The School

The school was one of the most important institutions in the camp. There were a number of prisoners who were qualified teachers, and they worked actively together to ensure that the school was effective. The school was different from other establishments in Germany, because it was focused on adult education. Many of the prisoners had only had a basic school education, but they had time on their hands – as never before, and this provided them with an opportunity to reinforce and build on their education. The school offered a wide curriculum, covering both vocational and academic subjects. It was first established in 1915 1.A large part of one edition of the Stobsiade 2 is devoted to the school, its organisation, and the subjects which it taught. As new prisoners arrived, the school continued to provide information about the available courses, and to encourage people to continue their education 3, 4. The school was seen as a way in which prisoners could prepare for the future when the war was over 5. Initially, the work room in the Military Camp 6 provided an environment in which people could study in peace. Unfortunately it suffered from detrimental changes as time passed 7. The camp library, 8, while not directly related to the school, was another source of educational material, and was very popular 9. Increasingly,through the camp's existence, various organisations and individuals in Germany sent books and periodicals which were deposited in the library 10. When the work camps were established, at least some of them had small libraries or collections of books 11, and some also provided education 12, 13.

◀ ▶
Footnotes