"In Germany, the Nazis first came for the
Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't
a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I
didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they
came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came
for the Catholics, but I didn't speak up because I was
a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that
time there was no one left to speak up for me.“
(From Martin Niemoeller, Berlin Lutheran pastor, arrested by the Gestapo and
sent to Dachau Concentration Camp in 1938; the Allied forces freed him seven
years later.)
The Nazis and Young People
• Hitler wanted to turn all young people into
Loyal Nazis – the future.
• Three great influences:
– their families
– their schools
– youth movements
• Hitler Youth
• League of German maidens
Families
• Man’s role was worker or soldier,
Woman’s role was in the home, having
children & caring for her family
• Declining birthrate – contraception & work
if Germany was to be great its population
needed to increase
• Campaign to promote motherhood
• Mothers expected to encourage children to
worship the Fuhrer & join the Hitler Youth.
•
•
School
97% teachers joined Nazi Teacher’s Association
Nazi curriculum:
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
•
•
PE 15% - exam & failure could lead to expulsion
History – concentrated on rise of Nazis, injustices of TofV, evils of
communism & the Jews
Biology – Nazi ideas on race & population control – classify racial
types, Aryans superior, should not marry inferior
German – national identity, German heroes of myth & legend
Geography – lands which used to be German & need for Lebensraum
RE – less important, & by 1937 pupils could drop the subject
Girls studied domestic science & eugenics
Jews – school became very difficult
Leadership schools:
–
–
“Napolas” (National Political Institutes of Education) controlled by SS
for future chiefs in government & army
Adolf Hitler Schools – military style education, (not classes but
platoons) – complaints about falling academic standards
Hitler Youth
• Youth movements popular for a long time:
hiking, folk-songs, camping, sport
• Nazis formed Hitler Youth in 1920s
• After 1933 young people encouraged to join
Hitler Youth
• Most other youth organisations closed down
• By 1936 almost impossible not to join Hitler
Youth
• Camps – military activities, oath of loyalty,
customs, (jumping through fire at summer
solstice),
• Adolf Hitler believed that the support of the youth was
vital to the future of the third Reich and aimed, through
the Hitler Youth programme, to produce a generation of
loyal supporters of Nazi views.
• Posters were used to attract more members and
membership rose from 5,000 in 1925 to 25,000 in 1930.
• When the Nazis came to power in 1933 other youth
groups were forcibly merged into the Hitler Youth and by
the end of 1933 membership stood at just over 2 million.
• In December 1936, membership of the Hitler Youth
became virtually compulsory for all boys and girls aged
over 10 years - membership could only be avoided by
not paying subscription fees, but this 'loophole' was
relaxed in 1939 and membership increased to 8 million
members by 1940.
• There were separate Hitler Youth groups for boys and girls:
• 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 (Hitler Jugend).
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.
League of German Maidens
• Girls encouraged to join
• Girls’ youth organisations less important than
boys, as girls were not being prepared for
military service
• Girls had to do similar activities & tests to boys
• Girls too had to attend camps, learn about Nazi
leaders, memorise details of TofV, German
Customs & stories
• Sports – javelin, running, throwing, somersaults,
tightrope walk, two-hour march or 100 metre
swim, (+ know how to make a bed)