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The Nationalpolitische Erziehungsanstalt (NPEA or NAPOLA--National Political Educational Establishment) were an early creation of the Third Reich. The NAPOLA program was initaiated in 1933, the year the NAZIs seized power, under the leadership of the Joachim Haupt. The NAPOLAs were based on the Imperial Germany Kadettanstalten. The schools were higly selective. Only 20 percent of applicants were accepted. Selection criteria included racial origins, physical fitness, and membership in the Hitler Youth. We are not sure what the academic qualifications were. The program was very demanding. Only about one-third of the students who entered the NAPOLAs actually finished the program and graduated. The NAZIs planned to train a new generation of German leaders at these schools. The schools adopted the regular secondary school curriculum, but placed a greater concentration on physical education and racial and political studies. The schools were single gender schools, primarily for boys. There were, however, also four schools for girls as well. The first three NAPOLAs were opened May 3, 1933. Another 18 NAPOLAs were opened before World War II began in September 1939 and about 20 more after the War began. The NAPOLAs were organised on a militarybasis. The "jungmannen" (students) were divided into Hunderschaften (100 students), Züge (platoons) and Gruppen (squads). There were student non-commissioned officers leading each of these units. The NAPOLAs were associated with the Hitler Youth. After the first year (beginning October 1934), NAPOLA students had to be Hitler Youth members. They were, however, funded and supported by the Minister of Education. It was the SchutzStaffel (SS) that would from an early point establish the dominant influence at the schools. SS-Gruppenführer August Heissmeyer was appointed to head the NAPOLA Program in 1936. RFSS Himmler himself assumed leadership of the schools in 1944. This actually led to the founding of the Adolf Hitler Schulen that competed with the NAPOLA schools.
The Nationalpolitische Erziehungsanstalt (NPEA or NAPOLA--National Political Educational Establishment) were an early creation of the Third Reich. The NAPOLA program was initaiated in 1933, the year the NAZIs seized power, under the leadership of Joachim Haupt.
Hitler and the NAZIS were extremely suspicious of the state school syste. German at the time the NAZIs seized power had one of the finest if not the fiensr public school system in the world in academic terms. It's one weakness was that most working-class children did not pursue secindary and thus university education. The academic standards were impressive. The problem for the NAZIS was that they exposed the children to ideas and sought to make them think. And the teachers included men and women from a broad range of the social and political spectrum of Germany. Teachers were chosen on the basis of academic capability rather than political reliability. This is not at all what Hitler and the NZIs wanted. They did not want young people doing all that much thinking. They wanted young people who were throughly indictrinated in Nsationsal Socialuist udeology anhd leaned to obey. And they wanted Jews, Sicialists abnd Cinmmunuts, and other non-NAZIS out iof the schools. All of this was of much greater importance than academic standards. Minister of Science, Education, and Culture, Bernhard Rust, set about changing this, but it would take some time to throughly NAZIify the schools.
The NAPOLAs were based on the Imperial Germany Kadettanstalten.
The schools were higly selective. Only 20 percent of applicants were accepted. Selection criteria included racial origins, physical fitness, and membership in the Hitler Youth. At the time the HJ was sill small and relatively few boys had joined. We are not sure just what the academic qualifications were.
The NAZIs planned to train a new generation of German leaders unsulied by the old ideas at these schools.
The NAPOLA program was very demanding. Only about one-third of the students who entered the NAPOLAs actually finished the program and graduated. The schools adopted the regular secondary school curriculum, but placed a greater concentration on physical education and racial and political studies.
Part of the NAPOLA program was a demanding summer camp program after the regular school year. The summer camps wereveven more demanding than the regular HJ summer camos and include even more overt military training. We note NAPOLA boys at Ahrenshoop on the Bakltic coast, one of several camps for the boys.
The NPOLA schools were single gender schools, primarily for boys. There were, however, also four schools for girls as well.
The first three NAPOLAs were opened May 3, 1933. Another 18 NAPOLAs were opened before World War II began in September 1939 and about 20 more after the War began.
The NAPOLAs were organised on a militarybasis. The "jungmannen" (students) were divided into Hunderschaften (100 students), Züge (platoons) and Gruppen (squads). There were student non-commissioned officers leading each of these units.
The NAPOLAs were associated with the Hitler Youth. After the first year (beginning October 1934), NAPOLA students had to be Hitler Youth members. They were, however, funded and supported by the Minister of Education. It was the SchutzStaffel (SS) that would from an early point establish the dominant influence at the schools. And while NAZI Party schools they were funded through state funds from the Ministry of Science, Education, and Culture.
Quite a few important NAZIs took an interest in these schools.b This is understandavle because the future leaders of the Third Reich were being selected and trained here. And itv is why Himmler and the SS decided to take over the program.
