Figure 1.--School in America and Englamd begins in September. This was in part because children were needed on the farm until the haevest was in. The Germn school year until recently was different. The German school year until the 1930s began after Easter. I am not entirely sure why Easter was chosen, but many German schools were associated with the Church which may be a factor. Here we see a first day portrait from the 1930s. Note the beret. The portrait is undated, but the style of the portrait suggests the 1930s.

School in America and Englamd begins in September. This was in part because children were needed on the farm until the haevest was in. The German school year until recently was different. The German school year until the 1930s began after Easter. I am not entirely sure why Easter was chosen, but many German schools were associated with the Church which may be a factor. Also Germany did not have a centralized school system like France. The various states retained responsibility for education, although some effort at centralization was made by the NAZIs. So there made have been differences within Germany. I am not sure about what happened in East Germany after World War II. German readers, however, tell us what happened in West Germany. A German reader tells us, "I personally think that for young children this is a good date, because in the morning it is light and the long summer holidays are a pleasant break. I myself, born 1935, started school in 1941 in the fall. I do not know the reason for the change from Easter to fall. In 1945, beginning gymnasium (selective academic secondary school) after the War, it was still in the fall (due to the wartime, I missed school from January 1945 till fall 1945, the 4th grade of the Volksschule). About 1950, for some reason which again I do not know, the school start was changed back to Easter. Perhaps to correct the modification during the 30s. So, I finished gymnasium in 1954 in the very spring time. For youngsters who wanted to study engineering at a university (as I did) this was rather good to be able to go just for half a year into industry for the required pre-engineering exercices ("Vorpraktikum"); engineering studies started by tradition in the Instituts of Technology at fall. Youngsters intending for literal studies without this requirement could start university just after Easter. Note that all young males born in the 30s had not to do military service, loosing more than a year. In the 50s Germany during the Cold war was again allowed to build up military service again and about 1960 when the Western Allies ended the occupation, military service was again made compulsory for males. To avoid to losing more time before able to go to a university the finishing of school (gymnasium) had to be changed back to fall, in the 60s. To-day, school starts in fall and finishes in the summer when the summer holidays begin in June/July)." Another German reader tells us, "The school schedule pattern varies in different parts of Germany. My mother noticed the change in the mid-60s. My father and she started school after Easter in the 1950s."

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Created: 8:48 PM 3/23/2007
Last updated: 6:11 AM 3/24/2007