Intolerance & Discrimination Against the Scientology Community in Germany Today
1989, Schleswig-Holstein: A number of Scientologists determined to establish a school for the children of Scientologists in the village of Hoisdorf in Schleswig-Holstein. A local priest and a government funded hate group began an intensive anti-Scientology campaign in the media to create an atmosphere of animus against Scientologists. Due to the negative information spread, local farmers even threatened to put their manure wagons in front of the school if it was ever opened. When the child of a Scientologist was assaulted as a “sect-pig” in Hoisdorf, the planned school was moved to a new site near the village of Seedorf.
After an anti-Scientology campaign similar to the one in Hoisdorf, the Seedorf District Council adopted a resolution stating that it would “exhaust all possibilities to prevent the establishment of” the school and that “Scientology is unwelcome.”
In the end the Scientologists decided to establish their own private school in Denmark across the German border to protect their children from any additional harassment.
The Danish Government was severely criticized for not closing this school down by the same Hamburg officials and members of the German Parliament responsible for disrupting the children’s education in Germany. To this day, the school still suffers harassment stirred up from over the border in Germany.
April 1991: Mrs K. H. reported that her husband tried to take their two children from her custody because she is a Scientologist. Four legal actions followed. Mrs. K. H. won them all up to the Court of Appeal. During these cases it was evident that the husband had been stirred up by media and local priests against his wife. At the same time, employees of her company received anonymous letters attempting to turn them against Mrs. H. and to damage her business.
April 1991, Hamburg: Mrs. A. from Hamburg had her children kidnapped from her by the children’s nurse, after the nurse found out that Mrs. A. was a Scientologist. Mrs. A. only managed to get her children back with threats of legal action.
1992, Schleswig-Holstein: Even the private Waldorf Schools, which enjoy a high reputation, crumbled under the pressure to discriminate. The manager of a Waldorf Kindergarten in Schleswig-Holstein explained that she could no longer take children of Scientologists as she is afraid of getting into trouble.
September 1992, Hamburg: The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hamburg Sportsclub Barmbeck Uhlenhorst expelled children of Scientologists on the purported grounds that the club never interacted with any type of religious or political organization. Children of majority religions are encouraged to participate in this club.
July 1993: A Scientologist mother attended a parent-teacher meeting at the school of her son A. Shortly after she left, one of the other mothers handed a negative article, about Scientology from the German magazine, Stern, to the teacher. Four of the mothers at the school then decided that their 8-year-old children would have no further contact with A. because his mother is a Scientologist. Soon afterward A. came home from school, crying. His best friend was not allowed to play with him anymore. The Scientologist visited the best friend’s mother and learned that Stern’s article had been distributed anonymously. One parent had also contacted a local priest, who warned her not to talk to Scientologists.
March 1994: The two children, aged 6 and 3, of Mrs. W., a Scientologist, were targeted for discrimination in the local kindergarten. Her children were ostracized by the rest of the school and Mrs. W. told she had to sign a written contract agreeing not to “promote” Scientology verbally, in writing or any other way. The contract also stated that their children were “not welcome” in day care. A sign was placed in the kindergarten stating “Scientology is unwanted.” The school announced it would co-host an anti-Scientology event the following April.
June 1994: Scientologist Mrs. Z was attacked by a man and called a “sect slut” while helping her children out of her vehicle.
November 1994, Baden-Württemberg: The Ministry of Culture of Baden-Württemberg passed a program, to be part of the curriculum of all schools, to indoctrinate teachers and pupils against Scientology.
December 1994: Mr. and Mrs. K. were in touch with a children and youth center for several years. They liked the atmosphere and visited the kindergarten with their three year old son K. They decided to enroll K. in the kindergarten and made an application. In October, the family received confirmation from the center that their son had been accepted. It was agreed that K. would start in January 1995. On 24th December 1994, however, Mr. K. received a letter from Mrs. Tilgner, the attorney representing the school, informing them that K. could not attend because his parents are Scientologists.
Discrimination against children and in schools continued...