Jamie Klingensmith

Hitler und das Dritte Reich

Mag. Alexander Neunherz
Final Term Paper
7 December 2015
The Progression of the Educational System
before and during the Third Reich
The education system during Nazi Germany did not serve as an institution for pursuance
of knowledge, but rather as an outlet for political purposes as well as a mode of securing the
future generation under the National Socialistic ideology. Prior to Nazi Germany, the Weimar
Republic reigned. During this time of a semi-democratic government, the education system
flourished in Germany. However due to political, economical, and ideological problems which
led to the downfall of the republic, Germanys supremacy in education began to decline
significantly. Regular school routines for all grades began to change with the formations of youth
organizations such as the Hitler Youth or the Hitler Jugend (HJ) and the Bund Deutscher Mdel
(B.D.M.) to name a few. All grade levels were affected from kindergartens to the Universities.
Adolf Hitler wanted complete control of the schools for not only political purposes, but also to
ensure that what he was accomplishing with his political efforts would be secure in the future
generations. Some critics and scholars have agreed that the influence the Third Reich had on
education could be one of the main reasons why Hitlers brainwashing and fear induced efforts
were so successful. Aspects that were later on forced on students in the daily classroom were not
only for the them to understand, but it was also a way to shape the society into the National
Socialistic world that Hitler pursued. In this paper I would like to discuss how education
progressed starting from the end of the Weimar Republic going through the Third Reich, as well
as explore the feelings of both the students and the teachers during this time.
The Weimar Republic began in 1918 and lasted until 1933 (Facing History and
Ourselves). The republic did many things right in regards to providing for German citizens when
they most needed it in a semi-democratic way. The school system Was considered strong,
religious, instruction was still a component of the curriculum (Slavkin 437). Although the

Weimar Republic had semi-democratic values, in its entirety it failed in many aspects,
specifically socially and economically. Due to this, it became that much easier for Hitler and the
Nazi Party to take over. Much of the republic embraced anti-Semitism and was quite prevalent
in the schools already. Michael Lawrence Slavkin says in his article, Anti-Semitic foundations
of curriculum were inserted into the states curriculum for elementary schools, especially in the
areas of history, literature, and biology (Slavkin 432). Despite the appearance of anti-Semitism
within numerous communities, the education system flourished. Many of the professors and
teachers were highly trained and knowledgeable and therefore Germany was known throughout
the world for the best (higher) education (Slavkin). However, when the economic downfall hit in
1929 that brought high numbers of unemployment and hyperinflation, the republic started to
decline (Facing History and Ourselves). During this downfall, Hitler and the Nazi Party saw a
great opportunity to take over when so many people were vulnerable. Hitler started making
promises for jobs and financial security so therefore a lot of people gravitated towards him for
the fear of losing everything else. Slavkin also explains that is why Many educators were
attracted to the Nazi movement, largely due to economic downturns and massive layoffs during
the Weimar Republic (Slavkin 432). Many people flocked towards the Nazi movement for
security and with the rising influence of anti-Semitism this is what ultimately led to the downfall
of the Weimar Republic and the decline in educational excellency as well. Daniel Horn explains
that what happened was an Educational revolution of an astonishing dimension accompanied
the transformation of the Weimar Republic into the Third Reich (Horn 425). With this transition
the education system in Germany took a drastic turn for the worst, both academically and
politically.
Adolf Hitler was very concerned with the future and wanted to ensure that his values,
traditions and authority would uphold. He spent a lot of his attention on the education of the
youth. His aim was towards making youth understand the importance of serving the state and all
that encompasses it. Hitler believed that what education used to be like, was pointless
information and that it needed to be altered; which he succeeded in doing. Before explaining how
Hitler went about seizing control over the schools and how he organized them, I believe it is
important to understand why Hitler felt the way he did about education as a whole. Hitler, as a
young boy had a hard time in schools and with authority overall. In his adolescent years, despite
numerous applications, was never accepted into art school. Through this fact there is No doubt

