Deutsches Jungvolk
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The ''Deutsches Jungvolk in der Hitlerjugend'' (; DJ, also DJV;
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
for "German Youngsters in the Hitler Youth") was the separate section for boys aged 10 to 13 of the
Hitler Youth The Hitler Youth (german: Hitlerjugend , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth organisation of the Nazi Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. ...
organisation in
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. Through a programme of outdoor activities, parades and sports, it aimed to indoctrinate its young members in the tenets of
Nazi ideology Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
. Membership became fully compulsory for eligible boys in 1939. By the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, some had become
child soldiers Children (defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child as people under the age of 18) have been recruited for participation in military operations and campaigns throughout history and in many cultures. Children in the military, includ ...
. After the end of the war in 1945, both the ''Deutsches Jungvolk'' and its parent organization, the Hitler Youth, ceased to exist.


Development

The ''Deutsches Jungvolk'' was founded in 1928 by
Kurt Gruber Kurt Gruber (21 October 1904 in Syrau, Vogtland – 24 December 1943 in Dresden) was a Nazi politician and from 1926 to 1931 the first chairman of the Hitler Youth (''Hitler-Jugend'' or HJ). Career After the failed Beerhall Putsch in 1923, man ...
under the title ''Jungmannschaften'' ("Youth Teams"), but it was renamed ''Knabenschaft'' and finally ''Deutsches Jungvolk in der Hitlerjugend'' in March 1931.Lepage, Jean-Denis (2009)
''Hitler Youth, 1922-1945: An Illustrated History''
, McFarland & Company, (p. 34)
Both the ''Deutsches Jungvolk'' (DJ or DJV) and Hitler Youth (HJ) modelled parts of their uniform and programme on the German Scouting associations and other youth groups, which were then banned by the Nazi government during 1933 and 1934. Following the enactment of the ''Law on the Hitler Youth'' on 1 December 1936, boys had to be registered with the Reich Youth Office in the March of the year in which they would reach the age of ten; those who were found to be racially acceptable were expected to join the DJ. Although not compulsory, the failure of eligible boys to join the DJ was seen as a failure of civic responsibility on the part of their parents. The regulations were tightened further by the ''Second Execution Order to the Law on the Hitler Youth'' ("Youth Service Regulation") on 25 March 1939, which made membership of the DJ or Hitler Youth mandatory for all Germans between 10 and 18 years of age. Parents could be fined or imprisoned for failing to register their children. Boys were excluded if they had previously been found guilty of "dishonourable acts", if they were found to be "unfit for service" for medical reasons, or if they were Jewish. Ethnic Poles or Danes living in the Reich (this was before the outbreak of war) could apply for exemption, but were not excluded.


Training and activities

In spite of its recruits' early age the Jungvolk had an intensely political role. In 1938, the Nazi leader
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
described enrolment from childhood in organisations associated with his party as an important part of indoctrinating young Germans with the regime's worldview, commenting: The DJ and HJ copied many of the activities of the various German youth organizations that they replaced. For many boys, the DJ was the only way to participate in sports, camping, and hiking. However, the main purpose of the DJ was the
inculcation Indoctrination is the process of inculcating a person with ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies or professional methodologies (see doctrine). Humans are a social animal species inescapably shaped by cultural context, and thus some degree ...
of boys in the political principles of
National Socialism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hit ...
. Members were obliged to attend Nazi party rallies and parades. On a weekly basis, there was the ''Heimabende'', a Wednesday evening meeting for political, racial, and ideological indoctrination. Boys were encouraged to inform the authorities if their parents' beliefs were contrary to Nazi dogma. Once Germany was at war, basic pre-military preparation increased; by the end of 1940, DJ members were required to be trained in target shooting with small-bore
rifle A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...
s and to take part in "terrain manoeuvres".


Organization

Recruits were called '' Pimpfen'', a colloquial word from
Upper German Upper German (german: Oberdeutsch ) is a family of High German dialects spoken primarily in the southern German-speaking area (). History In the Old High German time, only Alemannic and Bairisch are grouped as Upper German. In the Middle High G ...
for "boy", "little rascal", "scamp", or "rapscallion" (originally "little fart"). Groups of 10 boys were called a ''Jungenschaft'', with leaders chosen from the older boys; four of these formed a unit called a ''Jungzug''. These units were further grouped into companies and battalions, each with their own leaders, who were usually young adults. ''
Der Pimpf ''Der Pimpf'' () was the Nazi magazine for boys, particularly those in the ''Deutsches Jungvolk'', with adventure and propaganda.Material from "Der Pimpf"' It first appeared in 1935 as ''Morgen'', changing its name to ''Der Pimpf'' in 1937; its p ...
'', the Nazi magazine for boys, was particularly aimed at those in the ''Deutsches Jungvolk'', with adventure and propaganda.
Material from "Der Pimpf"
''
Recruits were required to swear a version of the
Hitler oath The Hitler Oath (German: or Führer Oath)—also referred in English as the Soldier's Oath—refers to the oaths of allegiance sworn by the officers and soldiers of the German Armed Forces and civil servants of Nazi Germany between the years 193 ...
: "In the presence of this blood banner which represents our Führer, I swear to devote all my energies and my strength to the savior of our country, Adolf Hitler. I am willing and ready to give up my life for him, so help me God."


