Hitler Youth Activities: Special Activities

Figure 1.--One of the uniqie characteristics of the Hitler Youth movement was recruiting most of the leasershio from older HJ boys. Parents in particular were excluded. The HJ had a core adult leadership, although they had only limited contact with the boys. It was the teen leaders that worked with the HJ boys and girls. Here we see some of the adult sfaff (notice the HJ armband). The Hitler Youth sponsored a wide range of activities beyound its core mission. They are visting a book festival of some kind, presumably sponsored by the HJ. The sign says Buchausftellung/Buchausstellung Jugend und Buch (Book Exhibit(ion): Youth and Books). The boys are formed up to salute them. One girl seems absolutely jubilent with visitors, we are not sure why. A German reader tells us, "Undoubtedly you will be puzzled by the word 'Buchausstellung'. This is correct German and a correct spelling of the verb 'stellen'. There is no letter 'f' to be kicked out of the sentence. There are actually two words: aus and stellung making one word. This word starts with 'Buch' (book), something unusual in other languages like French where there are strict rules. You just cannot add a letter in the beginning or at the end. In German you have the liberty to change or omit forgotten letters."

We notice arange of special activities that were organized by both the national organization and local Hitler Youth units. This included athletic events, book displays, choral programs, drama plays, musical concerts, and much more. We do not know a great deal about these various eforts. It is in these activities that you are most likely to find boys and girls together at the same activity. We note that some of the older children found that they could get out of boring meetings largely involved with indicrtination by getting involved in music or drama programs. Many boys liked the highly physical HJ progrm, including activitie like fightijg and weresling and contact wide games. his was, however, not the case for all boys. And these activities provided a way out for mild mannered, less aggresive boys. Many of these activities were not part of the HJ core mission and included cultural activities and evebts. Apparently the national leadeship felt compelled to include such activities as necessary for a comprehensive youth movement. We think this was a kind of self directed effort as most HJ leaders believed they were pursuing an important national effort to mold German youth. Culture was not high on the NAZI agenda but not absent. Top NAZIs like to considered themselves cultured--especilly Hitler himself. The arts were such an engrained aspect of German culture that it was not something that could be ignored.