Figure 1.--This photograph shows a class at the Oliwie school in 1944. We are not sure just where Oliwie was. We were suprised to see such healthy and well-dressed children in Poland during 1944. Emense battles were raging in Poland at the time. We suspect that Oliwie was in the areas of Western Poland annexed by the Reich. It appears to have been close to Danzig (modern Gdansk). The children may be either German children or Polish children in the process of being Germanized. Click on the image for an assessment of the school

The NAZI objective in Poland was to destroy the Polish nation and Polish nationalism. The long term objectives was to substantially reduced the Slavic population in Poland and other areas of Eastern Europe. Some were to be killed, others deported, and the remainder converted into slave labor for menial tasks. The enormity of these terrifying plans would have far eclipsed the Jewish Holocaust. These national and racial policies of course affected the NAZI approach to education. The NAZIs in the areas of Poland annexed to the Reich was total "Germanization". This policy was was most rigorously executed in western annexed territories which the Germans called Wartheland. We do not yet have detailed information on what happened to schools in Poland and are just beginning to piece together what occurred. We believe that the Germans closed all schools, even elementary schools where Polish was used. The population was divided into different categories which assessed Poles who were racially suitable for Germinization. Many Poles were deported ton the Government General. In the Government General schools, museums, libraries, and scientific laboratories were closed or destroyed. I know that universities and secondary schools were closed. Some technical schools were allowed to function. I'm not yet sure about primary schools. There were also Jewish schools which operated briefly in the Gettos. Eastern Poland was seized from the Soviet Union after the launch of Operarion Barbarossa (June 1941). We do not know what happened there as the NAZIs were in control for a shorter period if time.

NAZI Plans for Poland

The occupation of Poland was one of the most brutal in European history. Occupation aithorities, especially the SS, were under no legal or moral constraints as regards their conduct and the execultion of occupation policies. Poles had no recourse. The NAZI set out to eliminate the Polish intelgencia and reduce the rest of the country to a vast population of slave labor. It is estimated that a quarter of the population of Poland perished during the occupation. Hitler did not view Poland as a legitimate nation. He saw it as a creation of the hated Versailles Treaty ending World War I. Poland had split Germany through the Polish Corridor. He was determined that Poland would never again threaten Germany or limit Germany's drive for lebensraum. The NAZI plan was simple. First they plan to eliminate the Polish inteligencia. Second they would expel Poles and colonize the former Polish areas with Germans. The was given orders to kill Polish prominent civilians and indiviaduals such as government officials, the nobility, teachers, and priests throughout Poland, any would which could promote Polish nationalism or offer leadership. Today their are countless memorial stones and plaques througout Poland where these executions took place. And it was not just men, women and children were also killed. The invasion of Poland brough a much larger area an numbers of foreigners under German control (September 1939). Himmler had asigned the Main Office for the Consolidation of German Nationhood (SS-RKF) the task of preparing a plan for Germanizing Poland. The Chief of SS-RKF Department II (Planning) SS-Oberführer Professor Dr. Konrad Meyer was responsible for preparing the plans. An important part of the program for the program was to reclaim as much suitable generic material as possible which meant kidnapping Polish children and raising them as Germans.

Polish Areas

The NAZI national and racial policies described above of course affected the NAZI approach to education. NAZI policies varied depending on the different areas of Poland. We still have only limited information on what happened in the schools, but hope to develop this subject as more information becomes available.

Annexed areas of Western Poland

The NAZIs in the areas of Poland annexed to the Reich was total "Germanization". This policy was was most rigorously executed in western annexed territories which the Germans called Wartheland. We do not yet have detailed information on what happened to schools in Poland and are just beginning to piece together what occurred. We believe that the Germans closed all schools, even elementary schools where Polish was used. The population was divided into different categories which assessed Poles who were racially suitable for Germinization. Many Poles were deported ton the Government General.

Government General (central Poland)

The Government General was the German occupation regime for the areas of central Poland around Warsaw which were not annexed to the Reich. In the Government General schools, museums, libraries, and scientific laboratories were closed or destroyed. I know that universities and secondary schools were closed. Some technical schools were allowed to function. I'm not yet sure about primary schools.

Jewish Getto schools

There were also Jewish schools which operated briefly in the Gettos.

Eastern Poland

Easternn Poland was seized anannexed by the Soviet Union (September 1939). We have little information at this time what happened to the schools there. Eastern Poland was then seized from the Soviet Union after the launch of Operarion Barbarossa (June 1941). We do not know what happened there as the NAZIs were in control for a shorter period if time.

School Levels

The NAZIs afyter occuopying central and western Poland immediately closed the universities. Many university professors were arrested and shot. Others were interned in the concentration camps opened throughout Poland wghere most perished. The Slavs were considerdca racial enemy pf the German people, thus universuty educations for Poles was ended. The Poles were to be turned into agricultural serfs and menial industrial laborers to support the economy of the Reich. Thus verylittle education was needed. We are not yet sure yet about te details of primary and secondary education in German occupied Poland.

Primary

We do not yet hfave details about Polish primary schools or who taught the children and what curriculum and books were used. SS Reichführer Himmler wrote in a memorandum "The sole goal of this schooling is to teach them simple arithmetic, nothing above the number 500; writing one's name; and the doctrine that it is divine law to obey the Germans. I do not think that reading is desirable." [Himmer memorandum, May 1940]

Secondary

The NAZI occupation authorities closed all Polish secondary schools. Eduvation beyond the primary level was prohibited. Secondary teachers were suhject to address. We are not sure how aggresively the occupation authorities pursued the teachers. This was to prevent the development of a future genersation of Polish leaders. The Poles organized "Secret Teaching" (Tajne Nauczanie), a campaign of underground education.

University

Immeduately after the German occupation of central and western Poland, the Germans moved against Polish universities. No announcement of their intentions were made. Instead the NAZIs executed the A-B Action. The NAZIs ordered professors and university staff to reprt for duty to learn about undisclosed future operations. Those professors who showed up were arrested and summarily shot. Others were arrested and interned in the new concentrations camps the NAZIs began setting up throughout Poland. The objective was to destroy the Polish inteligencia. The next step was to permanently close all Polish universities. University insruction for all Poles (but not German citizens of Polish ancestry) was ended. The Poles saw the Poles (Slavs) as racially inferior and thus not suitable for university education. And it was seen as even dangerous to educate racial enemies as they would form the leadership to future Polish resistance to German control. Not only was university education banned for Poles, but it was punisable by death. After closing Poland's universities, the NAZIs confiscaed their equipment and laboratories and transported them to the Reich and turned over to German universities. Their was no objection I know of on the part of Germn academics. The university buildings and other fixed assetts that could not be shipped to Germany were converted unti offices and military barracks. University professors who survived the A-B Action at great danger to themselves organized the "Secret Universities" throughout the country. This actually was a revival of the tradition of Flying University duting the era of partition of Poland when most of the country was occupied by Russia.

Sources

Himmer. Heinrich. Memorandum, May 1940.

Created: 8:21 PM 9/17/2004
Last updated: 6:42 AM 4/24/2010