Anti-Semitism and Schooling Under the Third Reich (Studies in the History of Education)

This book investigates the anti-Semitic foundations of Nazi curricula for elementary schools, with a focus on the subjects of biology, history, and literature. Gregory Paul Wegner argues that any study of Nazi society and its values must probe the education provided by the regime. Schools, according to Wegner, play a major role in advancing ideological justifications for mass murder, and in legitimizing a culture of ethnic and racial hatred. Using a variety of primary sources, Wegner provides a vivid account of the development of Nazi education. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 Series Editor's Preface 10 Acknowledgments 12 Tables and llustrations 14 Introduction 16 Chapter 1. The Emergence of Racial Anti-Semitism and Nazi Educational Philosophy 22 The Emergence of Racial Anti-Semitism 25 National Socialism, Jews, and the Educated Person 30 Anti-Semitic Voices and Nazi Education 35 Nazi Curriculum Reform and Race 41 Chapter 2. The Jewish Question: Curriculum Perspectives from the Third Reich 44 Ernst Dobers and the Jewish Question 45 Education for the Anti-Semite: The Perspective of Werner Dittrich 58 Fritz Fink and the Face of the Jew 69 Chapter 3. The Jew as Racial Pariah in Race Hygiene and Biology 82 Paul Brohmer and the New Biology 85 Schooling for a New Mythos: Race, Anti-Semitism, and the Curriculum of Alfred Vogel 89 The Vogel Teaching Charts 93 Race Hygiene and the New Biology 99 Medical Doctors on Race Hygiene and The Schools 108 Ferdinand Rossner and Biological Conceptions of the Jew 113 The Development of Race Hygiene in Schools Under National Socialism 118 The Depths of War and the Endurance of Race Hygiene 136 Chapter 4. The Jew as Cultural Outsider in History and Geography 140 Curriculum Directives 142 The Jewish Question and the New History 144 History and the Jew: Early Directions 146 Dieter Klagges and Race History 159 The Jew in History Text and Story 161 Geographical Perspectives on the Jew 170 Chapter 5. Exemplars of Anti-Semitic Literature for Children 180 Ernst Hiemer and the Demonization of the Jew 181 Hlemer and Anti-Semitic Fairytales 189 The Dark Image of the Jew and Elvira Bauer 194 Phillip Bouhler and the Nazi Movement 198 Race Hygienic Fables and the Obscure Jew 200 German Studies, the Jew, and Connections with Physical Education 200 Chapter 6. Conclusion 204 Appendices 214 Notes 224 Glossary 260 Bibliography 264 Index 280 This book investigates the anti-semitic foundations of Nazi curricula for elementary schools, with a focus on the subjects of biology, history, geography, race hygiene and literature. The author argues that any study of Nazi society and its values must probe the education provided by the regime in order to understand how the official knowledge of the state was circulated and legitimized. Anti Semitism and Schooling under the Third Reich chronicles an extreme case of what happens when schools are put in the service of a political and racial agenda. Schools, according to Wegner, play a major role in advancing ideological justifications for mass murder, and in legitimising a culture of ethnic and racial hatred. Using a variety of primary sources, Wegner provides a vivid account of the development of Nazi education The political agenda of Nazi Germany drew from centuries of anti-Semitic prejudice and racism in Europe. Gregory Paul Wegner. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [201]-235) And Index.