** NAZI Deutsche Arbeitsfront Strength through Joy








Deutsche Arbeitsfront: Kraft durch Freude (Strength Through Joy -- KdF)

Kraft durch Freude
Figure 1.--Here we see a German family enjoying a summer beach vacation. Before the NAZIs, German working class families and many lower-middle class families did not commonly take vacations trips. Ley and the DAF helped changed that.

Kraft durch Freude (KdF) meant literally "Strength Through Joy". KdF was NAZI Germany's large state-controlled leisure organization. It was administered by the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeiterfront - DAF). Hitler had on the day he announced making May Day a state holiday, also announced the closure of all independent trade unions. Instead he established the DAF to being workers under NAZI control. Hitler placed Robert Ley in charge of the DAF. Ley worked with the SA and SS to arrest German labor leaders and seize the offices of the now banned trade unions. At the time German workers strongly supported the Communists and Socialists. The DAF launced a range of programs to win over German workers. It became the world's largest tourism operator, providing low-cost holidays for workers. The idea was to give workers a middle-class life style. The KDF was influenced by the Italian Fascist organization Dopolavoro (After Work). The KdF because of mandatory contribution from workers developed in one of the most important NAZI institutions. German workers could take cruises to Norway or the Mediterranean and other exciting locations at very little cost. We believe something like 80 reichsmarks. The program proved emensely popular. Needless to say that this was a fantastic propaganda achievement, helping to build NAZI popularity with German workers. As early as 1934, only one year after the NAZIs seized power, 2.3 million workers and their family took KdF holidays. The KdF had expanded this to 10.3 million. Hopeing to earn some foreign exchange, the NAZIs attempted to attract foreign customers. A smiling Josef Goebels appeared on their advertising, welcoming foreigners to Germany. I'm not sure about the effectiveness of the campaign. After the invaion of Poland (September 1939) the War intervened. The British Royal Navy instituted a naval blockade of Germamy, making KDF cruises impossible. The KdF had 7,000 paid employees and 135,000 voluntary workers. The organization had units involved in sport, education, and tourism. KDF had representatives in every German factory. Every 20 workers were reresented by a Warden. I think the workers were appointed rather than elected, but I am not sure about this. Perhaps the most famous KdF projects was the Volkwagen--the Peoples Car. It was designed to be a car that the average German worker could afford. The project never came to much, Hitler decided to laubch Word War II before the factory could begin to churn out many cars and was converted to war work. It was onlybafter the War, during the allied ocupation that VW was launched, interestingly by a British soldiier-manager working with the occupation authorities.

German Labor Front

Hitler had on the day he announced making May Day a state holiday, also announced the closure of all independent trade unions. Instead he established the German Labor Fron (DAF) to being workers under NAZI control. The Hitler placed Robert Ley in charge of the DAF. Ley worked with the SA and SS to arrest German labor leaders who were some of the early inmates in the first NAZI concentration camp--Dachau. Leyband his coharts seized the offices of the now banned trade unions. At the time German workers strongly supported the Communists and Socialists. The DAF launced a range of programs to win over German workers. The DAF after suppressing free trade unions, restricted wages. High wages would have impaired the rapid German Rearmament Program . Financing rearmament was a challenge.

Alternative Actions

The inconsequential May Day concession was just the beginning of Hitler's efforts to win over the left-leaning working clas. Ley's DAF sought alternative ways to reward workers that would not impeded rearmament. Key sought to develop alternatives to rewarding workers rather than higher wages. It became the world's largest tourism operator, providing low-cost holidays for workers. The idea was to give workers a middle-class life style. It was one part of the Volksgemeinschaft that Goebels Propagnda Ministry played up in NAZI media.

