German Ambassador Hits out at 'Xenophobic' British Education

Echoing similar thoughts as his predecessor, the German ambassador in London, Thomas Matussek, has claimed that history teaching in British schools fuels the xenophobia that's apparent in the country's media by focussing solely on Germany's war-time record.

The statements by the ambassador express concern surrounding the lack of modern German history being taught in schools and the willingness to resort to 'kraut bashing' by the British press whenever the two countries come into competition. Matussek believes that reducing German history to the country's Nazi past stokes xenophobic feelings in Britain.

"I think it is very important that people know as much as possible about the Nazi period and the Holocaust. But what is equally important is the history of Germany in the past 45 years and the success story of modern German democracy," said the ambassador in the British daily The Guardian on Monday.

Farhana Patel at the British government's Department for Education and Skills provided DW-WORLD with information that suggests that the proposed inclusion of 'Citizenship' as a national curriculum subject will address these xenophobia fears.

The government policy paper provided by the Education and Skills department stated that the new subject would be introduced "to develop the understanding of, and mutual respect for, diversity and the need for skills to combat prejudice, including racism and bullying."

However, when pressed to respond to the direct accusations made in the German ambassador's comments, the department declined to make any specific statement.

Matussek's statement comes in light of an assault on two German school children in London in October and complaints of abuse by German employees working at the Motorola telecommunications plant in Swindon.

Schoolboys and employees abused for being German

The two boys, staying with host families in Morden, South London, were invited to play football by local teenagers but were attacked by a second group after their nationality was revealed. Neither was seriously hurt, but both were verbally abused.

The computer experts working at Motorola also claimed that they had been subjected to obscene remarks and gestures referring to Adolf Hitler and the use of gas chambers by the Third Reich. Jens Puhle and Heinrich Sawatzki claim that they were forced out of their jobs in November because of the abuse.

British press accused of continuing wartime stereotypes

As well as rebuking the school syllabus, Matussek criticized the British press and media for continuing the wartime perceptions of Germany: "A lot of what is reported about Germany in parts of the media is not so much based on direct knowledge of Germany. The repetition of clichés is sometimes a substitute for reality."

The ambassador added that the newspapers failed to see the serious implications of what they see as playful journalism. "You see in the press headlines like 'we want to beat you Fritz'. It ceases to be funny the moment when little totally innocent young German schoolchildren get beaten up."

Predecessor suggested history lessons end with 1945

Matussek's predecessor, Gebhart von Moltke, issued parting shots of a similar nature when he left office in October 1999 to take up a post with NATO. He accused the British of "profound ignorance" when it came to modern Germany and also suggested that history teaching in schools appeared to end with the defeat of Hitler.

"One has the impression sometimes that the teaching of history in this country stops at 1945," von Moltke told the BBC at the time of his departure from British shores.

As well as the history syllabus, von Moltke criticized standards of German learning in British schools and offered his own damning condemnation of the British press, calling it "highly irresponsible".