19th Century Germany
The school system in 19th century Germany varied greatly in comparison to the school system as we know it. Expressing oneself was strongly frowned upon. The educational system was designed to mold students into what was deemed acceptable by society. At the time, girls were being prepared for life in the home, while boys were getting ready to begin their careers and provide for a family. Questions and ideas outside of these areas were not accepted. School was a struggle for many young students in Germany, so much so that repeating school years was not an uncommon occurrence (Fishman). This meant that students were aging and becoming adults all while still being treated like children. This is the main cause of Melchior's distraught. Growing up in a time period where he was unable to ask questions about certain topics without being scolded taught him to take matters into his own hands. He was aware that not everything about society and adolescence was being taught to them in school, and he shares that information with the other boys in "The Bitch of Living." Melchior knows that they are not at fault for asking questions, that information is being kept from them. Knowing more about the time period and educational system at the time, we can understand why Melchior made the choices he did, and how his actions have consequences.
The pressure of school life weighed heavily on adolescents. Students were committing suicide due to anxiety from being in and attending school. While other reasons could have been the cause, the education system was seen as the primary cause of blame. “The guilt does not lie with any individuals, it lies in the entire school and educational system” (Gurlitt). The introduction of Wedekind's original script brought many of these issues to light once the play became more accessible to the public. It jumpstarted an era of stories revolving around youth being crushed by society and its schools, "which were insensitive to his peculiar maturational problems" (Gurlitt). It became a reoccurring theme in the first decade of twentieth century Germany. The school system in Germany was used as a way to teach morality, specifically the morals of the adult figures. They used their beliefs and the beliefs of Germany to control their youth, and doing so greatly affected their outlooks on life and education in general.
The pressure of school life weighed heavily on adolescents. Students were committing suicide due to anxiety from being in and attending school. While other reasons could have been the cause, the education system was seen as the primary cause of blame. “The guilt does not lie with any individuals, it lies in the entire school and educational system” (Gurlitt). The introduction of Wedekind's original script brought many of these issues to light once the play became more accessible to the public. It jumpstarted an era of stories revolving around youth being crushed by society and its schools, "which were insensitive to his peculiar maturational problems" (Gurlitt). It became a reoccurring theme in the first decade of twentieth century Germany. The school system in Germany was used as a way to teach morality, specifically the morals of the adult figures. They used their beliefs and the beliefs of Germany to control their youth, and doing so greatly affected their outlooks on life and education in general.
Religion
Catholics and Protestants were the dominant religious groups in the late 1800's. Religion played a large role in both the home and the classroom. Society used the church's influence to dictate what could and could not be talked about in every aspect of life. The church strongly influenced life in Germany and German culture. This meant that the Pope's word was not taken lightly. In fact, in 1869 the Pope declared all abortions murder regardless of the circumstances (Blackbourn). This led to a rise in illegal and unsafe back-alley abortions, much like what we know Wendila experiences. Religion played such a strong role in society that the idea of not believing in God was something many could not even fathom.
Although there were two prominent religious groups in Germany at the time, the characters in Spring Awakening would have lived in a Protestant town. Their religion would dictate the lives they were supposed to live, even if they did not agree with it. We see a prominent example of this with Melchior in both the musical and the original play, as he questions religion and the impact it has on their lives and education. This also meant they could not ask questions about sex, sex education, or questions about pregnancy while in school, since it was so heavily frowned upon. It is very apparent that religion was used as a form of control for children, adolescents, and adults. |
By: BB
Additional Sources
Blackbourn, David. The Long Nineteenth Century: A History of Germany, 1780-1918. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.
Eser, Albin. “Reform of German Abortion Law: First Experiences.” The American Journal of Comparative Law, vol. 34, no. 2, 1986, pp. 369–83. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/840150.
Fishman, Sterling. “Suicide, Sex, and the Discovery of the German Adolescent.” History of Education Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 2, 1970, pp. 170–88. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/367024.
Hovey G. Abortion: a history. Plan Parent Rev. 1985 Summer;5(2):18-21. PMID: 12340403.
Eser, Albin. “Reform of German Abortion Law: First Experiences.” The American Journal of Comparative Law, vol. 34, no. 2, 1986, pp. 369–83. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/840150.
Fishman, Sterling. “Suicide, Sex, and the Discovery of the German Adolescent.” History of Education Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 2, 1970, pp. 170–88. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/367024.
Hovey G. Abortion: a history. Plan Parent Rev. 1985 Summer;5(2):18-21. PMID: 12340403.