Though it lasted only 12 years, the German Reich was supposed to last a thousand. Early in his political career Hitler argued that in order to survive and prosper, future generations of Nazis would need to maintain a single-minded dedication to purity and strength. As such, the Nazis imbued all areas of public education with their party's ideology. These lessons took several forms:
Children's Stories: One of the more widespread lessons taught to young children was a story called "The Poison Mushroom." A mother and her son are picking mushrooms in the forest, and the boy finds some poisonous mushrooms. The mother compares the dangerous mushrooms to the dangers of a certain land of people. The boy rightly concludes that she is speaking of the Jews. The mother is proud of her son and exhorts him to learn to identify Jews in all their dangerous guises. The story was part of a collection published by Julius Streicher, who was executed as a war criminal in 1946. Repugnant yet alluring art by "Fips" (Philip Rupprecht, a Der Sturmer staffer) is the capper.
Primers: Nazi elementary books used simple illustrations and stories of children. Many of the stories include veneration for military parades and weapons. They also portray Hitler as a great man who is kind to children who bring him gifts. In one story, a boy named Karl attends a Hitler Youth rally. He wants to march with his older brother, but is too young. After the march, a race for young children takes place. Karl wins and receives a sausage and a pretzel, which he promptly eats.
Geography: Geography lessons stressed the concept of Lebensraum ("living space"), which Nazis proclaimed would provide the German people with land and resources that had been stolen from them after the Great War. Texts emphasize not only the need for this territory, but also the Germans' historical right to it. They mention Germany's cultural and historical influence on the countries surrounding it, as well as its geographic disadvantages, such as the ease with which the country was blockaded during World War I.
Biology: In German textbooks, biology was synonymous with racial purity and strength. Girls were given rigorous instruction in the selection of a suitable mate and the proper method of nurturing the next generation of Germans. Women's magazines often ran articles advising mothers to raise strong, physically active children who eschewed the classroom for the playing field. The articles advised parents to be stern with their children since "only he who has learned to obey can lead."
Mathematics: Even the discipline traditionally least susceptible to cultural bias, mathematics, was tainted by Nazi influence. For instance, word problems asked students to calculate the amount of money wasted on handicapped citizens and the amount of ammunition a plane could carry over a certain distance to bomb an ethnic slum.
A 1937 Nazi pamphlet for teachers, The Jewish Question in Education, quotes "Munich scientist Dr. Escherich," who relates a hare-brained tale of guards at a thriving termite colony who fall for the seductive charms of "foreign insects" of a different "race." In short order, "the foreigners had murdered the queen," and destroyed the colony. The pamphlet suggests that schoolteachers encourage students to draw a parallel between this astonishing natural event and predatory Jews who threaten the Aryan gene pool.
"POISON FOR YOUNG MINDS: NAZI EDUCATIONAL LITERATURE." World War II. Comp. Allen Orsi. Lincolnwood: West Side Publishing, 2007.
1. How did Hitler use the schools to spread his ideas?
2. At what age did this "education" appear to start?
3. Identify three specific "facts" that were taught and how they supported the Nazi's ideas.
4. Would the idea of free will or independent thought have been acceptable to the Nazis? Explain your answer.
Primers: Nazi elementary books used simple illustrations and stories of children. Many of the stories include veneration for military parades and weapons. They also portray Hitler as a great man who is kind to children who bring him gifts. In one story, a boy named Karl attends a Hitler Youth rally. He wants to march with his older brother, but is too young. After the march, a race for young children takes place. Karl wins and receives a sausage and a pretzel, which he promptly eats.
Geography: Geography lessons stressed the concept of Lebensraum ("living space"), which Nazis proclaimed would provide the German people with land and resources that had been stolen from them after the Great War. Texts emphasize not only the need for this territory, but also the Germans' historical right to it. They mention Germany's cultural and historical influence on the countries surrounding it, as well as its geographic disadvantages, such as the ease with which the country was blockaded during World War I.
