The Hitler Youth | trainguide

Overview:

The Nazi Youth was a youth group created by the Nazi Party whose main goal was to train Aryan children to be loyal and productive citizens and soldiers. It was the most successful movement within the Third Reich. The Hitler Youth began in 1922 but had been previously run under several different names. At first children had the choice whether to join the group, but in 1936 attendance became mandatory. Children became a part of the Hitler Youth when they were ten years old. The youth group taught children from ages six to eighteen. There were separate groups for boys and girls. Boys were prepared for the military, and girls for motherhood. For example, the girls learned skills such as art, child care, cooking, sewing, and theater, and the boys participated in activities like biking, camping, and boating.

By 1936 the Hitler Youth groups had 5.4 million members. The youth groups celebrated Hitler’s birthday (April 20th) as a national holiday and would pledge allegiance to Hitler every time they met. Hitler Youth members participated in rallies and the war effort during WWII, such as the annual Nuremberg Rally. Members of the Hitler Youth were raised on ideas such as that idea that “the foundation of the National Socialist outlook on life is the perception of the unlikeness of men” (excerpt from a Hitler Youth textbook). This basically means that different races should be treated differently, in a hierarchy with the Aryans at the top. Adolf Hitler wanted the next generation of Aryans to be completely under his control; to follow his laws and believe in Nazism. Hitler once said, “You, my youth, are our nation’s most precious guarantee for a great future, and you are destined to be the leaders of a glorious new order under the supremacy of National Socialism. Never forget that one day you will rule the world…”This clearly shows how Hitler wanted to brainwash the children so that they would carry on his beliefs and his legacy.

Connection to Train:

In Train, Elise is a member of the Hitler Youth, specifically the League of German Girls. Through Elise’s perspective, readers learn about the activities in the League, such as embroidery and pledges to Hitler. We also learn that the Hitler Youth were meant to “lead the new world,” and that the girls would be “future mothers of the Reich” (9). Ruth uses Elise’s Girl’s League uniform to get into the Jewish Community Center on Rosenstrasse and deliver false identity papers to Alex. Ruth wears the uniform so that the Nazis will trust her and let her into the building. Although Elise is a member of the Girl’s League, she hates the uniform and all that it represents because the Nazis destroyed her family. Her brother Viktor was murdered in the T-4 program and her father was a member of the Wehrmacht, a German soldier, fighting at the front.

Vocabulary:

Nuremberg Rally: An annual and lavish rally that took place in the 20’s and 30’s. The Hitler Youth were important participants in the rallies.

Aryan: A German racial group considered to be superior by the Nazis. An ideal Aryan had blue or green eyes, blond hair, and light skin.

Hitler-Jugend: German for Hitler Youth

Führer: German for ‘a ruthless leader’; a name for Hitler.

Baldur von Schirach and Artur Axmann: Leaders of the Hitler Youth

Maps:

Timeline:

1922: German youth movements spring up after WW1, one of which is called Jugendbund der NSDAP. This was the official youth group of the Nazi Party.

1923: Youth groups are temporarily disbanded after the Beer Hall Putsch, a failed attempt by Hitler to take military control of the nation.

1924: Kurt Gruber restarts the Jugendbund der NSDAP as the Greater German Youth Movement.This becomes the new official Nazi youth organization.

1926: The Greater German Youth Movement is renamed Hitler-Jugend, Bund deutscher Arbeiterjugend (English: Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth). A new division is created for younger boys and another organization is started for girls called the League of German Girls. (A common acronym German name is the BDM.)

1932: After violence against the Hitler Youth breaks out, the German government disbands the Hitler Youth. Later that same year the ban is lifted.

1933: Baldur von Schirach expands the Hitler Youth movement as its new leader.

1936: Hitler youth groups become mandatory for Aryan children.

1940: Artur Axmann becomes the new leader of the Hitler Youth. 8 million members.

1943: Hitler begins to send Hitler Youth members off to war to make up casualties in certain divisions of his army.

1944: Around 20,000 Hitler Youth members attempt to prevent D-Day.

1945: Hitler Youth members fight in the battle of Berlin.

Timeline of the children's journey through the Hitler Youth

“Boys aged 6 – 10 years joined the Little Fellows (Pimpf). They did mainly outdoor sports type activities such as hiking, rambling and camping.

Boys aged 10 – 13 years joined the German Young People (Deutsche Jungvolk). They still did sporting activities but these had a more military emphasis such as parading and marching as well as map reading. They also learnt about Nazi views on racial purity and anti-semitism.

Boys aged 14 – 18 years joined the Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend). They were prepared to be soldiers by doing military activities.

Girls aged 10 – 14 years joined the Young Maidens (Jungmadel) where they were taught good health practices as well as how to become good mothers and housewives. They also learnt about Nazi views on racial purity and anti-semitism.

Girls aged 14 – 21 joined the League of German Maidens (Deutscher Madel) where they were further prepared for their roles as the mother of future Germans.”

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