Uniform and emblems

The DJ uniform was very similar to the Hitler Youth equivalent. The summer uniform consisted of a black shorts and tan shirt with pockets, worn with a rolled black
neckerchief A neckerchief (from ''neck'' (n.) + ''kerchief''), sometimes called a necker, kerchief or scarf, is a type of neckwear associated with those working or living outdoors, including farm labourers, cowboys and sailors. It is most commonly still see ...
secured with a
woggle A woggle (or ''neckerchief slide'') is a device to fasten the neckerchief, or scarf, worn as part of the Scout or Girl Guides uniform, originated by a Scout in the 1920s. Name origin One story relating to the origin of the word 'woggle' is ...
, usually tucked under the collar. Headgear originally consisted of a
beret A beret ( or ; ; eu, txapela, ) is a soft, round, flat-crowned cap, usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, wool felt, or acrylic fibre. Mass production of berets began in 19th century France and Spain, and the beret remains ...
, but when this was discarded by the HY in 1934, the DJ adopted a
side cap Side or Sides may refer to: Geometry * Edge (geometry) of a polygon (two-dimensional shape) * Face (geometry) of a polyhedron (three-dimensional shape) Places * Side (Ainis), a town of Ainis, ancient Thessaly, Greece * Side (Caria), a town of ...
with coloured piping which denoted their unit. The emblem of the DJ was a white Sieg rune on a black background, which symbolised "victory". This was worn on the uniform in the form of a cloth badge, sewn onto the upper-left sleeve of the shirt.


Wartime

In addition to their pre-military training, the DJ contributed to the German war effort by collecting
recyclable materials Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...
such as paper and scrap metal, and by acting as messengers for the
civil defence Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mit ...
organisations. By 1944, the Hitler Youth formed part of the ''
Volkssturm The (; "people's storm") was a levée en masse national militia established by Nazi Germany during the last months of World War II. It was not set up by the German Army, the ground component of the combined German ''Wehrmacht'' armed forces, ...
'', an unpaid, part-time
militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
, and often formed special HJ companies within ''Volkssturm'' battalions. In theory, service in the ''Volkssturm'' was limited to boys over 16 years of age, however much younger boys, including ''Jungvolk'' members, often volunteered or were coerced into serving in these units; even joining the "Tank Close-Combat Squads" which were expected to attack enemy tanks with hand-held weapons. Eye witness reports of the
Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula– ...
in April 1945 record instances of young boys fighting in their DJ uniforms, complete with short trousers.
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's last public appearance was on 20 April 1945, when he presented
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...
es to defenders of Berlin, including several boys, some as young as twelve years old. (Chapter 1)


Disbandment

With the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945, the organization ''de facto'' ceased to exist. On 10 October 1945, it was outlawed by the
Allied Control Council The Allied Control Council or Allied Control Authority (german: Alliierter Kontrollrat) and also referred to as the Four Powers (), was the governing body of the Allied Occupation Zones in Germany and Allied-occupied Austria after the end of Wo ...
along with other Nazi Party organizations. Under Section 86 of the
German Criminal Code ''Strafgesetzbuch'' (), abbreviated to ''StGB'', is the German penal code. History In Germany the ''Strafgesetzbuch'' goes back to the Penal Code of the German Empire passed in the year 1871 on May 15 in Reichstag which was largely identica ...
, the Hitler Youth is an "unconstitutional organisation" and the distribution or public use of its symbols, except for educational or research purposes, is not permitted.


Cultural depictions

The organisation or its members have occasionally featured in fictional works about
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
and alternative histories where it won the second world war. In the film ''
Jojo Rabbit ''Jojo Rabbit'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Taika Waititi, adapted from Christine Leunens's 2008 book ''Caging Skies''. Roman Griffin Davis portrays the title character, Johannes "Jojo" Betzler, a ten-year-old Hitler ...
'' (2019), an American comedy-drama film written and directed by
Taika Waititi Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is a recipient of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award, and has received two nominations at t ...
, based on
Christine Leunens Christine Leunens (born 29 December 1964) is a New Zealand-Belgian novelist. She is the author of several novels including ''Caging Skies'', which was the basis and inspiration for the film '' Jojo Rabbit'', by New Zealand Film Director Taika W ...
's book ''Caging Skies'', the main character, Johannes “Jojo” Betzler played by
Roman Griffin Davis Roman Griffin Davis (born 5 March 2007) is a British actor. He is best known for his title role in the film '' Jojo Rabbit'' (2019), for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. Early life and career Roman Griffin Davis was born on 5 March ...
and his friend, Yorki, are members of the Jungvolk. In Robert Harris's novel ''
Fatherland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethn ...
'', the protagonist's son Pili, a ''Pimpf'', denounces him.


See also

*
National Socialist Schoolchildren's League The National Socialist Schoolchildren's League (Nationalsozialistischer Schülerbund), known under the acronyms NSS and more rarely NSSB, was a Nazi Party organisation for primary school pupils providing a student council and child protection sys ...
(NSS)


References


External links


''Without Solving the Jewish Question, No Salvation for Mankind''
an
anti-Semitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
children's story about DJ members from a book called ''Der Giftpilz'' published by
Julius Streicher Julius Streicher (12 February 1885 – 16 October 1946) was a member of the Nazi Party, the ''Gauleiter'' (regional leader) of Franconia and a member of the '' Reichstag'', the national legislature. He was the founder and publisher of the virul ...
. {{Authority control Hitler Youth Nazi terminology