Figure 1.-- We have found a collection of photograohs from this German Scout troop, we think in the 1960s-70s, but we have not yet been able to identify it.

We have only a few personal accounts from German Scouts and foreign Scouts in Germany. BU has receive some accounts from foreign Scouts who had experiences in Germany. We have found some albums and photographic collections from German Scouts. Unfortunately we do not know who they belonged to, but the photographs included provide some interesting insights into German Scouting. Curiously one album appears to show Scouting activities during the Third Reich. This we do not yet understand. These individual experiences pges are especilly valuavle sections of our website and we hope to gradually expand the section.

Third Reich Scout Album (1932-40)

We have found a cloth photo album kept by a German Boy Scout or his parents during the 1930s. Only a few of the photographs are dated, but they seem to cover the period from 1932-40. The album starts in 1932 with photos of individuals and school classes and ends in 1940 with the dual images of a youth in 1940, in a class photo and an image in his Scout uniform. Many of the photos are, in fact, of Boy Scouts. The Smoket Bear caps clearly indicate a Scout troop. They are clearly not Hitler Jugend. These Scout photos are from 1938 to 1940 which covers the outbreak of the war and also, obviously, during the NAZI era when Boy Scouting was forbidden and forced to blend into the HJ. But there is absolutely nothing about these youths uniforms which reflect the HJ and the only banner shown has a number as in a Scout pack. many of the images have annotations, in Germanm and the only place name I could find was Teufelsburg which is in the Saarland. (This was an area of Germany occupied by France after World War I that voted to join NAZI Germany (1935). There are also some family snapshots. The only family name is Schwarz and this is in 1940. In fact, there is not one sign to indicate the NAZI rule or concern about openly engaging in Scouting. The photos are glued int he album and are in very good condition except for some developing faults which might indicate the images were home developed. In any case, a unique album.

Scottish Scout (1950s?)

A Scottish Scout whose trip visited a German Scout troop in a twinned city remembers the uniform the German boys wore. He reports, "It's a long time ago but I do remember the German Scouts we visited wore a red beret rather than our silly lemon-squeezer hats but that their shirts was quite similar to ours--a brownish color. This was in south Germany in Bavaria, not far from Munich. They were just "Scouts" to us boys and I'm not sure just what German Scout association they belonged to. We got on with each other quite well, swapping uniform items which is how we started wearing their lederhosen shorts. I remeber that they were very short, unlike our baggy ones. Most of us thought they looked quite smart." I'm not positive about when these exchanges took place, I think it was the 1950s.

Dutch Scout (1960s)

A Dutch Scout remembers camping with Austrian and German Scouts in the 1960s.

Unidentified Scout Group (1960s-70s)

We have found a collection of photographs from this German Scout troop, we think in the 1960s-70s, but we have not yet been able to identify it. Perhaps German Scouters will be able to recognize the badges or banners. German like many other European countries has mny different Scout associations.