Violent ideas about education in the 20th century

Violent parenting has long played a decisive role in families. Physical violence against children was once considered a common means of discipline. The aim of this paper is to describe and analyse the parenting methods described in guidebooks from the Nazi era to 1989. The parenting methods of the time were characterised by harshness, discipline and violence in its various forms. This included not only physical abuse, as violence begins with the deprivation of basic needs or in the context of manipulative threats. Physical affection and responding to children’s needs were also largely avoided. Children had to submit to the power lust of adults. Any disobedience to the rules resulted in punishment for the child. The top priority was to instil important virtues such as obedience and discipline. For children, however, this form of upbringing can have devastating effects that stay with them for the rest of their lives.