POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY AROUND THE WORLD III FACING THE POLITICAL MAP OF GERMANY

In: Political geography quarterly, Band 3, Heft 3, S. 251-258

Abstract

THIS PAPER STUDIED DIFFICULTIES IN THE CURRENT CARTOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION CONCERNING THE POLITICAL MAP OF GERMANY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE BORDER WITH EAST GERMANY AND WITH POLAND ARE NOT DE JURE ACCORDING TO THE BORDERS OF THE GERMAN REICH AS OF DEC 31 1937 THIS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT IN GERMANY AS DIFFERENT POLITICAL SYSTEMS ARE CONTAINED IN THE DIFFERENT FRONTIERS AND BORDERS CONTRIBUTE TO THE TERRITORIAL IDENTIFY OF A GROUP. IN THE PAST THE INTEGRATION OF LANDSCAPE GEOGRAPHY AND NATIONAL IDENTITY LED TOWARD AN EDUCATION FOR WAR. TO GIVE AN IDEA OF THE POLITICAL MENTALITY WHICH IS SYMBOLIZED BY THE DIFFERENT BORDERS, IT IS USEFUL TO TRANSFORM THE CARTOGRAPHIC LINES INTO A SORT OF 'MENTAL MAP', INTO A STUDY OF GEOGRAPHICAL EDUCATION. AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS STUDY WE LOOK AT THE TRADITION OF TERRITORIAL SOCIALIZATION, AT 'THE GERMAN CURRICULUM FOR WAR' WHICH HAS INFLUENCED SO MUCH OF OUR CENTURY. LOOKING AT POST-WAR GERMANY, WE HAVE TO ANALYSE THE PHENOMENON OF 'TOTALITARIANISM AS A BASIS FOR INGROUP-OUTGROUP EDUCATION'. THIS POLITICAL DOCTRINE IS ALSO AN IDEOLOGICAL INTRODUCTION TO 'WESTERN' AND 'EASTERN LESSONS ON POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY'. THE CONCLUDING DISCUSSIONS ARE ON 'BUNDESWEBR (WEST GERMAN ARMY) AND SAFEGUARDING THE PEACE AS A SUBJECT AT SCHOOL', AND 'THE FUTURE FOR "PEACE EDUCATION AT SCHOOL"'.