ALTHOUGH EUROPEAN ADULT EDUCATION GREW OUT OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT, THE GERMAN MOVEMENT LONG TENDED TO REJECT THIS ORIGIN. EVEN AFTER 1945, ADULT EDUCATION IN GERMANY WAS JUSTIFIED BY CONSIDERATIONS OF MASS SOCIETY. SINCE THEN, HOWEVER, THE MOBILITY OF SOCIETY HAS COME TO BE CONSIDERED THE DETERMINING FACTOR. THE "VOLKSHOCHSCHULEN" (ADULT EDUCATION CENTERS) ARE THE CHIEF MANIFESTATION OF THIS TREND. THEY TRY TO HARMONIZE THEORY AND PRACTICE BY ELIMINATING THE CONTRAST BETWEEN GENERAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND BY ASSERTING THEIR COMPETENCE IN THE AREAS OF ASSISTANCE IN LEARNING AND IN THE FORMATION OF OPINIONS, AND IN THEIR OWN ACTIVITIES. AS A RESULT, BOTH THE PUBLIC IMAGE AND THE PROGRAMS AND METHODS ARE BEING TRANSFORMED. THE PRINCIPLE THAT THE VOLKSHOCHSCHULEN SHOULD BE OPEN TO ALL NO LONGER PRECLUDES THE POSSIBILITY OF EFFICIENT WORK IN GROUPS WITH DIFFERING INTERESTS, MOTIVATION, AND ACHIEVEMENT. EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO DEVELOP LONG-TERM STUDY PROGRAMS, AND MISGIVINGS REGARDING CERTIFICATES OF ATTENDANCE AND ACHIEVEMENT HAVE BEEN RESOLVED. THE LACK OF QUALIFIED PERSONNEL AND METHODOLOGICAL ANALYSIS IS ALSO BEGINNING TO BE CORRECTED. (ABSTRACTS IN FRENCH AND ENGLISH ARE INCLUDED.) THIS DOCUMENT APPEARED IN THE INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF EDUCATION, VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2, 1966. (LY)