Prince Harry, drink

in hand proudly

wearing the Swastika.

January ‘2005

The Hitler Youth

The Hitler Youth (Hitler-Jugend, HJ) was established by the Nazi party in 1926 to create a new youth-training system for young Germans to gain militarized training and develop their understanding of and obedience to Nazi ideology.

Youth serve Youth serve the leader the leader (master)(master)

(All 10 year olds to (All 10 year olds to join)join)

Officer of Tomorrow

Auch Du (also you)

This was the membership card for the Hitler Youth

In the 1920’s the In the 1920’s the Germany’s youth were Germany’s youth were involved in many involved in many organizations. The most organizations. The most popular was the popular was the Wandervogel, which Wandervogel, which engaged in sports. But in engaged in sports. But in 1926, the Youth Group 1926, the Youth Group organization leaders were organization leaders were invited to attended a invited to attended a convention held by the convention held by the Nazi Party on July 4th. Nazi Party on July 4th. They agreed to form a They agreed to form a Nazi sponsored youth Nazi sponsored youth group called "The Hitler group called "The Hitler Youth" or "HJ." Youth" or "HJ."

HJ Member practicing throwing grenades

The basic motivation of the Hitler Youth was to train future 'Aryan supermen' and future soldiers who would serve the Third Reich faithfully when they grew up. Physical and military training took precedence over academic and scientific learning in all Hitler Youth organizations.

Youths in HJ camps learned to use weapons, built up their physical strength, learned war strategies, and were indoctrinated into anti-Semitism. They typically wore uniforms composed of light brown shirts and brown shorts, similar to children in a military camp, with some high-ranking boys wearing black shirts.

1936 Hitler Youth award

--This Deutsche Jungvolk boys wears the winter uniform with the blue or black jacket. Older boys might wear long pants.

--This Hitler Youth wears the summer uniform with black lederhosen, a popular choice for boys involved in outdoor activities.

--This Deutsche Jungvolk file leader wears the summer uniform without the blue or black jacket. Notice the lanyard leading to a whistle in his pocket. That indicated he was a DJ youth leader. Boys of all ages wore short pants with the summer uniform.

--Many of the older DJ members wore long pants with the winter uniform.

--Hitler Youth boys from the very beginning learned military drill and as they got older more and more military training was added to the program, including handling fire arms.

--These boys are wearing the uniform caps common in the early 1930s. Campaign caps became more common as the War approached.

--This young boy in an early Deutsche Jugend uniform makes a presentation to Hitler himself at the annual Nurreburg NAZI Party ralley. The movement had a mesmerizing impact on hundreds of thousands of German boys, many of which identified personally with Hitler's leadership.

In her book, "A History of the Holocaust: From Ideology to Annihilation", author Rita Botwinick claims that "...the greatest influence on the development of German youngsters was not the parents, not the schools, but the Hitler Jugend."

THE HITLER YOUTH (HJ)THE HITLER YOUTH (HJ)

The Hitler Youth were to Hitler and the Nazi The Hitler Youth were to Hitler and the Nazi Party the future of Germany. Hitler’s dream Party the future of Germany. Hitler’s dream of "A Thousand-Year Reich" could only be of "A Thousand-Year Reich" could only be made possible through its youth. made possible through its youth. "The future of the German nation depends on its "The future of the German nation depends on its youth, and the German youth shall have to be youth, and the German youth shall have to be prepared for its future duties," Hitler said.prepared for its future duties," Hitler said.                

Hitler knew that young people wanted Hitler knew that young people wanted recognition. They were energetic, full of recognition. They were energetic, full of life, and had a strong love for Germany. life, and had a strong love for Germany. Hitler recognized these qualities and made Hitler recognized these qualities and made it part of his plan to control the future it part of his plan to control the future world. He planned to mold Germany’s youth world. He planned to mold Germany’s youth into a force that he controlled. Hitler’s into a force that he controlled. Hitler’s direct and personal involvement became a direct and personal involvement became a great inspiration for the German youth.great inspiration for the German youth.

HJ being instructed in class(From the Movie: "Swing Kids")

     Membership in the Membership in the HJ was required by HJ was required by all young people all young people by March of 1939. by March of 1939. Children were torn Children were torn away from parents away from parents and sent to houses and sent to houses and orphanages. If and orphanages. If parents tried to parents tried to keep their children keep their children out of the HJ, they out of the HJ, they had to go to had to go to prison.prison.                    

The boys learned to The boys learned to respect the Nazi Party respect the Nazi Party and to live by the and to live by the Nazi Nazi PrimerPrimer (the official (the official handbook of the HJ). handbook of the HJ). They were taught that They were taught that the Aryan race was the Aryan race was superior to all others. In superior to all others. In the the Nazi PrimerNazi Primer, it said , it said "when considering "when considering bodily form, the HJ bodily form, the HJ have to take into have to take into account above all account above all things, size and shape things, size and shape of body, skull, color of of body, skull, color of hair, the eyes and the hair, the eyes and the skin, as well as the skin, as well as the texture of the hair."texture of the hair." to to determine how they were determine how they were superior.superior.