Biology: In German textbooks, biology was synonymous with racial purity and strength. Girls were given rigorous instruction in the selection of a suitable mate and the proper method of nurturing the next generation of Germans. Women's magazines often ran articles advising mothers to raise strong, physically active children who eschewed the classroom for the playing field. The articles advised parents to be stern with their children since "only he who has learned to obey can lead."
Mathematics: Even the discipline traditionally least susceptible to cultural bias, mathematics, was tainted by Nazi influence. For instance, word problems asked students to calculate the amount of money wasted on handicapped citizens and the amount of ammunition a plane could carry over a certain distance to bomb an ethnic slum.
A 1937 Nazi pamphlet for teachers, The Jewish Question in Education, quotes "Munich scientist Dr. Escherich," who relates a hare-brained tale of guards at a thriving termite colony who fall for the seductive charms of "foreign insects" of a different "race." In short order, "the foreigners had murdered the queen," and destroyed the colony. The pamphlet suggests that schoolteachers encourage students to draw a parallel between this astonishing natural event and predatory Jews who threaten the Aryan gene pool.
"POISON FOR YOUNG MINDS: NAZI EDUCATIONAL LITERATURE." World War II. Comp. Allen Orsi. Lincolnwood: West Side Publishing, 2007.
1. How did Hitler use the schools to spread his ideas?
2. At what age did this "education" appear to start?
3. Identify three specific "facts" that were taught and how they supported the Nazi's ideas.
4. Would the idea of free will or independent thought have been acceptable to the Nazis? Explain your answer.
1 The schools spread Nazi beliefs to the children, at a younger age children would be easier teach these beliefs. This was an act of getting kids to join the Hitler Youth and be future Nazi soldiers.
ReplyDelete2 At a very young age, children at young ages do not tend to question what they are taught as critically as someone older.
3 In mathematics, problems may be about how much money would be saved without handicapped citizens in Germany. This relates to the Nazis and their Concentration Camp belief.
A young child's storybook compares Jews and poisonous mushrooms. The Jews were more deadly in the story.
At school in a German textbook, Germans were called the superior race, and the book had many racist things in it.
4 No, if you do not listen to or agree with the Nazis you could be killed, so basically the exact opposite of free will.
Jacob S Collier
1- Hilter used books and brainwashed children of Germany.
ReplyDelete2- At young age around elementary school, because I would be easier to manipulate young children.
3- 1. The Poison Mushroom, this was a story the Nazis taught to manipulate minds to go against the Jews.
2. The Nazi used mathematics to show their sick ideas on questions like this: calculate the amount of money wasted on handicapped citizens and the amount of ammunition a plane could carry over a certain distance to bomb an ethnic slums.
Ryan Taylor
We must be the change we wish to see in the world. — Ghandi
1. He used simple short stories for younger children. As for the more mature children, schools also had many Nazi messages in their daily lessons.
ReplyDelete2. Around the dawn of elementary school.
3.
- How they can take back what they lost in WWI.
- How much of a "great" man Hitler was, in the elementary school books.
- How mothers should raise their children to be strong.
4. Absolutely not. Due to their close-minded ways of thinking, I would automatically assume that if you disagreed with them, you would be beaten either emotionally, physically, or even put to death.
- Purple Rain aka Mr. BuNgLe
Thea Ziegler
ReplyDelete1. Hitler used the schools to spread his ideas by using children's books, geography lessons and biology textbooks to teach children his Nazi beliefs.
2. This education started with very young children. Children really listen to adults, they trust them and they're impressionable.
3. Three lessons that were taught were mathematics, geography and biology. Students were asked to calculate word problems on the amount of money wasted on handicapped citizens and the amount of ammunition a plane could carry over a long distance to bomb an ethnic slum.Geography emphasized the concept of living space and the Nazis would get land and resources from other people. Biology encouraged racial strength and purity.
4. No because the Nazis did not like any group of people that were different. You had to follow and be the same. If you didn't follow you would most likely risk being killed or punished.