World History: Norweigan Teachers Stood Up Against NAZIs

World history lesson against hatred

On Feb. 20, 1942 the vast majority of teachers in German-occupied Norway refused to comply with the forced Nazification of the school system.

The government had ordered display of the portrait of German-installed Minister President Vidkun Quisling (formerly head of the Norwegian fascist party) in all classrooms, revision of the curriculum and textbooks to reflect Nazi ideology, and teaching of German to replace English as their second language.

The teachers organized and 12,000 of 14,000 nationwide wrote the same letter on this day to the education department refusing membership in the newly formed Nazi teachers’ association.

Two days later clergy throughout the country read a manifesto against Nazi control of the schools. (Description from PeaceButtons.info) Read more: Non-violent protests in World War Two

Also read about Reidar Dittmann who was imprisoned for his role as a student who resisted the Nazis.

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Photo: 500 teachers from all over Norway were sent to Kirkenes in 1942 after refusing to teach the Nazi curriculum, read more at The Zinn Education Project. Contributing Source info: The Zinn Education Project - "Teaching a people's history"; the Peace Pledge Union - the oldest secular pacifist organisation in Britain.; Minnesota Public Broadcasting.