Figure 1.--Here we see a SAJ group of boys and girls in their late teens (ages 16-19 years roughly). They are visiting Friedeberg, the German name then in use for what is now the Czech village of Zulova in Silesia near the Polish border. The town had a German name because Czechoslovakia was formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and much of the the rest of Silesia part of the German Empire. We are not sure what the youth were visiting in Friedeberg which was a very small village. The teens are shown in front of a modern youth hostel where they stayed on the trip and seem to be with their teacher, probably a man who shared their Socialist and free-spirited sentiments. He wears conventional adult dress--a dark suit with white shirt and tie. He was probably an academic who shared their values, persumably a SPD member.

We note a German Socialist youth group named the Socialistche Arbeiter Jugend (Socialist Workers’ Youth --SAJ). We have been unable to find much information about the group. We have found some images which offer interesting insights. We know that future German Chancellor Willy Brandt joined the in 1929. The next year he becomes a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The many political actions, which Willy Brandt joined the SAJ (1929). He was not active very long, but joined the SPD a year later. A HBU readers has sent us an image of an SAJ group. We are not sure about the relatiionship with the SJD, which we believe was a larger Socialist group. The SAJ appears to have been a smaller faction. They referred to themselves as "Ebert", which presumably is a reference Friederich Ebert (1871-1925), who was a SPD leader and the first president of the new German republic following World War I.

Organization Details

We note a German Socialist youth group named the Socialistche Arbeiter Jugend (Socialist Workers’ Youth --SAJ). We have been unable to find much information about the group. The group here is identified as a SAJ unit (figure 1). It was apparently a socialist group with Marxist, egalitarian ideals that went in for hiking, playing guitar music, and living a laid-back life style in Germany during the 1920s and early-30s. That sounds rather like a politicized Wandervogel. The SAJ was associated with the SPD, principal Socialist political party in Germany which played a central role in creating the Weimar Republic. We believe the largest Socialist youth group was the SJD, also associated with the SPD. The SAJ may have been a splinter group of the larger SJD youth orgnization. This particular faction of the larger Socialist movement referred to itself as 'Ebert'. We are not sure if this referred to the SAJ in general or the specific unit pictured here (figure 1). The fact this was a coed group suggests a libertarine outlook that was a feature of Socialist philosophy at the time. We are unsure how active they were politically.

Friederich Ebert (1871-1925)

The reference to Ebert presumabky refers to SPD leader Friederich Ebert who was the first president of the new German republic formed after World War I. He died in office (1925). This led to the election of monarchist war hero, Field Marshal Paul von Hindenberg. Ebert remained a hero among many Socialists.

Activities

The SAJ engaged in many of the activities of traditional youth groups, although for a somewhat older age set, older teenagers. Music seems to have been very important to the members. And like the Wandevogel, folkish music seem to have been particularly popular. I don't know to what extent they also went in for politically tinged songs. We often note the members with guitars and cisters. (In German and Dutch this instrument is called a Cister. I don't know the name in English It is a string instrument with a flat pear-shaped resonance box.) We also notice a SAJ drum unit. We wonder if that might to enliven Socialist political rallies more than for their own entertainment. They also enjoyed hiking into the country. We assume the SAJ groups also camped in part because there are so manhy similarities with Wandervogel. At this time we only note the members staying at youth hostels. We do note the members taking excursions. Here we see a SAJ group of boys and girls in their late teens, ages 16-19 years roughly (figure 1). They are visiting Friedeberg, the German name then in use of the Czech village of Zulova in Silesia. The teens are shown in front of the youth hostel which they occupied on the trip and seem to be with their teacher, probably a man who shared their Socialist and free-spirited sentioments. He wears conventional adult dress--a dark suit with white shirt and tie. He was probably an academic who shared their values, perhaps a SPD member. Most of these excursions would have been within Germany, but we notice one group which traveled to Italy.

Uniforms

The SAJ appears to have had a basic uniform. The noys wear a belted tunic whichsome tuck into black shorts. The shorts are wiorn with both knee scks and long stockings. The belts over the tunics don't support their short pants, but are woen for the look. At least one of the boys is wearing suspenders in addition to his belt, but the belt in this case is for his shorts. Many of the boys also wear long stockings. Long stockings a knee socks were very common for boys and girls at the time. Many of the boys the age here had begun to wear long pants. We believe they are all wearing shorts here because it was a youth group. What is curious is that several of the boys are wearing black or other dark long stockings, especially black stockings as they had an association with formality. Knee socks were more common with youth groups or older boys swearing short pants. The boy in the foreground, to the right, sitting on the ground (he looks as old as eighteen) wears black long stockings but apparently with round garters rather than a Strapsleibchen. The other boys with long stockings may be wearing a Strapsgurteln (garter belts, like modern hockey garter belts) which some older boys preferred to the more juvenile Leibchen. The girls are all wearing dresses of course, and one seems to have a pinafore. Few of the girls for some reason are wearing uniforms. They are wearing long stickings, but not black or other dark long stockings.

