Druga njemačka vježbenica za srednje škole

The Second German Exercise Book for Secondary Schools by Hinka Scheidele was published in 1940, with later editions in 1941 and 1942. It is a textbook intended for the second grade of secondary schools in the Banovina of Croatia and the Independent State of Croatia.

Scheidela, a long-time author of German textbooks and exercise books, compiled this book according to the principles of the direct language learning method. The Exercise Book contains systematic grammar exercises, readings, translation tasks, conversational texts and vocabulary. The texts are adapted to secondary school students – they cover everyday topics, nature, history, culture and patriotic content adapted to the time and political context.

The book follows on from the First German Exercise Book by the same author and serves to consolidate the knowledge acquired in the first grade. Special attention is paid to syntax, verb tenses, declensions and sentence formation. It also includes shorter stories, letters and dialogues that facilitate the practical application of the language.

The 1940 edition reflects the language policy of the period – the German language had a special status due to the alliance with the Third Reich. The workbook was widely used in secondary schools during the war years. Today it is considered a rare example of school publications from the Banovina and NDH periods and is interesting from both a linguistic and a historical and cultural aspect.

Hinko Scheidela was a well-known pedagogue and author of numerous German language textbooks that were used in the decades before and during World War II. His workbooks are characterized by methodological clarity and practicality.