Latest news with #KarinPrien
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Post-WWII Germany's first Jewish cabinet member on past lessons, new risks
Berlin — When Karin Prien's mother brought her to Germany as a little girl in the late 1960s, she gave her one urgent warning: "Don't tell anyone you're Jewish." Nearly six decades later, Prien is now post World War II Germany's first Jewish federal cabinet member, having been selected as the Minister for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Prien told CBS News she intends to use her platform to confront the rise of antisemitism in Germany and further afield, and the fragility of democracy in a country still reckoning with its past. "Well, in a way, I'm proud," the minister told CBS News in a candid interview. "Proud to be a minister in the federal government, but also that I'm recognized as Jewish and that German society is now so far [advanced] as to accept that Jewish people have a right to be a self-conscious part of this society." Prien's political career, and her personal story, represent an arc of conflict, tension and reconciliation that echoes that of post-Holocaust Germany itself. "A question of responsibility" Born in the Netherlands to Holocaust survivors, Prien moved to Germany at the age of 4. Even as a child, she was heavily aware of the silence surrounding her family's identity. Her mother's warning that it was still too dangerous to talk about being Jewish — more than two decades after the war ended — shaped her early years. "There was always fear. My mother was afraid that there were too many Nazis still around," Prien said. "It wasn't taken for granted that you could talk about being Jewish. It was something you kept inside the home." But that silence eventually became intolerable. As a young teen, she said she began to understand that the democratic values she cherished — freedom, human dignity, anti-discrimination—- required defending. "I decided, 'I have to do something about it. Democracy is not something you can take for granted,'" she said. But Prien still waited decades before publicly acknowledging her Jewish identity. The turning point came in the early 2010s, when she was already a member of state parliament in Hamburg. Prien began pushing for systematic documentation of antisemitic incidents in schools. When a journalist asked why the issue mattered so much to her, she paused and then told him: "Because I'm Jewish." "That was the moment I realized I had a political voice," she recalled. "I had some kind of influence. And for me, it was a question of responsibility." Lessons from the past for the threats of today That sense of responsibility weighs heavily on Prien in today's Germany, where she said antisemitism is no longer confined to the political fringes. "We see rising antisemitism all over the world," Prien said. "They dare to be openly antisemitic. I think it's now more than after the end of World War II. They dare to be openly antisemitic, and that's also in Germany getting stronger and stronger. That has changed. And so we have antisemitic tendencies on the margins, but we also have it in the middle of society." While Germany once appeared to be a model of historical reckoning, Prien said she fears complacency is setting in. After some "honest decades," during which Prien says Germans confronted themselves with the stark realities of their country's history, "now, people are dying. And now we have to find new ways to talk about that." Prien thinks that should include a shift in Holocaust education. She wants German schools to expand from their current focus on the atrocities of World War II to also teach the history of Israel, the cultural contributions of Jewish Germans, and the origins of antisemitism. "Jewish identity is part of German identity," she told CBS News. "Young people need to know that Jews are not only victims. Jewish people are diverse. They have a voice. They are part of this society." Prien said she draws inspiration from figures including Margot Friedländer, a Holocaust survivor who famously coined the phrase: "Be Human." That, Prien said, should be the foundation of any education system in a democracy: teaching empathy and human dignity. But it's not only historical facts and universal dignity that need defending, she said, it's also Germany's democratic fabric. "We are an immigration society," Prien said. "But we're not very good at having fair and equal chances for children who start with more difficult conditions." She sees educational equity and national democratic resilience as intrinsically linked. Prien is now leading efforts to limit mobile phone use in German elementary schools, warning that parents and policymakers have been too naive about the risks of digital exposure for young people. "We are anxious about the real world. We drive our kids to school and into the classrooms but we are not anxious about the stuff online," she said. "That has to change." Asked what message she has for young Jews with political ambitions in Germany today, Prien didn't hesitate: "Stay. Don't pack your luggage. This is a different Germany. This is a country where you can live safely. And it's our job to make that promise true every day." SpaceX loses contact with its Starship, spins out of control Post-WWII Germany's first Jewish cabinet member on finding her "political voice," facing the past Elon Musk says he and Trump administration sometimes have "differences of opinion"