[he was] influenced decisively by his own failures in school and in his professional career as an
artist, Hitler was filled with a juvenile contempt for all formal education and learning (Horn
426). It seemed then, that one of his main motivations towards reconstructing the education
system was sort of a revenge tactic by taking away mostly all formal education instruction by
replacing it with his own values.
In addition to Hitlers personal feelings towards formal education, he also had political
agendas as well. Daniel Horn, speaking about Hitlers and the Nazi regimes ambitions, he says
the Nazi educational revolution consisted largely of an attempt to create a new man (Horn
425). I agree with Horn, in so much so as Hitler was trying to create the perfect man according to
Aryan ideas and motivations. Much of what Hitler preached to the youth was a utilitarian idea in
so far as each and every student must think about their position within the National Socialist
Party and what they can contribute to it. Anything outside of this was deemed unimportant and
not worth the time and energy. Carsten Heinze explains this exact mentality, he says, The
German Child was to be educated into becoming a national socialist German who would
happily surrender him or herself for the national community and who would consequently find
personal fulfillment in his or her sacrificial death (Heinze 182). Essentially, Hitler wanted to
create an institution that adopted these ideals and not only force students to practice them, but
also to make it a precedent for the student to eventually pass down this mentality to their peers
and future generations. Hitler, along with his close officers, achieved in doing this by
strategically taking over the education system to infect it with Hitlers own biases, beliefs, and
political gains.
During the Weimar Republic, Hitler saw how much education can effect a society. The
republics high standards in education, their religious values and the increase of anti-Semitism
shaped much of the society on both the individual level and the community level. Therefore,
Hitler, in his early days following World War I, saw the perfect opportunity to start indoctrinating
some of his beliefs within the same system. To do this Hitler created the institution called the
Hitler Youth or Hitler Jugend (HJ). It was established in 1922 and became the organization that
started to phase out traditional methods of education and began replacing it with the National
Socialistic ideals. The Hitler Youth was an extra-curricular activity for boys between the ages of
14-18 (Simon and Schuster 12). Hitler also had a separate organization for girls at the same age
group called the Bund Deutscher Mdel (B.D.M.) (Simon and Schuster). However, the phrase,

Hitler Youth, was often used to describe not only the organization for boys, but as a term used to
describe all of the youth, girls and boys, under the strict demand of the Third Reich. But for
purposes of this paper, Hitler Youth will be referenced back to the young boys and men
organization. The young boys in the Hitler Youth organization had to participate in numerous
activities such as camping, trips, but the main focus was to to later prepare them to join in the
military services of the Third Reich (Trueman 1). While the girls were trained to be good wives
and mothers with importance of carrying on the purity of Aryan race (Trueman 1). Since these
were extra curricular activities and therefore outside of regular school, oftentimes the amount of
work and activities the Hitler Youth and the B.D.M. required, hindered students from doing well
in school. Essentially the main goals of these organizations were to Play a critical part in
developing a loyal following for Hitler (Trueman 1). Since Hitler had no respect for traditional
education, this seemed like the perfect fit. These organizations were the first actions from Hitler
to indoctrinate the youth; later on during World War II he will fully have sole control of the
education system encompassing his own schools for boys and girls from Kindergarten all the
way up to the University Level. Shortly after Hitler came to power (1933), he declared, Your
child belongs to me already. A people lives forever. What are you? You will pass on. Your
descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing but
this new community (Horn 428). Unfortunately, Hitler accomplished this with great measures
and great strategic planning and organization.
These organizations, the Hitler Youth mostly, were not only as a place to indoctrinate the
youth for future generations, which it surely did, but it also served as a coup to over power the
existing educational system. While the HJs educational power increased, the teaching
profession experienced a dramatic decline (Horn 435). The amount of activities and obligations
that were expected of the students in the Hitler Youth started to increase incredible. So much so
that the students became too tired and worn out to operate well in school. In most schools
62.2% of them [students] were either failing or skirting the edges of academic failure (Horn
433). Slowly, but surely the Hitler Youth was the dominating source of influence in the everyday
lives of young boys and girls (in the B.D.M.). In addition, the Youth was not controlled by other
teachers, but by the youth as well. Some who were 18 and above became leaders themselves.
This was such the case with a young man of 18 named, Baldur von Schirach. Schirach, in 1931
became the Youth Leader of the Nazi Party and his devotion to the party was impeccable. Having

