Figure 1.--These East German Pioneerrs are saluting the East German leaders, including Eric Honecker in 1976. Notice how the Pioneers salute, similar to a NAZI salute, but with the hand held differently.

The Free German Youth (Freie Deutsche Jugend--FDJ), were founded after World War II in March 1946, withi the Soviet occupation zone of Germany. Young people between the ages of 14 and 25 were to be indoctrinated as members of a new socialist society. Together with its suborganization for youngsters from 6-14 years of age, the Young Pioneers--later called the Pioneer Organization "Ernst Thalmann," in memory of the chief of the Communist Party (KPD) during the Weimar Republic and was killed by the NAZIs in a concentration camp. The FDJ became an instrument for influencing the coming generations. An important part of its influence was that membership in the FDJ soon determined access to institutions of higher learning, recreation and sports facilities, and ultimately career opportunities.

Chronology

There were Communist and Socialist youth movements in Germany before the NAZI take over, although we do not yet know much abot them. They were supressed after the NAZI takeover. Many adults associated with the movement were arrested. Communist authorities organized the East German Pioneers after World War II in the Soviet occupation zone. The East German authorities introduced the Free German Youth and the Pioneer Youth in March 1946 less than a year after the War. We do not yet have much information about chronological trends associated with the Young Pioneers in Germany. As far as we know there was no attempt to orgnize a Communist youth movement in West Germany.

Participation

Almost every kid in the German Democratic Republic (DDR) had to participate in Young Pioneers. East Germans who participated in Pioneers report that were a kind of a double-edged sword. Children for all practical purposes had to join the Pioneers (and when older the FDJ) to have any chance of a higher education like college. Very few few kids refused to join.

Meetings

There were regular meetings, but always at school. The organization-form was based on the school-classes. Pioneer meetings were never held at private homes or of course churches. They did not meet kids from other schools or areas at meetings as in Scouting. Parents were very seldom involved in pioneer activites.

Activities

We have been able to find relatively little information about the activities organized by the FDJ. The Pioneer groups organized some official events like special celebration days. Those were organized by the schools pioneers unit. Like marching in uniform in the Labor Day parade--a very important event in communist countries. There was also a little fun like hiking trips, school-discos, or carnival. It’s hard to tell which role the pioneers played in this events. Mostly they were organized by the pioneers group managment (group = school-class), but probably without the Pioneers they would also happened in some way. There was also a summer camp program.

Religion

Both the Young Pioneers and Freen German Youth were used by authorities to attack religious beliefs. These organizations sought to divide children and parents, especially on religious belief. Their sought to convince children that religion was unnecessary in their lives. The Young Pioneers and Free German Youth used some of the same tactics that the Hitler Youth had used. Meetings were scheduled so they overlapped with the Catholic ceremonies and gatherings. It became harder and harder for families to attend the church ceremonies as they often overlapped with youth meetings. The Communist anti-religious campaign intensified in the 1950s. The president of Young Pioneers said, "There is no doubt that they, the Church dignitaries, thus fight against the national interest of the people and push them in the direction of new wars". [Seth, p. 156.]

Advantages

The FDJ was an effective instrument for influencing the coming generations. An important part of its influence was that membership in the FDJ determined access to institutions of higher learning, recreation and sports facilities, and ultimately career opportunities. The pioneers and especially the FDJ were called the »fight-reserve« of the communist party. Make a good impression on the pioneer- and FDJ-leaders, and one had a good chance for becomming a party-official later. This would make life in Eastern Germany much easier. There was another youth-organization, the »Gesellschaft für Sport und Technik« (GST: Society for sports and technics). It was kind of pre-military, the members (mostly boys) were trained to fly gliders, operate radio systems, shoot with air-guns and others. As uniform they had camouflage jackets and pants.

Levels

The Thälmann Pioneers

The Young Pioneers were for children from 6-14 years of age. (Another source says the 4th-7th grades. The Young Pioneers were eventually named the Pioneer Organization "Ernst Thälmann," in memory of the chief of the KPD during the Weimar Republic and who was killed in a concentration camp. Nearly all Wast German children belonged to the Thälmann Pioneers. Before that they were members of the Young Pioneers, and afterwards of the Free German Youth, Theoretically, the Pioneers were voluntary, though in practice the pressure to join was great. The majority of children joined voluntarily, however, since care was taken to make it an attractive group. These rules are taken from the membership booklet each Pioneer received on joining during the 1980's.

The Rules of the Thälmann Pioneers

The Pledge of the Thälmann Pioneers:

"Ernst Thälmann is my model. I promise to learn to work and to fight as Ernst Thälmann teaches. I will follow the rules of the Thälmann Pioneers. True to our greeting, I am always ready to support peace and socialism."