He alone, who owns the youth, gains He alone, who owns the youth, gains the Future!the Future!

-- Adolf Hitler, speech at the -- Adolf Hitler, speech at the

Reichsparteitag, 1935Reichsparteitag, 1935

      In 1932, just under 107,956 youths In 1932, just under 107,956 youths were enrolled in the HJ. By the end of were enrolled in the HJ. By the end of 1939, over 8,000,000 were enrolled. 1939, over 8,000,000 were enrolled.

Flag of the Hitler Youth

     Hitler said, Hitler said, "He "He alone, who owns alone, who owns the youth, gains the youth, gains the future!"the future!" Children could join Children could join this program as this program as young as 6 years of young as 6 years of age. At 10 years, they age. At 10 years, they graduated into the graduated into the Jungvolk. They had to Jungvolk. They had to swear an oath saying swear an oath saying that they will give that they will give their lives to Hitler their lives to Hitler and Germany. At 15 and Germany. At 15 they were in the HJ. they were in the HJ.

Hitler Hitler YouthYouth

SnowmanHitler Youth build a snowman with Jewish features and a star. Photo Credit: USHMM, courtesy of Bildarchiv Preussischer KulturbesitzDate: 1938 – 1939Place: Locale: BerlinRegion: Berlin Country: Germany

--Knives, compasses, and other gear were made for the Hitler Youth, including this board game. Note the swastika arm band with the white stripe, the official symbol of the Movement.

Der Pimpf was the “monthly” for young boys in the Hitler Youth organization. The first issue appeared in 1935 under the title Morgen. The title changed to Der Pimpf with the April 1937 issue.

The Hitler Youth was a logical extension of Hitler's belief that the future of Nazi Germany was its children. The Hitler Youth was seen as being as important to a child as school was. In the early years of the Nazi government, Hitler had made it clear as to what he expected German children to be like:

"The weak must be chiselled away. I want young men and women who can suffer pain. A young German must be as swift as a greyhound, as tough as leather, and as hard as Krupp's steel.“

Nazi education schemes part fitted in with this but Hitler wanted to occupy the minds of the young in Nazi Germany even more.

Translation - "Fight the Danger! Harm Prevention is a Duty!"

Movements for youngsters were part of German culture and the Hitler Youth had been created in the 1920's. By 1933 its membership stood at 100,000. After Hitler came to power, all other youth movements were abolished and as a result the Hitler Youth grew quickly. In 1936, the figure stood at 4 million members. In 1936, it became all but compulsory to join the Hitler Youth. Youths could avoid doing any active service if they paid their subscription but this became all but impossible after 1939. 

Indoctrination of youth began early in the Third Reich.

Boys at 10, joined the Deutsches Jungvolk (German Young People) until the age of 13 when they transferred to the Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth) until the age of 18. In 1936, the writer J R Tunus wrote about the activities of the Hitler Jugend. He stated that part of their "military athletics" (Wehrsport) included marching, bayonet drill, grenade throwing, trench digging, map reading, gas defense, use of dugouts, how to get under barbed wire and pistol shooting.

The compulsory training and conditioning of Germany boys into an army of unfeeling Hitler youth demanded the sacrifice of any vestige of personal identity

--The Hitler Youth Movement succeeded in mesmerizing an entire generation of idealistic German boys with the NAZI ideology of racial and national superiority. These boys were the ones who carried out without question the barbarities of the Holocaust.

Above -- Hitler Youth perform in the Hour of Above -- Hitler Youth perform in the Hour of Commemoration in front of the town hall in Commemoration in front of the town hall in Tomaszow, Poland in 1941. Their flags bear Tomaszow, Poland in 1941. Their flags bear the ancient Germanic Sig-Rune 'the ancient Germanic Sig-Rune 'S'S' symbolic symbolic of victory. of victory.

Girls in the Hitler YouthGirls in the Hitler Youth

--The Hitler Youth --The Hitler Youth movement included girls, movement included girls, but they were enrolled in but they were enrolled in separate units--Bund separate units--Bund Deutscher Maedchen. The Deutscher Maedchen. The goal was to prepare them goal was to prepare them for home and for home and motherhood, quite motherhood, quite different then the training different then the training provided the boys. This provided the boys. This legend reads, legend reads, "All 10 "All 10 years olds ???". years olds ???".