no degree himself and also did horrible in school, much like Hitler, he was the perfect seed to
plant in the leadership of the Hitler Youth towards the end of Weimar Republic to seize the
education system in the name of National Socialism. Schirachs main goals Was not a students
ability to acquire knowledge and learning, but his activist commitment to the HJ (Horn 431).
His influence on the education system and the lives of the students that participated were great.
Youth led by youth, gave students, such as Schirach, the arrogance that they know how to do
things right and the educators were doing everything wrong; well at least this was the mentality
that erupted from the Hitler Youth. Horn describes this quite well that The principle that youth
must be led by youth and that true education took place largely outside of the school through
physical and character training, the HJ functionaries were bound to clash with the schools more
traditional concept of education (Horn 428). However, the people that suffered the most from
these radical changes were the parents and the existing teachers. Before the Hitler Youth was a
mandatory organization in 1936, Parents were warned that their children would be taken away
from them and put into orphanages or other homes unless they enrolled (Simon and Schuster
12).Therefore,whilethestudentswereforcedtoparticipateintheseorganizationsandparents
fearfuloflosingtheirchildreniftheywentagainstit,theeducatorshadahardtimesustainingthe
powerovereducatingtheyoungergeneration.
In1933,theNaziPartyrequiredallteacherstobelongtotheGermanNationalist
TeachersOrganizationortheNationalsozialistischerLehrerbund(NSLB).TheidealNational
SocialistTeacherwas,infactdevotedtothelifeoftheReich,andnotfirstandforemosta
teacher(Slavkin435).Notonlywerethestudentsforcedintoeducationthattheywerenotprivy
to,buttheteacherswereaswell.Teacherswereputintotheirownclassestolearnhowtoinstil
NationalSocialisticidealsuponthestudentsandthereforethemselves.Inaddition,theyalsohad
toparticipateanddedicateacertainamountoftimetowardstheNaziParty.Slavkinexplainsthat
Thiswastobeaccomplishedbyforcingtheteacherstoundertakeallsortsofclericaland
administrativejobsforthepartywhilesimultaneouslyenrollingintheactivistformationssuchas
theS.A.(Slavkin435).Essentially,teacherswerebeingindoctrinatedtobelievetheidealsof
thepartyandthenthereforeteachtheirstudentsthatsamething.TheNaziPartyintendedto
Dispatched[teachers]tospecialschoolsforintensivetraininginNationalSocialistprinciples,
emphasisbeingputonHitlersracialdoctrines(Shirer9).Thiswashelpedwiththescreening

andchangingofthecurriculum.Thecurriculumchangedfromtalkingaboutalgebra,vocabulary,
andearthsciencestoAlternativetellingofhistory,andracialhygiene(Slavkin435).Theparty
andHitlerwereobsessedwithmoldingtheeducationalspherewithRaciallybasedcurriculum
andpoliciesthatsystematicallydroveopposingideasfromclassrooms,emphasizingOneVoice,
OneRuler,Onepeople(Slavkin438).Duetotheeconomicaldownturnthathappenedtowards
theendoftheWeimarRepublic,teachersweredesperatetokeeptheirjobs,therefore,97%of
allteachersjoinedtheNazisTeachersAssociation(Trueman1).Soalthoughthereweremany
riftsbetweentheHitlerYouthandtheexistingeducationalsysteminthebeginning,eventually
mostoftheteachersagreedtojointheNaziPartyanditsgoalsforfearoflosingtheirjoband
generalsecurity.However,in1936allJewisheducatorswerebannedandtakenoutofthepublic
schools(Slavkin438).Therefore,Germanschoolsfoundthemselvesdeeplyimmersedinan
educationalcrisiswhichwasaggravatedbyanincreasinglysevereteachershortage(Horn436).
TheNazipartycameupwithaplanthough.TheydecidedtoenacttheLehrerbildungsanstallt.
ThiswasatraininginstitutethatwasCreatedtospecificallytotrainHJboystobecome
teachers,theseschools,undertheexclusivejurisdictionoftheNaziYouthOrganization,quickly
demonstratedashockinglylowintellectuallevelandaccordedprefermentalmostexclusivelyon
thebasisofmilitaryandphysicalability(Horn437).Bythistime,HitlerandhisNazipartyhad
astrongholdoneveryaspectoftheeducationsystem.
Bytheyears1936and1937,Hitlerhadsolecontrolovertheeducationalsystem.
Childrenstartedschoolfromasearlyas6yearsold.TheboysservedasapprenticestotheHitler
Youth,andtheywerecalledPimpf,whichliterallytranslatesfromGermantoEnglishasWimp
(Shirer12).Therefore,evenataveryyoungage,theyweretaughtthephysicalstrengthwasone
ofthemostimportantaspectsofbecomingaparticipantofthestate.Bythetimechildrenhitthe
ageoften,theywerefullyencompassedbyeducationthatwasbiasedtowardsHitlersbeliefs
andmotives.BoyswenttotheJungvolk(youngfolk)andgirlsenteredtheJungmadel(younger
maiden),whereeachchildwasexpectedtolearnhowtomarch,learnthevalueofdisciplineand
wereexpectedtosayanoaththatacclaimedHitlerandhonoredhimwithsacrificeandallegiance
(Shirer12).Theoaththatthechildrenhadtoreciteatthebeginningandendofeachdayisas
follows,Inthepresenceofthisbloodbanner,whichrepresentsourFuehrer,Isweartodevote
allmyenergiesandmystrengthtothesaviorofourcountry,AdolfHitler.Iamwillingandready

