THE
HITLER YOUTH
PAGE II
Hitlerjugend: An In-Depth History:
1900-1922 - From Wandervogel to Jugendbund and Jungsturm
by Arvo L. Vercamer
The end of the First World War had a profound effect on the youth of Germany. Many youths eagerly followed Kaiser Wilhelm II into battle just a few years earlier. For the next four years, German men and German boys were slaughtered, often by the millions, in many senseless battles in places such as Verdun, Sedan, Galacia, the Ukraine, the Palestine, Windhoek and Tsingtao. When the war ended, nearly everything they had believed in, in 1914, was essentially destroyed. Germany's youths, as much as Germans themselves, now had to rebuild their defeated nation. Young post World War One German boys and girls reached out for organizations, which would give them the social and political stabilities they found lacking in the Kaiser's time and/or which were destroyed during the war. For the most part, they were disillusioned with the Catholic Church sponsored youth organizations of the pre-World War One era such as the 1901 established the "Wandervogel, Ausschuss für Schülerfahrten" youth association; the 1904 "Altwandervogel" movement; the "Jungwandervogel" group; the 1905 established "Bund Deutscher Wanderer" and other similarly minded apolitical groups.
Out of all of these groups, the "Wandervögel" probably had the greatest impact on Germany's pre-World War One generation of youths. The major philosophy of the "Wandervögel" was to reject many of the social and materialistic trappings, which accompanied Germay's industrial revolution. They preferred to go back to a more "basic" way of living, such as going on outings or weekend camping excursions, singing old German folk-tunes, dressing way down in a normally very formal German Empire, etc. A key to the organizational strategy of the "Wandervögel" was to have an only slightly "older" youth be in charge of only slightly "younger" youths. This way, the "Wandervogel" organization would truly be a "youth" organization. Interestingly, whenever "Wandervögel" members met, they were expected to greet each other with the words "Heil"! In 1913, a large rally for youths took place in Germany. There, the "Meissner formula" was announced, which pushed the notions of inner freedom for youths. It was also a rebellion of sorts, a reaction against the complacencies, prejudices and restrictions of German middle-class life.
As can be imagined, World War One had a tremendous effect on not only German citizens, the war had an impact on people from nearly every nation in the world. In 1914, a large number of Germany's youths rushed to join the Kaiser's army as joining the military was expected to quickly bring glory and honor to all who participated. But the visions of a quick victory rapidly faded as the stalemate on the western front set in. In reality, millions of Germany's youths died senseless deaths in the battlefields of Africa, Asia and Europe during four years of hard fighting. By 1918, political and social instabilities led to riots in many German cities. In November of 1918, the Kaiser abdicated - Germany was defeated and the nation was in turmoil. In the immediate post-World War One era, four primary youth movements emerged as the leading centers of youth activity in Germany. They were: - The "Bündische" youth movements; a society or collection for more liberally minded individuals. - The Catholic (and other) Church sponsored youth groups. - The German Communist and Socialist Party sponsored youth movements. - The "Völkische" movement, which was sponsored primarily by the German Nationalist-Socialists (and other right wing parties).
In addition to these main groups, numerous other center, left and right wing clubs as well as many lesser para-military organizations also took hold in postwar Germany. One such group was the "Jungdeutsche Bund", a strongly anti-Communist and racially oriented right-wing group.
To counter the right-wing youth groups, the German Communists established the pro-communist "Freideutsche Jugend". Many other communist youth groups were in fact established right after Germany's November 1918 debacle, such as, but not limited to the "Bismarckjugend" and the "Kommunistische Jugendverband Deutschlands". The Socialist party youth group also had an early start in the form of the "Sozialistische Arbeiterjugend". German moderates, under the primary leadership of the Centrists formed the "Windthorstbund" youth movement. The "Hindenburgjugend" became an appendage of the "Deutsche Volkspartei" (DVP).
In this early period (1918-1922), there was great mobility between the first three large groups; that is, the Bündische movement, the Church sponsored movements and the Communist/Socialist movements. Germany's youth was just trying to "find itself" after the humiliations associated with being defeated in 1918. However, many of these youth groups lacked clear goals and/or vision and thus they quickly lost influence on their members. On a similar note, many of the existing youth groups elected to adopt a more militaristic look and feel to themselves. This too "turned off" many new members.
Interestingly, both the 1918 established "Deutsche Arbeiterpartei" (DAP) and its re-named successor organization, the "Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei" (NSDAP), showed a relatively minor interest in harnessing the power of Germany's youth after 1918 - even though the DAP/NSDAP ceaselessly claimed that it was the party of the youth of Germany. That said, one man, Adolf Hitler, had a different vision. Hitler's end goal of seizing control of Germany, the Machtergreifung, was supposed to occur with the overwhelming support of Germany's youth (and led by Hitler in the process). It is indeed ironic that in the early days of the DAP/NSDAP, the youth of Germany was all but ignored.
Although Adolf Hitler, as the leader of the newly created NSDAP, ordered the party to create a youth organization in 1920, the NSDAP did not create its first true youth movement, the "Jugendbund", until 1922. Up until that time, any German youth who wanted to join the NSDAP, had to do so by joining the more adult oriented "Sturmabteilung" (SA). And once the prospective youth was in the SA, he was held to the same discipline and organizational standards, as were its adult members. This often caused some problems since it was often difficult to distinguish an adult or younger looking SA trooper from his "Jugendbund" counterpart - they all wore the same style uniforms.
If it were not for one Adolf Hitler, the organizationally troubled DAP would have most likely withered away in the early 1920's and history may have taken a totally different course. Hitler however took the small political party and, for better or for worse, essentially immortalized it. Hitler quickly dazzled all with his skilled political organizational abilities, his public speaking talents and his uncanny understanding regarding the optimal use of propaganda techniques. Hitler also quickly assumed direct control of the NSDAP by using his own brand of "Führerprinzip" as the guiding principle of leadership.
