- Joined
- Jan 20, 2014
- Messages
- 400
- Reaction score
- 897
- Points
- 93
- Location
- Kamp-Lintfort/Germany
- Website
- www.tomvandutch.de
National political educational institutions (officially: NPEA, but also: Napola) were the elite schools in the 3rd Reich. They led to the university entrance qualification and served to train the next generation of National Socialist leaders. Organizationally, they were separated from the general educational system and increasingly served as a junior school for the SS and Wehrmacht during the war.
The first 3 opened in 1933. By 1941 the number of NPEA had increased to 30 with around 6,000 students. At the end of the war there were 43, of which 3 were specially for girls.
Decisive for acceptance into a Napola were first and foremost “racial”, secondly character, physical and only lastly intellectual aptitude.
They were formally subordinate to the SA, which is why the headmaster was always a member of the SA. The pupils were officially referred to as young men and had to do their duty in the Hitler Youth during the school holidays.
All NPEA were set up in existing buildings.
Only this was completely rebuilt.
It is noticeable that the residential buildings were built on SS runes (you can see it well on aerial photos). The foundation stone was laid in 1936 and construction work lasted for many years. The teaching building was not handed over to its intended use until October 1942. By 1945 around 350 pupils were brought up here to become National Socialists loyal to the line.
Well-known students were among others:
- Alfred Herrhausen (Board Member of Deutsche Bank)
- Hellmuth Karasek (literary critic)
- Hardy Krüger (actor)
After the war, the SED first used it as a state and then as a district party school.
In the 33 years of its existence, more than 16,000 SED members completed their 1-year course here. Their task was to ideologically train young professionals to become potential leaders in the GDR party and state apparatus.
The area of the district party school was a largely autonomous, fenced and guarded campus that could only be entered with an appropriate document. People who did not belong to the group of around 150 employees of the district party school - i.e. teachers and employees who guarantee everyday tasks - were denied access in principle. The workload for the course participants was around 60 hours per week (Monday to Friday). There was a café, a clubhouse, a grocery store, a book store, a hairdresser and a sauna on the premises.
The proximity to the border with the Federal Republic of Germany led to the integration of the district party school in the security system of the GDR in 1966.
A combat group battalion was formed from among the party students. The area was completely fenced off, a guard service with five uniformed police officers and 25 armed civilians was introduced, and an armory was set up with infantry weapons, hand grenades and anti-aircraft machine guns for 250 fighters. At the end of November 1989, school operations were closed due to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
There were various re-uses and the ownership changed a few times. The buildings have been under monument protection since the mid-1990s.
At the end of 2018, two Chinese investors bought the site with the exception of the tower house. They plan to develop the area into a center for traditional Chinese medicine, martial arts and culture. For this purpose, a care facility for the elderly, a center for ceramic art and culture, a medical educational facility and a sports center are to be built in the buildings. While the health center is scheduled to open in 2019, the other facilities are not scheduled to open until 2024.
The first 3 opened in 1933. By 1941 the number of NPEA had increased to 30 with around 6,000 students. At the end of the war there were 43, of which 3 were specially for girls.
Decisive for acceptance into a Napola were first and foremost “racial”, secondly character, physical and only lastly intellectual aptitude.
They were formally subordinate to the SA, which is why the headmaster was always a member of the SA. The pupils were officially referred to as young men and had to do their duty in the Hitler Youth during the school holidays.
All NPEA were set up in existing buildings.
Only this was completely rebuilt.
It is noticeable that the residential buildings were built on SS runes (you can see it well on aerial photos). The foundation stone was laid in 1936 and construction work lasted for many years. The teaching building was not handed over to its intended use until October 1942. By 1945 around 350 pupils were brought up here to become National Socialists loyal to the line.
Well-known students were among others:
- Alfred Herrhausen (Board Member of Deutsche Bank)
- Hellmuth Karasek (literary critic)
- Hardy Krüger (actor)
After the war, the SED first used it as a state and then as a district party school.
In the 33 years of its existence, more than 16,000 SED members completed their 1-year course here. Their task was to ideologically train young professionals to become potential leaders in the GDR party and state apparatus.
The area of the district party school was a largely autonomous, fenced and guarded campus that could only be entered with an appropriate document. People who did not belong to the group of around 150 employees of the district party school - i.e. teachers and employees who guarantee everyday tasks - were denied access in principle. The workload for the course participants was around 60 hours per week (Monday to Friday). There was a café, a clubhouse, a grocery store, a book store, a hairdresser and a sauna on the premises.
The proximity to the border with the Federal Republic of Germany led to the integration of the district party school in the security system of the GDR in 1966.
A combat group battalion was formed from among the party students. The area was completely fenced off, a guard service with five uniformed police officers and 25 armed civilians was introduced, and an armory was set up with infantry weapons, hand grenades and anti-aircraft machine guns for 250 fighters. At the end of November 1989, school operations were closed due to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
There were various re-uses and the ownership changed a few times. The buildings have been under monument protection since the mid-1990s.
At the end of 2018, two Chinese investors bought the site with the exception of the tower house. They plan to develop the area into a center for traditional Chinese medicine, martial arts and culture. For this purpose, a care facility for the elderly, a center for ceramic art and culture, a medical educational facility and a sports center are to be built in the buildings. While the health center is scheduled to open in 2019, the other facilities are not scheduled to open until 2024.
