Germany: " I never encountered World War II in class. This subject was deliberately avoided."

Spiegel:

SPIEGEL: You grew up in Germany among Christians? How did you experience your childhood?

Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany: It was so natural that it only later became clear to me that many things ultimately weren't natural. My family came from Haifa to Germany in 1956, when I was two years old. My ancestors had lived in the Franconian-Hessian border area for centuries. Especially my grandfather wanted to return to Franconia (a region in northern Bavaria). I went to a public comprehensive school. I was also often invited to the houses of my classmates. They all knew that I lived in a kosher household and when the children were offered sausages at kids' birthday parties, there were always peanuts for me. It was completely unproblematic.

SPIEGEL: And how did you feel when the period after 1933 was taught in history class?

Schuster: If I may say so ironically: It was utterly simple. Every time we made it to the end of World War I, it was summer, and we got time off because of the hot weather. Then summer vacation started, and the new school year would start again with the Ancient Greeks. I never encountered World War II in class. This subject was deliberately avoided.  More.