Although the exact origins of the "Jugendbund" are still somewhat shrouded in mystery, most historians accept March 8th, 1922, as the "Jungbund"'s founding date. That is the day that Hitler published an article in the "Völkischer Beobachter" calling on all of Germany's youth to join the NSDAP's youth organization - the "Jugendbund".
There is a story that states that on September 12th, 1920, one Gustav Adolf Lenk, tried to join the NSDAP. As the story goes, Gustav Adolf Lenk (born October 15th, 1903) and his father attended a Nationalist-Socialist party meeting at the Stadtkeller tavern in Munich. Upon being advised that he could not join the party because he was underage (he was below 18), Lenk asked if he could join an affiliate NSDAP youth organization. Told that there was none, Lenk then asked those attending if he could start one. This idea appealed to all very quickly.
Given his evident enthusiasm, Gustav Lenk was given permission to organize a Nationalist Socialist youth movement. However, the young Mr. Lenk was not the most ambitious of individuals. Much to the disappointment of the top NSDAP leaders, Lenk did not carry through with his stated plans right away. In 1922, Hitler took the matter into his own hands and published his article on the "Jungbund" in the party's newspaper, the "Völkischer Beobachter".
One of the early goals of the "Jugendbund" was to promote the cause of the NSDAP in Germany. New "Jugendbund" recruits were to be thoroughly indoctrinated on NSDAP political philosophies and they were to actively (and physically) challenge the dominance of the youth groups of other right wing organizations. Of note is that Gustav Lenk wanted "his Jugendbund" youth organization to be as independent as possible from the party's political control. This point did not sit well with Hitler who viewed the "Jugendbund" as a special personnel pool for the selection of future German leaders. On March 13, 1922, Hitler reached a compromise with Gustav Lenk. Hitler acknowledged Lenk's command of the "Jugendbund" - but he placed Lenk under the direct control of the present commander of the Sturmabteilung (SA), Johann Ulrich Klintsch. While some frictions clearly existed between Lenk and Hitler and the SA, both somewhat sidestepped the more sensitive issues for the moment. Lenk continued with his duties as the leader of the "Jugendbund". In March of 1922, Lenk published the "Jugendbund"'s first goals: - to increase membership based on "Völkisch" (racial) principles. - to fight for and support "Völkisch" ideals. - to educate Germans regarding the "love of their "Heimatland". - to educate Germans regarding the love of the German "Volk". - to maintain a high regard for moral and civilized values. - to have a strong contempt for "Jewish-Mammonist" ideals.
The publicly stated philosophy of the "Jugendbund" was that only all (proper) Germans, regardless of background, were good - everyone else was not. Membership into the "Jugendbund" was only for qualified Aryan German youths who were between 14 and 18 years of age. All foreigners, adherents of the Jewish faith and other racially "inferior" people were automatically excluded from joining. The "Jugendbund"'s organizational structure essentially mimicked the organizational structure of the NSDAP party. Every approved "Jugendbund" member had to swear his personal allegiance first to Adolf Hitler, then to the 11 covenants of the "Jugendbund" and then to the political program of the NSDAP.
The "Jugendbund" of 1922/23 contained three sections:
Jungmannschaften: For boys aged 14 to 16 years. Jungsturm "Adolf Hitler": For boys aged 16 to 18 years. A section for young German girls.
On May 13th, 1922, Hitler and his small band of followers officially announced the creation of the youth movement of the German Nationalist Socialist Workers Party. At that gathering, the Munich "Ortsgruppe" of the "Jugendbund" elected to call itself the "Jungsturm Adolf Hitler". Although the venue, Munich's Bürgerbräukeller, was packed to maximum capacity, it did not attract many youth listeners. One thing was however clear, at this stage, the party's youth movement would be subortinated to the Sturmabteilung, the SA.
With Hitler's (somewhat apprehensive) acquiessence, the "Jugendbund Reichsführung" was now (officially) headed by Gustav Lenk from his Munich office at Corneliusstr. 12. This also happened to be the national headquarters of the NSDAP at that time. Because both Hitler and Lenk resided in Munich at this time, the first "Jugendbund" chapters were logically established in the city of Munich. Within a short period of time, affiliate "Jugendbund" chapters (Ortsgruppen) were established throughout (mostly southern) Germany (and even a few in Austria), even if the "Landesverband" (national chapter) only had but a handful of active members.
There was competition to the "Jugendbund" in the early years. Concurrent to the political activities and growth of Adolf Hitler and the NSDAP, other right-wing political entities also established organizations for youths to join. In the Sudeten region of Czechoslovakia, Eugen Weese founded a right-wing youth group. In Austria, Adolf Bauer and Walter Gattermeyer also organized a right-wing youth group, which spanned most of the provinces of Austria including the city of Vienna. Many lesser right-wing youth groups were also established. Since taking the organizational lead, Lenk worked hard as the leader of the "Jugendbund", even if he was not the best of organizers. He worked on expanding his "Ortsgruppen" by having Weese, Bauer and Gattermeyer agreeing to hold discussions for a larger scale merger of the larger "Nationalist Socialist" youth movements.
Political friction quickly arose, as the "foreign" youth groups did not wish to make themselves subservient to Gustav Lenk and the NSDAP. Lenk did open affiliate posts in both Austria and in the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia and the Austrian and Czechoslovakian German youth groups did send representatives to attend NSDAP activities in Munich and Nürnberg. However, no further actions were taken by the foreign youth-groups by the time of Hitler's putsch attempt on 08/09 November 1923. In Germany, Lenk tried hard to broaden the appeals to German youths. Lenk helped publish the "Jungsturm"'s first newspaper, "Der Nationale Jungsturm, Nachrichtenblatt der Nationalsozialistischen Jugendbundes". Unfortunately for Lenk, this paper did not last too long as an independent publication. It quickly had to fold. After August 12th, 1922, the so-called "Jungsturm newspaper" was re-formatted and it became a weekly supplement to the "Völkischer Beobachter".
