862.42/77
The Consul at Berlin (Geist) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 26.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that up to the present time the new German Government has taken no radical steps to change the fundamental [Page 282] structure of the German school system though it is well known that such measures will be taken in the near future. The Kultus-Ministry has confined itself mainly to directing teachers to give instruction in certain subjects, particularly German history and biology, in accordance with National-Socialist theories. The object of course is to teach children in such a way as to make them staunch supporters of National-Socialism.
The teaching of history has been given special attention by the school authorities in Prussia. Last fall the Prussian Minister of Education, Dr. Rust, promulgated guiding rules to teachers regarding the manner of giving instruction. These directions were published in the Zentralblatt fuer die gesamte Unterrichtsverwaltung in Preussen. Dr. Rust then took the opportunity of emphasizing what science would term the “old pseudo-scientific race doctrines of the Gobineau–Houston Stewart Chamberlain school”, doctrines which have long been refuted by serious German and non-German scientists. German history, according to Dr. Rust, must start in the ice age and must show how certain races, such as the Neanderthal, Aurignac and Cromagnon, lived in Central Europe and had developed a peculiar, superior culture. He directs the use of maps to show to the children the distribution of races over Europe, and the use of pictures in order to impress the children with the superiority of their Teuton ancestors. Ancient and modern history, he suggests, must be taught solely from the view point of Nordic superiority. How Dr. Rust wishes to have these theories developed is indicated in the following:
“The superior Egyptian culture was the result of the influx of Nordic Hittites. The Nordic Indians, Medes and Persians created the history and culture of Asia. The ancient Greeks with their superior civilization originated from Germanic Central Europe, and Grecian civilization deteriorated when democracy was introduced into the country. This was due to the fact that inferior southern races intermingled with the Nordic Master race. The Nordic people of Italy also came from Germanic Central Europe, and the fall of Rome came about as soon as Orientals constituted a large element in the population. The struggle between the Patricians and the Plebeians of the Roman Empire is to be interpreted as a struggle between superior and inferior races. Roman stoicism was the natural outcome of the hopelessness of the racial struggle in ancient Rome. The Nordic blood injected into decayed Italy created the high culture of the Renaissance. Northern Italy and not southern Italy profited by the influx of the Nordic elements. The Nordic Varangians who conquered Russia were too small in numbers to strengthen the racial complex of the Russian nation. This is the reason why Russia has always remained backward. In the Middle Ages, only in those countries where the Nordics predominate did culture flourish. Germany has developed a race consciousness and a national consciousness only in modern times; but international influence and the influx of foreign elements have retarded [Page 283] German progress contaminating German blood, influencing its language and culture. Such baneful influences in Germany’s life were particularly liberalism and democracy. The ideal of the German youth is the militant hero ideal (Heldengedanke), and this ideal must be instilled into German youth.”
Dr. Rust has ordered that biological studies in the upper classes should include special courses expounding the National-Socialist racial doctrines from a biological point of view. A general survey of eugenics should be included in such courses.
Similar guiding regulations have been issued for instruction in German literature. National-Socialist writers are to be preferred, especially those writing on the Napoleonic wars of liberation, on the late war and on the post war period. Goethe has been censured by the Nazis (particularly by the Bavarian Prime Minister, Herr Esser) because of his international and liberal views. The Kultus-Minister has made it clear that Germany’s internationally well-known Jewish authors such as Heine, Boerne, Wassermann are to be officially banned from the schools.
It is known from conversations with teachers that they do not take this instruction from the Ministry of Culture with utter seriousness. In order to hold their positions they must do what is required, and not a few of them get into difficulties either for neglecting these doctrines or for teaching them in an equivocal manner. The older generation of teachers especially is basically opposed to giving instruction along this line. A good deal of bitterness and resentment obtains among these people. The National-Socialists, however, were not in a position to throw out at once the teachers throughout Germany and place well trained National-Socialists in their positions, as it takes many years to build up a country’s corps of teachers. The Government is conscious of this difficulty and realizes that vast numbers of teachers do not sympathize with National-Socialist doctrines, and therefore strenuous measures are being introduced to force these people into line. Many school teachers have been dismissed throughout Germany because they were suspected of being Democrats, Marxian Socialists or even Catholics. In some cases these persons were dismissed under humiliating conditions. For instance, in a first class school in Western Berlin an old teacher was chased from the school with a mob of children hooting behind him. A number of teachers have been mistreated.
