38. Soviet indoctrination started at kindergarten
To create the next generation of compliant citizens, children learned about communist ideology at a bewilderingly young age. Even at kindergarten, teachers discouraged individualism and creativity and encouraged group thinking. Rather than drawing animals, GDR children drew armed border guards. They didn’t sing nursery rhymes, they sang songs like ‘I Want to be a Volkspolizist (GDR policeman)’. Teachers punished disobedience harshly, to ensure lifelong respect for authority: punishments included not having any lunch. Kindergartens aimed to develop a ‘socialist personality’ in all children. However, on the plus side, GDR kindergartens didn’t cost parents anything, and provided free meals for children.