The "Jugendbunds'" earliest public appearance appears to have occured on September 2nd, 1922, at the Sedan (remembrance) Day in Nürnberg. It is estimated that about 900 "Jugendbund" members attended this event. On October 14/15, 1922, in the city of Coburg at a party rally of the NSDAP, the "Jugendbund" also participated as an official organ of the NSDAP. At this rally, Lenk and his Munich "Ortsgruppe - Jungsturm Adolf Hitler" marched past Adolf Hitler and other high-ranking NSDAP party leaders. During the course of the day, Adolf Hitler presented his "Jugendbund" with its first flag. It consisted of a white pennant containing a gold anchor and swastika as its center motif. Lenk then reported to Hitler that the "Jugendbund" now contained 39 "Ortsgruppen" (local branches). Youth membership was close to 1.200. But disaster was only a few months away. A short while later, as members of the new "Jugendbund" were fighting other political activists on the streets of Munich, the Munich police intervened and confiscated the pennant.
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE
MOVEMENT
1926 - The official birth of the Hitlerjugend
by Arvo L. Vercamer
On July 4th, 1926, at the NSDAP party day in Weimar, the fledgling, and essentially defunct Jungendbund organization was re-named or re-born as the Hitlerjugend (HJ). Its official name was Hitler-Jugend, Bund deutscher Arbeiter-jugend (Hitler-Youth, the association of German workers' youth) - a name recommended by Julius Streicher. Kurt Gruber, who had been taking the lead on all German youth movement issues on behalf of the NSDAP up to that time, as now elevated to the position of "Referent für Jugendfragen". For all of Gruber's hard work, Hitler rewarded him well. With his new title in hand, Gruber continued to work towards an expanded HJ organization.
To better control his political activities and ambitions, Hitler created 34 "Gaue" inside Germany. A further seven "Gaue" were created in places such as Austria, Danzig, the Sudetenland, etc., - geographic regions Hitler decided that unquestionably belonged to Germany. Each "Gau" was divided into "Kreise". In the larger urban and industrial regions, the "Kreise" were further subdivided into "Zellen" and finally, on the smallest scale, into neighborhood "Blocks". This structure in fact remained as the basic political administrative structure of Germany until May of 1945.
Gruber also formalized many rules and regulations pertaining to membership in the HJ such as, but not limited to HJ attire/uniform standards, membership dues (four Reichspfennigs per month), etc. Because the NSDAP and as a result, the HJ, were experiencing some cash-flow problems at this time, Gruber requested that all HJ members go on "donation marches" as party rallies or major party events were taking place. As the fortunes of the Nationalist Socialists increased, so did the recruitment efforts of the HJ.
In 1926, additional NSDAP political activity groups were added to the existing structure. The new, main groups were:
HJ Hitlerjugend NS Ärtztebund (Physicians' League) NS Deutscher Studentenbund (NSDStB) NS Frauenschaftbund (Women's League) NS Lehrerbund (Teachers' League) NS Rechtswahrerbund (Attourneys' League) NS Schülerbund (Students' League)
On November 1st, 1926, Hauptmann (Captain) Franz Felix Pfeffer von Salomon was promoted to the rank of "Oberster SA-Führer" and with that position, he demanded that the HJ be made a direct sub-component of the SA. Pfeffer von Salomon eventually won his power grab, but not without some difficulties.
THE EARLY DAYS MIT
"LEDERHOSEN"
1927 - We have a plan
by Arvo L. Vercamer
On the 27th of November, 1927, Hitler gave his first speech to his followers (he had been banned from public speaking for a two year period after being sentenced to prison in 1925). A cornerstone topic of that speech was directed towards the paying NSDAP members to increase their party dues and to increase membership. His speech in fact motivated many to increase their party activities. Towards the end of 1925, Hitler could count only 27.000 party members. In 1926, the number of active and paying members increased to 49.000, in 1927 to 72.000 and in the election year of 1928, he could count on the support of 108.000 party members. Increased membership also meant increased revenues for political activities.
1928 - Baldur von Schirach is the new HJ leader
by Arvo L. Vercamer
In 1928, Gruber re-organized the HJ to make it more responsive to the ever-changing times. A new department was added to the HJ, the "Jungvolk" - that for boys aged 10 to 14 years. Within a short period of time, the "Bund Deutscher Mädel" (BDM) was also opened up by Gruber. Despite these additions, the HJ was still overwhelmingly directed against Germany's male youths.
Despite his successes, Gruber ran into a number of major (political) obstacles. His biggest one was from a young aristocratic upstart named Baldur von Schirach. Von Schirach came from a very prestigious Prussian family. His mother was of American heritage and two of her ancestors were signatories of the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776 and some of his relatives fought on the Union side during the American Civil War of the 1860's. His father was an affluent Prussian army captain. Throughout his early years, von Schirach was treated to nothing but the best of educations, the best clothing, the best of everything. Von Schirach joined the NSDAP when he was only 18 year old - but that was enough to quickly bring him to the attention of Hitler and his inner circle of associates. It did not take long for Hitler to make friends with von Schirach because Hitler knew that sociolites and nobles such as von Schirach had connections to needed operating funds and political influence.
In July of 1928, von Schirach was given the position of leader of the NSDAP Student Association in Munich. Von Schirach liked this job quite a bit and he soon set his sights on the next goal - to become leader of the HJ.
Although Gruber became aware of von Schirach's ambitions, Gruber was banking on the fact that if continued to work hard for the HJ and show results, his place would be secured. Gruber did reasonably well in these years.
In 1928, a young organizer named Artur Axmann joined the HJ in Berlin; in 1940, he would replace Baldur von Schirach as the "Reichsjugendführer".