CBS News
29-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Post-WWII Germany's first Jewish cabinet member on embracing her roots, countering rising antisemitism
Berlin — When Karin Prien's mother brought her to Germany as a little girl in the late 1960s, she gave her one urgent warning: "Don't tell anyone you're Jewish." Nearly six decades later, Prien is now post World War II Germany's first Jewish federal cabinet member, having been selected as the Minister for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Prien told CBS News she intends to use her platform to confront the rise of antisemitism in Germany and further afield, and the fragility of democracy in a country still reckoning with its past. "Well, in a way, I'm proud," the minister told CBS News in a candid interview. "Proud to be a minister in the federal government, but also that I'm recognized as Jewish and that German society is now so far [advanced] as to accept that Jewish people have a right to be a self-conscious part of this society." Prien's political career, and her personal story, represent an arc of conflict, tension and reconciliation that echoes that of post-Holocaust Germany itself. Karin Prien, Germany's federal minister for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Christoph Soeder/picture alliance via Getty Images "A question of responsibility" Born in the Netherlands to Holocaust survivors, Prien moved to Germany at the age of 4. Even as a child, she was heavily aware of the silence surrounding her family's identity. Her mother's warning that it was still too dangerous to talk about being Jewish — more than two decades after the war ended — shaped her early years. "There was always fear. My mother was afraid that there were too many Nazis still around," Prien said. "It wasn't taken for granted that you could talk about being Jewish. It was something you kept inside the home." But that silence eventually became intolerable. As a young teen, she said she began to understand that the democratic values she cherished — freedom, human dignity, anti-discrimination—- required defending. "I decided, 'I have to do something about it. Democracy is not something you can take for granted,'" she said. But Prien still waited decades before publicly acknowledging her Jewish identity. The turning point came in the early 2010s, when she was already a member of state parliament in Hamburg. Prien began pushing for systematic documentation of antisemitic incidents in schools. When a journalist asked why the issue mattered so much to her, she paused and then told him: "Because I'm Jewish." "That was the moment I realized I had a political voice," she recalled. "I had some kind of influence. And for me, it was a question of responsibility." Lessons from the past for the threats of today That sense of responsibility weighs heavily on Prien in today's Germany, where she said antisemitism is no longer confined to the political fringes. "We see rising antisemitism all over the world," Prien said. "They dare to be openly antisemitic. I think it's now more than after the end of World War II. They dare to be openly antisemitic, and that's also in Germany getting stronger and stronger. That has changed. And so we have antisemitic tendencies on the margins, but we also have it in the middle of society." While Germany once appeared to be a model of historical reckoning, Prien said she fears complacency is setting in. After some "honest decades," during which Prien says Germans confronted themselves with the stark realities of their country's history, "now, people are dying. And now we have to find new ways to talk about that." Prien thinks that should include a shift in Holocaust education. She wants German schools to expand from their current focus on the atrocities of World War II to also teach the history of Israel, the cultural contributions of Jewish Germans, and the origins of antisemitism. "Jewish identity is part of German identity," she told CBS News. "Young people need to know that Jews are not only victims. Jewish people are diverse. They have a voice. They are part of this society." Prien said she draws inspiration from figures including Margot Friedländer, a Holocaust survivor who famously coined the phrase: "Be Human." That, Prien said, should be the foundation of any education system in a democracy: teaching empathy and human dignity. But it's not only historical facts and universal dignity that need defending, she said, it's also Germany's democratic fabric. "We are an immigration society," Prien said. "But we're not very good at having fair and equal chances for children who start with more difficult conditions." She sees educational equity and national democratic resilience as intrinsically linked. Prien is now leading efforts to limit mobile phone use in German elementary schools, warning that parents and policymakers have been too naive about the risks of digital exposure for young people. "We are anxious about the real world. We drive our kids to school and into the classrooms but we are not anxious about the stuff online," she said. "That has to change." Asked what message she has for young Jews with political ambitions in Germany today, Prien didn't hesitate: "Stay. Don't pack your luggage. This is a different Germany. This is a country where you can live safely. And it's our job to make that promise true every day."
