Figure 1.--Here we see a class group at the Hermsdorf School durfing 194vwearing their HitlerbYouth uniforms to school. The boys are wearing mostly DJ uniforms. The DJ was the junior HJ division, somewhat akin to Cub Scous. The girls are wearing their BDM uniforms. The DJ boys in short pants are wearing long stockings as do the girls. We believe this was some sort of special day as German children did not regularly wear their HJ uniforms to school. Click on the image for a fuller discussion of this image.

The 1940s was a tumultuous decade for the children of Hermsdorf. The first half if the decade they were part of NAZI Germany. The second half they were under Soviet rule.

NAZI Germany (1940-45)

We note an image from the school in 1941 with the older children n a country outing. We note another 1941 image when all the children are wearing their Hitler Youth uniforms (figure 1). The boys and girls are wearing their winter uniform. This must have been some kind of special day. Often a few children wore their uniforms to school, but for all the children to wear their uniforms it must have been some kind of special occassion. The town does not appear to have been heavily damaged during the War. It was the cities that were bombed. Unlike the situation in the East, there was relatively little damage in small towns and villages after the Western Allies crossed the Rhine.

Soviet Mulitary Occupation (1945-49)

Hermsdorf was first taken by the Americans, probany in April 1945. As Hermsdorf lay in the pre-arranged Soviet occupation zone, the Americans moved out and the Red Army moved in to occupy the town. The town was thus under Soviet military rule and eventually the control of East German Communists. Ecoconomic conditions in Germant were very difficult. We can see that in the 1949 photograph on the previous page. Note that the children are barefoot. Note that many boys wear halters, but few wear actual Lederhosen. We suspect that Lederhosen were expensive and difficult to obtain after the War--especially in the Soviet occupation zone.

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Created: 3:54 AM 10/21/2009
Last updated: 1:22 PM 11/27/2009