Hitler Youth Membership: Gender

Figure 1.--Here we see HJ boys with a girl. She is not wearing a BDM uniform. They seem to be in some sort of tent. We would guess that she was visting a HJ camp for some reason, perhaps related to one of the boys.

NAZI related girl's units began to form in 1923, but only small numbers of girls were involved. The Hitler Youth was at first primarily a boy's organization. There uniforms were similar to the Brown-shirted SA and thus had a rather unsavory image. Few parents would want their girls to join such an organization. The HJ girls' division was the The Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM). The BDM was not founded until 1930 ad was not integrated into the HJ organization until 1931. The male orientation of the HJ organization meant that at first the BDM was not very popular with girls. The number of girls were limited, significanbtly trailing that of the boys until 1936 when membership was made compulsory. Both boys and girls after the NAZIs were in firm control were required to join the HJ. The girls like the boys were expected to join at age 10. The units were separated from the boys and activities and program quite different in keeping with the NAZI view that the proper role for women was motherhood--producing boys for the German Army. As with the boys, failure to join the BDM could be dangerous, both for the girl and the family. The programs were strictly separated, although there were ways that the older teenagers to get together, such as arts and theatrical programs. The strict separation is clearly shown in the photographic record. Images of HJ boys and girls together outside of the family or school are rather rare. They appear to be incidental occurances and not the result of programmed activities.

Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM)

NAZI related girl's units began to form in 1923, but only small numbers of girls were involved. The Hitler Youth was at first primarily a boy's organization. There uniforms were similar to the Brown-shirted SA and thus had a rather unsavory image. Few parents would want their girls to join such an organization. The HJ girls' division was the The Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM). The BDM was not founded until 1930 ad was not integrated into the HJ organization until 1931. The male orientation of the HJ organization meant that at first the BDM was not very popular with girls.

Participationn

The number of girls were limited, significanbtly trailing that of the boys until 1936 when membership was made compulsory. Both boys and girls after the NAZIs were in firm control were required to join the HJ. The girls like the boys were expected to join at age 10. As with the boys, failure to join the BDM could be dangerous, both for the girl and the family.

Unit Oganization

The BDM was part of the Hitler Youth umbrella organization. They may have well, however, been separate oganizations. The units were, however, entirely separate. The units were separated from the boys. We always see the boys and girls separated when engaged in activities. The meetings were all single gender meetings for each of the various units. We do see some images with both boys an girls together, but these seems community events in which the various units participate. It is the units that participate and not the childrens as indivisuals. We commonly see boys and girls marching in towns and cities, but the boys and girs are always in their separate units.

Programs

The activities and program quite different in keeping with NAZI gender images. The NAZIs saw that the proper role for women was motherhood--producing boys for the German Army. The slogan "Kinder, Kirche, KŸche" (children, church and kitchen) was played out in the BDM--excet for the church bit. The NAZIs has little interest in the church and actively worked to separate children from church activities. Children and kitchen, however, were very important, both to create the soldiers for NAZI amies and to prepare comfortable homes for NAZI warriors. The programs were thus strictly separated. The BDM program wewas designedf to make ermany girls capable homemakers.

Older Members

There were ways that the older teenagers to get together, such as local cultursal sctivities--arts and theatrical programs. hese were not HJ proframs as such, but HJ members could get permission to participate. The strict separation is clearly shown in the photographic record. Images of HJ boys and girls together outside of the family or school are rather rare. They appear to be incidental occurances and not the result of programmed activities.