We Thälmann Pioneers love our socialist fatherland, the German Democratic Republic. In word and deed, we will always defend our workers' and farmers' state, which is a firm part of the socialist community of nations. We Thälmann Pioneers carry with pride a red scarf and wear it with honor. Our red scarf is a part of the flag of the working class. It is a great honor for us Thälmann Pioneers to wear the red scarf as an outward symbol of our devotion to the cause of the working class and its party, the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. We Thälmann Pioneers love and respect our parents. We know that we have much to thank our parents for. We follow their advice and help them. We want to become conscious builders of the socialist society. We Thälmann Pioneers are friends of the Soviet Union, and protect peace while hating the warmongers. By working hard to learn and through good deeds, we help socialism and the forces of peace throughout the world. We always and everywhere oppose the incitement and lies of the imperialists. We Thälmann Pioneers are friends of the Soviet Union and all socialist brother nations, and want friendship with all the children of the world. Friendship with the Soviet Union is a matter of the heart for us. The Lenin Pioneers are our best friends. We work closely with the pioneers of the socialist nations and with all progressive children's organizations in the world. We express active solidarity with with all peoples struggling for their freedom and national independence. We Thälmann Pioneers study diligently, are orderly and disciplined. We gain basic knowledge and abilities, and work everywhere for order, discipline and cleanliness. We work to help everyone to earn honestly, to use his knowledge, and to make word and deed be the same. We thus prepare for life and work in socialist society. We Thälmann Pioneers love work, and respect every form of work and all working people. We learn from the workers, farmers and other working people and join in wherever we can be helpful. We respect the people's property. We Thälmann Pioneers love truth and are reliable and friendly to each other. We always seek to know the truth and work for socialism. We fulfill the tasks we take on and stand by our word as pioneers. We strive to make our group a strong community and give friendly assistance to other pupils. We Thälmann Pioneers learn technology, learn the laws of nature and become familiar with the treasures of culture. We are interested in the latest in science and technology. We participate in scientific activities, join in artistic activities, develop our talents and demonstrate our abilities. We Thälmann Pioneers keep our bodies clean and healthy, participate in sports, and are cheerful. We strengthen our bodies by sports, games and tourism. We are interested in the beauties of our homeland and hike with pleasure. We do not smoke or drink alcohol. We Thälmann Pioneers prepare ourselves to be good members of the Free German Youth. We are interested in the history of the socialist youth group and in the deeds of Free German Youth members. Their splendid achievements are our model and spur. We work together with them.

Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ)

The Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ--Free German Youth) was the official youth movement of the DDR. Young people between the ages of 14-25 joined the FDJ). The organization was founded, however, before World War II and the creation of the DDR. Hitler's first major step in becoming Chancelor ws to move against the Communist Party (1933). All Communist Party institutions were supressed, including youth movements. The FDJ was subsequntly founded to opose the NAZIS (1936). The Gestapo effectively prevented such groups from operating within the Reich. The FDJ operated from Paris (1936) and then Prague (1938). After the Munich Accords and the Germsn conquest of most of Europe, the FDJ moved to flee to Englnd. After the War, the FDJ moved back to Germnany, setting up in the Soviet occupstion zone and entered German politics under Soviet protection. With the onset of the Cold War and the organization of the DDR, the FDJ took on a role similsr to the Komosol in the Soviet Union. The communist World Federation of Democratic Youth recognized it at its annual meeting in Otwock, Poland (1948). The FDJ operated for a while in West Germany as well as East Germany. The West German Government, however, banned the German Communist Party (KPD) along with affiliated grouos like the FDJ (1951). The FDJ in East Germany was was a member of the National Front and was represented in the DDR People's Chamber. The FDJ was responsible for the ideological prepsaration of young Germsans in Marxism-Leninism. As part of thsat effort, it organized a range of activities appealing to teenagers and young adults, including holidays through its Jugendtourist agency. Thre FDJ ran discos. German children after the Thälmann Pioneers, would usually join the FDJ. Membership was not mandatory, but in East Germsny failure to join would hsve a substantial negative impsct on yhe undividual's life. Those who refused to join not only were unable to enjoy the organized holidays, but also other soicial activities. More importantly, it also meant that the young people could not pursue a university education, regardless of their academic qualificatins. Most of the youth who refused to join, did so out of religuious convictions.

Uniform

Young Pioneers

East German Young Pioneers had a basic uniform. Children wore whatever pants they wanted. In the 1950s-60s, shorts were common, but in the 70s-80s boys mostly wore longs. Boys and girls wore white shirts and blue (Young pioneers) or red (Thaelmann pioneers) neckerchief. The shirts (long or short sleeved) had the logo of the pioneer-organization on it, and additional one to three small beams for officials like group leaders. Those uniforms in the 1980s weren’t worn on normal school days. (This may have been different in the 1950s-60s. By the 1980s, however, the Pioneer uniforms were only worn for celebration days (Labor-Day, foundation of the republic and others).

Free German Youth

There was a second youth-organization for older kids (approx. from 12-26), called "Freie Deutsche Jugend" (FDJ: Free Germany Youth). As uniform they had only dark-blue shirts with the organization-logo on it. The rules for when to wear it were the same as for the Pioneers. An HBC contributor suggests not to ignore the FDJ. HBU concurs. The problem is that we have been able to find information about German communist groups yet.

Related Information

Soviet children's literature

Sources

Allen, Bruce. East Germany (Black Rose Books, New York, 1989).

Seth, Ronald. For My Name's Sake (Geoffrey Bles, London, 1958).

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Created: November 15, 1998
Last updated: 6:28 AM 7/20/2008