Figure 1.--This is Hans-Jörg's Hitler Youth Group in the early 1930s. Notice that it is all older teenage boys. Hartman is marked by the red plus sign.

We know that Hans-Jörg was highly nationalistic because he joined the Hitler Youth (HJ). We are not sure about other leanings as a young man, but nationalism and anti-Bolshivism would certainly have been a draw. We are less sure about anti-Semitism, but it is a possibility. And after a short time in the group, it would have been a fact. He joined the HJ before Hitler and the NAZIs seized control and mnade it mandatory. At the time the HJ was controlled by the Sturmabteilungen/Storm Troops (SA). The SA was a para-military groop which even Hitler had troublr controling. And the boys acted more like SA thugs. The HJ at the time was organized as a unit of the SA and the actuvities contriolled by the SA. The SA were undisiplined thugs contributing to the havoc on German streets. They were older teenagers, not the 10-year olds that were inducted once the NAZIs conntrolled Germany. Few German parents would allow their young boys to join the HJ. The HJ boys were virtually older teenage boys. You can see that in the groupo photograph of Hans-Jörg joined. Few girls were involved. This was not unusual in Germany. All the major political parties has uniformed youth auxileries. The HJat this stage, hiowever, was not run by the Party oirganuzation, but by the SA. After leaving the HJ, Hans Jörg joined the SA (1933), but quickly transferred to the SS (1935). We are not sure just why, but suspect the Night of the Long Knives were a factor.

Created: 6:45 PM 9/17/2020
Last updated: 6:46 PM 9/17/2020