As in every other field of public life, a central organization was created, known as the “Deutsche Erzieher Gemeinschaft” (German Educators’ Association). Every teacher in Germany was forced to join this organization. If they were found to be Jewish or to have any Jewish blood from their ancestors, they were removed from their [Page 284] positions. The Deutsche Erzieher Gemeinschaft is wholly National-Socialist and entirely under the Government’s control. There also exists the direct party organization of the teachers, namely the National-Socialist Lehrer-Bund (National-Socialist Teachers’ Union). Between these several organizations a conflict has developed as several Ministries are struggling to obtain the upper hand in the direction of educational policy. The National-Socialist Teachers’ Union has been incorporated in the German Labor Front of workers, while at the same time the Kultus-Minister desires to exercise control over the teachers. Despite the conflicting declarations of Dr. Ley, the head of the German Labor Front, and Minister Rust, the Minister of Education, and the Reichs Minister of the Interior, Dr. Frick, the actual situation regarding the teachers has not been clearly established. The National-Socialist Teachers’ Union, being a party organization, is of course the more radical and desires to introduce radical social doctrines into the educational system in Germany. The fact of the matter is that a conflict for power is developing among the party leaders to gain control over the schools. For instance, Dr. Goebbels is the head of the Reichs-Kultur-Kammer which has its natural sphere of influence in cultural and educational matters. Then Dr. Ley’s German Labor Front cannot ignore the teachers’ position as a part of the workers. There is also the Fighting League for German Culture, a National-Socialist organization, and the National-Socialist Factory Cell Organization, but of them all the Deutsche Erzieher Gemeinschaft is the most conservative and this has been the object of attacks by the National-Socialist Lehrer-Bund. The fact of the matter is that the minority composed of the National-Socialist teachers who are fanatical adherents of the present régime, are suspicious of the great mass of their colleagues.
Conservative teachers and educators have been painfully disillusioned by the introduction of the leadership principle into the schools. Promotions and graduations and details concerning the curricula have in the past been decided by a conference board. Now the director of the school decides all these matters by himself. The teachers are called in as advisers, but their capabilities to advise are determined by their party enthusiasm. Much injustice of course is done to the scholars whose advancement may be subject to political expediency. Promotions may be much more rapid for children of members of the party or otherwise good National-Socialists.
One of the new measures which the Government has put into effect, concerns the proper training of National-Socialist teachers. The authorities are establishing normal schools in different parts of Germany, especially along the Eastern frontier, to train teachers. On June 24 of last year the first of these normal schools, which are called [Page 285] Universitaet fuer Lehrerbildung, was established at Lauenburg near the Western border of the Polish corridor. Academies, normal schools and universities are being transformed rapidly into such institutions. Recently Universitaeten fuer Lehrerbildung have been established at Elbing, Kiel, Bonn, Dortmund, Koeslin and Beuthen. Old universities are being transformed into these new teachers’ colleges. The Government considers the old universities too “intellectual”, which means too liberal, for the training of National-Socialist teachers. The Voelkischer Beobachter did not hesitate to give this tip to the old universities.
There is no question that in the course of time a real conflict will arise between the conservative intellectuals in Germany and the National-Socialist pseudo-intellectuals. Even among the young students, particularly those whose basic culture is sound and whose view of life will normally develop, will in the end appreciate the divergence of German intellectual life from the historic norm which learning has been able to maintain through the ages. However, these people will be considered reactionaries, liberalists and even be branded with the opprobrious term, from the National-Socialist point of view, of “intellectuals”. On the other hand, in the normal schools where National-Socialist teachers are being taught and where the militaristic principle is being introduced, there is no question that a very baneful and harmful influence will be introduced increasingly into Germany’s intellectual life. The results of this system of pedagogy and its effects on the young will not be seen until the next generation.
Respectfully yours,