Higher education as a tool of political power in the Third Reich

The article considers the changes of the traditional concept of German education that always paid a great attention to the development of personality. The article analyses preconditions and consequences of nazification of higher education and gives examples how students and teachers of German higher schools of that time reacted to these changes. Right after the Nazi had come to power totalitarian principles were put into practice in all aspects of German education, which considerably deteriorated the development of science and the quality of students' training. Many academicians and professors openly supported not only Hitler's dictatorship, but also its anti-Semitism. Teachers and students of other than an Aryan origin began to be dropped out of universities. According to some rectors, university was to be integrated into a national community and merge with the state. The Nazi system of higher education was developed to both physically and ideologically prepare not only elite personnel but also the whole generation of German youth for the service in the Third Reich, which means for the war. At the same time the number of students as well as undesirable teachers decreased, according to statistics. The article shows the role of the National Socialist Union of Students in winning student youth over to the new power's side. Against a background of the Nazi public mood in the society that was heated by the patriotic propaganda, students did not resist the repressions of their colleagues and recent idols; moreover, they enthusiastically started realizing "the great mission" of the German nation. Persecution and dropping of undesirable teachers out of universities became typical of Germany of that time. On account of this, 20 % of the teaching staff was fired. Despite the general tendency and an open terror there were scientists in German higher educational establishments for whom science did not have nationality. Some of them ventured to defend their suspect colleagues whose talent they could not do without. The article gives an example of a students' protest against the ruinous ideology of the ruling regime. Thus, German education and German universities suffered great moral and material damage which appeared to be profitable to the rest of the world. Thousands of talented scientists emigrated from Germany and successfully continued their scientific and teaching activity in other countries. During the 12 years of the totalitarian regime the process and content of German higher education changed so much that it took years to return its former quality and appeal on the world level.

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