Bernhard Rust was born in Hannover (1883). He was awarded a doctorate in German philology and philosophy. Even so he failed the state teaching examination (1908). He became a secondary school teacher at Hannover's Ratsgymnasium. He served in the Army during World War I (1914-18). He wa primoted to lieutenant and was awarded the Iron Cross for bravery. He was an early adherent to the NAZI Party (1922). By this time, Hitler was in firm control pf the Parry. Hitler was apparently impressed with him, presunably because of his loyalty. He appointed him Gauleiter for Süd-Hannover-Braunschweig. Rust was elected to the Reichstag as the NAZI Party scorced huge advances in the Depressuion election (1930). Hitler after becoming Chancellor, Hitler appointed Rust Prussian Minister for Cultural Affairs (1933). The next year he turned German education over to Rust, appointing him Rust Reichserziehungsminister (Minister of Science, Education and National Culture) (1933). Rust held the post throughout the subsequent NAZI era. He thus became both a school administrator and fervebnt NAZI. He issued decrees with little vetting. Many wre considered bizarre by professional educators, especially in the early years before the teaching profession was thoroughly NAZIfied. It was Rust who ordered that students should greet teachers with the Heil Hutler salutation and salute. Hitler fid not trust the schools when he seized power. Rust set out to NAZIfy the educatiion sysrem so it could be used to completely immerse German youth in National Socialist philosophy. Ge supported the NAPOLA schools concrive by his deputy, Joachim Haupt. The schools were taken over by the SS, but still funded by Rust's Ministry. And we see him continuing to show up at NAPOLA events. Besides NAZI ideology, Rust had passion for orthography (spelling, capitaluization, punctustion, and other elements). He doggedly pursued spelling and other orthographic reforms. He met considerable resistance in the academic community, but many of his reforms were adopted after the War. The day after the NAZI surrender, Rust shot himself (May 8, 1945).
Joachim Haupt's was from the area of Frankfurt/Oder. He came from a family of civil servants. His father died when he was still quite young. He was not old enough to serve when World War I broke out (1914), but was admitted to a military academy in the last years of the War. After the war he joined the Freikorps Dohna. The Freikorps were breeding grounds for future NAZIs, attracting embittered military veterabns and young men shocked that Germany had lost the War and outraged by the Versailles Peace Treary. He studied philosophy at the University of Greifswald. He worked in factories to earn money to pay for his university fees. He earned a doctorate degree. As a student he was active in the small NAZI Party, helping to organize student groups. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor (January 1933), he appointed long-time NAZI Bernhard Rust Prussian Minister of Education and Culture. Dr. Joachim Haupt was appointed his deputy. Prussia was the largest state in Germany and the NAZIs moved more aggressively there than in other areas of Germany after Hitler was made Chancellor (January 1933). Göring was for example made Minister of the Interior (police) in Prussia. Rust then tasked with the assignment of setting up the NAPOLA schools. Shortly after they presented the progranm to Hitler on hist birthdat (April 20, 1933). Hitler was apparently pleased. The next year he offered Rust just what he wanted, the national Ministry of Science, Education, and Culture. What happened with Haupt is unclear. Some sources suggest that Haupt was offered the leadership of the expanding Hitler Youth program, but unexpectedly he turned it down. Other source claim that Hitler chose Schirach over Haupt. This seemed to have affected Hiler's assessment of him. And to make matters worse, he
got into a power struggle with of all people SS-Reichführer Heinrich Himmler. Himmler showed up reportedly unexpectedly at a conference and expected to meet with see Haupt. Himmler at the time was intent on seizing control of the NPOLA schools. He used a standard SS approach, arresting Haupt ion charges of homosexuality. This anme method was use in attacking the Catholic schools in Germany. Rust apparently got him out of prison, but this ended his career in education and the NAZI Party. Haupt was essentially expelled from the NAZI Party (1938). He played no further role in the NAZI education program or other aspect of the NAZI regime. He discretely took up farming. In the final phase of the World War II he was drafted, but survived the War. He was not charged with war crimes after the War.
