National Political Institutes of Education (German: Nationalpolitische Erziehungsanstalten; officially abbreviated NPEA, commonly abbreviated Napola for Nationalpolitische Lehranstalt meaning National Political Institution of Teaching) were secondary boarding schools in Nazi Germany. They were founded as "community education sites" after the National Socialist seizure of power in 1933.
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The goal of the schools was to raise a new generation for the political, military, and administrative leadership of the Nazi state. Therefore, life at the NPEA's was dominated by military discipline.[1] Only boys and girls considered to be "racially flawless" were admitted to the boarding schools. This meant that no children with poor hearing or vision were accepted. "Above-average intelligence" was also required, so that those looking to be admitted had to complete 8-day entrance exams.[2] The official descriptor (rank) of a Napola cadet was “Jungmann” (plural "Jungmannen"), used similarly to the term “Cadet” in military schools in other countries. Napola cadets were between 11 and 18 years of age.
Life in boys' Napolas was often very competitive and frequently brutal. Approximately one fifth of all cadets washed out or were sent home because of injuries sustained in training accidents.
The percentage of Jungmannen who eventually entered the SS was 13%, much higher than the 1.8% in the general German population.[3] The National Socialist world view was considered paramount in Napola education. A prominent belief among the cadets themselves was that of "Endsieg" or Final Victory. Many of them were utilized as child soldiers, and were killed in the last months of the war.
The first three NPEA's were founded in 1933 by the Minister of Education Bernhard Rust in Plön, Potsdam, and Köslin. The schools responded directly to the Reich Ministry for Education, rather than to any state like regular schools. From 1936, the NPEA's were subordinated to the Inspector of the National Political Institutes of Education and SS Obergruppenführer August Heissmeyer. From 1939, they were part of the Hauptamt Dienststelle SS-Obergruppenführer Heißmeyer. Therewith the schools were under the direct influence of the SS, and Heißmeier pressured teachers to join this organization. He also considered introducing uniforms and ranks similar to the SS among students and teachers. By 1941 there were 30 NPEA's with 6,000 students enrolled in all of Nazi Germany. In 1942 there were 33 schools, 30 for boys and 3 for girls. By the end of the war there were 43 schools.
| City | Official Title | Region | Date of founding | Building’s Former Use |
|
NPEA Plön |
1. May 1933 |
Stabila (abbr. Staatliche Bildungsanstalt/National Education Facility) |
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|
NPEA Potsdam |
26. May 1933 |
Stabila |
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|
NPEA Köslin |
Pomerania (Today Poland) |
15. July 1933 |
Stabila |
|
|
Berlin-Spandau |
NPEA Berlin-Spandau |
Berlin |
30 January 1934 |
Prussian Academy for Gymnastics; school for teachers |
|
Naumburg |
NPEA Naumburg |
Prussian Province of Saxony |
15. March 1934 |
Stabila/Military school |
|
Ilfeld |
NPEA Ilfeld |
Prussian province of Hanover/Prussian Province of Saxony |
20. April 1934 |
Cloisters/Seminary |
|
NPEA Wahlstatt |
Silesia (Today Poland) |
9. April 1934 |
Stabila |
|
|
Oranienstein |
NPEA Oranienstein |
Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau |
1934 |
military school/Realgymnasium/Castle |
|
NPEA Stuhm |
East Prussia (Today Poland) |
1. October 1934 |
Barracks |
|
|
Ballenstedt |
NPEA Anhalt |
Anhalt |
May 1934 |
City Gymnasium (secondary school) |
|
Dresden Klotzsche |
NPEA Dresden Klotzsche |
Saxony |
1. April 1934 |
Landesschule |
|
Backnang |
NPEA Backnang |
Württemberg |
2. May 1934 |
Teacher Seminary |
|
Bensberg |
NPEA Bensberg |
Prussian Rhine Province |
1. June 1935 |
military school/Castle |
|
Schulpforta |
NPEA Schulpforta |
Prussian Province of Saxony |
1. July 1935 |
Landesschule zu Pforta (state school Pforta, currently "Landesschule Pforta" in Saxony-Anhalt) |
|
Rottweil |
NPEA Rottweil |
Württemberg |
1. April 1936 |
Catholic Seminary |
|
Neuzelle |
NPEA Neuzelle |
Mark Brandenburg |
1934/1938 |
Abbey (Stift), Boarding school for girls |
|
Wien-Theresianum |
NPEA Wien-Theresianum |
Vienna (Austria) |
13. March 1939 |
Academy |
|
Wien-Breitensee |
NPEA Wien-Breitensee |
Vienna (Austria) |
13. March 1939 |
Austrian Federal School (Bundeserziehungsanstalt) (Kommandogebäude Theodor Körner part of the Breitensee Barracks in Vienna) |
|
Traiskirchen |
NPEA Traiskirchen |
Lower Danube (Austria) |
13. March 1939 |
Austrian Federal School (Bundeserziehungsanstalt) |
|
Ploschkowitz |
NPEA Sudetenland |
Sudetenland (Today Czech Republic) |
10. October 1940 |
Castle |
|
Reisen |
NPEA Wartheland |
Warthegau (Today Poland) |
1940 |
Polish boarding school for boys in Rydzyna Castle |
|
NPEA Loben |
(East-) Upper Silesia (Today Poland) |
1. April 1941 |
School for children with speech impediments |
|
|
Putbus |
NPEA Rügen |
Pomerania |
1. September 1941 |
Pädagogium (Stift) |
|
Reichenau |
NPEA Reichenau |
Baden |
1941 |
Hospice |
|
St. Wendel |
NPEA St. Wendel |
Saarland |
1. September 1941 |
International School of the Steyler Mission |
|
Weierhof b. Marnheim |
NPEA am Donnersberg |
Bavaria (Saar Palatinate) |
1941 |
"Gau-Oberschule" (Reich regional secondary school?) |
|
St. Paul/Lavanttal |
NPEA Spanheim in Kärnten |
Carinthia (Austria) |
1941 |
Benedictine Abbey |
|
Vorau |
NPEA Gottweig |
Styria (Austria) |
January 1943 |
Augustine Abbey |
|
Seckau |
NPEA Seckau |
Styria (Austria) |
1941 |
Benedictine Abbey (Stift) |
|
NPEA Rufach |
Alsace (Today France) |
Oktober 1940 |
Hospice |
|
|
Haselünne |
NPEA Emsland |
Prussian province of Hanover |
17. October 1941 |
Cloister/Seminary for the Ursuline Order |
|
Neubeuern |
NPEA Neubeuern |
Bavaria |
May 1942 |
Castle and state boarding school |
|
St. Veit |
NPEA St. Veit |
Carinthia (Austria) |
July 1942 |
Catholic Seminary and Gymnasium |
|
Mokritz |
NPEA Mokritz |
Styria (Austria) |
1942 |
Castle |
|
Achern |
NPEA Achern |
Baden |
August 1943 |
The Illenau Sanatorium and Hospice |
|
Kuttenberg (Kutna Hora) |
NPEA Böhmen |
(Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia) Czech Republic outside of Sudetenland |
22. April 1944 |
Jesuit College and Barracks |
Well-known former students of National Political Institutes of Education include:
Napola (also known as Before the Fall), a film set in an NPEA, was released in 2004. It was directed by Dennis Gansel and starred Tom Schilling and Max Riemelt. Gansel's grandfather had been a former Napola student.