DW
27-05-2025
- Politics
- DW
Nazi slogans trigger scandal at German high school – DW – 05/26/2025
A report of an antisemitic incident at a high school in central Germany last week coincided with the arrest of teenage right-wing extremists. Are deeply right-wing extremist views resonating with more and more youth? Ideally, a graduation motto is a phrase one fondly remembers for a lifetime. It decorates the senior class's T-shirts, serves as inspiration for numerous graduation parties, and is the title of the graduation newspaper, marking the ceremonial end of school life for 18- and 19-year-olds. For some students at the Liebig School in the town of Giessen in central Germany, the whole topic of picking a graduation motto is now something they would rather quickly forget. Or, as student representative Nicole Kracke told German news magazine, Der Spiegel: "We're now the ones with the Nazi label. That hurts." 'Abi macht frei' (a reference to the infamous 'Arbeit macht frei' signs above the gates of Nazi extermination camps), and 'NSDABI — Burn the Duden' (referring to the Nazi party NSDAP, Nazi book burnings, and Jewish persecution) were among the proposals in an anonymous online vote for the 2026 graduation motto. Some students reacted immediately and reported the incident to the school administration. Access to the portal was deleted, the entire graduating class was summoned, and a prepared statement was presented to them: 'In our school community, there is no place for racism, antisemitism, or discrimination. We stand together against it!' The police are now investigating on suspicion of incitement to hatred. Fighting extremism at school To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Provocation or far-right extremist mindset? Was it just a provocation and a lapse by a few immature high school graduates, a silly prank, or perhaps the ultimate proof of how deeply right-wing extremist views are resonating with more and more young people? The Nazi slogans proposed as a graduation motto caused such an uproar in Germany that the new Minister of Education, Karin Prien of the center-right Christian Democratic Union party (CDU), called for mandatory visits to concentration camp memorials for all students in Germany. There are frequent antisemitic incidents among students: In front of the Auschwitz extermination camp, where the National Socialists murdered over a million people, ninth-grade students from Görlitz, Saxony, displayed a neo-Nazi salute. In Oelsnitz, also in Saxony, a secondary school teacher requested a transfer after being threatened by far-right students. And in Wiesbaden, in the state of Hesse, students applauded during an educational film about the murder of millions of Jews. Tina Dürr was therefore not particularly surprised when she learned about the incident in Giessen. She is the deputy director of the Democracy Center Hesse, which assists and advises schools, municipalities, and organizations in the fight against right-wing extremism. "Provocations and right-wing extremist statements, such as this graduation motto, have generally increased in schools — we receive more and more reports about it," she told DW. "There are swastikas and right-wing extremist graffiti, Hitler salutes, racist or right-wing extremist songs being sung on school trips." In Germany, young and old bear witness to Holocaust horrors To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Rightward shift: Schools reflect society The federal states do not have a uniform way of recording far-right hate crimes in schools, but a survey conducted by the German weekly , Die Zeit, among German state ministries revealed a worrying picture: In 2024, right-wing extremist incidents increased by at least 30% compared to the previous year. In German society, such positions and provocations are becoming more acceptable. Tina Dürr has explored the ways how young people are being engaged: "Young men are being deliberately drawn into pre-political activities through martial arts, in order to recruit them for nationalist ideas and toxic masculinity ideals." On social media, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) particularly focuses on the issue of misogyny. "The devaluation of women and a return to a traditionally conservative gender role model — both elements of right-wing extremism — are experiencing a resurgence. Confident women are devalued, queer people are devalued, leading up to acts of violence and femicide," explains Tina Dürr. Above all, this presents an enormous challenge for teachers. Two years ago,a case in Brandenburg drew national attention when two teachers publicly exposed right-wing extremist incidents at their school. They were subsequently subjected to massive hostility — and ultimately left the school in frustration. A response from teachers is more necessary now than ever, says Dürr, otherwise far-right and racist provocations could become socially acceptable. "If right-wing extremist incidents are not addressed and the perpetrators are allowed to act unchecked, it sends a subtle message to students that such behaviour is normal. What is crucial: We must support those who have the courage to stand up for democratic values, and who identify extremism as a problem." How Gen-Z see Germany's election results To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Holocaust feels increasingly distant Stefan Düll knows this issue all too well from personal experience. The President of the German Teachers' Association is also the principal of a high school in Neusäss, Bavaria. He advocates for the toughest possible response to right-wing extremist misconduct by students: involving the police, filing charges, and emphasizing that public officials are legally obligated to take action. "We cannot sweep crimes under the carpet and say, 'We'll just handle this with a personal discussion, and that will be enough.' Even if the perpetrator is only 13 years old, we must report it to the police. And when the police visit the perpetrator and issue a formal warning, it carries a different weight than school disciplinary measures, which must also be imposed," he told DW. Düll supports the Federal Education Minister's plan to make visits to concentration camp memorials mandatory — 90% of schools already do this. However, educational institutions are finding it increasingly difficult to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, he said. According to a study by the Jewish Claims Conference, approximately 40% of surveyed Germans aged 18 to 29 did not know that approximately six million Jewish men and women were murdered during the Nazi era. Eyewitnesses who visit schools, such as the recently deceased Margot Friedländer, will soon no longer be around. And as time passes, the historical distance grows: students live in the here and now, Düll explained. "Right-wing extremist incidents in schools are increasing because the direct connection, even through one's own family, is no longer present. We also have students whose families have no connection to the history of Nazi Germany because they did not live in Germany during that time," Düll explains. This article was originally written in German. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.