"Every girl belongs to us" states this League of German Maidens poster 

IMAGE:IMAGE:'Build youth 'Build youth hostels and hostels and camps'camps'

(lithograph), circa (lithograph), circa 1933-391933-39

publisher unknown, publisher unknown, printed by Offesetdruck printed by Offesetdruck Langebartels and Jung, Langebartels and Jung, artist: Witte, Hamburg. artist: Witte, Hamburg. Shirley Smith Family Shirley Smith Family Trust Collection Trust Collection

Girls, at the age of 10, joined the Jungmadelbund (League of Young Girls) and at the age of 14 transferred to the Bund Deutscher Madel (League of German Girls). Girls had to be able to run 60 meters in 14 seconds, throw a ball 12 meters, complete a 2 hour march, swim 100 meters and know how to make a bed.

The Nazi League The Nazi League of German Girls of German Girls (Bund Deutscher (Bund Deutscher Mädel), a branch Mädel), a branch of the Hitler of the Hitler Youth, trained Youth, trained girls as girls as physically fit physically fit future mothers future mothers and and homemakers.homemakers.

Poster, September 1934, Poster, September 1934, Kunstbibliothek, Staatliche Kunstbibliothek, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, GermanyMuseen zu Berlin, Germany

The League of The League of German Girls was a German Girls was a compulsory youth compulsory youth organization for organization for German girls formed German girls formed in the early 1930s. in the early 1930s. The purpose of the The purpose of the organization, along organization, along with the Hitler with the Hitler Youth for boys, was Youth for boys, was to indoctrinate to indoctrinate young people into young people into the politics and the politics and culture of the Nazi culture of the Nazi Party. Shown here, Party. Shown here, girls waving girls waving swastika flags wait swastika flags wait to greet Adolf Hitler to greet Adolf Hitler on the Wilhelmplatz on the Wilhelmplatz in Berlin on August in Berlin on August 13, 1938. 13, 1938.

The girls spent two thirds of The girls spent two thirds of their time playing sports and their time playing sports and one third of  their time one third of  their time learning the Nazi youth learning the Nazi youth ideology.  The main goal for ideology.  The main goal for which the German girls were which the German girls were trained was to become trained was to become mothers of genetically mothers of genetically healthy children, whom they healthy children, whom they would in turn educate in the would in turn educate in the spirit of Nazism.  spirit of Nazism.  The member of the German The member of the German Girls League were taught to Girls League were taught to shun any contact with the shun any contact with the Jews, this a belief that they Jews, this a belief that they would later pass on to their would later pass on to their future children. future children.

Cover of League of German Girls publication, "The German Girl"

‘‘Youth Youth serves the serves the

Führer’Führer’

propaganda propaganda for HJfor HJ

Being in the Hitler Jugend gave children a sense of comradely, and a sense of belonging. Children entered into the Jugend as young as six years old as a 'Pimpf'. Right from the start political indoctrination was a main agenda of the Hitler Jugend making the young pledge their allegiance and lives to Hitler himself, rather than Germany. By the time a Jugend was 18, he was ready to enter into the military as a brown shirt, or depending if they were hard working, the elite SA forces.

At left, the Youth sing At left, the Youth sing songs of Praise to Hitler songs of Praise to Hitler and Germany. Hitler and Germany. Hitler stated many times that stated many times that the future of Germany lie the future of Germany lie not with the old, who not with the old, who were incapable of were incapable of furthering Germany any furthering Germany any more, but in the hands of more, but in the hands of the illustrious and the illustrious and infinitely capable young. infinitely capable young. Whether or not the Hitler Whether or not the Hitler Jugend was to succeed, it Jugend was to succeed, it is clear that they were is clear that they were essential to Hitler's plans essential to Hitler's plans and in the unification of and in the unification of the German ideologies. the German ideologies. Planting the seeds of Nazi Planting the seeds of Nazi thought at a young age thought at a young age made for a fanatic group made for a fanatic group of Germans who at the of Germans who at the drop of a dime were drop of a dime were willing to die for Hitler willing to die for Hitler and his beliefs.and his beliefs.

"The weak must be "The weak must be chiseled away. I want chiseled away. I want young men and young men and women who can women who can suffer pain. A young suffer pain. A young German must be as German must be as swift as a greyhound, swift as a greyhound, as tough as leather, as tough as leather, and as hard as and as hard as Krupp's steel." - Krupp's steel." - Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler. .

"one people, one government, one leader!"

Hitler understood propaganda well. He said simplification and repetition were the key to persuading the masses. In German propaganda you see complex ideas turned into simple easily remembered slogans which were repeated again and again until they entered the unconscious of the German people.

The EndThe Enda quote from Hitler regarding his Youth and The New Order

“My program for educating youth is hard. Weakness must be hammered away. ….I want a brutal, domineering, fearless, cruel youth. Youth must be all that. It must bear pain. There must be nothing weak and gentle about it. The free, splendid beast of prey must once again flash from its eyes...That is how I will eradicate thousands of years of human domestication...That is how I will create the New Order.” -- Adolf Hitler, 1933.