Figure 1.--An Austrian Scout here is picking up a loaf of bread and other food. It appears to have been taken in 1947 at the Camp of Frienship organized by French Scouts. The caption read, "sola montafon_verpflegsausgabe". I'm not sure what that means. Photograph courtesy of the Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs.

After Austria was occupied by the Americans and Russians, the country was divided into to different occupation zones. The Hitler Youth was of course banned, but we have limited information on the orgnization of Scouting or other youth goups. As Scouting was being reestablished in the Western zones, the Russians allowed Scouts to organize in their eastern occupation zone. We suspect that there was some caution among some Austrians in the Soviet sector concerning getting involved with Scouting. We have, however, no actual information. There was no attempt made to create a Young Pioneer organization. The Western Allies eventually consolidated their occupation zones into one Western zone. Scouts were organized in the Western zones, altough we have few details here. We do not know, however, to what extent Hitler Youth leaders were involved in the Austrain Scouts. Austria like Germany was subject the De-Nazification process. Presumably top HJ leaders were excluded, but we are not sure about junior leaders. Almost all of the boys who joined the Scouts in the years immediately after the War had been members of the HJ. We wonder if Scouting may have initially been most popular with the younger boys who had not been in the HJ or were just involved as very young boys. Here we need more information.

Post World War II Occupation Zones

After Austria was occupied by the Americand and Russians, the country was divided into to four different occupation zones (American, English, French and Soviet). Vienna was in the center of the four zones and itself was divided into four zones with a central shared zone. The Western Allies eventually unified their zones. Economic conditions varied in the different zones. Conditions were worst in the sovbiet Zone because they persued a policy of persuing reprations. The Allies subjected the country to a De-Nazification process. The Hitler Youth was of course banned, but we have limited information on the orgnization of Scouting or other youth goups.

Russian

As Scouting was being reestablished in the Western zones, tThe Russians allowed Scouts to organize in their eastern occupation zone. [Slanec] We suspect that there was some caution among some Austrians in the Soviet sector concerning getting involved with Scouting. We have, however, no actual information. There was no attempt made to create a Young Pioneer organization.

Western Zone

The Western Allies eventually consolidated their occupation zones into one Western zone.

Scouting Developments

Scouts were organized in the Western zones, altough we have few details here. We do not know to what extent Hitler Youth leaders were involved in the Austrain Scouts. Austria like Germany was subject the De-Nazification process. Presumably top HJ leaders were excluded, but we are not sure about junior leaders. Almost all of the boys who joined the Scouts in the years immediately after the War had been members of the HJ. We wonder if Scouting may have initially been most popular with the younger boys who had not been in the HJ or were just involved as very young boys. Here we need more information. Austrian Scouting decided not to have Open and Catholic Associations, but one single Open Association. This decesion was reached by agreement of all former associations. They formed the Pfadfinder Österreichs (PÖ)--Scouts of Austria. There was also an intependent Girl Guide Association--Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnenverband St. Georg (Austrian Girl Guide Association of St. George). The former religious division was not congtinued after the War. Austria is predominantly a Catholic country, but Protestants and Catholic youths joined together in the new Austrian Scouting movement as did the few Jewish boys who survived the Holocaust. [Slanec]

Camp of Friendship (1947)

The French Scout Association in 1947 organised a big summer camp for Austrian Scouts. Many Austrian Scoutgroups attended this "Camp of friendship". The photograph here shows a scout fetching food for the patrol or troop from the food supply of the camp. Bread has been limited after war, but I think this was not important for this camp. An Austrian Scouts tells us that this photograph was taken at the camp held at Vorarlberg, Montafon. [Slanec]

Staatsvertrag (1955)

Protracted negotiations between Austrian officials and the four occupying powers finally resulted in unification and withdrraw of the occupying forces. Austria and the World war II occupying countries signed the "states contract" (Staatsvertrag). As part of the arrangement, Austria pledged to become a neutral country in the Cold War that developed after the War. We do not fully understand why the Soviets withdrew from Austria. It was the only country the Red Army occupied that it voluntarily withdrew from until the latec 1980s when the Soviet Union began to collapse.

Sources

Slanec, Hansi. Groupleader, Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs, December 19, 2004.