Immediately reported Party added couldn stand because Nezi She DB relatives crying shame I troop leader S A company For I ommunist We eathed easily latez dangerous snake In called West Front althoug naked existence school depended I excused myself basis shortly before transport village At I platoon leader local Vo kssturm People Militia despite I already records political unreliable In meantime County Leader found close school ordered students because educational regarded dangerous enemy propaganda It final destruction school Sfortly after county _St_abf ___h_r_er_ Fink ordered Volkssturm East Front Despite threats punishment under wartime I simply proper another excuse Just transport leaving In early March tried again Volkssturm I warned ahead secret until acute dangez Two before Americans arrived I touch majority Volkssturm Echzell about impending I ordered themselves forest escape being mustered Thus I through Third Reich miraculously living another It fortunate I could various Nazi organizations Party officials Nazi Teachers League S A Security Police Volkssturm Gestapo never serious trouble And I lucky I warned tlmein decisive moments friends When I think would happened I Party instance I would pupils entering Hitler Youth entering Party worth Suc siderations permit convinced today course I chose actually demanded courage I successful struggle aainst Nazism I school refused Join Party The foresoing brief resume Dg Lucius Denazifica Court spring Other brushes estapo counted Proof given Dr Lucius close relations French prisoners Echzell interceded laborer death concentration Nevertheless court found Lucius guilty Mitluf follower Party fined Relchsmarks Six months later appeal court rescinded Judgement The court ruled Dr Lucius should It noted forbidden students Nazi activities ordered Volkssturm disband before Americans arrived associated Frankfurt members July overthrow Hitler If Eberhard Lucius political problems economic problems He barely makes And appeal alumni Germany T Lucius Boy Ins titute occupies house built serve hunting lodge Hessian Landgrave It nestles cosily silent forest outside Echzell Besides lodge school converted classroom building constructed years addition building The crowding something fierce Seventeen sleep eight It costs marks month Institute about three quarters average German As result reasonable families The Institute classes rnging grade One auvantages small classes None pupils There teachers includirg Dr uclus hours classroom The teachers students There other merits institution It sports field The vegetables grown school And students themselves concentrate better public school They ought silence place awesome With tradition Institute appears developed quaint customs For example Dr Lucius determined addition cleaning The cleaning laundry decided disadvantage Maybe people think using cubic meters space Just clean shoes things director Another Lucius Insti custom march around dining after supper They shake hands faculty members stationed strategic pints The encouraged quite administrative respon sibilities Older students check younger bedtime clean shoes hands They operate cleaning tables lockers They supervise study hours While there student government organization upper classman assigned welfare younger The students their newspaper which mimeograph stygianbasement cranny The Little Tower Bell activity because editors sneak cigarette privacy newsroo They complete editorial freedom However Institute under rather strict regulations leaving campus concerned That Dr Lucius simply doesn permit village I asked older gripe about Institute We would learn II II dance Goesta The Chief Lucius allowed upper class dancing school Bad Nauheim couple years drunk hewouldn permit again I think Chief times He learned dancing mother should learn Who wants dance mother Another We treated exactly lower grades We should little freedom I think Asked whether would choose private school again choice unanimously agreed would The teachers public schools weoden heads Here learn become confident Later I asked Dr Lucius about student government He poured excellent glass chuckled I patri The recognize It bones I along Dr Lucius patriarch So forefathers There surprising Reinhard grooming himself director Institute Tt tough Two weeks Reinhard looked little intense those characters German until glasses This smiling He passed State teacher David inder