|
|
|
|
|
German Youth MovementThe German Youth Movement (In German: Die deutsche Jugendbewegung) is a collective term for educational-cultural renewal movement starting from 1896 on. It consists of numerous associations of young people focused on outdoor activities. Parts of German Scouting and the Wandervogel are among others part of it. History 1. Stage: Wandervogel In 1896 the Wandervogel was founded in Berlin. To escape repressive and authoritarian society and parents groups of youg people searched for free space to develop some life of their own. Also a romantic longing for a pristine state of things played a part. For this they turned to nature, confraternity and adventure. Soon the groups split and there originated ever more organisations, which still all called themselves Wandervogel, but where organisationally independent. Nonetheless the feeling was still of being a common movement, but split into several branches. 2. Stage: Bndische Jugend After the first world war, the leaders returned disillusioned from the war. The same was true for leaders of German scouting. So both movements started to influence each other heavily in Germany. From the Wandervogel came a stronger culture of hiking, adventure, bigger tours to farther places, romanticism and a younger leadership structure. Scouting brought uniforms, flags, more organistion, more camps and a clearer, more rational ideology. There was also an educationalist influence from Gustav Wyneken. Together this lead to the emergence of the Bndische Jugend, a movement of many different youth associations, both Wandervogel groups, scouting associations and others whiched mixed the elements with new ingredients. New styles and groups developed. A new tent form, the Kohte was invented, which are still the typical black tents of German scouts on international scout camps. The Deutsche Freischar and then the Jungenschaft was founded. In the German Youth Movement one can find all the different reactions of German society as a whole to the rise of the Nazis. Many welcomed it as a freedom movement to break free of the perceived injustice of the Treaty of Versailles and make Germany strong again. The notion of a 'Volksgemeinschaft', a people's community was also popular. On the other hand there were also many in the German Youth Movement, who saw their associations as an elite superior to the more primitive Nazis. Some groups were genuinely democratic, or even left wing. Many more, even some of those who tended to the right, still wanted to carry on their independent work and existence as organisations. This led inescapably to a confrontation with the Nazi state, since the Nazi state did not allow any youth groups seperate from the Hitler Youth. So these groups were outlawed and persued, when some of them (e.g. the Edelweiss Pirates) tried to carry on. One thing which might have been different from other sections of German society is the following. The Youth Movement was very idealistic, romantic and moral. Therefore its members tended to take greater risks in following and acting upon their beliefs and peruasons. This might be the reasons, why one can find significant members of the Youth Movement on both sides, among the Nazis and among the Widerstand. Examples for this are the following. Adolf Eichmann was one of their members from 1930 to 1931. Hans Scholl was a member of the Jungenschaft an association of the Bndische Jugend. Claus von Stauffenberg was a member of the scout association of the Neupfadfinder, also an association of the Bndische Jugend. 4. Stage: After the war After the war many associations were refounded in West Germany, when the allies allowed it. In East Germany the Communist did not allow it, since they viewed the Youth Movement as close the Nazis. On the other hand there were some connections between the German Youth Movement and the Free German Youth. In West Germany the Youth Movement became fast strongly dominated by Scouting, although also Wandervogel, Jungenschaft and other groups were refounded. In contrast to before the war, all groups tried to have a more rational ideology and declared their support of the new Basic Law. German scouting also approached world scouting (the World Organization of the Scout Movement and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) and was admitted to the world organistions for the first time. Today Today there exist still many groups and organisations, which see themselves as part of this movement. German scouting is still heavily influenced by this history, also this varies from group to group. Most distinctive features of German scouting trace from this history. Literature - Walter Laqueur: Young Germany: A History of the German Youth Movement, Transaction Pub, 1984, ISBN 0878559604
- There are many articles in the German wikipedia about these topics. Start with or the category .
|
 |
|
| Copyright 2005-2009 OnPedia.com. All Rights Reserved |
|
|