Hitler Youth Activities: International Events

Figure 1.--This International Newsphoto was headed, "NAZIs All." The caption read, "The flags from many parts of the world indicate the various contingents of Boy Scouts who are attending the Hitler Youths Jamboree at Kuhlmuhle near Rheinsberg. Te boys have one thing in common. All are NAZI sympthizers." The photograph was dated August 12, 1935, but was probably taken a few days earlier. The caption mentioned "Jmboree", but that was a Scouting term. I am not sure te HJ used it. We note countrie like France and England that had Fascist movements (Britain and France) or large German populations (United States) Particularly in evidence are northern European countries with Nordic populations (Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and Sweden.) We also notice World War I allies Hungary and Turkey. Note the absence of the Czech, Polish, Spnish (Repubic), and Yugoslav flags. Perhaps readers can make out other flags.

Part of the NAZI diplomatic effort was to promote NAZI ideals in other countries, especially other European countries. Many of these countries had Fascist movenents of varying impotance or German populations. The Hitler Youth invited Boy Scouts from selected countries to Germany. I do not have details on this. I think they were invited to a Hitler Jugend event, although I do not have details on the event, other than the fact it was held in Kuhlmuhle near Rheinsberg (figure 1). The boys participating seemed to have come from countries with NAZI sympathizers, countries with Aryan (especially Nordic populations), and countries of diplomatic imprtance (Turkey). We are not sure just how the HJ selected the boys to participate. Nor do we know how common these events were. Note that despite the number of countries involved that there is a fairly limited number of countries.