National Political Institutes of Education
Encyclopedia
National Political Institutes of Education were secondary
boarding school
s in Nazi Germany
. They were founded as "community education sites" after the National Socialist
seizure of power
in 1933.
Life in boys' Napolas was often very competitive and frequently brutal. Approximately one fifth of all cadets washed out or were sent home because of injuries sustained in training accidents.
The percentage of Jungmannen who eventually entered the SS was 13%, much higher than the 1.8% in the general German population. The National Socialist
world view was considered paramount in Napola education. A prominent belief among the cadets themselves was that of "Endsieg" or Final Victory. Many of them were utilized as child soldiers, and were killed in the last months of the war.
The first three NPEA's were founded in 1933 by the Minister of Education Bernhard Rust
in Plön
, Potsdam
, and Köslin. The schools responded directly to the Reich
Ministry for Education, rather than to any state
like regular schools. From 1936, the NPEA's were subordinated to the Inspector of the National Political Institutes of Education and SS Obergruppenführer
August Heissmeyer
. From 1939, they were part of the Hauptamt Dienststelle SS-Obergruppenführer Heißmeyer. Therewith the schools were under the direct influence of the SS, and Heißmeier pressured teachers to join this organization. He also considered introducing uniforms and ranks similar to the SS among students and teachers. By 1941 there were 30 NPEA's with 6,000 students enrolled in all of Nazi Germany. In 1942 there were 33 schools, 30 for boys and 3 for girls. By the end of the war there were 43 schools.
), a film set in an NPEA, was released in 2004. It was directed by Dennis Gansel
and starred Tom Schilling
and Max Riemelt
. Gansel's grandfather had been a former Napola student.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
s in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. They were founded as "community education sites" after the National Socialist
National Socialist German Workers Party
The National Socialist German Workers' Party , commonly known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. Its predecessor, the German Workers' Party , existed from 1919 to 1920...
seizure of power
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
in 1933.
Overview
The goal of the schools was to raise a new generation for the political, military, and administrative leadership of the Nazi state. Therefore, life at the NPEA's was dominated by military discipline. Only boys and girls considered to be "racially flawless" were admitted to the boarding schools. This meant that no children with poor hearing or vision were accepted. "Above-average intelligence" was also required, so that those looking to be admitted had to complete 8-day entrance exams. The official descriptor (rank) of a Napola cadet was “Jungmann” (plural "Jungmannen"), used similarly to the term “Cadet” in military schools in other countries. Napola cadets were between 11 and 18 years of age.Life in boys' Napolas was often very competitive and frequently brutal. Approximately one fifth of all cadets washed out or were sent home because of injuries sustained in training accidents.
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
world view was considered paramount in Napola education. A prominent belief among the cadets themselves was that of "Endsieg" or Final Victory. Many of them were utilized as child soldiers, and were killed in the last months of the war.
The first three NPEA's were founded in 1933 by the Minister of Education Bernhard Rust
Bernhard Rust
Dr. Bernhard Rust was Minister of Science, Education and National Culture in Nazi Germany. A combination of school administrator and zealous Nazi, he issued decrees, often bizarre, at every level of the German educational system to immerse German youth in the National Socialist philosophy...
in Plön
Plön
Plön is the district seat of the Plön district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and has about 13,000 inhabitants. It lies right on the shores of Schleswig-Holstein's biggest lake, the Great Plön Lake, as well as on several smaller lakes, touching the town on virtually all sides...
, Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, and Köslin. The schools responded directly to the Reich
Reich
Reich is a German word cognate with the English rich, but also used to designate an empire, realm, or nation. The qualitative connotation from the German is " sovereign state." It is the word traditionally used for a variety of sovereign entities, including Germany in many periods of its history...
Ministry for Education, rather than to any state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
like regular schools. From 1936, the NPEA's were subordinated to the Inspector of the National Political Institutes of Education and SS Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
August Heissmeyer
August Heissmeyer
August Heißmeyer was a leading member of the SS. After the World War II, he was sentenced to a prison term as a war criminal. His nephew, Kurt Heissmeyer, an SS physician, was as well.-Life:After finishing school, Heißmeyer joined the Prussian military...
. From 1939, they were part of the Hauptamt Dienststelle SS-Obergruppenführer Heißmeyer. Therewith the schools were under the direct influence of the SS, and Heißmeier pressured teachers to join this organization. He also considered introducing uniforms and ranks similar to the SS among students and teachers. By 1941 there were 30 NPEA's with 6,000 students enrolled in all of Nazi Germany. In 1942 there were 33 schools, 30 for boys and 3 for girls. By the end of the war there were 43 schools.
