He also points out in his address, that this would not be possible if the Germans in Hungary didn't establish themselves as a strong ethnic group with massive land ownership and economic strength to pay for such a school system. It should not matter if a child is Catholic or Protestant, what should matter is that they can have an education in the German language.  This was a giant leap to further the intellectual mind among the Germans in Hungary.

Up until then, the school system was all but marginal and a higher education was usually reserved for the Hungarians or the Germans who became Hungarianized.  However, the Germans in the city became more and more demanding in their children’s education. They wanted their children to be doctors and engineers, scientist or even politician to help determine their own faith and future and protect their interest in the economic field.  After all they had become the strongest economic force in Hungary and provided the majority of Hungary’s export with their agricultural products.

On average, a child in Hungary attended six years of school.  At the age of 12 the children, especially in the rural region began to work in the family establishment, the farm of their parents or took a position as an apprentice.

During those six years the boys and girls received special education besides reading, writing and arithmetic. The boys had to learn about the daily chores they would face and be involved in on the farm.  They had to learn a variety of skills such as woodworking, caring for farm animals and had to learn about growing and harvesting crops.  The girls on the other hand, had to learn about housework, childcare, knitting, sewing as well as, cooking and baking.  In other words all had to learn about the practical things in life.

Soon after Adam Müller-Guttenbrunn’s appearance in Vienna the "Deutsch-Ungarische Schulstiftung" (German-Hungarian School Society) was created under his direction with the assistance of Dr. Stefan Kraft. Due to close relations with the Transylvanian Saxon, their politician Rudolf Brabdsch made it possible for Donauschwaben students to attend higher schools at the existing school systems of the Transylvanian Saxons, which were solely operated privately and supported by their church.  Such a system was also the aim of the Donauschwaben. 

After the First World War the educational system of the Germans instituted in Hungary faced a new problem after the dissecting of their settlement regions. They were situated in three countries: Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia were under the law of three entirely different governments. Their economical unit they enjoyed under the Austrian-Hungarian Empire was then destroyed and their strength they had gained together was jeopardized.

Jakob Bleyer became the leader among the Donauschwaben in Hungary. To foster the rights, culture, customs, traditions and the German language of the Donauschwaben, Bleyer formed the non-political "Ungarische-Deutscher Volksbildungsverein." However, his efforts to establish schools, a political party or cooperative institutions for the Donauschwaben population in Hungary, were in vain. Thus the situation in Hungary for the Donauschwaben had to be termed grim and hopeless.

The depressing situation in Yugoslavia became evident in the school systems, where the German Language could only be taught in schools with classes greater than 30 German students. Fortunately for many Donauschwaben communities, this was the case.  It was not until 1931, that a college for teachers and in 1940 a college for students could be opened in Neu Werbass.  Our young men and women perusing an academic carrier had to study in the Serbo-Croatian language, a foreign language to them, or leave their home to study in Austria or Germany.

The situation for the Germans in Romania generally speaking, was not much different from that in Yugoslavia. The Sathmar Schwaben, the Banater Schwaben and the Transylvanian Saxons living in Romania were all affected to the same decree of law under the Romanian Government.  In 1921 the Banater Schwaben in Romania organized the "Deutschschwäbische Volksgemeinschaft" (German Swabian Volks Unity).  They became members of the "Verband der Deutschen in Rumänien," (Unity of Germans in Romania) which included the Transylvanian Saxons, Sathmarer Schwaben, the Banater Schwaben, the Bucovina and Bessarabia Germans.

The speaker of the party was Dr. Kaspar Muth. Through his and other party members brilliant efforts, it was possible to establish a German school system in Romania after 1920, one third of it for higher education.  Through the tireless work of Bishop Augustin Pacha of Temeswar, it was possible to inaugurate the largest central educational institution for Germans in Southeast Europe in 1926, the "Banatia." This achievement earned him the nickname "Schwaben Bischof" Swabian Bishop among his peers.

Our young students, who found the existing school system in their home countries inadequate and required them to learn a new language if they wanted to obtain a higher education, placed them at a great disadvantage at home.  Many of them were forced to leave their home country because of the difficulties created, as well as the unfair political situations they were placed under at the end of the war.

This was especially true for the young students who became exposed to the differences in cultures and existing political movements in Austria and Germany. They became exposed to the National Socialistic Movement in these countries at the time and many of them became supporters of that movement. They learned about freedom, which they did not find in their home countries and is it not true that freedom is the ultimate yearning of all mankind.

Several of those students upon their return home, became leaders of the Donauschwaben and the National Socialistic Movement. As leaders of their organizations they became burdened with the impossible task of sincerely serving the interests of the Donauschwaben, the countries they lived in and the National Socialistic Movements, in the end they were destroyed by their idealistic efforts to serve them all. 

The accordion school of Michael Frick and his young students Batschsentiwan, Batschka.

A physical training class for girls in school in India, Syrmia.

A typical school court
in India, Syrmia.

A Kindergarten festival in Siwatz.  Notice the Dutch type clothing and the wooden shoes.

A classic theater play staged by the children of Indija, Syrmia.

Fourth & fifth grader girls of Alexander Frick in Gakowa, Batschka.

The first graders 1941-1942 of Batschsentiwan, Batschka. In the second row sitting, the second boy from the right is Hans Kopp.

The faculty of the teachers institute in Werbass, the only teachers institute allowed by the Government for the education of German teacher in Yugoslavia 1941.

The building of the University of Banatia in Temeschburg, Banat. The largest University in South East Europe at the time.