Germany

“Come Peacefully Now or by Force Later”

Michael Farris Calls on Homeschoolers to Support Persecuted German Family

HSLDA Founder and Chairman Mike Farris meets with the Wunderlich family during the Global Home Education Conference held in Berlin, Germany in October. Farris is asking homeschoolers to contact German officials on behalf of the Wunderlichs.

Contact German Officials

School Office—Frau Christa Lettau
Rheinstr. 95
64295 Darmstadt
FR GERMANY
Tel. (+49-6151) 36 82-411
Fax (+49-6151) 36 82-402
Email: Christa.Lettau@da.ssa.hessen.de

Youth Welfare Office—Frau B. Kissel and Herrn R. Harms
Der Kreisausschub des Landkreises Darmstadt-Dieburg
Jugendhilfe
Erziehungshilfe
64276 Darmstadt
FR GERMANY
Tel. (+49-6151) 881-14 48
Fax (+49-6151) 881-34 48
B.Kissel@ladadi.de

Herrn Harms
r.harms@ladadi.de
Tel. (+49-6151) 881-22 74
Fax (+49-6151) 881-42 74

Family Court—Judge Markus Malkmus
Amtsgericht Darmstadt
Familiengericht
Postfach 1109 51
64224 Darmstadt
FR Germany

For ideas on human rights arguments see the Berlin Declaration.

In October of this year, Dirk and Petra Wunderlich lost legal custody of their children for homeschooling. The family was forced to return to Germany after Mr. Wunderlich was unable to locate work elsewhere in Europe. They were reported to authorities by a neighbor who saw that they did not send their children to school. The family faces both criminal and civil charges for homeschooling.

As American families enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday, the Wunderlich family received a visit from two social workers who planned to take the children to school to test them for grade level placement. When the social workers asked the children to “come along,” the children refused. Mr. Wunderlich reported that one social worker, Frau Christa Lettau, mocked the children, saying they were just parroting their parents’ orders.

“Yeah, yeah, you do not want to go to school because your parents do not want you to,” she reportedly said.

She told Mr. and Mrs. Wunderlich, “Do you know what type of consequences this has? We will then meet at a later date in Darmstadt again, and we will take away your complete custody.”

Mrs. Wunderlich asked her: “All for the welfare of the children?”

Frau Lettau responded, “Yes.”

The family then contacted their attorney Andreas Vogt, who spoke with Frau Lettau for a short time. After the conversation the now-angry social workers left the home, tersely informing the Wunderlichs that they would see them “in court.”

Battle for the Children

To read more please go to: http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Germany/201211270.asp

Home Education Foundation’s letter: Germany – Wunderlich family