Deutsches Jungvolk in der Hitlerjugend | |
 | |
| Formation | 1928 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1945 |
| Type | Political youth organisation |
| Legal status | Defunct,illegal |
Region |  Nazi Germany Weimar Republic |
Parent organization | .svg) Nazi Party |
| Affiliations |  Hitler Youth |
Formerly called | Jungmannschaften |
TheDeutsches Jungvolk in der Hitlerjugend (pronounced[ˈdɔʏtʃəsˈjʊŋfɔlk];DJ, alsoDJV;German for "German Youngsters in the Hitler Youth",lit. 'German Young People') was the separate section for boys aged 10 to 14 of theHitler Youth organisation inNazi Germany. Through a programme of outdoor activities, parades and sports, it aimed to indoctrinate its young members in the tenets ofNazi ideology. Membership became fully compulsory for eligible boys in 1939. By theend of World War II in Europe, some had becomechild soldiers. After the end of the war in 1945, both theDeutsches Jungvolk and its parent organization, the Hitler Youth, ceased to exist.
TheDeutsches Jungvolk was founded in 1928 byKurt Gruber under the titleJungmannschaften ("Youth Teams"), but it was renamedKnabenschaft in December 1928[1]and became theDeutsches Jungvolk in der Hitlerjugend in March 1931.[2] Both theDeutsches Jungvolk (DJ or DJV) andHitler Youth (HJ) modelled parts of their uniforms and programmes on those of the German Scouting associations and of other youth groups,[3] which were banned by the Nazi government during 1933 and 1934.[4]
Following the enactment of theLaw on the Hitler Youth on 1 December 1936,[5] 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.[2]
The regulations were tightened further on 25 March 1939 by theSecond Execution Order to the Law on the Hitler Youth ("Youth Service Regulation"), 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 ofWorld War II) could apply for exemption, but were not excluded.[6]
In spite of its recruits' early age, the Jungvolk had an intensely political role. In 1938, the Nazi leaderAdolf Hitler described enrollment from childhood in organisations associated with his party as an important part of indoctrinating young Germans with the regime's worldview:
These boys and girls enter our organizations with their ten years of age, and often for the first time get a little fresh air; after four years of the Young Folk they go on to the Hitler Youth, where we have them for another four years … And even if they are still not complete National Socialists, they go to Labor Service and are smoothed out there for another six, seven months … And whatever class consciousness or social status might still be left … the Wehrmacht will take care of that.[7]
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.[8] However, the main purpose of the DJ was theinculcation of boys in the political principles ofNational Socialism. Members were obliged to attendNazi Party rallies and parades. On a weekly basis, there was theHeimabende, 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.[9]
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-borerifles and to take part in "terrain manoeuvres".[10]
Recruits were calledPimpfe, a colloquial word fromUpper German for "boy", "little rascal", "scamp", or "rapscallion" (originally "little fart").[11][12] Groups of 10 boys were called aJungenschaft, with leaders chosen from the older boys; four of these formed a unit called aJungzug. These units were further grouped into companies and battalions, each with their own leaders, who were usually young adults.[2]Der Pimpf, the Nazi magazine for boys, was particularly aimed at those in theDeutsches Jungvolk, with adventure and propaganda.[13]
Recruits were required to swear a version of theHitler oath: "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."[14]
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 blackneckerchief secured with awoggle, usually tucked under the collar.[15] Headgear originally consisted of aberet, but when this was discarded by the HY in 1934, the DJ adopted aside cap with coloured piping which denoted their unit.[16]
The emblem of the DJ was a whiteSieg rune on a black background, which symbolised "victory".[17] This was worn on the uniform in the form of a cloth badge, sewn onto the upper-left sleeve of the shirt.[18]
In addition to their pre-military training, the DJ contributed to the German war effort by collectingrecyclable materials such as paper and scrap metal, and by acting as messengers for thecivil defence organisations. By 1944, the Hitler Youth formed part of theVolkssturm, an unpaid, part-timemilitia, and often formed special HJ companies withinVolkssturm battalions. In theory, service in theVolkssturm was limited to boys over 16 years of age, however much younger boys, includingJungvolk 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.[19] Eyewitness reports of theBattle of Berlin in April 1945 record instances of young boys fighting in their DJ uniforms, complete with short trousers.[20] Adolf Hitler's last public appearance was on 20 April 1945, when he presentedIron Crosses to defenders of Berlin, including several boys, some as young as twelve years old.[21]
With the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945, the organizationde facto ceased to exist. On 10 October 1945, it was outlawed.
The organisation or its members have occasionally featured in fictional works aboutNazi Germany andalternative histories whereit won the second world war.
InRobert Harris's novelFatherland, the protagonist's son Pili, aPimpf, denounces him.
The filmJojo Rabbit (2019), based onChristine Leunens's bookCaging Skies, the main character and his friend are members of the Jungvolk.
A meeting of the Hitler Youth leadership in Plauen in December 1928 resulted in the formulation of the 'Deutsche Knabenschaft' (German Boys League), followed a year later by the formulation of the 'Deutsches Jungvolk' (German Young People) [...].
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