I know very little about Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), the German theologian who was hanged in April 1945 by the Nazis for espionage and opposition to Hitler’s regime.
A little embarrassing, really.
So when I recently saw in a bookstore Eric Metaxas’s biography of the Christian martyr—Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Spy—I decided it was time to learn more about the man who stood up to Hitler and paid with his life.
I’m only about 20 pages into the book, but I can already tell that Metaxas’ work offers an engaging look at Bonhoeffer’s life, thoughts, faith, and family.
It appears that Bonhoeffer was not the only unusual person in his family. Karl and Paula Bonhoeffer—Bonhoeffer’s parents—brought eight children into the world within a decade. Dietrich was born on February 4, 1906, minutes before his twin sister, Sabine. He is the fourth child in the family and the sixth child.
Many of his brothers went on to do amazing things, but one of the first things that jumped out at me in the book was the powerful character of Bonhoeffer’s mother, whom a cousin called “the soul and spirit of house.” A devout woman, she had a deep (and impressive) distrust of the German public school system, refusing to allow her children to attend school at a young age.
“He apparently distrusted the German public schools and their Prussian methods of education. He subscribed to the saying that the Germans broke their backs twice, once in school and once in the military, he would not surrender her children to care for others who are less sensitive than her in their early years.
This was of course decades before teachers were required to swear allegiance to National Socialism, but Paula understood the risks of educating her young, impressionable children in state schools. A gifted teacher, he was able to educate his children himself, teaching them various hymns, poems, and folk songs. He also allowed them to learn and explore on their own the natural surroundings of Breslau and the Glatz Mountains near the Bohemian border where the family often vacationed. As a result, when her children eventually entered the public school system—with a foundation of strong values—they excelled.
Unfortunately, the next generation of German mothers will not have this luxury. In 1920, schooling was compulsory in Germany. Of course this would play into the hands of Hitler, who abolished the elementary schools run by the churches.
We are currently witnessing an exodus of students from America’s public schools, and I think the reason is very clear: many schools have become borderline dystopian.
The solution to this problem is not difficult, and it starts with ending mandatory schooling laws, as my colleague Kerry McDonald, author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside, points out. the Conventional Classroom.
“The first step to restoring educational freedom and empowering parents to choose and opportunity for their children is to abolish compulsory schooling laws that allow state control of education. States can still require cities and towns to provide public schools to those they want, but the power to compel parents to send their children there will be lost.
In its place, a decentralized network of educational opportunities (including, but not limited to, different types of schooling) will unfold, promoted by visionary parents, teachers, and traders. Parents, not the state, decide how and where their children are educated. New possibilities for educational innovation emerge as the shadow of compulsory schooling fades. Freedom in education begins when government coercion ends.”
It is clear to me that the world needs more men and women like Dietrich Bonhoeffer. As I read Metaxas’s book, it occurred to me that the world would not have had the opportunity to witness his courage, strength, and sacrifice if Germany had passed the mandatory schooling law just a decade ago.
I’m a little sad. I’m scared too.
This article was copied from the author’s Substack. Subscribe to his work on The Take.
