Figure 1.--NAZI authorities published an yearbook for boys. It was entitled "Jungen: Eure Welt", meaning "Boys: Your World". Here is Volume II (1939), although it was published in 1938 with information about 1938 activities and events. |
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We have not found a complete set of these yearbooks. We have found some scans from various volumes. We believe that the first volume was published in 1938, but we are not yet sure about that.
We have not yet found the 1938 volume. We have found a 1939 volume. Hitler launched the War in 1939, but the book presumably was published earlier in the year. We note Volume V published in 1942. It had some color photographs. While the NAZIs had been stopped before Moscow, most of Europe was still in NAZI hands and the War was by no means lost. Volume VI published in 1943 was the last volume. We note that the subtitle was changed. The 1943 volume is all black and white, a small indication of the deteriorating military situation. After 1943 the war situation declined to the point that large books like this could no longer be published.
These yearbooks were prepared and published the year before the date. After all who wants to but the 1939 yearbook in 1940. We believe that the yearbooks here were put on sale soon after the New Year. Of course you want the 1940 yearbook in 1940, but by preparing it the year before, the yearbook becomes an account of activities and events in the previos year. Thus the 1939 yearbook becomes an account of 1938. And indeed we see Austria and the Anschlus featured in the 1939 yearbook.
We believe that the first volume was the 1938 volume , but we are not yet sure about that. We have not yet found the 1938 volume.
We have found a 1939 volume. Hitler launched the War in 1939, but the book was published in 1938 for distribution in 1939. The 1939 book has a range of articles that would appeal to young people, probably the boys more than girls. The articles in the 1939 volume included the HJ Leadership, 12 Months of Hitler Youth Work, the Work of the Führer Corps, Water, Air and Motors, Lucky Austria, Rudolf Hess, Fascist Italy, Himalaya, Langenmarck, Looking for Gorillas in the Jungle, Our Kriegsmarine, Armored Cars and Mechanized Vehicles at the Front, German Flyers over Enemy Land, Sports Heroes from Bernd Rosemeyer to Berger Ruuds, Sailplane Flying, the Small Sailboat, Auto Racing, the Sun - Motor of the Universe, Natural History, the Battle of Torgau, Plastics, Television, as well as a great color illustration and an article about of a small city with a military base nearby and projects that young people could make like the German red Nazi swastika flag. The choice of topics is very interesting. There was a heavy military emphasis, notable for a country still at peace.
We note Volume V published in 1942. While the NAZIs had been stopped before Moscow, most of Europe was still in NAZI hands and the War was by no means lost. The volume, however, was prepared in 1941 when the NAZI armies were surging through the Soviet Union and many though that Barbarossa would be another stunning NAZI success. The volume had some color photographs. Germany at the rime was a leader in color photography. We note that the subtitle was changed, although we are not sure why. There are a range of material, including articles about the HJ Leadership, the War Work of the Hitler-Jugend, the SS-Heimkehr Program (SS Repatriation), the Battle for Narvik, the War in France, the Balkan Campaign, Victory at Dunkirk, the Father of the Stuka, West Africa, Islam, Catacombs, Ships in a Bottle, the Origins of Dogs and Horses, the Universe, Natural History, Perpetual Motion, the German Patent Office, U-Boots, Thiland (a chapter by Ralph Colin Ross), and projects and amusements that young people could make. This included a toy armoured vehicle. There is artwork and maps, photographs including a full-color page of the Wehrmacht marching down the Champs Elysees in Paris. This was a very emotive scene. Germany had fought for over 4 years and lost hundreds of thiusands of men trying to accomplish in World War I and Hitler had accomplished it in only a few weeks of fighting with very light losses.
Volume VI published in 1943 was the last volume. The content issimilar to the other volumes. There are sections on current events, politics, the war, arts and crafts, games, sports, wildlife and similar content. Much of the book is devoted to the War and boys preparing for military service through the Hitler Youth program. An important aspect of the Hitler Youth was to funnel boys into the various services of the German military. Of course there were countless military victories which could be used for the early volumes. This changed in 1942 when NAZI armies began to experience military defeats, but the publishers could simply harken back to earlier victories. The 1943 volume is all black and white, a small indication of the deteriorating military situation. After 1943 the war situation declined to the point that large books like this could no longer be published.
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