Organization (Kdf)

A major DAF effort was the Kraft durch Freude (Strength through Joy, KdF) Movement. KdF was NAZI Germany's large state-controlled leisure organization. It was administered by the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeiterfront - DAF). It also provided a useful side benefit, the ability of the regime to supervise workers beyond the workplace. Before the NAZIs seized power, there was a great deal of support for the Communists and Socialists. Ley while a nationalist and perhaps because of his childhood background had socialist ideas and a desire to improve the situation of the rural and urban working-class families. He introduced a range of schemes. The best known is the Strength through Joy program. The KDF was influenced by the Italian Fascist organization Dopolavoro (After Work). The KdF because of mandatory contribution from workers developed in one of the most important NAZI institutions.

KdF Scope and Financing

KdF became a massive undertaking. The organization reported a membership of 30 million Germans only a few years after the NAZIs seized power (1936). The size of the DAF and the membership dues generated a huge source of funds. The scope of KdF was thus enormous. The KdF had 7,000 paid employees and 135,000 voluntary workers. The organization had units involved in sport, education, and tourism. KDF had representatives in every German factory. Every 20 workers were reresented by a Warden. I think the workers were appointed rather than elected, but I am not sure about this. Perhaps the most famous KdF projects was the Volkwagen--the Peoples Car. It was designed to be a car that the average German worker could afford. The project never came to much, Hitler decided to laubch Word War II before the factory could be gin to churn out many cars and was converted to war work. It was during the allied ocupation that VW was launched, interestingly by a British soldiier working with the occupation authorities.

Recreational Opportunities

KdF provided recreational opportunities for workers and their families .

Sport

Popular images of KdF show buxom German girls doing mass exercises in unison. That actually was a small part of KdF.

Education


Theatricals and concerts

Recreational opportunities include theaters and concerts. This was primarily for the urban industrial workforce, but farmers and farm workers were not forgotten. Trains were made available for rural workers to get to the city for a range of events.

Vacations

A major aspect of the program was providing vacation opportunities for workers. It was in the area of vacations that KdF was perhaps best known. There were summer holidays, skiing holidays, summer and winter hikes, ocean cruises and a range of healthful outdoors activities. German workers could take cruises to Norway or the Mediterranean and other exciting locations at very little cost. I believe something like 80 reichsmarks. Before the NAZIs, German working class families and many lower-middle class families did not commonly take vacations trips. Ley and the DAF helped changed that. He made trips to popular vacation spots possible and even ocean cruises. He saw to the financing for the Wilhelm Gustloff on which workers were able to take vacation cruises. T^hat was just one of a fleet of ships. Before the NAZIs, this was unheard of foe workers. Cruises were something only the affluent were able to enjoy. Other DAF activities included free gymnastic programs, and trips abroad (primarily to Italy). After the invaion of Poland (September 1939) the War intervened. The British Royal Navy instituted a naval blockade of Germamy, making KDF cruises impossible.

Volkwagen

Perhaps the most famous KdF projects was the Volkwagen--the Peoples Car. It was designed to be a car that the average German worker could afford. The project never came to much, Hitler decided to laubch Word War II before the factory could begin to churn out many cars and was converted to war work. It was during the allied ocupation that VW was launched, interestingly by a British soldiier working with the occupation authorities.

Impact

The KIdF program proved emensely popular. Needless to say that this was a fantastic propaganda achievement, helping to build NAZI popularity with German workers. As early as 1934, only one year after the NAZIs seized power, 2.3 million workers and their family took KdF holidays. The KdF had expanded this to 10.3 million.

Foreigners

Hopeing to earn some foreign exchange, the NAZIs attempted to attract foreign customers. A smiling Josef Goebels appeared on their advertising, welcoming foreigners to Germany. I'm not sure about the effectiveness of the campign.







HBC







Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to German vacations]
[Return to Main NAZI DAF page]
[Return to Main NAZI organization page]
[Return to Main NAZI page]
[Biographies] [Campaigns] [Children] [Countries] [Deciding factors] [Diplomacy] [Geo-political crisis] [Economics] [Home front] [Intelligence]
[POWs] [Resistance] [Race] [Refugees] [Technology]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Return to Main World War II page]
[Return to Main war essay page]





Created: 7:41 AM 12/19/2013
Spell checked: 7:16 PM 12/19/2013
Last updated: 6:50 PM 7/14/2015