Figure 1.--The boys here are taking a sightseeing trip around Hmburg harbor. The caption read, ""Ein zweites K.D.F.ship ???? Olivia) liegt im Hafen". That meant, "A second K.D.F. ship ???? lies in the harbor."

The HJ boy who compiled the album took many photographs in Hamburg and perhaps. Our HJ boy seems particularly interested in ships. We see both photographs of ships as well as the boys on one of the ships for a trip to the Baltic. This seems to be the first time the boys had been to a port and seen large ships. One of the ships being built at Hamburg was the battleship Bismarck. The keel of the Bismarck was laid at the Blohm & Voss Shipyard facilities in Hamburg on Slipway 9. (1936). This is not noted in the album. Perhaps access was resricted. Rather we see a KDF pleasure vessel, perhaps named Olivia.

Interest in Ships

The HJ boy who compiled the album took many photographs in Hamburg and perhaps. Our HJ boy seems particularly interested in ships. We see both photographs of ships as well as the boys on one of the ships for a trip to the Baltic. This seems to be the first time the boys had been to a port and seen large ships.

Port Signtseeing Tour--Hafenrundfahrt

While in Hamburg the boys had some time before beginning their excursion. Thee boys took a port tour--Hafenrundfahrt. Note that they brought along their HJ banner. It looks to be exiting tour in a small boat. There are ships of all descriptions moving about, including a nearby tug boat. The huge cranes for unloading cargo cn be seen in the background. It looks to have been quite an experience for boys who had never neen to the coast before.

Balltleship Bismarck

One of the ships being built at Hamburg was the battleship Bismarck. The keel of the Bismarck was laid at the Blohm & Voss Shipyard facilities in Hamburg on Slipway 9. (1936). This is not noted in the album. Bismarck was the most poerful battleship deployed in Atlantic Ocean during World War II. It was built in under elaborate security arragements and exceed treaty limit. It was a major concern of the Royal Navy once deployed. It was deployed on a commerce raiding assignment--Operation Rhine (Operation Rheinübung). After sinking HMS Hood and damaging HMS Prince of Wales. Bismarck was then destroyed in an operation conducted by much of the Royal Navy (March 1941). Perhaps access was resricted for the boys here.

Other Ships

Our HJ boy took several photogeaphs of different ships. There are photographs of two ships under consruction: "Ein brasilianisches Schulschiff" (a Brasilian school ship) and "Ein Walfischfänger" (a whaler).

Monte Olivia

Rather we see a KDF pleasure vessel, perhaps named Monte Olivia. This was a ship belonging to the Hamburg-South America Line. May German liners had been ideled by the Depression. KdF cruises were a way of putting them back in service. The caoption for the photograph here read, "Ein zweites K.D.F.ship ???? Olivia) liegt im Hafen". That meant, "A second K.D.F. ship ???? lies in the harbor."

Kraft durch Freude (KdF)

Kraft durch Freude (KdF) meant literally "Strength Through Joy". KdF was NAZI Germany's large state-controlled leisure organization. It was administeed 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 leades 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. I 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. Hpeing to earn some foreign exchange, the NZIs 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. Here we see one of the Kdf ships. We see another KdF ship leaving port on sanother page. 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 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.