1929 -
Internal power struggles
for control of the HJ
by Arvo L. Vercamer
The year 1929 was an important year for the HJ. This was the year Baldur von Schirach re-organized the HJ and formally established the relationships between the German Nationalist Socialist Workers Party (NSDAP) and the Hitlerjugend (HJ); these rules and regulations being formally published on April 23rd, 1929. A key point centered around the fact that from this point forward, no child of a card carrying NSDAP member could belong to any other youth organization other than the Hitlerjugend. This served to strengthen the bond between the individual and the party and it also served to further isolate those youths who did not belong to the HJ. After some discussion and debates (and some reservations posed by Kurt Gruber), the NSDAP confirmed von Schirach's stand as being the correct one.
By March of 1929, in addition to increasing the membership, Gruber was also able to publish and circulate two monthy newspapers in Germany; "Die Junge Front" and the "Hitler Jugend Zeitung" (obligatory subscription for HJ members). A decree was issued in April of 1929, making the Hilterjugend the only officially recognized youth movement of the NSDAP.
In November of 1929, the HJ held a very large display of activities and functions in Munich as a part of a concentrated recruitment drive. A similar gathering was conducted in Berlin in March of 1930 having the theme of "Vom Wiederstand zum Angriff" (From resistance to the attack).
Political struggles continued to plague the HJ. Both von Schirach and Gruber were jockeying themselves for the key leadership position. Gruber had Oberster SA-Führer (OSAF) von Pfeffer as an ally and for a short while, Gruber continued to remain Reichführer der HJ. Von Schirach had Hitler as an ally and in the end, that would be the decisive factor
1930 - Slow
membership growth
and continued political infighting
by Arvo L. Vercamer
But that was not enough. Von Schirach and Ernst Röhem were already buisly plotting against Gruber. Röhm wanted the HJ's quasi-independence as a party organization curtailed. He wanted the HJ to be placed under a more direct control of the SA. In April of 1931, Hitler agreed to Röhm's request. The HJ now reported directly to the Chief of Staff of the SA.
Gruber now also came under greater pressures to increase memberships and report on the financial health of the HJ. Von Schirach, seeing an opening for his bid to head the HJ, criticized Gruber's administrative abilities. Though Gruber was competent, he could not politically fight both Röhm and von Schirach at the same time, especially when these two had more of Hitler's support than Gruber could muster.
But membership was still rather limited in the HJ. By 1930, the German HJ comprised approximately 900 "Ortsgruppen" totaling no more than 18.000 (12.000 boys) youths. Austria at the same time contained a further 150 HJ "Ortsgruppen" with slightly over 2.000 youths.
1931 - Von Schirach cleans house
by Arvo L. Vercamer
On April 27th, 1931, the HJ and the SA were once again brought closer together. Specifically, the HJ was now made an inseparable sub-component of the SA. In addition, the headquarters of the HJ was moved from Plauen to Munich proper during the month of October, 1931.
This action had a number of large political consequences. Now, the HJ was oficially required to attend political demponstrations and participate in parades alongside their SA "mentors".
A number of small, internal reorganizations of the HJ also were undertaken in 1931. Specifically, the HJ was now divided into three specific branches:
A.) Jungvolk - To encompass all seven to 15 year old youths.
B.) Scharen - To encompass all 15 to 18 year old youths.
C.) Ring - Youth leaders everywhere, organizationally not visible.
Kurt Gruber resigned his post of "Reichsführer der HJ" in October of 1931, though he remained in the HJ organization as an advisor. Von Schirach had apparently been successful in pressuring Gruber to leave. One of von Schirach's first actions after Gruber's resignation was to purge the HJ leadership of all individuals who were not politically acceptable or reliable.
In Gruber's place, Adrian Theodor von Renteln was elevated to the position of "Reichsführer der HJ. Von Renteln held this HJ post until he departed on June 16th, 1932, to become the new head of the "Kampfbund des Gewerblichen Mittelstandes (Fighting Group of the Industrial Middle Classes).
1932 - Control of Germany is in sight
by Arvo L. Vercamer
The year 1932 was a very difficult year for not only the NSDAP, but also its many ancillary support organizations, including the HJ. Hitler and his cronies had hoped to be in power in the year 1932. Fate dictated otherwise. The German general elections of March,1932, did not yield a majority vote for any political party. The runoff election of April 10th, 1932, between General Paul von Hindenburg and Adolf Hitler resulted in a plebiscite between the two of them.
The Reich government, recognizing the dangers presented by a militant NSDAP, moved quickly. It ordered the dissolution of the Schutzstaffel (the SS) and the Sturmabtailung (SA). And because the Hitlerjugend was at that time subordinated to the SA, it too had to officially cease its activities. Regretfully, most of the government's measures were not strictly enforced - nor did they come as a surprise to Hitler and the NSDAP. The NSDAP had its agents and people in place at nearly every German police station, so that the NSDAP knew what the police was going to do practically before the German police knew it themselves. To make things politically more palatable, the NSDAP was able to obtain a waiver of the injunction set against the HJ. This meant that the HJ could continue with its activities relatively undisturbed. The waiver really did not mean much in practical terms; the HJ continued with its activities, functions and recruitment drives regardless of any existing legal decisions.
But the resulting electoral problems encountered by the NSDAP did force it to re-evaluate its current position and its political strategies.
On June 17th, 1932, von Papen in his capacity as the new Reichskanzler, lifted the "verbot" on the SA. This meant that the SA could again "legally" take up its former activities; and this meant that the HJ was also free to resume business as usual.
One of the greatest HJ activities of 1932 was the "Reichsjugendtag" (the Reich's youth day) held in Potsdam between October 1/2. Over 70.000 youths (55.000 boys and 15.000 gilrs) attended these festivities (von Schirach claims on page 160 of his 1967 autobiography that over 100.000 youths marched passed Hitler that day - but this figure seems a bit high). The German planners of these festivities severely underestimated the number of participants, which would be attending. They could only accommodate 40.000 youths (the available tents were able to accommodate only 50.000 youths). Hitler held a speech for this massive group and for the next seven hours, he and his entourage watched all of the participating youths march pass him.
The German press was not kind to the "Reichsjugendtag" functions. They quickly focused in on the fact that Hitler and the NSDAP were using children to further their political ambitions.
