Figure 1.--

There are a variery of foreign language terms involved with "summer camp". It is not always a simple matter of simply translating the two words. This is in part because that summer camping was largely an American creation and an experience that children in American have more commonly than in other countries. HBC likes to add the foreign language terms as they not only provide interesting insignts, but because they assist HBC readers who may want to research this and other topics on the internet. The popularity of summer camps has varied greatly from country to country and over time. We have noted that summer camps are especially popular in America, France, and the Netherlands. Summer camps in other countries such as England, Germany, Italy, and the Sovirt Union were more associated with the youth organizatios in hose countries which were in some cases state supported. Some counties like American and France had programs to provide summer camp experiences to poor children, variously supported by private or state charities.

Belgium

Dutch and Belgian Scouts say " kamp " or more explicitly zomerkamp or winterkamp . A few units used to call it " bivak " but that sounds rather old-fashioned now. I think those are the terms among Dutch speakers. I'm less sure about French speakers in Belgium.

Dutch

A Dutch reader tells us, "Summer camp is an American institution. When I grew up only disabled or sickly children were sent to a camp in the summer, It was called a VAKANTIE OORD. Boy scouts would go camping with tents. They usually had their own places, sometimes at the property of a farmer. It was called a KAMPEER TERREIN. Other children would have gone with their parents somewhere, the rest stayed home and got bored to death, they usually were happy when school started again. Our summer vacations only lasted exactly 4 weeks, the whole month of August." An American reader reports that using "zomerkamp" that he has turned up some fascinating images, mostly Scout photos. Another Dutch reader writes, "I agree with your other Dutchman about vakantieoord for summer camp, that is if it is organized by charities, workers' unions, health insurance companies and the like."

English

The term " summer camp " is widely used in America and Britain. The importance of the Scout and movement and the YMCA (in America) has resulted in the wide spread usage of the terms " Scout camp " and " Y camp ". There are also some winter camps, mostly operated by the Scouts.

French

A French reader tells us that the French term for summer camp is, " Colonie de vaçances ".

German

Summer camping was not an experience for most children, although several youth groups did have camp facilities. There were also efforts to provide camping experiences for disabled and sickly children. This changed when the NAZIs seized power (1933). With the huge expansion of the Hitler Youth, most children did go to Summer camp during the Third Reich, although the War curtailed this. A HBC reader tells us, "The German experience was similar to that in Germany, at least until the NAZIs seized power. "In Germany it was more or less the same. I would call a summer camp ein FERIENLAGER. „Ferienlager“ or „Freizeit“ are common terms for children. „Kampieren“ sounds bad in modern German because of the World Sar II conotations, so it it not much used. People travelling with the family using a tent or a „Camping-Platz“ with the car say they „go for camping“ (the English term and written with the English „c“ at the beginning of the word“. Interestingly the English word camp while meaning also meaning the same as the German word spelled with a "K" does not have the same neghatibe conotations in German. (This is a fascinating linguistic shift because it was the English who first created concentration camps, during the Bohr War.) „Ferienkolonie“ is a term for a asssembly of buildings outside villages where families go to in summer or winter, belonging in most cases to an organisation like a church or the unions; it is meant for adults with children. The word "summer' is unnessary, since these events wouldalways take place in the summer anyway. Another reader confirms that the English term CAMPING is also used in Germany, but that means going to a place with a caravan and has nothing to do with an American summer camp." Another confirms that " Das Ferienlager " is the most widely used term. A more modern term is " Die Ferienkolonie ".

Italian

An Italian reader reports that for summer camp , "We say " campo estivo ".

Polish

Portuguese

In Portuguese -if you want to refer to summer camps organised for young people by almost any organization other than scouting, you would say " colónia de férias ". Portuguese scouts on the other hand call it their bivaque or acampamento, I assume because the Anglo-American influence is nore pronounced in Scouting.

Spanish

I am not sure about the Spanish terms, but would assume that " campamiento de verano " or " campamiento de jovenes " . We know this term is used in some Latin American countries. A reader writes that the Spanish term is " Colonia de vacaciones ", rather like the French. This may be the term in Spain.

Russian

The Soviets operated the Young Pioneers summer camp program--the largest such program in the world. We are not sure what the Russian program was.

Created: June 10, 2004
Last updated: June 13, 2004