The BDM-Werk Glaube und Schönheit (

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 **Ger ...

for BDM Faith and Beauty Society) was founded in 1938 to serve as a tie-in between the work of the

League of German Girls The League of German Girls or the Band of German Maidens (german: Bund Deutscher Mädel, abbreviated as BDM) was the girls' wing of the Nazi Party youth movement, the Hitler Youth. It was the only legal female youth organization in Nazi Germany. ...

(BDM) and that of the

National Socialist Women's League The National Socialist Women's League (german: Nationalsozialistische Frauenschaft, abbreviated ''NS-Frauenschaft'') was the women's wing of the Nazi Party. It was founded in October 1931 as a fusion of several nationalist and Nazi women's assoc ...

. Membership was voluntary and open to girls aged 17 to 21.

Purpose

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2000-0110-500, BDM, Gymnastikvorführung

The Faith and Beauty Society was established in 1938 to act as a link between the ''Bund Deutscher Mädel'' (BDM) and the ''Nationalsozialistische Frauenschaft''. The general idea was that girls should take part in working for the whole ''

Volksgemeinschaft ''Volksgemeinschaft'' () is a German expression meaning "people's community", "folk community",Richard Grunberger, ''A Social History of the Third Reich'', London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1971, p. 44. "national community", or "racial community", ...

'' (German community) before they either went on to jobs orideallyto marry and have children. Work in the Society was mainly geared towards priming the girls for their tasks as wives and mothers, and while courses offered ranged from

fashion design Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and plac ...

to healthy living, the overall idea was to teach them

home economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...

so they would 'properly' run their households, cook well for their families, and care properly for their children. According to Dr.

Jutta Rüdiger Jutta Rüdiger (14 June 1910 – 13 March 2001) was a German psychologist and head of the Nazi Party's female youth organisation, the League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel, BDM), from 1937 to 1945. Early career Born in Berlin but brought ...

, who had taken over as the leader of the League of German Girls in 1937:

The task of our Girls League is to raise our girls as torch bearers of the national-socialist world. We need girls who are at harmony between their bodies, souls, and spirits. And we need girls who, through healthy bodies and balanced minds, embody the beauty of divine creation. We want to raise girls who believe in
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and our leader, and who will pass these beliefs on to their future children.Dr. Rüdiger interview footage published on the DVD "Glaube und Schoenheit" by German Zeitreisen-Verlag

References

Sources

* "Das BDM Werk Glaube und Schoenheit" DVD, Zeitreisen Verlag * "Ein Leben fuer die Jugend" by Dr. Jutta Ruediger
BDM Historical Research Site

External links

Extensive English language website on the BDM

Hitler Youth Forum
{{DEFAULTSORT:BDM Werk Glaube und Schonheit 1938 establishments in Germany Hitler Youth Youth in Germany Organizations established in 1938

Purpose

See also

References

Sources

External links