On June 16th, 1932, Baldur von Schirach was named as the new "Reichführer der Jugend" to replace the departing von Renteln.
1933 - Jahr
der "Organization"
Year of organization
by Arvo L. Vercamer
After all of the ballots were counted on January 30th, 1933, Adolf Hitler was declared the winner (garnering 56% of the votes) and proclaimed as the new chancellor of Germany. With Hitler and the NSDAP firmly in control of Germany, state funds could now be redirected towards the HJ movement. A key Nationalist Socialist political jargon phrase quickly made the rounds that year - "Gleichschaltung", the controlled coordination of all economic, political and social activities.
Starting with 1933, every year was given a special designated theme by the leadership of the Hitlerjugend. Since the German Nationalist Socialists came to power in January of 1933, for the HJ movement, 1933 was aptly named the "Jahr der Organization" - the year of organization. Many of the HJ activities thus centered on such topics as administration, organization, structure, etc. As a reward for his previous years of service, Hitler elevated Baldur von Schirach to the new position of "Jugendführer des Deutschen Reiches" on June 17th, 1933. Von Schirach, in his new capacity as youth leader of Germany answered only to one person - Adolf Hitler.
A key goal during the year of organization was to neutralize as many of the competing youth groups as possible either to force them to cease functioning or to absorb then into the HJ. With the exception of the Catholic Church's sponsored youth groups, and to a lesser extent, those of the Lutheran church; most "opposition" youth groups were eliminated in the first few years of the new German order.
In 1933, Baldur von Schirach established the "Reichsjugendbücherei" (the Reich's library for youths). Karl Hobrecker was nominated by von Schirach to head this component. In its later years, the HJ library contained close to 30.000 approved "youth" books as well as writings submitted for publication by HJ members from around the world. The library and its holdings were for the most part destroyed during the war.
One the first items von Schirach organized in 1933 was a supplemental organization for 10 to 14 year old boys; he formally added the "Deutsches Jungvolk" category to the structure of the HJ (whereby it need be noted that the DJ had already existed since 1931, if not earlier).
In March of 1933, a number of loyal NSDAP members wanted to create a counterbalance to the increasingly powerful Hitlerjugend movement. Alfred Rosenberg briefly pushed the concept of an alternative movement to the HJ.
In essence, the idea was to unite some of the smaller youth groups, such as the "Freischar Schill", "Werwolf", "Adler und Falken", the German Scouts (Pfadfinder), the remnants of the 1920's era "Jungsturm", etc., into one large "Großdeutscher Jugendbund" (GDJB). Admiral von Trotha was asked to and agreed to lead the new, counter-HJ organizasation. Realizing the conflicts an unofficial or unsanctioned counter youth group could cause, von Trotha even asked Hitler to officially sanction the movement. But this was against Hitlers dream of full control. Hitler angrily advised von Trotha that his "GDJB" had no political value; it in fact only served to dupe German youths. The venture was now doomed to fail. Although the "GDJB" was founded on March 13th, 1933, it was also dissolved on June 17th, three months later. Added political pressures and continued aggressive HJ activities against von Trotha and company ensured for a short life of the "GDJB".
On June 17th, 1933, Adolf Hitler elevated Baldur von Schirach to the position of "Jugendführer des Deutschen Reiches". This essentially sealed the fate of the GDJB. Although von Trotha protested, he was forced to concede to von Schirach's demand that all GDJB members immediately transfer over to the Hitlerjugend. This documents was released to all GDJB members on June 28th, 1933.
In 1933, the "Hitlerjugend" (HJ) movement, in its upper echelons, opened up a Pandora's box. The HJ organization sought to more optimally document its exact origins. But to be politically corect, it had to include an official ruling regarding the early efforts of Gustav Lenk. Baldur von Schirach, as the "Reichsjugendführer" supported the early contributions made by Gustav Adolf Lenk. However, HJ Obergebietsführer Hartmann Lauterbacher refuted Lenk's contributions. In 1937, Lenk himself approached Rudolf Hess to look into the matter. Hess sided with Lauterbacher. Then, interestingly, von Schirach quickly changed his mind - he now also did not support Lenk and Lenk's early contributions.
Despite the obvious political setbacks, Lenk continued with his efforts to have the HJ recognize his early contributions. On October 27th, 1937, Lenk received support from an unlikely source - the "Hauptarchiv der NSDAP". It agreed with Lenk that the "Jugendbund" was indeed founded on Hitler's orders in 1922 as the only youth organization of the NSDAP. But the Hauptarchiv der NSDAP report was written in such a way that it essentially made Link a non-person within the NSDAP. The investigating commission claimed that he (Lenk) had been inactive during the main "Kampfzeit" of 1925 to 1933 and now merely wanted to share in the glory of the new Germany.
ORDENSBURG VOGELSANG
1934 - Jahr
der "Schulung"
Year of schooling
by Arvo L. Vercamer
The year 1934 was designated as the "Jahr
der Schulung", the year of schooling. It was a time of accelerated membership
growth for the HJ, but it also highlighted a number of serious command and
control type problems. With so many new members joining the ranks of the HJ
daily - who would
lead
and train them?
This problem was quickly acknowledged by the leadership of the HJ movement. To in part counter the leadership issues, special "Reichsführer" (Reich leadership) schools were established. These schools offered a three-week, accelerated "leadership" training regimens to selected DJ and HJ members. In addition to learning command and control intricacies, the schools also focused on athletic events and on small arms and marksmanship skills.
During the September 1934 NSDAP rally in Nürnberg, Leni Riefenstahl filmed one of the most effective propaganda and documentary films ever done in the Third Reich - "The triumph of the will". HJ honor guards and HJ groups from around Germany played many prominent roles in the making of the film as well as participating in numerous activities at the party rally.
