Suche
Mein Konto
100 years of Günter Sass: Memories of corporal punishment in Barth schools
Günter Sass, 100 years old, remembers beatings in Barth schools in the 1930s and his painful school days.
100 years of Günter Sass: Memories of corporal punishment in Barth schools
On October 28, 2025, Günter Sass will celebrate his 100th birthday and revive the shadows of his school days in Barth. Growing up in modest circumstances as the son of the locksmith Karl and his wife Grete, the celebratory man remembers a time when corporal punishment was widespread in schools. Enrolling in the boys' school on Bleicherwall in 1932 was a formative experience for him, among other things because as one of 40 boys he was confronted with strict rules and sanctions right from the start.
As reported in the Ostsee-Zeitung, the slightest offenses at school were the cause Corporal punishment, especially for children from humble backgrounds. And while sons of wealthy families often got away unpunished, Sass often found himself at the receiving end of the teacher's hand because of a quiet "ouch" after a splinter in his hand and an incident in swimming class.
Teaching and growing up
After the 8th grade, the young man began an apprenticeship as an aircraft manufacturer at the Bachmann works. The training workshop at Hindenburgplatz was a place where, in addition to crafts, other values were taught. Sass experienced no more beatings during his training, but here too he was treated differently by the vocational school teacher. Together with other apprentices, he joined the Flieger-HJ, where gliding in Alt Reddevitz/Rügen was on the program.
When his apprenticeship ended in 1942, the front was waiting for highly qualified personnel. A driver's decree also opened the way for non-high school graduates to become officers. Sass obtained his technical college entrance qualification and completed pilot training at the Laubheim/Ulm Air Warfare School. This time brought him to the Focke-Wulf FW-190, and he was assigned to Jagdgeschwader 110. Fortunately, he remained safe and escaped combat, but was taken prisoner by the Americans. In 1947 he found his way back to his hometown of Barth.
The change in education
Günter Sass' experiences reflect a significant change in education that extended into the 20th century. In her book “The Long Farewell to Corporal Punishment: Physical School Punishment in the Changing Values 1870–1980,” author Sarina Hoff sheds light on this change in values and shows how society permanently said goodbye to such practices. The volume, published by De Gruyter, offers a deep insight into the history of school discipline and illustrates how corporal punishment has lost its importance over the decades.
Günter Sass embodies not only the memories of a bygone era, but also life and learning in a changing Germany. On his special day today, he deserves recognition for the challenges he has overcome and which have had an impact on the rest of his life.