School Locations
| City | Official Title | Region | Date of founding | Building’s Former Use |
Plön Plön Plön is the district seat of the Plön district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and has about 13,000 inhabitants. It lies right on the shores of Schleswig-Holstein's biggest lake, the Great Plön Lake, as well as on several smaller lakes, touching the town on virtually all sides... | NPEA Plön | Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig... | 1. May 1933 | Stabila (abbr. Staatliche Bildungsanstalt/National Education Facility) |
Potsdam Potsdam Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre.... | NPEA Potsdam | Mark Brandenburg Mark Brandenburg Mark Brandenburg may refer to:*Mark Brandenburg *The historical Margraviate of Brandenburg in Germany*The historical Province of Brandenburg in Germany*The present-day federal state of Brandenburg in Germany... | 26. May 1933 | Stabila |
Köslin Koszalin Koszalin ; is the largest city of Middle Pomerania in north-western Poland. It is located 12 km south of the Baltic Sea coast. Koszalin is also a county-status city and capital of Koszalin County of West Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999... | NPEA Köslin | Pomerania (Today Poland) | 15. July 1933 | Stabila |
Berlin-Spandau | NPEA Berlin-Spandau | Berlin | 30 January 1934 | Prussian Academy for Gymnastics; school for teachers |
Naumburg | NPEA Naumburg | Prussian Province of Saxony | 15. March 1934 | Stabila/Military school |
Ilfeld | NPEA Ilfeld | Prussian province of Hanover/Prussian Province of Saxony | 20. April 1934 | Cloisters/Seminary |
Wahlstatt Legnickie Pole Legnickie Pole is a village in Legnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Legnickie Pole. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany.... | NPEA Wahlstatt | Silesia (Today Poland) | 9. April 1934 | Stabila |
Oranienstein | NPEA Oranienstein | Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau | 1934 | military school/Realgymnasium/Castle |
Stuhm Sztum Sztum is a town in northern Poland, located in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is the capital of Sztum County, with some 10,141 inhabitants .-History:... | NPEA Stuhm | East Prussia (Today Poland) | 1. October 1934 | Barracks |
Ballenstedt | NPEA Anhalt | Anhalt | May 1934 | City Gymnasium (secondary school) |
Dresden Klotzsche | NPEA Dresden Klotzsche | Saxony | 1. April 1934 | Landesschule |
Backnang | NPEA Backnang | Württemberg | 2. May 1934 | Teacher Seminary |
Bensberg | NPEA Bensberg | Prussian Rhine Province | 1. June 1935 | military school/Castle |
Schulpforta | NPEA Schulpforta | Prussian Province of Saxony | 1. July 1935 | Landesschule zu Pforta (state school Pforta, currently "Landesschule Pforta" in Saxony-Anhalt) |
Rottweil | NPEA Rottweil | Württemberg | 1. April 1936 | Catholic Seminary |
Neuzelle | NPEA Neuzelle | Mark Brandenburg | 1934/1938 | Abbey (Stift), Boarding school for girls |
Wien-Theresianum | NPEA Wien-Theresianum | Vienna (Austria) | 13. March 1939 | Academy |
Wien-Breitensee | NPEA Wien-Breitensee | Vienna (Austria) | 13. March 1939 | Austrian Federal School (Bundeserziehungsanstalt) (Kommandogebäude Theodor Körner part of the Breitensee Barracks in Vienna) |
Traiskirchen | NPEA Traiskirchen | Lower Danube (Austria) | 13. March 1939 | Austrian Federal School (Bundeserziehungsanstalt) |
Ploschkowitz | NPEA Sudetenland | Sudetenland (Today Czech Republic) | 10. October 1940 | Castle |
Reisen | NPEA Wartheland | Warthegau (Today Poland) | 1940 | Polish boarding school for boys in Rydzyna Castle Rydzyna Castle The castle in Rydzyna was built at the beginning of 15th century by Jan of Czernina. At the end of the 17th century Italian architects Joseph Simon Bellotti and Pompeo Ferrari erected the present Baroque castle on its ancient foundations. The first owners of the castle were the Leszczyński family... |
Loben Lubliniec Lubliniec is a town in southern Poland with 29,359 inhabitants . It is the capital of Lubliniec County, part of Silesian Voivodeship ; previously it was in Częstochowa Voivodeship .-Geography:... | NPEA Loben | (East-) Upper Silesia (Today Poland) | 1. April 1941 | School for children with speech impediments |
Putbus | NPEA Rügen | Pomerania | 1. September 1941 | Pädagogium (Stift) |
Reichenau | NPEA Reichenau | Baden | 1941 | Hospice |
St. Wendel | NPEA St. Wendel | Saarland | 1. September 1941 | International School of the Steyler Mission |
Weierhof b. Marnheim | NPEA am Donnersberg | Bavaria (Saar Palatinate) | 1941 | "Gau-Oberschule" (Reich regional secondary school?) |
St. Paul/Lavanttal | NPEA Spanheim in Kärnten | Carinthia (Austria) | 1941 | Benedictine Abbey |
Vorau | NPEA Gottweig | Styria (Austria) | January 1943 | Augustine Abbey |
Seckau | NPEA Seckau | Styria (Austria) | 1941 | Benedictine Abbey (Stift) |
Rufach Rouffach Rouffach is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Rouffach lies along the Alsatian wine route .... | NPEA Rufach | Alsace Alsace Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²... (Today France) | Oktober 1940 | Hospice |
Haselünne | NPEA Emsland | Prussian province of Hanover | 17. October 1941 | Cloister/Seminary for the Ursuline Order |
Neubeuern | NPEA Neubeuern | Bavaria | May 1942 | Castle and state boarding school |
St. Veit | NPEA St. Veit | Carinthia (Austria) | July 1942 | Catholic Seminary and Gymnasium |
Mokritz | NPEA Mokritz | Styria (Austria) | 1942 | Castle |
Achern | NPEA Achern | Baden | August 1943 | The Illenau Sanatorium and Hospice |
Kuttenberg (Kutna Hora) | NPEA Böhmen | (Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia) Czech Republic outside of Sudetenland | 22. April 1944 | Jesuit College and Barracks |
Well-known former students
Well-known former students of National Political Institutes of Education include:- Lothar-Günther BuchheimLothar-Günther BuchheimLothar-Günther Buchheim was a German author and painter. He is best known for his novel Das Boot , which became an international bestseller and was adapted in 1981 as an Oscar-nominated film.-Early life:...