1934 was also the year of the "Röhm putsch". During this round of purges and murders, old political scores were settled and opposition members within the NSDAP leadership were eliminated. This also had a trickle-down effect to the HJ, as they too "settled" some old scores and eliminated a number of opposition youth leaders
1935 - Jahr
der "Körperlichen Ertüchtigung"
Year of bodily strengthening
by Arvo L. Vercamer
1935 was designated as the year of bodily strengthening. The word from the top was that physical strength was more important in the new Germany than educational excellence. The entire school program was rearranged to include many additional hours of physical excercises and sports fitness routines. Given that the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games were only a year away, this was an optimal means to find the best and most talented of Germany's atheletes who would compete against the world to bring home the gold.
By 1935, the German HJ youth movement could count on approximately 60% of all eligible German youths in its ranks. Hitler believed that the future of a "one thousand year old Reich" could only be realized if the German Nationalist Socialist Workers Party could control Germany's youths. At the September, 1935, Nürnberg Party rally, Hitler proclaimed to the 54.000 attending Hitler Youths that gone were the days of a weak German youth. A new Germany had arrived.
Hitler (and Germany) expected Germany's youths of the future to be "as swift as a Greyhound, as tough as leather and as hard as Krupp steel". The new German youth would be physically fit, he/she would be reared in strict discipline and they would be obedient to the needs of Germany (and the party).
1936 - Jahr
des "Jungvolks"
Year of the "Jungvolk"
by Arvo L. Vercamer
The reason 1936 was called "the year of
the Jungvolk" was primarily because it was Baldur von Schirach's goals to enroll
every German 10 to 14 year
old
boy into the "Jungvolk". On April 20th, 1936, the Führer's 47th birthday, von
Schirach held a massive function at the Marienburg castle in East Prussia
whereby all of Germany's "Jungvolk" swore an oath of allegiance to Germany and
to Adolf Hitler
During the 1936 Olympic games, the HJ was on its best behavious. Orders were circulated that all youths were to assist foreign dignitaries and visitors as much as possible. They too represented the "new Germany" and had to do their part to portray a good and harmonious image of the Third Reich.
On December 1st, 1936, a law was enacted which made it mandatory for all German youths to be educated according to the philosophies of Nationalist Socialism from the age of 10 and higher. This was called the Reichsjugenddienstpflicht (mandatory youth service) and it essentially leagalized the HJ movement and organization while also neutralizing nearly every other, non-HJ affiliated youth movement.
The Reichsjugenddienstpflicht law had three primary points:
- Every German youth was now obliged to join the HJ.
- The purpose of the HJ was to prepare its members to faithfully serve the cause and the needs of German Nationalist Socialism.
- The Reichsjugendführer (National Youth Leader - in this case, Baldur von Schirach), was to ensure full compliance to all HJ goals and he was to report only to the Führer, Adolf Hitler.
1937 - Jahr
der "Heimbeschaffung"
Year of the home
by Arvo L. Vercamer
Hitler and the HJ leadership were well aware of the fact that up until now, there were few specialized activities outside of the Allgemeine HJ, which might attract still more German youths. To alleviate this, the HJ-Flieger (aviation) and HJ-Marine (marine) and HJ-Motor (cars and engines) groups were established. Each of these groups would specialize activities and functions around its theme name.
1938 - Jahr
der "Verständigung"
Year of understanding
by Arvo L. Vercamer
In 1938, the BDM was expanded to accommodate older girls. On January 19th, 1938, the BDM - Werk "Glaube und Schönheit" which was supposed to help transform young girls into refined and politically correct ladies. As with all other HJ groups, the BDM - Werk "Glaube und Schönheit" also focused a great deal of their efforts on physical education and sports events.
1938 also had a profound effect on the membership of the HJ. Both the Austrian and Sudeten region HJ groups were now officially added to the German HJ organization. Officially, the HJ leadership claimed to have close to 9 million members - or nearly 80% of all German youths.
1938 was also a rather sinister year for the HJ. In November, the Hitler ordered "Kristallnacht" to commence. NSDAP, Schutzstaffel (SS) and Sturmabteilung (SA) cronies and thugs rampaged throughout Germany attacking all adherents of the Jewish faith, destroying their places of business and many of their homes while Germans stood by and watched. Many of the targeted individuals were arrested and thrown into German concentration camps.
While many members of the HJ did participate in "Kristallnacht", the HJ was not officially asked to partake of the rampage and destruction. When von Schirach learned that HJ members had indeed engaged in such offensive actions, he issued an order officially forbidding HJ members from taking part in any similarly minded actions in the future.
1939 - Jahr
der "Gesundheit"
Year of health
by Arvo L. Vercamer
On March 25th, 1939, a law was enacted making it obligatory for all German youths to join the HJ or the BDM. Failure to comply could result in the German state taking the non-HJ children away from their natural parents and placing them in orphanages. This law also served to force Catholic youth organizations to merge with the HJ, despite any agreement Hitler made with the Vatican a few years earlier.
In December of 1939, Baldur von Schirach obtained Hitler's permission to join the "Wehrmacht" in combat. He thus vacated his post of "Reichsjugendführer", which was then given to Artur Axmann. During the German invasion of France in 1940, von Schirach served with the "Grossdeutschland" division; 12th company, 1st infantry regiment. Von Schirach started out as a corporal and ended the war as a lieutenant; earning the iron cross, second class, in the process.
After the French campaign, von Schirach returned to Berlin. Given his age at the time (close to 40), he was now viewed by many to be a bit on the old side to be the head of a national "youth" organization. In August of 1940, von Schirach was appointed as the deputy to Adolf Hitler for the inspection of the Hitlerjugend. Later, von Schirach was made "Gauleiter" of Vienna as a reward for his past services.
