The "Queen Louise League" (German:Königin-Luise-Bund, often shortened toLuisenbund) was a Germanmonarchist women's organization. It was established in 1923 during the time of theWeimar Republic and lasted until the first years ofNazi Germany. This organization was inspired by the figure ofLouise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen ofPrussia, who was held in reverence by many Germans of the time. TheBund Königin Luise had a youth branch - theKinderkreis ("Children Circle").[1]
The Queen Louise League as an organization hadcultic overtones[2][page needed] built around the veneration of the former Prussian queen as arole model for all German women. She became idealized for her feminine virtues, her determination and her love for her country, as well as for her beauty and the fact thatNapoleon, portrayed as an "enemy of everything German", hated her.[3][page needed] The league's ideals were distilled into a booklet namedABC für unsere Arbeit ("ABC for our Work") which every member had to know by heart.[4][page needed] Like many of the emergentnationalistic movements of the time, this organization was highly structured, with local branches all over Germany.[5]
The Queen Louise League was politically very close to far-right German parties of the time, like theGerman National People's Party (DNVP) and also the paramilitaryDer Stahlhelm organization from its establishment. Many wives ofDer Stahlhelm members belonged to the Queen Louise League and they were, like their husbands, strongly opposed to democracy[6] and in favor ofGerman re-armament.
After theMachtergreifung, the takeover of the government of Germany byAdolf Hitler, the Queen Louise League was initially welcomed by theNazi party as an ally. There were strong bonds between both movements owing to their common extremely conservative ideology and solidGerman nationalism.[7]Campaigning along with thebrownshirts for a"Greater Germany" with expanded borders and "freedom fromweight of the reparations", the League's members had taken active part in parades and events organized by the Nazis even before their accession to power. The Queen Louise League shared as well with theReichskolonialbund the demand for the return of the former German colonies.[8]
Despite its ideological affinity with most of the Nazis' nationalistic ideals, the Queen Louise League was disbanded by the Nazi government in 1934.[9] The reason was the difference in local practices, be it at theGau or national level, which didn't match those wished by the Nazi leadership of the country.[10] Following its dissolution the members and departments of theKönigin-Luise-Bund wereintegrated into the corresponding branches for women and children of the Nazi Party, like theNS-Frauenschaft (Nazi Women's League),Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls) and its children section into theNational Socialist Schoolchildren's League (NSS) or theKinderschar of the Nazi Women's League.
