Hitler Youth: The Celebrated Young Ones

 "My program for educating youth is hard. Weakness must be hammered away. In my castles of the Teutonic Order a youth will grow up before which the world will tremble.

I want a brutal, domineering, fearless, cruel youth. Youth must be all that. It must bear pain. There must be nothing weak and gentle about it. The free, splendid beast of prey must once again flash from its eyes...That is how I will eradicate thousands of years of human domestication...That is how I will create the New Order."

~ Adolf Hitler, 1933.

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The Nazi party was active in gathering and recruiting German youth to become part of a group known as the Hitler Youth. At first the group was quite small, but Hitler's becoming Chancellor in 1933 promoted the growth of the group. It grew four million strong.

The Hitler Youth began as a group of boys who were trained in Nazi ideology, and, once they turned eighteen, were expected to join the Party. Later, the group was restructured. Young boys, ages 6-10, were now allowed to associate and share in the activities of the Jungvolk. These boys were ages 10-14. The very small boys would also join in with the Hitler Jugend, or Hitler Youth, boys ages 14-18.

Even thought the Hitler Youth was mainly consisted of boys, and these constituted the largest groups, there were established groups for girls also. There were two girls' groups: the Jungmadel (10-14 year-olds), and Bund Deutcher Madel (14-18 year-olds). The girls were educated in the typical domestic women's roles such as raising children and running a household. The older also worked as nurses for those injured during the war.

"Grim beyond their years, boys belonging to the Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) turn

eyes at a Nazi rally. Their belt buckles carry the stern motto: 'Blood and Honor'"

(HolocaustSurvivors.com).

Photo Credit: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, courtesy USHMM.

The youth went through very intense training, preparing them for military service. The boys' sports included games that often ended in fights. This was actually encouraged by their trainers, and was Hitler's goal, as seen in his quote above. In 1936, Hitler made it mandatory for all children from the age of 10 to become members of the Hitler Youth. The following year the group began training the boys in the use of rifles. The boys, and later even girls, were sent to fight for Hitler's Reich. Reports of American soldiers told of fighting against entire units of Germans soldiers who were all twelve years old and younger! These were the children trained to fight to the death.

They were constantly confronted with much propaganda meant to pump them up in pride for the Fatherland and determination to crush all enemies.

Note the pure Aryan physical traits of the young people in these posters.

See many more examples of German Propaganda aimed at Hitler Youth and prospective members Here.

They were also spurred on by great orators among themselves.

"The HJ speaker, the "expert" speaker, has understood National Socialism, and knows the thinking of the movement. He knows perfectly the positions of the HJ on cultural and political questions. He knows the importance of representing the Hitler Youth to the public. He receives, upon recommendation of the Reich Youth Office, a speaking license from the RPL that allows him to speak to the public as long as the questions being handled fall under the purview of the HJ."

-"Redner der Hitler-Jugend," Unser Wille und Weg, 7 (1937), pp. 38-41.

Read the full Document.

Read about Hitler's "super-race" nurseries at The Lebensborn.