In the 1939/1940 time frame, a new phenomenon began to grip German youths - American style dancing. Within a very short period of time, the "Swing Jugend" (the Swing Kids) movement came to the attention of the HJ leadership. Originally starting in Hamburg, and then slowly spreading to other nothern German towns and villages, the "Swing Jugend" youths first got together because of their strong like of English, but especially American, music. Over time, they evolved as a counter to the HJ movement in other parts of Germany as well, such as Dresden and Vienna. They were, for the most part, liberal in the political views and they were against the ongoing war effort. In Frankfurt am Main, the "Harlem Club" held intense dance marathons, which were primarily inspired by the latest U.S. dance and music hits. Heinrich Himmler had an especially strong dislike for the "Swing Kids". Interestingly, the "Swing Jugend" movement did not really wish to engage in any political actions, they just wanted to dance to "their" music. But "their" music was perceived to be a threat to the HJ movement by the political leaders of Germany.
1940 - Jahr
der "Bewährung"
The year of trial
by Arvo L. Vercamer
On 03 February 1940, Artur Axmann and the HJ leadership released the outline for the HJ War Service Plan. The following highlights apply:
1.) Ideological and political indoctrination: Weekly indoctrination sessions for HJ and BDM.
2.) Cultural Activities: These will continue as scheduled. Activities will include singing, music, open air concerts, poetry recitals, etc. HJ members will also sing at factories, hospitals and retirement centers.
3.) Physical training: With the exception of the 16 to 18 year old HJ boys and the BDM section of "Faith and Beauty", every youth will participate in two hours worth of physical excercises once a week.
4.) Pre-military training: HJ boys aged 16 to 18 will have their pre-military training plan extended from six months to 12 months. Shooting and para-military excercises will now take place twice a month, usually on a Sunday.
5.) Leadership training: Additional HJ leader candidates needed to be identified because an increasing number of HJ leaders were being called up for war service.
6.) Civil Parades: HJ and BDM members will participate in parades; one parade to be held every two months during the winter; one parade to be held every month during the summer. Large group parades were forbidden, standing only and not marching was to be avoided.
7.) General Duty Regulations: The first and third Sunday of every month are reserved for HJ activities and meetings. The second and fourth Sundays of every month were for family times. Leave of absence on obligatory HJ Sundays shall not be granted.
8.) Summer Duties: Camping activities and hikes will continue as before, but the trips should be short in duration. The maximum number of participants in any single caminging or hiking event cannot exceed 100. Rail transportation cannot be utilized for summer youth events. Large urban centers can obtain exemptions from the above rules. Exemptions will be made for harvest seasons.
9.) Special Activities: HJ and BDM members will continue to collect "donations" as before (Winterhilfe, etc.) or offer assistance to their communities as needed. HJ members in military training are exempted from this. Luftschutz training will continue to alll youths. 16-17 year old BDM girls will be trained in basic first aid.
1940 also saw a change of HJ leadership. On August 7, 1940, Artur Axmann replaced von Schirach as the new "Reichsjugendführer der NSDAP".
In occupied Western Europe, a number of former HJ leaders were brought in to help the Germans administer their new conquests. For example, in the Netherlands, Hermann Lindenburger, a former HJ official since 1933, was ordered to the Netherlands to help build up the Dutch Hitlerjugend organization. Of note is that Lindenburger did not get along well with his superior, Fritz Schmidt.
On 09 March 1940, the German police issued additional rules and regulations designed to ensure that German youths do not turn to the dark side of the force. These laws became effective for the whole Reich. They included a ban on alcohol consumption, smoking in public, going alone to movie theaters after 2100 hours, etc.
On 04 October 1940, a new youth penal code was enacted.
1941 - "Unser
Leben ein Weg zum Führer"
Our life as a path to the Führer
by Arvo L. Vercamer
Artur Axmann served with the German forces on the eastern front from June 15th, 1941, to December 4th, 1941. While serving there, Axmann was seriously wounded and lost his right arm. When Axmann returned to Germany, he resumed his post as the youth leader of Germany.
By 1941, the HJ was experiencing recruitment problems. Many eligible youths were drafted into the armed forces. Many others were killed or incapacitated with the increasing ferocity of British aerial raids over German cities.
In 1941, Hitler ordered that German schools stand down from teaching Gothic "Frakturschirft" to Germany's youths. They use of the Roman "Antiqua" script for writing was now authorized.
1942 - "Osteinsatz
und Landdienst"
Service in the east and on the land
by Arvo L. Vercamer
This was the last "peaceful" year for the HJ; that is, the last year in which members of the HJ and the BMD did not have to directly participate in combat and military actions. HJ members participated in both summer and winter sports competitions (Breslau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen) and at the cultural days in Weimar.
From April 15th, 1942, to early 1943, the number of killed HJ leaders rose from 8.600 to 15.500; mostly due to the Allied aerial bombing campaign.
600.000 HJ boys and 1.4 million BDM girls assisted German farmers to bring in the summer and fall harvests.
In 1942, the HJ established the W-E Lagers. These were special military training camps lasting three weeks in duration. By November of 1942, the Wehrmacht operated 120 W-E Lagers and the SS operated 42 such camps. If all of the HJ boys at their local school were 17, the whole class was sent to the W-E Lager as a single unit.
1943 - "Kriegseinsatz
der Deutschen Jugend"
War service of the German youth
by Arvo L. Vercamer
This was the first year in which the HJ members were ordered to serve as quasi-official soldiers. Laws formalizing this were enacted on January 26th, 1943. By the middle of the year, thousands of youths were ordered to serve as "Flakhelfers" in both the German Kriegsmarine and in the Luftwaffe units throught Germany.
As much as possible, routine HJ and BDM activities, such as hiking, camping, sports competitions, etc., continued. Increasingly, greater amounts of para-military training were placed on HJ members to prepare them for military service.
1944 - Jahr
der "Kriegsfreiwilligen"
Year of war volunteers
by Arvo L. Vercamer
Towards the fall of 1944, as many HJ boys as could be rounded up were drafted into digging anti-tank and defensive trenches in front of German towns to hopefully slow down or stop the advancing Soviet steam roller and to stem the advance of the Allied forces in the west. Hundreds of miles of ditches were frantically dug by HJ members all over the eastern and western fronts.
