Weimar Culture and Education Flashcards
Education before the war
Education always based on Länder - compulsory from 6-14 (Grundschule) ; children of upper class parents went to fee paying schools (Gymnasium, Hauptschule etc). Working class children went to Volkesschule - schools with large classes (usually over 50), which taught basic reading, writing and numeracy as well as to respect your place in society. Most schools were confessional schools with social mobility being difficult. Most children started work aged 14 and any education after was expensive (EDUCATION SYSTEM ENCOURAGED THE STATUS QUO OF WELSTHY CHILDREN ENTERING THE PROFESSIONS ETC)
Post war Temporary Government Change to education?
Mainly SPD in coalition till mid 1920s - they pushed for faired education with the Reich Youth Welfare law of 1922 (more understanding of youthful discretions) ; socialists wanted a comprehensive system with no religious education/confessional schools ; in more conservative/catholic places like Bavaria there is a compromise where parents can opt out of religious education and clerical inspection of schools were removed. Compulsory Grundschule 6-10.
Why was their controversy over Early Weimar’s changes to education?
Many in rural and southern Länder objected as education was a political issue and many wanted religion taught - others wanted it taught because it taught basic morality. The various parties in the assembly could not agree when writing the constitution so the education articles were a compromise with the popular centre party keeping confessional schools and religion in the curriculum. Articles accentuated idea of federal governance - schools run by Länder but meeting needs of parents locally
How were attempts to introduce a common schooling system continually defeated?
While the government worked on creating a federal education law that gave Länder guidelines to work to, non-confessional, state schools (simultaneous) were set up. Confessional schools could run privately and without a national law, Länder provided a wide variety of education (in 1921 and 1925 bill failed as reichstag could not agree). In 1927 new bill proposed that confessional, common (children in common schools would have education in their own faith) and secular schools be set up as long as they were requested by at least 40 children’s parents
Reaction to 1927 bill on education?
All over Germany people like the Reich parents league supported the bill but others (Volkskirche Association for Evangelical Freedom) vigorously opposed it - some were relived at the level of educational provision while others wanted religion to be a matter of religious bodies and not schools ; bill was sent to be revised by a comittee which could not agree so it remained as diverse as set up by Länder and by 1931 there were 29020 protestant schools, 97 Jewish schools, 295 secular schools
Education beyond age of 10
Had to be paid for - students could go down 3 routes
Hauptschule - 5 years schooling leading to apprenticeship/trade
Realschule - 6 years schooling leading to business/technical trade
Gymnasium - 9 years schooling leading to university
CHILD’S CAREER DECIDED AT AGE OF 10
Universities?
1928 survey found that 45% of fathers of university students were civil servants (many of whom were university educated themselves). The government hoped to reform the system BUT the Weimar constitution principle of freedom of choice meant that universities carried on as before so schools had to fit in with them. They were very right wing and favoured the upper class.
University corporations?
Universities had their own corporations which formed nations wide associations - “duelling” corporations, where differences were settled by a sword fight were popular among the sons of wealthy landowners while non-duelling corporations were seen as socially inferior. In 1928 - 56% of students were members of a corporation ; some of which excluded people by race or social class. GERMAN-ARYAN CHAMBERS MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT/LACK OF SUPPORT AFFECTED A PERSON’S CAREER
Anti-semitism/social exclusivity and racism prevalent in these societies
What does culture comprise of?
Music, art, theatre, books, sports and architecture and fashion
How is culture in Weimar portrayed?
Vibrant, experimental and (in cities) decadent ; BUT it must be remembered that this is only based on the activities of a small part of the population ; there were large parts of Germany that were untouched by cultural experimentation/many were horrified by it as well… BUT it had a lot of influence on Germany with influential movements like Bauhaus and Neue Sachlichkeit
Bauhaus movement?
Design school set up by Walter Gropius in 1919 - beauty in technology and minimalistic style ; way of thinking and not just the design school ; SPATIAL expression and idea of functionalism and craft in a utilitarianism (advocates actions that foster happiness) way
Neue Sachlichkeit
The New Objectvitiy movement grew out of the “modern” and “expressionist” movements that had developed before WW1 ; it meant a matter-of-fact representation of life… showing the squalor of poverty in art, books or film.
Art Elite Culture
Artists, culture and writers who supported them formed this group which was the most experimental ; using ideas and developing them - theyfavoured modernism and expressionism but then this of course changed with Neue Sachlichkeit (artists like Otto Dix and Grosz). This influenced music, opera etc and was highly valued by wealthy people who subsidised (financially supported) artists
Modernism
Beauty in technology and efficient and production and mass culture - rejected stylised fiction about rich landowners ; PERFECT EXAMPLE IS FRITZ LANG’S METROPOLIS FILM
Expressionism
Stressed that the thoughts and feelings of the artist was more important that accurate representation in art or musical tones ; Arnold Schoenberg for example, devised a system of atonal music (not written in key like a conventional piece). Schonberg also painted expressionist paintings and like many others, was Jewish
