# German hive mentality



## TimV (Feb 21, 2005)

I'm somewhat of a Germanophile, but this aspect of their mentality really gets me. Check out what we just got from the Home School Legal Defence Association

Dear HSLDA members and friends:
> 
> Thank you for your many calls and emails to the German Embassy. 
> 
> The good news is that the seven homeschool families in Paderborn 
> County have still not been prosecuted. They were supposed to be 
> prosecuted over a month ago. Your calls have made the difference. 
> 
> However, despite progress, the battle is still intense.
> 
> German homeschoolers have told us on numerous occasions that your 
> calls are working despite the response many of you have received from 
> the Embassy. In part, the Embassy stated that homeschooling should not 
> be legal because "The public has a legitimate interest in countering 
> the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion or motivated 
> by different world views and in integrating minorities into the 
> population as a whole." This statement is incompatible with a free 
> nation.
> 
> The German Embassy is, however, communicating your views back to 
> Germany. Furthermore, we have distributed the request to 
> homeschoolers across the world. As a result, homeschoolers are calling 
> and emailing from over twenty nations to their respective Germany 
> embassies.
> 
> The bad news is that the Guenthers have been charged with contributing 
> to the delinquency of a truant, and are being fined over $1,500 simply 
> because they have been going to Paderborn on a number of occasions to 
> mediate with the authorities on behalf of the seven homeschool 
> families.
> 
> Rich Guenther is the director of the School Instruction At Home 
> organization, which provides legal defense for German homeschoolers. 
> It is unconscionable that the authorities prosecute individuals who 
> are trying to mediate and resolve conflicts. 
> 
> Furthermore, the Loefflers, a homeschooling family who lives near 
> Nuremburg, just received a letter stating that the government will 
> freeze their bank account and come into their home to take anything of 
> value up to the amount of the fine assessed against them. The fine is 
> approximately $14,000. The family does not have the money. If the 
> state of Bavaria follows the usual process the father will be put in 
> jail, and the process of removing their eight year-old daughter will 
> begin.
> 
> Another family in Bavaria, the Grosseluemerns, were recently in court 
> for refusing to pay the fines assessed against them for not sending 
> their child to school. The Grosseluemerns attorney proved that the 
> prosecution attorney was not aware of the laws of Bavaria concerning 
> the facts of this case, and that he was not upholding the federal law 
> guaranteeing the freedom of religion and parental rights. The 
> prosecuting attorney then turned to the judge and asked that the fine 
> against the family be tripled, which the judge readily consented to. 
> Two days later a press story carried a quote from Bavarian officials 
> saying that if it becomes necessary, they will put Mr. Grosseluemerns 
> in prison until he complies and pays the fine.
> 
> Please take a moment to help the "least of these our brethren." The 
> German homeschool movement is small, but it is growing. Just last week 
> they had their largest conference in Germany, with over 200 people in 
> attendance. One television station and two newspapers covered the 
> event. There is a growing interest in homeschooling in Germany, and 
> several newspapers, including one of the largest papers, TAZ, are 
> sympathetic and writing stories favorable to the homeschooling cause. 
> 
> Germany needs your help now.
> 
> ACTION REQUESTED: 
> 
> 1. Call or email the German Embassy and give them this message:
> 
> "Please make homeschooling legal in Germany. Do not prosecute the 
> seven families in Paderborn (the Pauls, the Pletts, the W. Blocks, the 
> A. Blocks, the Geislisngs, the Sterubels, the Zins, and the 
> Trivoniches). Also, dismiss the fines and cases against the Loeffler 
> and Grosseluemerns families in Bavaria. Furthermore, drop the charges 
> against the Guenthers, who have been only trying to help, and are 
> being prosecuted for their attempts to mediate on behalf of the 
> Paderborn families. Homeschooling must be allowed in Germany. To be 
> known as a truly free nation, parents should have the right to choose 
> the best form of education, including homeschooling, for their 
> children."
> 
> Wolfgang Ischinger
> Ambassador
> German Embassy
> 4645 Reservoir Road NW
> Washington, DC, 20007-1998
> (202) 298-4000
> 
> The embassy can be emailed from its website: 
> http://www.globescope.biz/germany/reg/index.cfm
> 
> You can give an account of the success of your own homeschool in your 
> communication.
> 
> 2. Email the school superintendent of Schul-und Bildungsministerin von 
> NRW Ute Schaefer. [email protected] with this message:
> 
> "Please do not prosecute the seven families in Paderborn (the Pauls, 
> the Pletts, the W. Blocks, the A. Blocks, the Geislisngs, the 
> Sterubels, the Zins, and the Trivoniches). Also, dismiss the fines and 
> cases against the Loeffler and Grosseluemerns families in Bavaria. 
> Furthermore, drop the charges against the Guenthers, who have been 
> only trying to help, and are being prosecuted for their attempts to 
> mediate on behalf of the Paderborn families." 
> 
> 3. Please continue to support School Instruction At Home, which HSLDA 
> helped to establish in Germany. This organization now has 180 
> homeschooling members, and is working around the clock to represent 
> these families in court and mediate before school districts. Their 
> funds are running low again after your generous outpouring six months 
> ago. Please consider donating to School Instruction at Home to help 
> them continue the legal fight. We believe we are making significant 
> progress and are getting closer to victory.
> 
> Please go to http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=1211 to make a 
> tax-deductible gift to the organization.
> 
> Thank you for all your support for the least of these.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> 
> Christopher J. Klicka
> HSLDA Senior Counsel


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## SolaScriptura (Feb 21, 2005)

I emailed them. I'll post what they say in response... if anything.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Feb 21, 2005)

Modern statist public education had its origins, I believe, in the Prussian school system model. Germany is the place where _kindergarten_ originated, after all, in 1840. 

I am glad for HSLDA's international advocacy of homeschooling. They do the world a great service.


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## TimV (Feb 22, 2005)

Yes, they do good work; we've been with them almost from the start. 

It's important for everyone who is able to contact those officials requested in these alerts. They don't issue them very often, which is wise, I think.


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