The last music competition for HJ members took place in 1944. Winners were selected on both individual talent or as a group act. The last "technical competition" also took place in 1944; HJ members were to compete for technical innovations, which could benefit Germany.
In the fall of 1944, Göring proposed to take the entire 1944 class of HJ-Flieger candidates and prepare them for flight certification on jet fighters. Specifically, the HJ were to be trained on how to use the Heinkel He-162 "Salamander-Volksjäger" aircraft. HJ members were trained on the He-162S (Segelflugzeug - Glider) in Trebbin; but no HJ member flew the operational He-162 in combat.
The years of war were beginning to take a serious toll on the German nation. Each year, more and more youths were drafted to serve on one front or another. Many local NSDAP branch leaders began to voice their concerns regarding falling HJ attendances. All too often, a local HJ chapter could not meet as required because all suitable HJ "leaders" were already called to active duty in the military. Gangs of "disillusioned" youths started to question the political leadship of the NSDAP, other gangs of youths took advantage of the military situation by looting or stealing from their neighbors or from bombed sites.
One of these youth groups were the "Edelweiß Piraten". The "Edelweiß Piraten" started out as a harmless group of pranksters, but they slowly began to show more violent tendencies.
1945 - Final defeat
by Arvo L. Vercamer
The HJ and the Werewolves: In February of 1945, German political leaders believed that there was a need to create a "rear area" guerrilla force, especially between Berlin and the Oder/Neiss rivers. "Werewolves", who by now came from about the only remaining pool of bodies available - the HJ/BDM - were told that they were now going to transform themselves into "Nationalist Socialist Partisans" who would attack Allied and Soviet rear areas as they best saw fit. Ironically, the German OKW elected to base the structure of the HJ Werewolves on the Polish resistance effort. Reinhard Gehlen (FHO) was the lead officer of this undertaking; in fact it was his idea. In the short time available, available HJ members were provided with all of the basic training they could absorb; sabotage, clandestine communications, assassination, infiltration, etc.
Available evidence indicates that a number of these HJ/BDM cells actually caused the Soviets many problems in their rear areas as they advanced towards and approached Berlin. Many individual HJ Werewolf groups continued to operate in both the Allied sectors and Soviet sector well after May of 1945, performing primarily sabotage missions more than actual assassination or combat missions. These few were blindly obedient to Germany's political leaders to the very end.
The HJ and the Volkssturm: Towards the end of 1944, the Reichsjugendführung announced its third (and final) call-up of HJ members to serve the nation in a military capacity (those born in 1928 and 1929). One of the first units created from this effort in January of 1945 were the HJ - "Panzervernichtungs-Einheiten" (HJ anti-tank formations). Members were essentially "volunteers" taken from the WEL's, so they often had a little exposure to what they could expect. The boys, often no more than 11 years of age, were quickly trained to use the latest anti-tank "Panzerfausts" and sent to the front lines.
In March of 1945, Martin Bormann recommended that BDM girls and ladies be given guns and sent to the front lines to help defend Germany. His goal was to create as many "Frauen-Batallionen" as he could. Reichsjugendführer Artur Axmann was vehemently opposed to this idea. No one could tell what horrors would befall on armed German girls and women should they ever be wounded or captured in combat by the enemy; especially by the Soviet forces. Although later, Axmann somewhat relented to Bormann by allowing BDM members to be trained on how to use pistols - but only for self defense purposes and not for offensive actions.
Many HJ members fought as active combatants in places such as Berlin, Breslau, Danzig, Königsberg, etc., fighting the advancing Soviet forces with no more than a few Panzerfaust in their hands. In one of the more historically eventful HJ battlers, 5.000 HJ members fought the Soviets at the Pichelsdorf bridge in Berlin. Five days later, 4.500 were dead or seriously wounded. While the young HJ soldiers often fought bravely, most were eventually slaughtered in combat. One of the last motion picture films taken of Adolf Hitler shows him awarding medals to members of the HJ defending Berlin outside of his bunker at the Potsdamer Platz. The name of the 12 year-old boy in the now famous newsreel was Alfred Czech; he apparently rescued 12 wounded German soldiers while under Soviet artillery and MG fire in addition to exposing a Soviet spy in Oppeln - for that, the Führer gave him the EK I. Two of the boys in the newsreel were awarded the EK I, the rest, the EK II.
After the Allied authorities had a chance to sort out the various German adult and youth organizations, civilian and military, they were able to render a decision regarding the Hitler Youth movement. It was not declared to be a criminal organization, though as a movement, the HJ was officially disbanded by the Allies.
1949 - The HJ and the East German "Freie Deutsche Jugend" youth movements
by Arvo L. Vercamer
In the Western Allied sectors of Germany, though the HJ was not declared to be a criminal orgnization, the HJ movement was officialy dissolved. The internationally accepted Boy Scout and Girl Scout organizations resumed their pre-1933 activities. In the Soviet Occupation Sector of Germany, the HJ organization was also officially dissolved as it was in the western zones.
But after 1949 when the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was established, many of the philosophies of the Hitlerjugend movement were quietly resurrected as the "Freie Deutsche Jugend" (FDJ) movement. The brown shirts of Hitler's SA and HJ were now exchanged for the blue uniforms of the FDJ. Instead of espousing the virtues of Nationalist Socialism, the East German FDJ carried large placards of Walter Ulbricht, Karl Marx and Josef Stalin. The new East German youth movement now championed the virtues of Communism and Socialism.
Only in 1989 and 1990, when East and West Germany unified, did the ghosts of the HJ movement finally come to rest as the East German FDJ movement was quickly and quietly dissolved by Bonn.
Reproduced gratefully from Axis History Factbook
This is a partial reproduction. For the complete material on the Hitler Jugend go to Axis History Factbook
The Generation of the German Conservative Revolution
All pictures in this article were added by Gnostic Liberation Front and most of them were reproduced from a wonderful web site dealing with German Historical Memorabilia:
