Theodore Huebener

What is German Youth Taught about the Nazis

In schoolbooks, government pamphlets, state documents, and so on, the Hitler period is sloughed over. Sentences in official histories skip over measureless abominations, like the gassing of hundreds of thousands of innocent children, with phrases like A National Socialist rule of violence began when Adolf Hitler became Chancellor in 1933. As a result many youngsters have had a hard time getting facts straight. If they asked their teachers what they did about Hitler, the teachers... found it awkward to make any satisfactory reply. ... This may have been true a few years ago but it is definitely not true now. Every avenue of communication has been used to inform the German public of what took place between 1933 and 1945. A series of 15 television programs about the Nazi dictatorship was given first place and was discussed in detail in the newspapers. Reactions of all points of view were printed and commented on. A number of documentary films like Hitler and more recently Eichmann und das Dritte Reich were shown all over the Bundesstaat. In various cities notably Berlin there were exhibitions of documents and pictures portraying Nazi brutalities. A number of such exhibits were set up in school buildings. The educational authorities are devoting much time and effort to the enlightenment of the pupils with reference to the Third Reich. The courses of study of every Land include specific recommendations. The area is given special stress in history and civics (Gemeinschaftskunde). School books, government pamphlets, and state documents definitely do not slough over the Hitler period. The City Council of Frankfurt published a 24 page bulletin last April entitled, Judaism and the Occident. Written by the vice-president of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University and introduced by a preface by the Mayor of Frankfurt, the bulletin was sent to the schools with the recommendation that all teachers read it and use it in the classroom.

The Schools of West Germany

All German children attend a basic school (Grundschule) for four years, beginning at the age of six. The kindergarten is not officially a part of the school system. A child who drops behind during the first two years in elementary school is transferred to a help school (Hilfsschule). At the age of ten an even severer sifting takes place. The very brightest enter the Gymnasium, the second brightest go to the middle school (Mittelschule), and the least endowed continue in the upper grades of the elementary school (Volksschule). The Gymnasim, the traditional secondary school, provides a nineyear course. It is of three types: the humanistic, the modern language and the mathematics-science Gymnasium. In the first, whose aim is the transmission of the European cultural heritage, Latin is taken for nine years and Greek for six. The modern language Gymnasium offers English, French and Latin. In the mathematics-science Gymnasium these subjects are stressed. All subjects are required: the pupil has a choice only of a first and a second language. At the end of the course, in the thirteenth year, a searching, comprehensive written and oral examination in four major subjects is given. This is the Abitur or leaving examination. Passing it entitles the graduate to admission to any German university. It is also the badge of scholarly and social standing, giving its holder access to better positions in industry and in civil service. Despite the fact that the Gymnasium accepts only the brightest pupils, the standards for graduation are so high that less than forty-five percent of the original entrants get to the Abitur. A student carries twelve to fourteen subjects; if he fails in two, he has to repeat the entire years work. A considerable number of students leave the Gymnasium in the tenth class with the certificate of middle maturity. (Mittlere Reife). Since this is the certificate given at the end of the Middle School, pupils not planning to go as far as the Abitur are guided into the Mittelschule. There are some opportunities for the brighter student or late bloomer to transfer to the Gymnasium later on, but he is obliged to take an entrance examination. The Middle School is, in general, a six-year school. The pupils who continue in the elementary school for another four years graduate at the age of fourteen. They may then continue at a vocational school. Generally, however, they enter business or industry.

Professional Equipment of Teachers of German

Recently a survey was made, by questionnaire, of the preparation and professional alertness of the foreign language teachers in the schools of the City of New York. Over 800 teachers in the senior and junior high schools replied. The six languages included were French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. Because of factors peculiar to each language, there were variations in the figures for the different categories. For example, the teachers of French held almost twice as many foreign certificates as all of the other language teachers combined. This, of course, is easily explained by the attractiveness of Paris and by the fact that for decades the Sorbonne and other French institutions have made generous provisions for summer study. On the other hand, the teachers of German hold the palm in Ph.Ds, their average being higher than that for the French, Italian and Spanish teachers combined. There are a number of other categories in which the teachers of German lead. In fact, they are above average with reference to most of the items surveyed, as the following tables show:

The Reform of German Education

Even before the cessation of hostilities in 1945, policy makers in Washington, anticipating an Allied victory, gave considerable thought to measures for the pre-vention of a resurgence of totalitarianism in Germany. The most effective way, it was decided, to re-educate the Germans was to train their children in the ideals and practices of democracy. All of the Occupying Powers agreed readily to this and, therefore, gave almost immediate attention to the question of school reform. In June 1947 the quadripartite Control Council issued a directive entitled Basic Principles for the Democratization of Education in Germany. The first and basic principle was: There should be equal educational opportunity for all. To realize this ideal the Council suggested a number of measures, among them free tuition and free textbooks, compulsory full-time attendance, emphasis on civic responsibility, the provision of educational and vocational guidance, health supervision, more effective teacher training, and lay participation in school reform. Unfortunately, the breakup of Germany into an Eastern and a Western half, and the division of West Germany into eleven Lainder controlled by three different Allies, resulted in a multiplicity of school systems. That is the situation today; each Land has its own educational scheme. There is no central ministry of public instruction. Like our Bureau of Education in Washington there is a federal office in Bonn known as StGindige Konferenz der Kultusminister which aims to coordinate educational efforts in the Bundesrepublik. The chief American objection to the German school system was that it was a two-track system, permitting only 10-15% of the pupils to prepare for a higher education and consigning the vast majority to vocational training. After four years of free common schooling in the Grundschule, the children were divided into two groups. The greater number continued for another four years in the Oberschule and at fourteen entered a three-year apprenticeship. While employed, they continued their schooling in a part-time vocational school (Berufsschule) which endeavored to link up with the occupation they were engaged in. In addition there were also

Private German Language Schools

The church classes usually met on Saturday morning and were therefore known as Saturday schools. The teacher was a clergyman who had been born and bred abroad and who was interested in preserving German-language services. Since the pupils were the children of members of the congregation, who would later on be confirmed, the reading material provided usually consisted of Bible stories. Portions of the catechism were memorized and hymns were sung. There was no question of credit. Some of these Saturday schools were large enough to require two or three classes. Generally, however, they consisted of only one session. Their effectiveness depended on the pedagogic abilities of the pastor who was a native but not always a trained teacher. With the decline of German services, due to the passing away of the older generation and the impact of two World Wars, these Saturday schools have almost ceased.

Longfellow's Estimate of Heine

IN VIEW of the fact that Longfellow was most successful in expressing homely and wholesome sentiments in comparatively artless lyrics, it is not strange that he was particularly drawn to Ludwig Uhland. His translations of the German poets verses are unusually happy ones. In fact, a German commentator saw a close parallel between the two and wrote an article on Longfellow with the subtitle der Uhland Nordamerikas. Since the Swabian bard rejected Heine and provoked bitter ridicule from the latter, it seems quite natural that the American poet, too, should have disliked the author of Das Buch der Lieder. Longfellow, however, felt more than dislike for Heine. In no uncertain terms the mild-mannered sage of Craigie House condemned Heines poetry and prose in an article which appeared in Grahams Magazine in 1842.2 Heine is Antichrist himself leader of that new school in Germany which is seeking to establish a religion of sensuality, and to build a palace of Pleasure on the ruins of the Church. In fact, Longfellow condemns all of Young Germany. It is skeptical and sensual and tries living without a God. As for Heine himself he expresses the atheistic philosophy of the movement in phrases too blasphemous or to voluptuous to repeat. The young German writers despise the wisdom of the Past, and imagine themselves wiser than their own generation. Reluctantly Longfellow admits we, too, have our Young America, which mocks the elder prophets, and cries Go up, bald-head! With horror he notes that young ladies read with delight such books as Festus, and think the Elective Affinities religious almost to piety. Longfellow does not care to discuss Heines plans for regenerating society which are merely vague opinions thrown out recklessly and at random.

Die Rechte Bildung: Comments on the Harvard Report

THE TEACHER of German may be highly gratified to read that his language is extolled for its value to prospective scientists. Its position is termed unique in this respect and in a footnote the readers attention is called to the fact that Scandinavian, Dutch, Swiss, Polish and Balkan work, as well as that of Russian and Oriental investigation is, or was until recently, published in full or abstracted in German. This boost to German is all very nice, except that it is a lefthanded compliment. Twice German, together with Spanish, is referred to as a tool. The Committee admits that a student having studied German as a tool might conceivably read Schiller, but the cultural possibilities are not stressed. Despite the fact that the scholarly authors speak much of a deeper understanding of the humanities and of the free man universal in his motives and sympathies, their language program is an amazingly inadequate one. Aside from the fact that they regard German and Spanish largely as tools, (German for the scientist; Spanish for that job in South America), and do not mention so humanistic a language as Italian at all, the members of the Committee have the most bizarre notions of language teaching in general. They are either unacquainted with or completely ignore recent literature on the subject. Among the more amazing statements are: The aim of foreign language teaching is not to give a practical command of the new language, but to improve (illuminate) ones English. There is no better practice in reading or in writing English than translation. Those who have a need of a foreign language for research can get it in intensive summer courses. The chief difficulty in teaching a language is to get the students to appreciate the meanings of foreign words and idioms in their relationship to English (a Copernican step). Only a comparatively few, who can profit by it, should go on with language study. As a possible solution, experimentation with general language is recommended. If it survives it may well become the core of English teaching in the first year of high school. In other words, the Committee is not interested in the learning