DW
26-05-2025
- Politics
- DW
Nazi slogans trigger scandal at German school – DW – 05/26/2025
A report of an antisemitic incident in a high school coincided with the arrest of teenage rightwing extremists last week. This has triggered a debate over whether Germany's youth is embracing Nazi ideology. Ideally, a graduation motto is a phrase one fondly remembers for a lifetime. It decorates the senior class's T-shirts, serves as inspiration for numerous graduation parties, and is the title of the graduation newspaper, marking the ceremonial end of school life for 18- and 19-year-olds. For some students at the Liebig School in the town of Giessen in central Germany, the whole topic of picking a graduation motto is now something they would rather quickly forget. Or, as student representative Nicole Kracke told German news magazine, Der Spiegel: "We're now the ones with the Nazi label. That hurts." 'Abi macht frei' (a reference to the infamous 'Arbeit macht frei' signs above the gates of Nazi extermination camps), and 'NSDABI — Burn the Duden' (referring to the Nazi party NSDAP, Nazi book burnings, and Jewish persecution) were among the proposals in an anonymous online vote for the 2026 graduation motto. Some students reacted immediately and reported the incident to the school administration. Access to the portal was deleted, the entire graduating class was summoned, and a prepared statement was presented to them: 'In our school community, there is no place for racism, antisemitism, or discrimination. We stand together against it!' The police are now investigating on suspicion of incitement to hatred. Fighting extremism at school To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Provocation or far-right extremist mindset? Was it just a provocation and a lapse by a few immature high school graduates, a silly prank, or perhaps the ultimate proof of how deeply right-wing extremist views are resonating with more and more young people? The Nazi slogans proposed as a graduation motto caused such an uproar in Germany that the new Minister of Education, Karin Prien of the center-right Christian Democratic Union party (CDU), called for mandatory visits to concentration camp memorials for all students in Germany. There are frequent antisemitic incidents among students: In front of the Auschwitz extermination camp, where the National Socialists murdered over a million people, ninth-grade students from Görlitz, Saxony, displayed a neo-Nazi salute. In Oelsnitz, also in Saxony, a secondary school teacher requested a transfer after being threatened by far-right students. And in Wiesbaden, in the state of Hesse, students applauded during an educational film about the murder of millions of Jews. Tina Dürr was therefore not particularly surprised when she learned about the incident in Giessen. She is the deputy director of the Democracy Center Hesse, which assists and advises schools, municipalities, and organizations in the fight against right-wing extremism. "Provocations and right-wing extremist statements, such as this graduation motto, have generally increased in schools — we receive more and more reports about it," she told DW. "There are swastikas and right-wing extremist graffiti, Hitler salutes, racist or right-wing extremist songs being sung on school trips." In Germany, young and old bear witness to Holocaust horrors To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Rightward shift: Schools reflect society The federal states do not have a uniform way of recording far-right hate crimes in schools, but a survey conducted by the German daily, Die Zeit, among German state ministries revealed a worrying picture: In 2024, right-wing extremist incidents increased by at least 30% compared to the previous year. In German society, such positions and provocations are becoming more acceptable. Tina Dürr has explored the ways how young people are being engaged: "Young men are being deliberately drawn into pre-political activities through martial arts, in order to recruit them for nationalist ideas and toxic masculinity ideals." On social media, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) particularly focuses on the issue of misogyny. "The devaluation of women and a return to a traditionally conservative gender role model — both elements of right-wing extremism — are experiencing a resurgence. Confident women are devalued, queer people are devalued, leading up to acts of violence and femicide," explains Tina Dürr. Above all, this presents an enormous challenge for teachers. Two years ago,a case in Brandenburg drew national attention when two teachers publicly exposed right-wing extremist incidents at their school. They were subsequently subjected to massive hostility — and ultimately left the school in frustration. A response from teachers is more necessary now than ever, says Dürr, otherwise far-right and racist provocations could become socially acceptable. "If right-wing extremist incidents are not addressed and the perpetrators are allowed to act unchecked, it sends a subtle message to students that such behaviour is normal. What is crucial: We must support those who have the courage to stand up for democratic values, and who identify extremism as a problem." How Gen-Z see Germany's election results To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Holocaust feels increasingly distant Stefan Düll knows this issue all too well from personal experience. The President of the German Teachers' Association is also the principal of a high school in Neusäss, Bavaria. He advocates for the toughest possible response to right-wing extremist misconduct by students: involving the police, filing charges, and emphasizing that public officials are legally obligated to take action. "We cannot sweep crimes