Teaching WW2 to children of German ancestry?

[weegiemum]

My children (age 6, 8, 10) are 1/4 German. My dh's dad is German, they are in regular contact with their great granny who was born in 1923 and was in the Hitler Youth etc ....

Next term (Oct onwards) dd1 (10 ) has WW2 as her "topic" at school. Although I grew up not questioning the way it is taught in the UK, all of a sudden dh (talking about learning this in school with a German Dad, even though his dad was born in 1945 and has British nationality now) he found it hard to heat all about the Germans as "baddies".

We've brought our kids up talking about all sides of their identity - they had a lot of fun and also many thoughtful moments visiting some of the Normandy beaches 2 years ago. They know that their Opa (Great Grandpa who died 2 years ago) was in the Lufwaffe while my Grandpa was gunner in the RAF.

However, I am worried about it coming up in school. Should I let the school (and dd1 has a teacher I know well and trust implicitly) know our family background on this? I don't want (rather sensitive) dd1 coming home upset from what is being taught. She;s happily scottish (me), knows a good dela about Ireland (dh) but there is still the German part which we have not addressed (though we are thinking of a holiday there to introduce the kids to where their family are from) and I don't want her to get a "bad" impression of Germans from school.

I would talk to the school and let them know the family history, mainly because it is a wonderful opportunity for all the class to hear some of the stories about the war from the other side of the fence so to speak. I don't think the German people are demonised in the way history is taught these days (I hope not anyway) I don't remember covering the world wars in primary school but remember my high school history being pretty balanced when it comes to the hard choices, suffering and loss that came about on both sides for normal people (by that I mean not high ranking members of the Nazi party).
I would think that a teacher would really like to be able to show both sides of the story, that's what history is about and also helps teach about propaganda and the emphasis of documentation. Maybe your dh could go in and talk about the stories that his Grandparents had, the children would probably all really like that.

weegiemum, I am just about to go to bed but will be back tomorrow (if TinyTyrant allows ) with my take on the subject.

If you have access to Sky TV, there are some very good programs on Discovery History about the German side of things during the war (ie cities were bombed in the UK and and Germany, people died in both places, etc).

Anyway, good night, 'speak' to you soon .

My FILs experience is mainly post war - but he remembers going to school barefoot and relying on Red Cross parcels for food in the years after the war.

I might talk to dh about going in - we might even try to get FIL to do so as he lives in Belfast now, he might come and visit during the topic. If DH went with him, he might be prepared to do so.

Its a hard one ......

PD that would be great! Dh loved meeting your Mum when we went for lunch and eating sauerkraut with her!!!

No harm in mentioning it to the teacher if you wish, but it shouldn't be necessary at all. Schools really should not be labelling the people of any nation as "baddies", and I would be horrified if that's what they did - regardless of whether or not there were children in the class with German ancestry.

Yes, Germany has some appalling periods in its history, and I think that children should learn about these - both here and in Germany. There is no point in hiding from the reality. Actually, it's my impression that many German schools address this aspect of the country's past very openly and courageously, and I don't believe that they try to shield their young people from the more shameful parts of German history.

But let's recognise as well that there are many sordid periods in British history that we wouldn't be at all proud of, and that almost every country is likely to have such periods at some point back in time. I think it's really important for children to understand this, and to understand that it isn't just certain countries which are "bad".

My MIL is half German, half Prussian and was born in Berlin in 1941. Both her sons (twins now 42) learnt about WW1 and WW2 in school.

Both my DH and his twin speak fluent German and my BIL lives in Frankfurt.

Their experience of learning this episode of history in school was not pleasant and they were both subject to some bullying over it.

We have already told the school that my son is growing up in a household where Germnan is part of his life and he has German ancestry. When the time comes, we will be talking to his teacher about it too. We don't want our children bullied because of their heritage.

Mmmm! Rock, hard place.

If your children are going to live in England then maybe they need to hear the English version of events WW2 is perceived in this country). You could provide the flip side.

I'm aware that not everything that you hear about WW2 is true or is the complete truth but you can address this.

Why do you assume the teachers are going to portray the Germans as 'baddies'? Both sides were bombing each other. It will be mostly about evacuees anyway and life in wartime Britain - rationing, the home front, that kind of thing.

Presumably because how her DH's teachers portrayed them when he was in school? But I agree much less likely these days.

My dc are also studying WWII and also have a grandparent from an Axis power. I managed to get hold of some photos of their family in uniform and the teachers have used it to help describe the experiences of people in countries other than the UK. The dc are actually quite proud and excited by having great grandparents from different 'sides'.

It never crossed my mind about the baddies thing, I must admit!

The reason why those of us with families with this sort of heritage worry is because we live in a country which is obsessed with beating Germany...at war, at football...

Our children aren't growing up in England --- we live in Glasgow, we're very Scottish!! Did you mean British?

I think I will mention it to the teacher who is great.

I think people don't see it as an issue until the point where your kids are involved/affected.

I have no problem with interpretations of the war, its just that my children are aware that their family are German, and while the school might not portray them as "baddies", they are the "other side" when discussing the issues!

we face the same problem, only a generation closer (dh is german)

my step daughter had a hard time of it at school when they did WW2. lots and lots of comments made about her being german, not helped by the fact that she always rose to it (she's AS, and really couldn't help taking the bait)

it was very hard for her. on the one hand, she knew her family, and her grandfather was in the Hitler youth. and then it is presented to her at school as "all Germans of that period are really horrible"

she struggled a lot.

her cousin, thoguh, thrived on it. she made a point of using her links, and pumping her grandparents for information, and presenting the other side. she won numerous prizes for essays etc, all written form the opposing viewpoint (you know, the "imagine you are a 25 year old woman during the War. describe a typical day, rationing, etc" - she presented it all form her Grandmother's perspective)

we'll see how dd2 gets on when it is her time (she's only 3, so a while to go)

Pixie you make me laugh, though I don't mean that in an offensive way.

You've fallen into a classic misconception that is taught to school children here and just isn't quite true.

This is the problem:

I mean, they will learn that there was a war which lasted for six years; England, France, America and the USSR were on one 'side'; Germany, Italy and Japan were on the other.

Not quite. The British Commonwealth, France, America...

Your statement (which is as it is presented in schools up and down the country) forgets that hundreds of thousands of people in the Commonwealth, blacks, indians, you name it, if they were in the commonwealth they fought!
Those black faces in rememberance day aren't there as tokens. They fought for a country they had never even seen in a lot of cases.

So you see, what you were taught is not unture it's just a slight misrepresentation or ommision of fact and unfortunately these are the things that cause offence if it concerns your back ground.

Just one example, I'm sure there are lots of others from other view points but I hope you can see the point I'm making and perhaps why the OP is concerned.

Thanks silverfrog - might well contact you once this topic gets going if dd1 finds is hard. She prides herself on her individuality though, so I think she'll cope.

I do think that the people who write these curricula don't think about migration though!

But then how is that "a very factual manner"?

I don't know about the curriculum in Scotland but here in England we tend to use the QCA units as a guide this one covers WW2.

Pixie - why rationing in England?

Britain?? I think there was rationing in Scotland/Wales/NI too?

I think this is kind of what 5 worry about. Its not all abotu England!

I think history is normally taught as the "Nazis" being the baddies, not the Germans. Actually I had to ask a question last night, as my DD is going to be doing WW2 next summer, and from my older two children, they finished the topic not knowing who we were fighting against or who Hitler was. It was pretty much evacuation and make do and mend.
They have assured me it is going to be more thorough for DD. I'm sure my kids school would love to have someone like your FIL visit.