Hitler Youth Uniforms: Wearing the Uniform--Occassions

Figure 1.-- Here we see a German boy in his DJ uniform who seems to be playing with his friends. Or did they just come home from school. He looks like a new recruit. We don't know the exact date, but I think it is pretty obviously 1936-39. The four German boys look to be about 7-10 years old. Thelocation may be Berlin but we can't be certain. The oldest boy (on the left) wears the uniform of the Hitler Youth organization with the brown shirt, black belt, and diagonally crossed strap on the chest. His short pants are black with which he wears black long stockings and hightop black shoes. The other boys wear ordinary German school clothes. The youngest boy (second from left) wears a dress shirt with loosened tie, dark shorts, knee socks, and low cut shoes. The other two boys (on the right) wear sweaters with collars that button part way down the chest. Their shorts are cut longer, like old-fashioned knee pants, but they also wear black long stockings and hightop shoes. Notice the short, almost military haircuts. We believe thatt the NAZIs discouraged the wearing of long stockings as too juvenile and unathletic--especially with Hitler Youth uniforms. We see a few HJ boys like the boys here wearing long stockings--but only the youngest boys. This photograph shows that black long stockings were still commonly worn by schoolboys in the 1930s.

We are not entirely sure just where HJ boys wore their uniforms. We note a range of occassions. Our information comes primarily from the photographic record. Hopefully some HBU readers will have some insights to offer. The most obvious was of course when the boys were going to a HJ meeting or some other activity. Boys also wore their uniforms at HJ summer camps. We also see the boys wearing their uniform during the War for duties like manning anti-aircrft guns and listening devices. The uniform was also worn for civic events and pagentry. Commonly this was part of an official HJ activity. What we are unsure of is where the boys wore their uniforms outside of HJ activities. We do not see many boys wearing their uniforms to school. A few school portraits show boys in their HJ uniforms, but this based on the photographic record was not common. We are not sure if the schools or HJ had a rule about this. We also do not think it was common for boys to go to church in their HJ uniforms. Attending church was much more common in Germany at the time, but the HJ discouraged church attendamce. Some HJ units would schedule activities such as hikes on Sunday. This set up a conflict between the boys and their parents. We do note a few images of boys having their conformation portraits taken in their HJ uniforms. We are not sure about other special occassions such as weddings. We note children evacuated during the War because of the Allied bombing, commonly wore their HJ uniforms. This was in part because the children evacuated were in part overseen by the HJ.

HJ Activities

We are not entirely sure just where HJ boys wore their uniforms. The primary time would be actual HJ activities. This would not be te only time, but it would be te principal time. HJ activities would mean the weekly maining and other times such as weekend hikes and camping. There was also summer camp. These were all group events. We note a range of activities arranged during these various times. Some of the activities are obvious. Others less so. Our information comes primarily from the photographic record. Hopefully some HBU readers will have some insights to offer. The most obvious was of course when the boys were going to a HJ meeting or some other planned activity. Boys also wore their uniforms at HJ summer camps. Another HJ activity was fund raising. The children would commonly collect coins in can through street solicitations. The children doing this always wore their uniforms. Of course for activities like that as well as parades, it was especially important that the children be smartly dressed.

Civic Events and Pagentry

The uniform was also worn for civic events and pagentry. Commonly this was part of an official HJ activity. Movies set in Germany during the War commonly include a marching unit of HJ boys. We are not sure, however, how common this was in actuality. Here the parading might be participation in a major civic evet. But we also believe that small units might parade by themselvs. Here we re ot quite sure. Some may have even been membership drives.

World War II

We also see the boys wearing their uniform during World War II for duties like manning anti-aircrft guns and aircraft listening devices. The HJ was also involved in fire fighting after the bombing raids. Boys enducted into the Volksturm seem to have been issued Wehrmacht uniforms--often not fitting very well. There was one entire HJ uniform, a SS Panzer divion. They were based at Caen at the time of D-Day. They wore regular Wehrmacht uniforms with a HJ sleeve device. We do not notice the boys fighting in HJ summer uniforms, but in the defense of Berlin we see boys weaing the winter HJ uniform.

