Hans Schemm: Architect of Nazi Ideology in Education
An Examination of a Key Figure in the National Socialist Educational Apparatus.
Early Life ๐ Party Career ๐ฉDive in with Flashcard Learning!
๐ฎ Play the Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge Game๐ฎ
Early Life and Education
Origins and Upbringing
Hans Schemm was born on October 6, 1891, in Bayreuth, within the Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire. His parents operated a shoemaker's shop. Schemm received his foundational education through five years of volksschule (elementary school), followed by preparatory schooling for teacher training.
Teacher Training and Early Career
From 1908 to 1910, Schemm attended the Royal Bavarian Teachers' Seminar in Altdorf bei Nรผrnberg. He commenced his teaching career in 1910 in Wรผlfersreuth, subsequently moving to Neufang in 1911. He married in 1915, and a son was born in 1917.
World War I and Tuberculosis
During World War I, Schemm served as a medical attendant in a military epidemic hospital in Bayreuth. He contracted tuberculosis, leading to his discharge from military service on August 26, 1916. He then returned to his teaching position in Neufang.
Post-War Involvement and Return to Teaching
In 1919, Schemm was a member of the Freikorps Bayreuth, participating in the suppression of the Bavarian Soviet Republic. Leveraging his background in biochemistry, he headed a bacteriological-chemical laboratory (Sanitorium Hubertusbad) in Thale. Following its closure in 1921 due to financial reasons, Schemm returned to teaching at the Altstadtschule in Bayreuth, which was later named the Hans-Schemm-Schule in his honor.
Nazi Party Career
Early Party Affiliation
Schemm joined the Nazi Party in 1922 and first met Adolf Hitler on September 30, 1923. Following the ban of the Party after the Beer Hall Putsch, Schemm, with Hitler's approval, became First Assessor in the Bayreuth Vรถlkischer Bund. Upon its dissolution, he joined the National Socialist Freedom Movement. He immediately rejoined the Nazi Party upon its re-establishment in 1925, becoming the Ortsgruppenleiter (Local Group Leader) in Bayreuth, a position he held until his death.
Orator and Propagandist
By May 1927, Schemm advanced to Bezirksleiter (District Leader) in Upper Franconia. Recognized as a gifted speaker, he became an effective propagandist and served as a Reichsredner (national orator). A notable personal rivalry existed between Schemm and Friedrich Puchta, an SPD member and Reichstag representative from Bayreuth.
Political Advancement
Schemm was elected to the Bavarian Landtag (State Parliament) in May 1928, serving until September 1930. On October 1, 1928, following the division of Julius Streicher's Gau of Northern Bavaria, Schemm became the Gauleiter of the newly formed Gau of Upper Franconia. He co-founded the National Socialist Teachers League (NSLB) in Hof on November 24, 1928, and was elected its leader ("Reichswalter") on April 21, 1929.
Media and Publishing
Schemm was actively involved in Nazi Party publications. Between 1928 and 1929, he edited several Nazi newspapers, including Der Streiter, Weckruf, and Nationale Zeitung. In August 1929, he founded the Nationalsozialistische Lehrerzeitung, which served as the NSLB's journalistic organ. He also established the Bayreuth National Socialist Cultural Publishing House in July 1931, which published the daily newspaper Das Frรคnkische Volk.
Reichstag and Expanded Gau
Schemm became a member of the Bayreuth City Council in December 1929 and chaired its Nazi faction. In September 1930, he was elected to the national parliament, the Reichstag, representing electoral constituency 26 (Franconia), a seat he held until his death. On January 19, 1933, the Gau of Upper Franconia was merged with Lower Bavaria-Upper Palatinate to form the Gau Bavarian Eastern March, with Schemm assuming the role of Gauleiter for the enlarged territory.
Government and Ministry Roles
State Commissioner and Minister
Following the Nazi seizure of power in Bavaria on March 10, 1933, Schemm was appointed Staatskommissar (State Commissioner) for education and culture. He also represented Bavaria in the Reichsrat until its abolition in February 1934. On April 12, 1933, he was made permanent Minister for Education and Culture and "Leader of Cultural and Educational Affairs of Bavaria" under Minister-President Ludwig Siebert. He officially left school service at this time.
Key Appointments and Honors
Schemm became a member of the Academy for German Law in October 1933. He was a recipient of the Golden Party Badge and was granted honorary citizenship of Bayreuth. On November 17, 1933, he headed the Office for the NSLB within the Nazi Party leadership. By April 1, 1934, he was appointed head (Hauptamtsleiter) of the Main Office for Education at the Brown House, the NSDAP's national headquarters.
Ideological Stance
Schemm is characterized as a highly skilled and dynamic Nazi leader. His political positions were overtly antidemocratic, anti-Semitic, and anti-Communist. Notable quotations attributed to him include: "We are not objective โ we are German!" and "...that a Jew should dangle from every lamppost."
Death and Legacy
Tragic Accident
On March 5, 1935, Hans Schemm sustained severe injuries in an aircraft crash. Despite Adolf Hitler's personal directive for renowned surgeon Professor Ferdinand Sauerbruch to attend to Schemm, he succumbed to his injuries on the same day before the professor's arrival.
State Funeral and Succession
Schemm was succeeded by his Deputy, Ludwig Ruckdeschel, as Acting Gauleiter. Fritz Wachtler was later appointed the permanent replacement on December 5. Schemm received an elaborate state funeral, attended by Hitler and numerous high-ranking Party and State officials. The ceremony was described as the largest Bayreuth had ever witnessed, surpassing even Richard Wagner's funeral in ostentation.
Posthumous Honors
In the aftermath of his death, the Nazi regime posthumously honored Schemm for his contributions as a publicist and educator. Numerous schools, streets, and halls were named in his memory across Germany.
Selected Works
Publications
Hans Schemm authored several works reflecting his ideological positions:
Teacher's Corner
Edit and Print this course in the Wiki2Web Teacher Studio

Click here to open the "Hans Schemm" Wiki2Web Studio curriculum kit
Use the free Wiki2web Studio to generate printable flashcards, worksheets, exams, and export your materials as a web page or an interactive game.
True or False?
Test Your Knowledge!
Gamer's Corner
Are you ready for the Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge?

Unlock the mystery image and prove your knowledge by earning trophies. This simple game is addictively fun and is a great way to learn!
Play now
References
References
- Anna Rosmus Hitlers Nibelungen, Samples Grafenau 2015, p. 99
Feedback & Support
To report an issue with this page, or to find out ways to support the mission, please click here.
Disclaimer
Historical Context and Accuracy
This page has been generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for educational and informational purposes only. The content is derived from a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not represent the entirety of historical scholarship or nuance. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy based on the source material, it may not be entirely complete or up-to-date.
This is not an endorsement of historical figures or ideologies presented. The information is provided for academic study of historical events and figures. The creators of this page are not responsible for any interpretations or actions taken based on the information provided herein.