Bernhard Rust facts for kids
Bernhard Rust (born September 30, 1883 – died May 8, 1945) was a very important official in Nazi Germany. He was the Minister of Science, Education, and National Culture. His job was to change the German school system to fit the ideas of the Nazi Party. He also held a high position in the Nazi Party as a Gauleiter (a regional leader) in Hanover and Brunswick from 1925 to 1940.
Quick facts for kids
Bernhard Rust
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c.1934
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| Reich Minister of Science, Education and Culture | |
| In office 1 May 1934 – 8 May 1945 |
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| Leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Gustav Adolf Scheel |
| Prussian Minister for Science, Culture and Public Education | |
| In office 2 February 1933 – 1 May 1934 |
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| Leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Preceded by | Wilhelm Kähler |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Gauleiter of South Hanover-Brunswick | |
| In office 1 October 1928 – November 1940 |
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| Leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Hartmann Lauterbacher |
| Gauleiter of North Hanover | |
| In office 22 March 1925 – 30 September 1928 |
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| Leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Member of the Reichstag (Nazi Germany) |
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| In office 1933–1945 |
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| (Weimar Republic) | |
| In office 1930–1933 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Karl Josef Bernhard Rust
30 September 1883 Hanover, Province of Hanover, German Empire |
| Died | 8 May 1945 (aged 61) Nübel, Nazi Germany |
| Resting place | Neuberend |
| Political party | NSDAP |
| Other political affiliations |
German Völkisch Freedom Party |
| Spouses |
Martha Haake
(m. 1910; died 1919)Anna-Sofie Dietlein
(m. 1920) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parents | Johann Franz Rust (father) Josefa Deppe (mother) |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Cabinet | Hitler Cabinet |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  German Empire |
| Branch/service | Army |
| Years of service | 1914–1918 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant |
| Unit | Infantry Regiment 368 Infantry Regiment 232 |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class |
Contents
Bernhard Rust's Life and Role
Early Years
Bernhard Rust was born in Hanover, Germany. He studied German language and philosophy at university. After finishing his studies, he became a high school teacher. During World War I, he joined the army. He fought bravely and was awarded the Iron Cross twice. He was injured during the war, which affected his health for the rest of his life. After the war, he returned to Hanover.
Joining Politics
In 1921, Rust joined the Nazi Party. He helped start the local Nazi group in Hanover. When the Nazi Party was temporarily banned, he joined another group called the German Völkisch Freedom Party. Later, when the Nazi Party was allowed again, he rejoined it.
In 1925, he became a Gauleiter (a regional leader) for North Hanover. This was an important position in the Nazi Party. In 1928, he became the Gauleiter for Southern Hanover–Brunswick, a role he held until 1940. In 1930, he was elected to the Reichstag, which was the German parliament. He remained a member until the end of World War II.
Shaping Education in Nazi Germany
After Adolf Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, Bernhard Rust was put in charge of education in Prussia. Then, in 1934, he became the Reichsminister (National Minister) of Science, Education, and National Culture for all of Germany. His main goal was to change the entire German education system to match the ideas of the Nazi Party.
New Rules for Schools
Rust made many new rules for schools. For example, in 1933, he ordered that students and teachers should greet each other with the Nazi salute. He believed this salute showed loyalty to the "new Germany."
He also tried to change the school week. In 1935, he said that Saturdays would be "Reich's Youth Day." On this day, children would not go to school but would instead participate in activities with the Hitler Youth or the League of German Girls. He even tried an unusual "rolling week" system, where the school week and rest days would shift, but this plan did not work well and was soon stopped.
What Was Taught?
Rust wanted teachers to focus on educating students to be "ethnically-aware Germans." This meant teaching them Nazi ideas about race and national pride. He believed that some scientific ideas, like those from Albert Einstein, were "non-Aryan" and therefore not good. He even said that different people, like "the Negro or the Jew," would see the world differently from a "German investigator." This showed the strong prejudice and discrimination that was part of Nazi education.
The Nazis also created special schools called "Napola" (National Political Institutes of Education). These schools trained future leaders for Nazi Germany, teaching them to be loyal to the Nazi Party.
Two important books were written about Rust's education system: School for Barbarians by Erika Mann (1938) and Education for Death by Gregor Ziemer (1941). These books showed how the Nazi education system was designed to control young minds.
Later Life
Bernhard Rust reportedly died on May 8, 1945. This was the same day that Germany officially surrendered to the Allied forces, ending World War II in Europe.
Trying to Change German Spelling
Bernhard Rust also tried to change German orthography, which is the way words are spelled. He wanted to make many changes, like using lowercase letters for common nouns and removing some letters that made words longer. Many of his ideas were similar to spelling reforms that happened much later.
However, his attempts to change spelling did not succeed at the time. Even though millions of copies of his new rules were printed for schools, the changes were put on hold by Hitler during the war. Some of his ideas, like spelling Kautsch instead of Couch, did appear in a German dictionary called the Duden for a while. Many of the changes Rust suggested were finally put into practice with the German orthography reform of 1996.
See also
In Spanish: Bernhard Rust para niños
