Special Education in East Germany Under Communist Domination

Abstract

Cooperative efforts between the Soviet Union and other allies after World War II gradually disintegrated, bringing on the cold war. Social, political, and philosophical differences necessitated the development of school systems for all children, including children with disabilities, in East Germany that were often very different from those in West Germany. Information about special education in East Germany was sparse and often distorted for propaganda reasons. With the reunification of the divided Germany, information about the eastern programs has become more available. Difficult challenges to equalize services have also become apparent. This article describes the development of special education in East Germany from the close of World War II, through the cold war period, and the problems and challenges currently facing a reunified Germany.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Becker

K.P.

(Ed.): (1984). Rehabilitationspädagogik [Special education]. Berlin: VEB Verlag Volk und Gesundheit.

Becker

K.P.

, & Greenberg

R. A.

(Eds.). (1986). Educational Rehabilitation of the Handicapped in the German Democratic Republic and in the United States of America. Berlin: VEB Verlag Volk und Gesundheit.

Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe. (1990, June). In Wirklicheit noch schlimmer? (In reality even worse?). Die Lebenshilfe Zeitung, 3,3.

Dürr

(1992, January). East German education: A system in transition. Phi Delta Kappan, 390–393.

Führ

(1992). On the Education System in the Five New Laender of the Federal Republic of Germany. Cologne: Inter Nationes Bonn.

Großmann

, & Künne

(1979). Probleme der Erziehung Geschädigter zur sozialistischen Lebensweise, (Problems in educating the disabled for a Socialist lifestyle). Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift der Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, 2, 79 (p. 196). Berlin: Humboldt University.

Haasen

(1990). The Unification of Germany: Implications for the integration of individuals with developmental disabilities. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois at Chicago: University Affiliated Program in Developmental Disabilities.

Hearnden

(1976). Education in the Two German-ies. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Jaehning

(1990). Vds Aktuell. Zeitschrift fuer Heilpaedagogik, 4, 290.

10.

Karge

, Senzel

, & Strebhardt

(1980). Zur Geschicte des Hilfsschulwesens in der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik von 1945-1980. [History of special education in the GDR from 1945-1980]. Unpublished manuscript, Martin Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Section Educational Science-Special Education, Halle, Germany.

11.

Köenig

(1990). Gefangen, gequält, und vergessen. [Imprisoned, tormented and forgotten]. Stern, 26–36.

12.

Lawson

R.F.

(1965). Reform of the West German School System, 1945-1962. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.

13.

Moore-Rinvolucri

M.J.

(1973). Education in East Germany. Hamden, CT: Archon Books.

14.

Opp

(1992). A German perspective on learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities. 25(6), 351–360.

15.

Renker

(1972). Rehabilitation in the GDR in the light of the World Health Organization, Proceedings of the Scientific Conference of the GDR on the occasion of the forthcoming Twenty-Fifth World Health Assembly (pp. 38–41). Halle, GDR.

16.

Sengstock

W. L.

, Magerhaus-Hurley

, & Sprotte

(1990). The role of special education in the Third Reich. Education and Training in Mental Retardation, 25, 225–236.

17.

Verfassung der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik. Constitution of the German Democratic Republic.