Ländliche Elite und Volksgemeinschaft: Ostfrieslands Volksschullehrkräfte im "Dritten Reich"

Abstract

"The society of the Third Reich was hierarchically structured and opened up new prospects for teachers at elementary schools. After school supervision by the Churches had come to an end, both role and status of teachers on the country were clearly revaluated. However, only after 1933 the teachers were officially recognized as educators of the entire people. In this context, their elite function was less connected to teaching at school but to their voluntary work within the social structure of villages, which speedily made most of all male teachers belong to the local circles of opinion leaders. Particu­larly due to this role, teachers were expected to show intensive National Socialist commitment, which will be analysed by the regional example of East Friesian teachers as members of the choirs of Leeran and the local NSV." (author's abstract)