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The Allies were unsure what to do about schools with the NAZI surrender (May 1945). Some reports suggest that they were not too concerned about rushing a reopening of the the schools, in part because German teachers by 1945 had been througly NAZIfied. The text books were also replete with NAZI ideology, even the math and science books. There were also many practical problems. After the War it was difficult to reopen many schools because the buildings in the cities were either destroyed or badly damaged. Large areas of German cities were reduced to rubble and this meant many schools. And many of the schools not destroyed were badly damaged. The damage included heating systems. And coal was in short supply. Even so we see preparations by the U.S. Military Government only a month after the surrender to open the schools. We are not sure if this was done nationally. Here we see parents registering their children in Achen (June 1945) (figure 1). Achen was the first major German city occupid by the Western Allies. Other cities were slower to reopen the schools. Despite the concerns and difficultes, there was a desire to get on with future as well as to get the kids off the streets. A reader who began secondary school (gymnasium) after the war tells us, "Our school in Stuttgart (population 400,000 to 500,000) was reopened in October 1945. During the Winter 1945-46 we had to bring wood for heating a "Kanonenofen" (round iron stove) in our class room. Parts of the building were destroyed and no central heating possible, nor was coal available. The winter 1946-47 was very severe, heating the room in this manner was not sufficient. Nearby, about a mile away, there was a school building which was not destroyed in the war; the central heating was operating and coal was available. Together with classes from other schools around we had a shortened curriculum, only 20 minutes three times a week, just to get our assignments. As there was only a 5 minutes break between one class (to leave a room) and the next to come, we had to assemble at the entrance and were guided to the room which was assigned for our short time, all in a hurry. Later, our building was reconstructed and available the whole year without such limitations."
At the time the NAZIs surrendered, all Germn schools had been closed (May1945). Some chools such s those in Achen had been losed for monts. Achen schools were closed when the city was eized by the americans (September 1944). Others were only closed for a few weeks. Despite the many difficulties, we see preparations by the U.S. Military Government only a month after the surrender to open the schools. Here we see parents registering their children in Achen (June 1945) (figure 1). Achen was the first major German city occupid by the Western Allies. Thus Achen had more time to prepare and address the many problems. The job of reopening the schools in the 12th Army Group areas was given to detachment F1G2. The began wirking on the task (early 1945). The detachment had new textbooks written. The printing pltes were made made in England. The first set of plates inexplicably disappeared when shipped from London. A second set had to be made. Some 40,000 textbooks were printed (Aporol 1945). FIG2 had found a qualified superintendent of schools who had not been a member of the NAZI party (May 1945). He was half Jewish. They also found 26 teachers, mostly middle-age women in their 40s and 50s who had been housewives during the NAZI era and had thus escaped involvement in NAZI orgnizations. Thus Volkschule (grades one to four) opened in Aachen with a thousand students (June 4, 1945). They were the first schools to open in occupied Germny. [Ziemke, p. 277.] Other cities were slower to reopen the schools as many were occupied only a few weks before the NAZI surrender. In many cities the schools did not reopen until September or October. We are less sure about rural areas.
At the time of the NAZI surrender, there was no agreed plan for occupying Germany. The four occupying powers did not have a detailed plan. The Soviets were further along in developing alan than the western Allies. Stalin wanted the Germans to pay. And NKVD teams from an early point began dismanteling German factories nd shippin them East. We do not know to what extent he had thought about schools. The Western governments were still debating occupation policies. ome ideas like the Morgebthau plan called for the deindustrialization and division if Germany. Other plans were less draconian. Thus there was no way to built a joint policy. This meant that the Militry Government in each of the occupation zone were not given detaile instrucions, but had to develop theirown policies until they received instructions. Little support was provided. There was little motivation after V-E Day to divert resources to aid the Germans, especially adter the terrible relevations of NAZI attrocities were coming to life. The military government did assist with agriculture to prevent famine. Education was another area that the military govrnments decided to support the Germans. With no instruction from their governments, the military authorities had different opinions. Not all officers wanted to help. Disgustd with the loss of friends abd comrads men and now aware of what the Germans had done, Some military government officers were willing to keep the schools closed and let the Germanslive in ignorance. This was thankfully a minority view. [Ziemke, pp. 276-77.] Most reached the enlightened view that schools and education were the indespensible foundation for Germany's democratic and prosperous future. But they saw the need to Denazify German education. Schools were also meeded to prevent juvenile delinquency delinquency from becoming a major problem. In the defeated country, about all the children were confronted with a rage of unsavory temptations.