Political Environment

Sometimes readers focus on the rise of the NAZIs as the primary political tendency in post-War Germany. Actually, untill the Wall Street crash and Depression (1929), this was not the major political trend. Right-wing nationalists parties like the NAZIs certainly were present and were part of the political melieu, they were, however, not the dominant force. The NAZIs ganered less than 3 percent of the vote in 1928. A much more important part of the electorate was socialist in orientation. It was no accident that the NAZIs added the 'Socialist' to their party name. (Many joined the NAZI Party expecting that the property of rich capitalists would be seized when they took power. This lead to the Night of the Long Knives during which the left-wing of the Party was purged.) In fact the SPD and the Communist (KPD) ganered over 40 percentb of the vote in 1928, primarily working-class votes. This is one reason important industrialists turned in fear to Hitler. There was among many young people at the time, idealistic thought about socialism. While the NAZIs blamed defeat in World War I on the Jews, Socialists blamed the War itself on capitalism. (This view was also prevalentbin America and major investigations were launched, expecting to find arms merchants responsible for the War.) Young people like SAJ were convinced that capitalism was evil and that a Socialist future would lead to unprecedented proosperity. They lived in a still very class bound society and opportunuities for working-class youth were as a result limited. (There was a failure to differentiate between German society and capitalism.) Soviet propaganda spread the idea of a worker's and peasant's utopia being created. (The truth of what was happening in the Soviet Union was largely unknown.) So these young people can perhaps be excused for their unrealistic faith in socialism. Wghat is more surprising is that faith in socialism continued today after the failures of Communist states and the current unravelling of the Socialist welfare state in Europe.

Political Violence in the Weimar Republic

Political violence was almost unheard of in Germany before World War I. It became a fact of life at the end of the War, forcing the Kaiser into exile (1918). The Prussian province of Saxony was a focal point where the Communist uprising (March 1921). Two Combat Leagues (Wehrverbände) were founded: the right-wing Stahlhelm and the Social Democratic Reichsbanner. The Freikorps were an important force in supressing the Communist uprisings, including the one Bavaria. And of course it was in Munish, Bavaria that Hitler staged is Beer Hall Putch (1923). Many authirs blame the rise in political violence on the Communists. Other authors disagree. Some authors also claim that the horrors of World War I doomed the Weimar Republic from the beginning. There is no doubt that Weimar was constantly in crisis, but there were alternatives to the NAZI seizure of power. [Schumann] Of course the Wall Stree Crash and the ensuing Depression sharply narrowed those alternatives. As the NAZIs grew in importance, especially after 1929. Conflict was repoted between youth groups. This was especially the case of fights between the NAZIs with Jewish, Socialist, and Communist groups. At the time like the group here, the HJ which was an arm of the SAj was primarily composed of teenagers. The NAZIs used political violence as an act of polify to undermine public confidence in the Weimar Republic. NAZI SA Stormtroopers openly attacked people, esoecially Communists and Socialists on the streets. There are also stories of NAZI and other Fascist youth groups beating up groups such as this SAJ group and harrassing them.

HJ Take Over of German Youth Movement

Within months of Hitler seizing power, the HJ seized the offices and property of the Germjan Youth Movement. Some of the member iorganizations were incorporated into the HJ. Jewish, Communist, and Socialist groups were banned and their property sych as offices and camps seized. An exceptiion was made for Catholic groups because of the Reichskonkordat as part of the initial moderate NAZI foreign policy. The HJ subsequently, however, also incorporated into the HJ as well. The NAZIs arrwsted Communists including Communist youth group leaders after the Reichstag Fire and the passage (with Communist delegates excluded) of the Enabling Acts. Dachau, the first concentration camp, was opened sio they could be dealt with in an extra-judicial manner. The Socialists were generally not arrested, as long as they fell into line and did not resist the NAZI take over. Anti-Hitler youth groups had to operate underground, but this was very dangerous, especually with the growth of the HJ organization. Such youth group leaders would be arrested. The boys might be treated as juvenile delinquents.

Winning Over the Workers

Hitler received important support from German industrialists in his seizure of power. Free trade unions were supressed. After seizing power, he needed the workers. The workers, however, has Socialist or even Communist leanings. NAZI Policy for the most part was to win over the Socialists and German workers in general. The Communists leadership were destroyed. The Socialists were treated more ciirumspectly as long as they stopped any political axtivity. There were exceptions. Former Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher, Hitler's predecessor as chancellor, and his wife were murdered in their home wuthout any pretense of arrest during the Night of the Long Knives when many old scores were settled (1934). Many woorkers resented the NAZIs and limits on thei ability to strike, but kept quiet. Others were attracted by NAZI hyper-nationalism. Others were impressed with the NAZI policies designed to end class barriers. It is difficult to assess just how workers viewed Hitler abd the NAZIs with any precession. It seems safe to say that Hitler was popular, even among workers. While the views of adults may have varied, the Hitler Youth was very effective in converting young people of all social classes to the NAZI New Order, including the children of former SPD and even Communist voters. Many parents as a result, had trouble speaking with their children. Hitler finally moved against the leaders of the SPD that he had effectively silenced in 1933. After the July Bomb Plot, the Gestapo was ordered to arrest many leading SPD leaders even without any evidence of complicity (1944). Most were not rekleased until the Allies liberated the camps (April-May 1945).

Sources

Schumann, Dirk. Political Violence in the Weimar Republic, 1918-1933: Battle for the Streets and Fears of Civil War (Studies in German History series).