It’s a nightmare scenario that many homeschool parents fear. The authorities coming in the dead of night and stealing your children away. All because you wish to educate your children as you see fit.
On Aug 29, 2013, 20 German social workers and police officers, armed with a battering ram, raided the Wunderlich family home and stole their homeschooled children away.
“The children were taken to unknown locations,” HSLDA reported. “Officials ominously promised the parents that they wouldn’t be seeing their children anytime soon.”
And they didn’t. The Wunderlich parents didn’t see their children until almost a month later, Sept 19, 2013.
On that day, the court returned custody of the children to the parents on two conditions. 1. They must attend public school and 2. Their passports were revoked so they couldn’t flee the country.
The Wunderlich family has bravely vowed to continue homeschooling in Germany, regardless of the persecution they’ve faced – they are still fighting for that right today. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association has been their champion, fighting for their rights for the last 8 years.
It was Adolf Hitler who originally banned homeschooling in 1938. That’s not surprising. What is surprising is that today, instead of repealing this law, the German government has piled on more homeschooling restrictions than ever.
One has to wonder, why is the German government so threatened by homeschooling?
The reason given is “to protect children”. But we know that isn’t true.
I think of, “Train a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not turn away from it.” Prov 22:6
Hitler knew this when he founded the “Hitler Youth”, and that was probably the impetus of banning homeschooling.
During Covid, thousands of German families have been forced to homeschool. And of course, so many families have enjoyed it so much, almost 10k brave families have signed a petition to legalize homeschooling after the pandemic.
At The Homeschool Revolution, we believe that teaching your own children is one of the most basic, fundamental human rights. We stand united with homeschoolers all over the world, especially the “criminal homeschoolers”.
Many of our founding fathers including George Washington, Abe Lincoln, and Alexander Hamilton, were in fact, homeschooled.
Do you believe families have the right to homeschool?
Share this to support and increase awareness for the Wunderlich family, the HSLDA, and the thousands of German homeschoolers yearning to give their children the best education possible.
Because Homeschooling, when done right, is indeed the best education you can give your children – for academics and socialization. That’s not my opinion, that’s a fact, based on over 30 years of peer-reviewed studies.
I’ve dedicated my life to being a homeschool advocate. Join me in the noble mission of supporting homeschoolers all over the world.