Since we're all here and talking about this, I'd like to know something...

One of my high school history teachers told me that in Germany, it's customary for teachers to take their students on excursions to Auschwitz and tell them about the history of the Second World War and the holocaust to shock them into making sure such atrocities never happen again.

Is this true?

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WWII-era pen-advertisement
P-51 Mustang fighter-plane.
Parker '51' fountain pen.

Babs, the victors occupied Germany during reconstruction. The Allies governed Germany through four occupation zones, one for each of the Four Powers: United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union. The Britain and US zones were merged into one economic area, the Bizone in 1947. The US Army continued to provide an occupation force until 1955. My father was stationed in Wurzburg from 46-49 and my cousin shortly after.

That sounds a little drastic...


Shangas, I know a few books that might interest you. The course i mentioned i took (Interwar Germany, 1919 - 1939) my last semester was very interesting and focused on civilian life in interwar germany along with the politics of the era.

We talked about the role of Women, Culture, etc in interwar germany and how it gradually changed, esp once Hitler took power.

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I have a wall map of the occupation zones c. 1950s. My father was with the 4ATAF based in Trier in the mid-50s.

I could tell you the exact date if I didn't have everything in our office packed while we revise it to accommodate my burgeoning WWII material!

Michelle

Duce, I must respectfully disagree. I beleive the US education system is based on what the teachers are willing to teach. Most teachers I grew up with wouldn't tuch upon subjects they themselves where not familiar with. When I was in grade 7 I had a teacher who's brother had been shot by some drunken Nazi officers when he lived in Italy. It was then we started to learn about WWII. And as a Freshman in high school my history teachers father served during D-day. He even came in and gave a speech about what Utah beach was like when he landed. Granted only major points in the war were taught. Midway, Manhatten Project, D-day, Battle of the Bulge. Nothing before America joined the war.

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"Like so many of our people, we have now had a personal experience of German barbarity which only strengthens the resolution of all of us to fight through to final victory."-King George VI
"Casualties many; Percentage of dead not known; Combat efficiency; we are winning."-Colonel David M. Shoup-Saipan

So very true my friend, and so are the looks you get from your classmates when you know every Question.
I remember last year, whenever the teacher asked a question he always had to say, "does anyone besides Joe know the answer?"
I got a few laughs out of that!

Although all we ever learned about WW2 was how it started, Dunkirk and the battle of Britain, then Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Teacher's excuse was we didn't have enough time.

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That, unfortunately, is probably the usual reason given. Today's educational system has to tackle a lot and can only give a little of what there is to learn. Hopefully, the teacher's are able to engender enough interest and curiousity that other young people will do some reading and researching on their own.

Mcihelle

And I'm back.

We studied the Holocaust and Japanese-American Internment in high school (USA school). But nothing beyond that in terms of World War Two.

It irks me that, though we studied those two, we didn't study comfort women or Japanese Scorched Earth policies.

Twasn't politically correct.

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Best Regards,
JW

Ha Ha Joe, that's funny !!

I'm sure many here have made many a Professor, Teaching Assistant, or Teacher run for cover after opening up a discussion on World War II, or Western Civilization.

They change the subject real fast, or say there's no time to discuss in depth.

Kinda like a "Stuart" busting through a hedgerow and coming face to face with a "Tiger" (looking a different direction).

"Find REVERSE Fred, get us the %#$@ outta here !!"

PC at its ugliest.....forget the past......if it doesn't have "RAINBOWS"

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There's one way to find out if a man is honest-ask him. If he says "Yes", you know he's a crook. Groucho Marx

Ah yes, the French Zone. The French had also occupied Trier from the end of WWI through 1930. Interesting about the wall map. How were you able to acquire it?

I inherited it from my Dad. Until your post I never looked to see that Trier was in the French Zone. When I found it after my parent had both passed away, I learned that Austria had also been divided amongst the US, British, French, and Russians. Teachers always focused on Germany and missed that aspect of post World War education.

The map only has the following in the right corner re the printer:

"Printed by USAREUR. ENGR. INTEL. Center 2983 1 54"

Michelle

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Regards, Michelle

Oliver Goldsmith, "I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines."

Ive always thought that our history teachers were woefully ignorant when it came to our countries history. Seriously; One time I got suspended for telling my teacher she was full of "it" (only I didn't abbreviate). When my father showed up for the conference, he asked me why I told her she was full of "it"
I replied that she had told me I was mistaken, that the Union Army (This is 100% true) had NEVER burnt Atlanta to the ground. Honestly, she truly did not know about the burning of Atlanta, and we live in North Carolina!

Thats one of the reasons I am on this forum, and one of the reasons I started a library of WWII books, so that some day when my boys are older, I wont have to worry about some inept teacher 5 months out of college, gleaning over the Bataan Death March, Oradour-Sur-Glane or the Remagen bridge, because she doesn't know anything about it. I want my boys to know that their Great Uncle helped hold the line in the Ardennes, way before the 101 showed up on the scene and got into movies and TV, you know?

Ummmm, sorry about the mini rant guys! Its a current pet peeve of mine; I recently had to have dinner with my Parents, sister and Brother in law, and as is custom, my dad and I discussed history, My brother in Law (the pot smoking, hippy intellect that he is) piped in; "Yeah, what was the deal with the Battle of the Bulge? Didnt the Germans realize you never fight the Russians in winter??.....Anyway, apologies for the rant.

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Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow"
~Elie Wiesel~

hahah I know what you mean but at least you know that those kids will grow up learning the truth about history and not the teachers version

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At the going down of the sun and in the morning
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