School

What we are unsure of is where the boys wore their uniforms outside of HJ activities. We do not see many boys wearing their uniforms to school. In fact wering the HJ uniforms to school seems to have been somewhat unusual. A few school portraits show boys in their HJ uniforms, but this based on the photographic record was not common. We have found only a few such images. We are not sure if the schools or HJ had a rule about this. We think a factor here was the fact that the NAZIs nf HJ movement did not trust the school system. When the NAZIs seized power there were teachers that were Party members. Most teachers were not and quite a number were hostule to the NAZIs. It took several years to weed out the teachers who were not committed and of course many teachers only conformed outwardly. We note a few exceptions. We found one scgool portrait in which most of the boys wear their uniforms. It was the Blankenburg Gymnasium in 1937. We assume some special event was taking place, but we are not sure what it was.

Church

We also do not think it was common for boys to go to church in their HJ uniforms. Attending church was much more common in Germany at the time, but the HJ discouraged church attendamce. Some HJ units would schedule activities such as hikes on Sunday. This set up a conflict between the boys and their parents. We do note a few images of boys having their conformation portraits taken in their HJ uniforms.

Parties

We do not see very many German boys or girls wearing their HJ uniforms to parties. Children tended to dress up for parties in the first half of the 20rg century. This did not always mean suit and ties as might be expected in the 19th century and early 20th century before World war I, but it usually did mean nice c;othes. Of course the type of party had an impact on formality. There were commonly some kind of celebration for a boy's confirmation. Birthday parties were also common. Other parties might be held for special occassions. We do not note very many boys wearing their HJ uniforms to these parties. Of course this would only mean boys aged 10 years or older. We have g=found a few such imahes, but they are not very common. We would guess boys wearing their HJ uniforms to parties were particularly enthusiastic about the program.

Formal Occasions

Sone boiys wore their HJ uniforms when dressing up for formal occassions. We are not sure about other special occassions such as weddings. WE note a few boys wearingb their uniforms for their church confirmations. This was not the case for Catholic First Communion because boys did not enter the DJ until age 10 years.

Family Snap Shots and Play

We notice some snapshots at home with the children wearing their HJ uniforms. These appear to be mostly boys who put on their uniforms to have their photographs taken by their parents. Many of the poertraits look to be ones for which the boys clearly dressed up in their uniform for the portraits. Othr photographs look ,ore like family snapshots in which the boys just happened to be wearing their uniforms. Some of the images, however, look more like the boys are plaing in their uniforms. Some may have just returned home from a meeting or other event and and not yet bothered to change. Some boys may have just worn the uniform for the est of the day. Here we are just not real sure what the conventions were.

Landjahr

HJ boys and BDM girls did 8 months service of farms which was called Landjahr. During this time they wore their uniforms, although often not while working. The Landjahr was apparently for children who finished school at age 14 as well as older youths. The Landjahr program was only mandatory for university students. There were apparently boarding facilities in rural areas. At a typical camp the children were awaken at 6:00 in the morning for catlestetics or sport. Accommodations varied. Some were newly built or modernized facilities. Others were more make-shift arrangements. This involved a morning salute, farm work, care of animals, marching, singing, outdoor games, and communal living. The program was different for boys and girls. There was also some military training like rifle training for the boys. The children were sometimes rausgejagt at night at 1 o'clock for a night march. There were outdoor campfires. The size of the groups. Varied. One source reports a group of 80 youths. I think the Landjahr could also be satisfied by arrangements with individual farmers. The Landjahr grew out of a much smaller program initiated in the 1920s. We notice various editions of Wir erleben das Landjahr published in 1939 and 1942 to promote the program. We do not fully understand this program, but have begun to collect some information.

Evacuations--KLV

Much less known than the British World War II evacuation of children from urban areas is the German evacuation program evacuating children. The program was called the Kinder Land Verschickung (KLV) which operated during World War II (1939-45). The children had to go to rural areas on "holiday" but really they should be out of the cities and towns that had difficulties feeding them and were being bombed by the Allies. Both schools and the Hitler Jugend (HJ) were involved in organizing thd KLV. The HJ was especially important in the KLV organiation beginning in 1940. About 2.5 million children were send to 9,000 camps until end of World War II. In many cases the children were accomapnied by their teachers.We note children evacuated during the War because of the Allied bombing, commonly wore their HJ uniforms. This was in part because the children evacuated were in part overseen by the HJ. The children when they evacuated took their Hitler Youth uniforms with them, although they did not wear it all the time.