togiveupmylifeforhim,sohelpmeGod(Shirer12).Theaspectofcollectivesacrificeatall
costs,wasanapparentthemetaughttochildren.Slavkinanalyzedthisandsaid,Uponthe
ascensiontothepoweroftheThirdReich,individualdevelopmentwassubsumedbytheneedto
preparetheyouthfortheserviceofthestate(Slavkin438).Hitlersgoalwastocreateasortof
peoplethatwerewillingtofightanddieforthestateaswellastocarryouthismilitaristic
motivestoachieveworlddominance.Ifindividualismexisted,thesystemwouldfallapart.Hitler
knewthisandtosecurehisholdontheyouth,hemadesuretohaveeveryaspectofachildsand
youngadultslivesbesurroundedbymilitaristic,NationalSocialistic,andAntiSemiticideals.
Thiswasdonequitecreativelythroughouteachstandardizedsubjectintheschools.Suchas
Geography taught pupils about the land Germany had taken away from her in 1919 and the need
for Germany to have living space lebensraum. Science had a military-slant to it. The
curriculum required that the principles of shooting be studied; military aviation science; bridge
building and the impact of poisonous gasses (Trueman 2). However, the girls had a different
slant towards their education as their classes were more skewed towards information concerning
Domestic science and eugenics---both which were to prepare young girls to be the perfect
mother and wife (Trueman 2). Hitlers ideals of racial purity, and militaristic domination were
being taught and represented to the youth of the Third Reich while hiding it behind main stream
education traditions to indoctrinate the youth in a gradual and effective way.
Atages14theyouthwasthentransferredtotheHitlerYouthforboysandtheB.D.M.for
girls(Shirer12).TheboysremainedinHitlerYouthuntiltheywere18andthenusuallywent
straightintothemilitaryorwentintomoretrainingtobecomeaneliteoffice(ofwhichIwillgo
intomoredetail),whereasthegirlsremainedintheB.D.M.untiltheywere21(Simonand
Schuster12).Someyoungwomen,however,participatedinwhatwascalledaLandjahr.Here
women,foroneyear,workedonfarmsandlearnedmoreaboutdomesticlife(Shirer12).A
continualprinciplethroughoutthisneweducationsystemwasthatofphysicaltraining,andracial
ideologicalteachings.SlavkinexplainsthatPhysicalactivitywasdesignedtohardenthe
childreninpreparationformilitaryservices(boys)ordevelopmentofthecominggenerationof
Germans(girls)(Slavkin441).FromthisHitlercouldcreatetheultimategenerationandarmy
toachievehisworldlygoals,andoutofobligation,laws,andpeerpressure,theyouthwentalong
withitwitheaseandobedience.SimonandSchuster,intheirargument,decreedthatThough

