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The private school was located in Schechen in the Rosenheim district
Photo: Peter Kneffel / dpa
A week after the start of the new school year in Bavaria, authorities in the Rosenheim district closed a privately run substitute school, which was probably founded by members of the "lateral thinkers" and "Reich citizens" scene.
As the spokesman for the government of Upper Bavaria, Wolfgang Rupp, told SPIEGEL, the operator is a foundation called "Freedom Needs Courage", which is not listed in the German list of foundations.
According to those responsible, it is a Russian foundation.
The head of the facility is employed as a teacher at a primary and secondary school in Bavaria - but has been on sick leave for months, said Rupp.
No corona rules applied on the site.
Whether this could have been the parents' motive for sending their children to the farm has not been conclusively clarified.
Around 50 students in grades 1 to 9 are said to have been taught there.
Investigators had found advertising and informational materials from the foundation on the property.
These would have indicated the "lateral thinker" and "Reichsbürger" scene, for example passages such as "We are not subject to the German Basic Law" and "Compulsory schooling does not apply here," said Rupp.
The investigations into this were still ongoing.
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When the authorities arrived at the former farm following information from residents, several adults were also there.
"Who of them can be called a teacher or who appeared as such is still being determined," said Rupp in an interview with SPIEGEL.
What was taught at the school is also unclear.
The responsible school supervisory authority has not yet received an application for approval of the school, said Rupp.
Administrative offense proceedings had been initiated against the foundation and the head of the company.
According to the current state of knowledge, there is no investigation against the parents of the around 50 students.
"They canceled their children from classroom classes," said Rupp.
So far, however, it is not known that the children have been absent from their regular schools in distance learning.
Only one of the children was de-registered from his previous school in order to attend the illegal private school instead - here the parents must expect a fine for violating compulsory schooling.