At the end of the NAZI era, authorities began to report on organized adolescent gangs. We see reports about the Snake Club, Red X, Edelzveisspiraten, and others. Their activities at first were activites the NAZIs abhored, but we would not consider illegal, such as listening to swing music and wearing zoot suits. There were reportsof youths laughing and applauding at the wrong places at Hitler Youth meetings. And as the regime began to breal down, the offenses evolved into draft dodging and petty gangsterism. Severe NAZI reaction controlled the situation, but the Allied authorities were not going to deal as severely with children and youth. And in occupied Germany, gangs were likely to have some appeal to unsupervised children. A factor here is that the NAZIs had undermined traditional parental controls. This was an objective of the Hitler Youth orgnization which incouraged young people to accept values and guidance from the state even if their parents disapproved. In a defeated Germany with an economy in shambles, children were easily drawn into black market or other shady activities. Some children even go involved in resistance activities. Thus a major way to prevent this was to get the children back in school. [Ziemke, pp. 276-77.]
The Allies were still unsure what to do about schools with the NAZI surrender (May 1945). As they swept eastward through Germny, they had closed schools that were still open. There was apparently concerns that schools run by NAZI loyalists could be a hot bed of resistance. They then began to prepared to reopen the schools in preparation for the now assured NAZI surrender. After the NAZI surrender, they faced a multitude of problems. Some reports suggest they were not too concerned about rushing a reopening of the schools. And the occupation policies had not yet been decided. The Allied Military Government once it was decided to reopn the schools, faced a wide range of problems. There were both practical problems and ideological issues. SUPREME Headquaters Allied Expeditionry Force (SHAEF) wanted that before the schools reopened, suitable buildings be found and prepared, non-Nazi teachers certified, and new textbooks printed. That was, however, just not possible in a few months. Despite the concerns and difficultes, however, there was a desire to get on with future as well as to get the kids off the streets. This was a decision taken by SHAEF before the Allies had decided on the goals of the occupation and the future of Germany.
The 12th Arny Group E detachments had three education officers in their tables of organization and the F detachments spaces for two. At the onset of the occupation (May 1945)only one E detachment and no F detachment had an officer whose primary assignment was education. The education officer's sole function during the War after American forces entered the Reich, was to close schools. This of course did not require a full-time educational specialist or any one with an education background.
We are not sure if the reopening of schools was done differently in the three Western occupation zones.
A reader who began secondary school (gymnasium) after the war tells us, "Our school in Stuttgart (population 400,000 to 500,000) was reopened in October 1945. During the Winter 1945-46 we had to bring wood for heating a "Kanonenofen" (round iron stove) in our class room. Parts of the building were destroyed and no central heating possible, nor was coal available. The winter 1946-47 was very severe, heating the room in this manner was not sufficient. Nearby, about a mile away, there was a school building which was not destroyed in the war; the central heating was operating and coal was available. Together with classes from other schools around we had a shortened curriculum, only 20 minutes three times a week, just to get our assignments. As there was only a 5 minutes break between one class (to leave a room) and the next to come, we had to assemble at the entrance and were guided to the room which was assigned for our short time, all in a hurry. Later, our building was reconstructed and available the whole year without such limitations."
Ziemke, Earl F. "Germany in Defeat," The U.S. Army in the Occupation of Germany, 1944-1946 Chapter XVI. (Center of Military History: GPO, 1975). Thus was a voume in the Army Historical Seris.
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