Education in Nazi Germany

• The law for the restoration of professional civil service in 1933 allowed the nazis to stop any teachers from teaching that did not align with the beliefs of the nazi regime
• All teachers in Nazi Germany had to swear an oath and join the Nazi teachers league, where political education courses had to be obtained
• Teachers were expected to teach students the Nazi Salute.
• All classrooms were decorated with Nazi symbols and before and after each lesson, all students had to say ' heil hitler '
• The Napola Schools were boarding schools meant for future leaders of Germany.
• To enter the napola school, students had to be examened through sports and doctors, to ensure they were racially pure
• Only people who were competitive and aggressive were chosen for the napola schools. Students were taught by the SA and SS
• In Napola schools, there was no religious education but instead more sport. After schooling, students were put into the army, SS or police
• The aim of the Hitler Youth was to prepare German boys to fight in the army. Activities were mainly political education, sports and rifle practice
• The aim of the League of German Maidens was to prepare German girls for motherhood. Girls did sports, however were mainly taught domestic skills
• Racial studies was a new subject in Nazi germany, which taught Nazi beliefs about the aryan race and jews
• Nazi Youth Groups:

  • Pimpfe (6-10 years)
  • Deutsche Jungvolk (10-14 years)
  • Hitler jugend (14-18 years)
• Hitler youth: Political training

  • Oath of loyalty to Hitler
  • Residential courses teaching Nazi ideology
  • Forced to report even parents or teachers disloyal to Hitler
• Hitler Youth: physical training

  • Camping and hiking to keep fit
  • Sport competitions
• Hitler youth: Military training

  • Military skills e.g. signalling
  • Rifle practice
  • 1.2 million boys trained in small-arms shooting
• Hitler youth: character training

  • Sports encouraged to be aggressive
  • Boys in jungvolk had to swear oath to protect Hitler with their lives
  • Plunged into ice cold water to toughen up boys