under the carpet and say, 'We'll just handle this with a personal discussion, and that will be enough.' Even if the perpetrator is only 13 years old, we must report it to the police. And when the police visit the perpetrator and issue a formal warning, it carries a different weight than school disciplinary measures, which must also be imposed," he told DW. Düll supports the Federal Education Minister's plan to make visits to concentration camp memorials mandatory — 90% of schools already do this. However, educational institutions are finding it increasingly difficult to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, he said. According to a study by the Jewish Claims Conference, approximately 40% of surveyed Germans aged 18 to 29 did not know that approximately six million Jewish men and women were murdered during the Nazi era. Eyewitnesses who visit schools, such as the recently deceased Margot Friedländer, will soon no longer be around. And as time passes, the historical distance grows: students live in the here and now, Düll explained. "Right-wing extremist incidents in schools are increasing because the direct connection, even through one's own family, is no longer present. We also have students whose families have no connection to the history of Nazi Germany because they did not live in Germany during that time," Düll explains. This article was originally written in German. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.
Local Germany
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
What parents in Germany need to know about the planned schools shake up
For years a lack of investment and ambition has hampered attempts to improve education in Germany. Enter Karin Prien (CDU), Germany's new and super-charged Minister of Education -- officially Minister of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Young People, or head of the BMBFSFJ -- with ambitious plans to reform schooling in Germany. Prien, who has years of experience in the field as a state education minister for Schlewig-Holstein, is determined to take advantage of the ministry's expanded remit to 'think about education holistically … and from the perspective of children and young people.' So what does this mean in practice? Here are the main planned changes that parents of school kids in Germany can expect. The expansion of all-day schooling With German schoolchildren falling behind their peers in other countries, according to PISA scores , and more and more families with both parents in full-time employment, the minister is determined to push ahead with plans to offer all-day schooling across the country. These plans were originally introduced by the previous traffic light government, and many schools have already started building out new canteens and other school buildings they need to offer all-day schooling. Unfortunately, as many of these projects have fallen behind schedule, the first bill Prien has brought before parliament (which was discussed on Thursday morning) will attempt to delay federal deadlines for all-day schooling by two years, to 2030. READ ALSO: How do pupils in Germany compare in international maths and science tests? More investment in early education, and mandatory testing In interviews, Prien has suggested that the number of children who start school with a poor command of German is responsible for the relative decline in educational achievement in Germany in recent years. With the goal of raising standards, and halving Germany's school dropout rate by 2035, Prien wants to introduce mandatory testing for children at the age of four. She has also talked about introducing mandatory support for children whom the tests identify as being behind in their development. During a recent speech, Prien stated that the federal government would 'invest billions in daycare centres and schools.' The minister has also announced her intention to relaunch the language daycares ( Sprach-kitas ), and extend the Starting Chance ( Startchancen ) programme in schools to Ki tas in socially deprived areas. Prien also wants to review nationwide quality standards for Kitas , with a view to placing more emphasis on education and less on childcare. Advertisement No more mobile phones in primary schools? Prien has taken issue with children spending too much time in front of screens. School children in Germany are among the world leaders in screentime, according to a recent OECD report which found that 15 year olds in Germany and Austria use electronic devices for an average of 30 hours per week. Prien has set her sights on minimising screentime from an earlier age. She has spoken out against the amount of time pre-schoolers spend in front of screens, and voiced favour for banning the use of mobile phones in primary schools altogether. State ministers of education are already looking at the issue. Prien intends to help them in their deliberations by providing better access to scientific studies, evidence, and analysis. READ ALSO: What are the rules in Germany on students having phones at school? Advertisement Integrating youth services and specialised teacher training However, halving the school dropout rate in the next ten years won't be possible simply through testing pre-schoolers, offering all-day schooling, and banning mobile phones. Prien also wants to invest in more support for children who arrive late in Germany's school system – and in additional training for teachers on how to cope with 'difficult and demanding groups of pupils.' She intends to take advantage of the expanded remit of her ministry to 'link youth welfare services more closely with schools,' in order to prevent pupils from falling through the cracks. READ ALSO: What having kids at a German kindergarten teaches you about the local culture