(author and painter) - Heinz DürrHeinz DürrHeinz Dürr is a German entrepreneur and stockholder of the Stuttgart-based Dürr AG.Dürr was born in Stuttgart and was educated at a National Political Institutes of Education He was chairman of the board at AEG from 1980 to 1990. From 1991 on, he was president of Deutsche Bundesbahn and...
(businessman) - Jörg Andrees Elten (journalist)
- Manfred EwaldManfred EwaldManfred Ewald served as German Democratic Republic's minister of sport and president of his country's Olympic committee...
(athletic official) - Alfred HerrhausenAlfred HerrhausenAlfred Herrhausen was a German banker and Chairman of Deutsche Bank. From 1971 onwards he was a member of the bank's board of directors....
(businessman) - Horst JanssenHorst JanssenHorst Janssen was a German printmaker and draftsman.- Early life and education :He was born in Hamburg. His mother, Martha Janssen, was a dressmaker from Oldenburg; he never knew his father. Janssen was brought up in Oldenburg by his mother and grandparents in Lerchenstraße fourteen...
(printmaker) - Hellmuth KarasekHellmuth KarasekHellmuth Karasek is a German journalist, literary critic, novelist and the author of many books on literature and film.Karasek was born in Brno. In 1944, when he was ten, his family escaped from Bielsko to Bernburg...
(journalist and author) - Hardy KrügerHardy KrügerHardy Krüger is a German actor. He is thought of as one of the greatest German actors of the 1960s. He was born in Wedding, Berlin, German Reich...
(actor) - Johannes PoeppelJohannes PoeppelJohannes Poeppel was a general in the German Bundeswehr. He served as Inspekteur des Heeres 1979-81.- Biography :...
(general) - Theo SommerTheo SommerTheo Sommer is a German newspaper editor and intellectual. He has been at Die Zeit since 1958, rising to Editor-in-Chief and Publisher...
(journalist) - Rüdiger von WechmarRüdiger von WechmarBaron Rüdiger von Wechmar was a German diplomat. He was West German ambassador to the UN in the 1970s. During the thirty-fifth ordinary and the eighth emergency special sessions, from 1980 to 1981, he was President of the United Nations General Assembly.Von Wechmar was born in Berlin the son of...
(diplomat) - Heinz HitlerHeinz HitlerHeinrich Hitler was the son of Alois Hitler, Jr. and his second wife Hedwig Heidemann and the nephew of German dictator Adolf Hitler...
(nephew of Adolf Hitler) - Wilhelm Konstantin Kleist (Brazilian author and businessman)
Movie
Napola (also known as Before the FallBefore the Fall
Before the Fall is a 2004 German drama film written and directed by Dennis Gansel.-Plot:...
), a film set in an NPEA, was released in 2004. It was directed by Dennis Gansel
Dennis Gansel
Dennis Gansel is a film director, writer and actor from Germany.-Movie career:Gansel is best known for directing The Wave; his following project is the vampire film We Are The Night, which stars Karoline Herfurth, Nina Hoss, Jennifer Ulrich, Anna Fischer and Max Riemelt.- Filmography :* 1999 — Das...
and starred Tom Schilling
Tom Schilling
Tom Schilling is a German television and film actor.Schilling had his acting debut in the 1996 drama Hallo, Onkel Doc! as a boy named Mark. In the critically well-received film Before the Fall , he played a young student in one of the elite 'Napola' schools, alongside with Max Riemelt...
and Max Riemelt
Max Riemelt
Max Riemelt is a German actor born in Berlin in 1984 . He says "it was more by coincidence because I hadn't really thought about getting involved in acting and hadn't joined any drama groups at school"....
. Gansel's grandfather had been a former Napola student.