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NAZI era Ukranian religion faiths Christianity Mennonites World War II German Youth of Ukraine
Ukranian Mennonites: World War II NAZI Era--German Youth of Ukraine (GYU)
Figure 1.--These boys are the German Youth of Ukraine (GYU), but they carry the Hitler Youth flag. We are not sure why theuwere not called the Hitler Youth, perhaps because there had not yt been a proper racial assessment. Notice all ghe children behinf them with more HJ flags. The white shirts would have been girls. GYU groups were formed for the older boys and girls. We do not see the younger childern being organzed. The Deutsches Jungvolk (DJF)--the Cub sector of the HJ for boys 10-14 years old., does not seem to have been orgabized. Halbstadt and Kronau both received HJ youth delegations from Germany. The GYU were organized in the various German colonies, including the Mennonite colonies. We see the boys being used used in various NAZI events as we see here. In this case visiting NAZI dignataries.
Hitler Youth groups were formed for the older boys and girls. We do not see the youngr childern being organzed. The Deutsches Jungvolk (DJF)--the Cub sector of the HJ for boys 10-14 years old. Halbstadt and Kronau both received HJ youth delegations from Germany. The German Youth of Ukraine (GYU) were organized in the various German colonies, including the Mennonite colonies. We see them being used in various NAZI events. There was no time for HJ summer camps in 1941. We are unsure about 1942, but summer camps were organized in 1943. An estimated third of eligible young people across Dnipropetrovsk (south central Ukraine) had been enrolled in the GYU. We are not sure why they were not called the Hitler Youth. Perhaps becuase NAZI officials did not yet have an opportunity to make the needed racial assessments. The German newspapers reported the best enrollment results from Chortitza and Halbstadt. There was a GYU leadership training camp, perhaps in 1942. The 42 girl and 32 boy graduautes staffed GYU camps (1943). The largest grandest lasted 6 weeks and had 160 participants. [Goosse] Again the tiiming was not very good. Even before the end of the summer, the Red Army was moving toward Dnipropetrovsk.
