Hitler Youth Activities: Camp Chronology

Figure 1.--These DJ drummers were photographed faorly early. Notice that the drums have pre-NAZI emblems rather than the black and whire flame patterns that were later adopted.

The Hitler Youth summer camping program varied significantly on a chronological basis. The Hitler Youth until 1933 had very limited facilites. They did have some camps, but finaces were very limited and it was other youth groups that had fine facilities. This cahnged in 1933 when the Hitler Youth simply seized the facilities of the other groups. The facilities of the Jewish and Catholic youth groups were first exempted, but not for long. The Hitler Youth found itself in possession of the best facilities in Germany and a major state-financed budget to improve and expand those facilities so that every Aryan boy could attend summer camp. Thus the summer camp program expanded very rapidly as the HJ membership itself expanded. Notice from the beginning the younger DJ boys were participating in summer camps. The HJ summer camp program was most extensive from 1933 after the facilities of other youth groups were seized through the summer of 1939. Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland in September 1939, launching World War II. The War significantly affected the HJ summer camp program. Many facilities were converted to other uses such as care for wounded soldiers and housing for displaced persons after the Allied bombing campaign intensified in 1942 and especially in 1944 when German refugees from the east began to stream into the Reich. While the siimmer camping program, the HJ took on an even larger program, the KLV.

NAZI Rise to Power (1924-32)

The Hitler Youth summer camping program varied significantly on a chronological basis. The Hitler Youth until 1933 had very limited facilites. They did have some camps, but finaces were very limited and it was other youth groups that had fine facilities.

NAZI Government: Pre-War Years (1933-39)

The HJ campaigning program changed significantly in 1933 when Hitler and the NAZIS seized power. The Hitler Youth simply seized the facilities of the other groups. The facilities of the Jewish and Catholic youth groups were first exempted, but not for long. The Hitler Youth found itself in possession of the best facilities in Germany and a major state-financed budget to improve and expand those facilities so that every Aryan boy could attend summer camp. Thus the summer camp program expanded very rapidly as the HJ membership itself expanded. Notice from the beginning the younger DJ boys were participating in summer camps. The HJ summer camp program was most extensive from 1933 after the facilities of other youth groups were seized through the summer of 1939. The NAZI program meant that any Aryan boy or girl belonging to the HJ/BDM could now attend summer camp, regardldess of the economic circustances of his or her parents.

NAZI Government: War Years (1939-45)

Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland in September 1939, launching World War II. The War significantly affected the HJ summer camp program. Many facilities were converted to other uses such as care for wounded soldiers and housing for displaced persons after the Allied bombing campaign intensified in 1942 and especially in 1944 when German refugees from the east began to stream into the Reich. The summer camp program did not end with the onset of the swar. One HBC German reader reports, "I attended a summer camp as a DJ boy diring the War. We had our camp at a safe place. It was actually the greatest adventure of my early youth. The camp lasted about 4 days, and we slept in big tents. It was in a forest on a hill, but on a open area visible from the air. I remember that we boys were concerned about this at the time, but nothing happened. After the War I went often to this place in happy remembrance." [Wellershaus] [HBC note: This would have been about 1943-44.] While the summer camping program was impaired by the War, the HJ took on an even larger program, the KLV. The Kinderlandverschickung (KLV) was a massive NAZI program to evacuate children from cities targetted by the Allied bombing camapign. About 2.5 million children were involved. They were housed in HJ youth camps and many other facilities in rural areas throughout the Reich. This meant year-round care, not just during the summer. Not only were HJ facilities used, but HJ youth leaders played a major role in running the camps.

Sources

Wellershaus, Aryaman Stefan Wellershaus, e-Mail, August 21, 2002.