theirmindsweredeliberatelypoisoned,theirregularschoolinginterrupted,theirhomeslargely
replacedsofarastheirrearingwent,theboysandthegirls,theyoungmenandwomen,seemed
immenselyhappy,filledwithazestforthelifeofaHitlerYouth(Shirer14).Itwasnewand
excitingforchildren.Plus,thelackofactualschoolworkandfreedomfromhomework,only
encouragedtheyouthtogoalongwiththeseorganizationsandnewschools.Theeffectsofthis
neweducationalsystemwouldonlyberealizedwhenitwastoolatetochangeit.
Inadditiontotheyoungerschoolsandtheextracurricularorganizations,Hitlercreated
threeschoolsforthetrainingofEliteOfficers.TheywerecalledtheAdolfHitlerSchool,The
NationalPoliticalInstituteforEducation,andtheOrderCastles.AdolfHitlerschoolsTook
mostpromisingyoungstersfromtheJungvolkatage12andgavethem6yearsofintensetraining
forleadershipinthepartyandinpublicservice(Shirer13).Thiskindoftransferforachildwas
supposedtobeconsideredanhonorasaloyalcitizenoftheThirdReich.However,theamount
oftrainingtheseyoungmenhadtogothroughwasstrenuousandtookupmostofthetime
duringthedayandleftnoroomforactualeducation;notthatthereweremanyoptionstodothat
anymoreduringthistimeinthewaranyway.Thenextschool,thatsomewereputinwasthe
NationalPoliticalInstituteofEducation.Thisschoolwaslessaboutphysicalactivity,butwas
moremeanttoRestorethetypeofeducationformallygivenintheoldPrussianmilitary
academics(Shirer13).MostofthetheteachersandstaffherewereS.S.agents,therefore,this
schooltaughtthemaboutNaziprinciplesandidealssuchascourageanddutytoonesstateand
Fhrer(Shirer13).Theharshestschoolhowever,wouldprobablybetheOrderCastles.This
schoolwerebasedofftheidealsofknightsbackinthefourteenthandfifteenthcenturiesandthe
studentsWeretrained[tobe]theeliteoftheNazielite.Theknightlyorderhadbeenbasedon
theprincipleofabsoluteobediencetotheMaster,theOrdensmeister,anddevotedtotheGerman
conquestoftheSlaviclandsintheEastandtheenslavementofthenatives(Shirer13).Thefirst
of6yearsthatstudentsattendedthisschoolweresolelyonracialsciences,howeverthe
followingyearsincludedmoreemphasisonphysicaleducation(Shirer13).Throughoutthedaily
routineattheseschools,youngboysandmenweretaughttheartofwarcraftwithintenseand
realisticteachingmethodsthatprovedbrutalandalmostinhumane.SuchasWargamesused
liveammunitionandpupilswerekilledattheseschools.ThosewhograduatedfromtheOrder
CastlescouldexpecttoattainahighpositioninthearmyortheS.S.(Trueman3).Essentially

thesethreeschoolsweremeanttotrainandproduceNaziofficers.Theyweremeantto
indoctrinateharshidealsaboutracialpurity,unforgivingmilitarytacticsandcreatingstrong
skinnedsoldersforthewar.
DuetoboththeHitlerYouthtakingovertheexistingschoolsystemandmoreofthe
youthenteringintomilitaryserviceratherthancollege,causedanextremedecreasein
universitiesenrollmentandthereforeanyinnovationsintechnology.Thisincidentworked
againsttheNaziPartyinawaythattheyprobablydidnotexpectitto.DuetocensorshipofLatin
intextbooks,medicalandotherscientificadvanceswerenotbeingmade.Thewholescopeof
highereducationwaslost,whilehighermilitarypowerandthestrengtheningofarmies
increased.However,duetothis,therewasaDeclineinengineeringandchemistryschools
neededforwarfareNaziauthoritiesblamedtheschoolsforhavingpoorqualitycurriculum
(Shirer11).Wheninfact,thepoorqualityofcurriculumandeducationoverall,wasduetothe
Naziregimeitself.DespitetheextrememeasuresinindoctrinatingtheyouthoftheThirdReich,
thisisaredeemingfactthateventhoughtheyeffectedanddestroyedintellectuallivesandour
worldhistory,theyhurtthemselvesintheend.(Shirer)
Theprogressionandthechangesthattheeducationsystemwentthroughbeforeand
duringtheThirdReichinstilledacommonideaofNationalSocialismandinmanywaysracial
purity.DespitetheeconomicalcrisisthataidedtheformationoftheThirdReich,itwastruly
Hitlerandhisbeliefsonwhatshouldbeconsiderededucationandtheimportanceofteachingthe
youthforfuturegenerationsthatledtosuchaturnaroundforNazisoldiersandthespreadof
AntiSemitism.IfHitlerdidnotconquerthispartofsocietytosuchanextreme,hisracialbeliefs
andmilitaristicidealsmaynothavespreadasfarandwideastheydid.Forwhenthoseyoung
childrengrewuptheybecamesoldiersorsoldierswivesandcontinuedthefalsifiedinformation
onhumanityandpushedforwardthebrutalityanddiscrimination.Thiseducationalrevolution
showsustheimportanceoftrueeducation.Thatwithoutknowledgeofthetruthaboutourworld
andsociety,oursocietywillcollapsewithinitself.Withoutclearknowledgeofpasthistory,of
truesciencethatisprovenandnotspeculated,oftestedbiologicalfindings,andunbiased
curriculum,weasaraceofhumanbeingscannevermoveforward.Hitlerwantedaworldthathe
owned,ineveryaspect,andhealmostachievedit.Soasalessonfromthis,weneedtosafe
guardoureducationalrights,foreducationissomethingthatcanneverbetakenawayfromus,

butwiththewronginformationcandestroyusaswell.Educationistheseedforthefuture,letus
protectitandkeepittrueforgenerationstocome.

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