What It Was Like to be in the Hitler Youth

When the National Socialist German Workers’ Party assumed control of Germany, it immediately set out to spread its influence into every aspect of German society. And the lives of German children were no exception. And what better way to get kids excited about fascism than by turning it into a fun summer camp?

#wwii #germanhistory #weirdhistory

[robertwshephard]

I realize it might be offensive to viewers but simply blurring out the swastica on the flags didn't make it go away. Blurring history is never a good thing no matter how evil it was.

[probablynot]

My dad and his family belonged to a German-American social club in northern Illinois. This group was founded in the late 1880s to support newly-arrived German immigrant farmers and factory workers trying to make a better life away from the constant upheaval between Germany/Poland and Russia 9the former Prussian empire). They found jobs, educated their children, and helped each other through troubled times, as most immigrant groups do. They had weekly and monthly socials, as well as summer camps and picnics. My dad, 10 years old in 1936, said he was becoming more aware of the adults’ hushed conversations regarding the unfolding events in Europe. There was a growing minority opinion that, although life was so much better in the USA, they had an obligation to return to Germany to “support the cause.” A few of the men said that they were preparing to go, taking their teenage sons with them. My dad never saw them again. By 1939, when Poland was invaded, the adults unanimously decided to disband their social club, instructed their children to never speak German in public, and those who hadn’t become citizens must apply ASAP, because the sh!t was about to hit the fan. A few of the teenagers and young men in this group eventually served in the European theatre because of their German language skills. Most of the remaining either served stateside or fought in the Pacific theatre. My dad only began listening to German music years later, in the late 1960’s, broadcast from a northern Illinois radio station when he’d spend Sundays in his basement workshop working on building furniture. He never spoke a word of German, although it was obvious that he understood every bit of German language he heard.

[lps]

Not all joined though, I remember my grandpa telling the story that when he was forced to join the army one of the first things asked there by someone in charge was: who wasn't part of the HY? My grandpa was of course slightly worried, so didn't say anything. But someone else spoke up that he didn't join, and the guy in charge said something along the lines of: incredible, how did you manage that?

[CuntCuntly]

"Like Whitney Houston, Hitler believed that children were the future" made me actually lol

[MeMe-pjve]

My German grandpa was forced into the HY. He ended up going almost completely insane and turned into an raging alcoholic for the rest of his life. He passed on his pain/trauma to his kids, which then they passed it onto my generation.

[gottabe]

My grandmother's brother was enlisted into the H.Y. when he was about 15-16. I remember my grandmother saying how angry her parents were about it. Her family were not Hitler supporters and kept extremely quiet about their opinions. He was shipped off to the front by age 18. According to my grandmother, after he was taken away at 15-16, they never saw him again. He was allowed to write to them but not visit. He died in combat when he was 20-21. All her parents got back were his medals and uniforms. They would not even send his body back so her family could do a proper funeral and burial.

[iDAN_GER]

That sponsor was so out of pocket and on brand at the same time 😭

[mariahfritsch]

My opa was in it as a kid. His dad had abandoned the family so the troop leaders were really important as father figures to him. He had a really hard time accepting that they weren't good ppl when he learned about everything. He'd also talked about getting into fights with his mom because he'd come home repeating the propaganda he was taught and she didn't like it. I think it's important that ppl talk about these kinds of things. It wasn't like the nazi party just showed up and immediately started killing ppl. They were insidious.

[eltronics]

My uncle who was living in the Netherlands at the time, was "drafted" into Hitler's army. He was disgusted, but had no choice but comply. The alternative was not a good one. He did as much not to draw conclusions of treason. He happened to lose 3 fingers on his right hand from a grenade for his troubles. For all I know that may have been how he was saved from preforming active duty. He never did elaborate on the matter, and since he died over 20 years ago, I can't ask him. All I know he was a kind and gentle man who never wanted to be part of Nazi history. He and my aunt, even adopted a German-born boy some time into their marriage. Maybe it was his way to give an unwanted child a chance unlike some kids he grew up with, didn't have.

[toprope_]

Thanks for covering this. Everyone assumes denazification was mostly an adult thing, meanwhile the over a million children born and raised in a solely or majority Nazi Germany had known very little alternatives. They had to relearn their entire lives, their core beliefs held as far back as they could remember, and come to grips with the fact their friends and selves were a part of an evil empire. When the Nazi’s so far to a kid were camping, school, and life lessons a la Boy Scouts, the Hitler Youth probably had one of the hardest times postwar, and 70-80’s Germany sure got weird quick.

[buzzzzzz]

My Grandfather was a Hitler Youth member that was put into an S.S. Officer's Training School at the age of 14.
He wasn't even German; he was Estonian but most places where the Germans invaded (the Russians also invaded Estonia) the youth was conscripted. At least one of his older brothers had already been conscripted by the Russians. This was fairly common in the Baltic Countries (as they were countries prior to this not states) Sadly in a lot of places there at that time people had to "choose" between being invaded by Russians or Germans and a lot of Estonians saw Russia as their traditional enemy- which is historically understandable.
I still have my Grandfather's H.Y. Iron Cross.
I do know he did time on the Russian Front & was captured but escaped at great injury to himself so I'm guessing that's got something to do with it. It's a smaller version than the actual "soldiers" were awarded.
I believe they are quite rare.
The truly strange bit is after the war (he was only seventeen when it ended) the Allied Forces recruited lots of non German ex Hitler Youth to be guards at the Nuremberg Trials. So I also have part of his Guards uniform from there, as well as stacks of photos of young men horsing around in the snow etc. These are photos of the Estonian Corp of the Allied Forces Guard & it's actually strange to see them behaving like normal kids or teenagers; probably for the first time since they were about 5yrs old.
Not all ex Hitler Youth were welcome in the Soviet Union either- that was only in East Germany. A lot of them ended up migrating to Canada, The U.S.A or (like my Grandfather)
to Yay! So something good came of all that... he chose the best place in the world!🇦🇺🇪🇪

[Pyracantic]

My grandfather was put in the H.Y & he was like 13 and escaped the country to Canada. He was like YAH NEIN! MATE!

[Fortune.]

One of the most fascinating aspects about the Hitler Youth were the regular mass brawls. The kids would be forced to engage in a massive free-for-all fist fight against each other to toughen up.

[raelion]

I feel so sad when I think of all the innocent people impacted by war throughout history. Humans are capable of such great evil (and great good as well)

[thatonethisone]

He’s been dead a while now, but knew a bloke who was Hitler youth, he loved it and loved Hitler until he died. He was a denialist, didn’t believe the Holocaust happened

[jimmorrissy]

Like Whitney Houston, Hitler believed that children were the future. Holy cow that was

[grapeshot]

Yeah my grandfather who served in the US Army in World War II told me just how fanatical those Hitler Youth were at the end of the war.

[gabemarcum]

Why blur the Swastika??? It is part of the history in which we all are here to learn.

[clairevero]

Blurring out the flags out is sickening

[alexaales]

my mom was born in 1932, she told me she loved being part of the Hitler youth or more precise the 'Bund deutscher Mädels' being able to wear a nice uniform and not her sister's handmedowns. not because she bought into the ideology (she was 6 after all) but because for her it was a way to get away from the daily chores growing up in the countryside where children had to work hard after school, working the fields, milking the cows etc. she too spoke fondly of those times but never without condemning the 3rd reich and it's atrocities committed.