User:Dr Gangrene/Luxembourg education under Nazi rule

Gustav Simon intended for the education system to play an integral role in his Germanisation policy: teachers were to rebuild the country's German character, and drive out French elements. It was to aid in winning over the Luxembourgers' hearts and minds to their German fatherland. The influence of French culture in Luxembourg was believed to be due to French propaganda facilitated by the government and an education system close to the French one.

Numbers showed that a significant number of Luxembourgish teachers did not return for the school year 1940/1941. Teachers who were judged politicially unreliable were also removed from their posts. (p. 192)

Schulhelfer were engaged (p. 192)

P. 193: Many teachers were sent on Umschulung courses, which might last from two weeks to several months. These were organised by the NSDAP and the NSLB, Nationalsozialistischer Lehrerbund. The purpose was to instill in the teachers the National Socialist world-view, through the analysis of several disciplines. (p. 193)

Nazi education policy was based on two principles: the principle of racial difference, and the Führerprinzip. (p. 193)

p. 199: It is diffifuclt to describe, in general terms, the attitude of the Luxembourgish teachers who remained in their posts: most of them took up a waiting position. Atttitudes of outright collaboration or resistance were the work of individuals; rarely, the teachers took up a postiion collectively. On 10 October 1941, at a conference, 350 Luxembourgish teachers voiced their opposition to the regime when an inspector read out a communique from the Gauleiter.

On an individual level, a certain number of teachers opposed the symbols of Nazi policy; for example by using French as often as possible; by avoiding giving the Hitler salute;