Hitler Youth: Pageantry -- Civic Events

Figure 1.--Here we see some older Hitler Youth boys paeticipating in an unidentified village festival. The photograph is undated, but we would guess was taken about 1933. The HJ was mostly composed up older boys before the NSAZI take over.

One of the main functions of the Hitler Youth was to participate in the parades, pageants and public events the NAZIs were so fond of staging. The HJ organization gave the youth the chance to find their place in life. The colorful banners, parades, uniforms, status and sense of purpose were all aspects of the organization that the youth bought into and encouraged them to join. The HJ was the youth’s way of making their voice heard and acknowledged. The major events were NAZI rallies, but after taking power the HJ supported the pageaatry of enumerable civic events as well. This was the case both in big cities as well as small villages. Yhus they could be both major ce\lebrations or small community events. The HJ boys here might be only a small part of the pagentry which in some cases date back centuries. The HJ segment may only be a small conyngent, perhsaps a drum or buggle corps. In other cases a number of boys might march. I don't think this was very common before the NAZIs seized power (1933), but afterwards became a very common scene throughout Germany.