August Heissmeyer / Heißmeyer was born in Gellersen now part of Aerzen (1897). After finishing school, Heissmeyer enlisted in the Prussian military. He served in World War I (1914-18). He reached the rank of leutenant and was heavily decorated , including the Iron Cross, First Class. He married and had children, but divorced his wife. During the NAZI era he met annd married Gertrud Scholtz-Klink who was the Reichsfrauenführerin (Reich Women's Leader). He had six children in his custody at the time. She had been married two times prevuously. Heissmeyer
gave up any furher studies and supported himself driving teacher. He was first attracyed to the NAZI Party (923) and subsequently joined (1925). He soon joined the SA (1926) He became deeply involved with SA work and help attract many new recruits to the SA-Gausturm Hannover-Süd. He briefly served as acting Gauleiter. He applied to the SS (1930) and was accepted, becoming the 4370th member. He began working in the main SS office (1932) and was promoted. He became Head of the SS Main Office (1935). This made him an important prson in the SS hierarchy. This relieved SS-Reichführer from many mundane tasks. Himmler after wrestling control iof the NAPOLA schools from Juachim Haupt abnd thev MJinistry of Science, Education and Culture, made SS-Obergruppenführer and Inspector of the National Political Institutes of Education (NAPOLA) (1936)
Running the NAPOLA schools as a demanding assignment, but it was not all that prestigious within the SS. Heissmeyer was appointed SS Oberabschnittsleiter East (1939) and "Higher SS and Police Leader Spree (1940). This essentially made him the chief police commander in the Berlin-Brandenburg area. With these and subsequent assignments, Heissmeyer non longervhad time to mAnage the NAPOLAs closely. He must have assigned suborduinates this function, We suspect that the NAPOLas from this point on received little supervision from SS central authorities and were thus largeky run by the individual school commanders with little interference.
After the outbreak of World War II, Heissmeyer established the Dienststelle SS-Obergruppenführer Heissmeyer – his own persinal bureau.
He took a special interest in upgrading thev military trainingat the NAPOLA schools. .
Heissmeyer took over the General Inspection of the Strengthened SS Totenkopf Standard (1940) from Theodor Eicke. He had been commanding a front line combat division and had turned over his job of supervising the concentration camps back to the SS Main Leadership Office (SS-Führungshauptamt). Heissmeyer was as a result provisionally in charge of this bureau (until May 1942). He then turned the post over to the new concentration camp inspector, SS-Gruppenführer Richard Glücks. Heissmeyer was awarded the title General of the Waffen-SS along with his regular SS rank (November 1944), giving him the prestigev he coveted. His last command as aaffen-SS commander was Battle Group Heissmeyer, a composit Volkssturm and Hitlerjugend formation ordered to protecting the Spandau airfield outside Berlin (April 1945). It was a hopeless task, but Heissmeyer survived and avoid capture by the Red Army, presumably because he wa defending an airport. He then disappeared into the chaos of occupied Gernmany. He was arrested by French authorities near Tübinge (1948).
He was tried and without a full appreciation of his activities, sentenced to a short prison term. He was released after 18 months. He was then sentenced by the Allied de-Nazification appeals court to 3 years imprisonment and forfeiture of property and idetified as a "major Nazi offender" (1950). After he was released he lived in Schwäbisch Hall. He became the director of the West German Coca-Cola bottling plant. He died after his 82nd birthday (1979).
RFSS Himmler personally assumed leadership of the NAPOLA schools (1944). We doubt wuth all that was happening at the time that he had much time to spare to administer the NAPOLA schools.
The SS take over of the NAPOLA schools led to the founding of the Adolf Hitler Schulen that competed with the NAPOLA schools. The second kind of party secondary schools created by the NAZIs were called the Adolf Hitler Schulen (AHS--Adolf Hitler Schools). The AHS were founded because the SS essentially seized control of the NAPOLA. Reichsorganisationsleiter Dr. Robert Ley (DAF leader of the DAF) and Baldur von Schirach (Hitler Youth leader) agreed to set up the new schools in January 1937. These schools, according to the joint statement issued by Schirach and Ley, were open to outstanding and proven members of the Jungvolk, the junior section of the Hitler Youth. The selection from the Jungfolk was of course because the boys enter the AHS at age 12. I have no details on the selection process. Presumably it was similar to the NAPOLAs. Selection to the AHS was a great honor. Not only were there no fees, but success at the schools would open a wide range of opportunities to boys who might come from humble backgrounds. These schools were units of and under the jurisdiction of the Hitler Youth. Schirach and Ley shared in the supervision of both the curriculum and the selection of school staff. [Nizkor, 2653-PS.] The first AHS was opened at Krössinsee in April 1937. The schools were scatered all over Germany. The initial plan was to open a AHS in each Gau (NAZI administrative unit). This was never accomplished, but two AHS were opened in the occupied territories during World War II (Belgium and Böhmen-Mähren). They were boarding school directed by the Hitler Youth.
Nizkor Project, "Nazi Conspiracy & Aggression Individual Responsibility Of Defendants:
Baldur Von Schirach (2653-PS).
Overy, Richard. The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Third Reich (Penguin Group: London 1996).
Shirer, William L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
(Simon and Schuster: New York, 1960).
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