Figure 1.-- This snap shot almost certainly was taken in the 1930s, probanly the mid-30s. At first glance it looks like a Hitler Youth patrol, but there are several reasons to think that it is not. There is an inscription on the back which may indicate where they were visiting. Click on the image to see the insscription on the back. It reads, "Bei der Besichtigung auf Stolzenfels". That means: During the sight-seeing at Stolzenfels. Stolzenfels is a famous castle at the Rhine river near Koblenz

Here we see a group in what looks like the 1930s. The shorts the boys wear are not the long shorts worn in the 1920s abd eventhe earky 30s. While the snap shot is not dated, it looks like the mid-30s to us. The snap shot is undated, but looks to have been taken in the mid-1930s. The group is not identified. The Hitler Youth Organization took over the German Youth movement (1933). Some groups were banned and their assetts and properties seized. Others were merged into the Hitler Youth movement. Germany had a very large, diverse youth movement. After the HJ action, the organization became the principal youth group in Germany. It was not yet the only group. There were some exceptions to the grouups banned or incorporated into the HJ. We think it may have been one of these Catholic groups. At first glance the group here it looks like a Hitler Youth patrol (figure 1). There are several reasons, however, to think that it is not. The uniform is not right for the HJ. There are no neckerchiefs and the boys are not wearing black short pants. Also note that there are no insignia and patches. Also notice the adult leader. HJ units almost always had youth, not adult leaders. And the adult leaders did not wear the boy's uniform. Note there is no unit pendent. We think the lack of insignias andpendents may have been an attempt to keep a low profile in a Germany increaingly dominted by the NAZIs.

Chronology

Here we see a group in what looks like the 1930s. The shorts the boys wear are not the long shorts worn in the 1920s abd eventhe earky 30s. While the snap shot is not dated, it was probably taken in the mid-30s. The shorts could have been worn in the late-30s or even the early 40s. But groups without the regulation uniform we think were not very likely by the late-30s. Also sight seeing becamne increasingly less common after the early 40s when the War started to go bad for the Germans.

Organization

The group is not identified. The Hitler Youth Organization took over the German Youth movement (1933). Some groups were banned and their assetts and properties seized. Others were merged into the Hitler Youth movement. Germany had a very large, diverse youth movement. After the HJ action, the organization became the principal youth group in Germany. It was not yet the only group. There were some exceptions to the grouups banned or incororated into the HJ. The principal one were the Catholic groups. Hitler to placate the Catholics as he was consolidating his hold on Germany, allowed Catholic youth groups to operate independently for a few years. We are not sure what the group is here. It almost ceratainly is not a Hitler Youth unit because of the uniform. We think it may have been one of these Catholic groups.

Uniform

At first glance the group here it looks like a Hitler Youth patrol (figure 1). There are several reasons, however, to think that it is not. The uniform is not right for the HJ. There are no neckerchiefs. The the boys are not wearing black short pants. Now we have seen HJ groups that were not wearing the regulation black cord shorts. It was, however, not very common. In some cases it was boys wearing the uniforms of groups in the process of being incorporated into the the HJ. Also note that there are no insignia and patches.

Leadership

Also notice the adult leader. HJ units almost always had youth, not adult leaders. And the adult leaders did not wear the boy's uniform.

Profile

Note there is no unit pendent. We think the lack of insignias andpendents may have been an attempt to keep a low profile in a Germany increaingly dominted by the NAZIs.

Location

There is an inscription on the back which may indicate where they were visiting. The boys were on a sight-seeing at Stolzenfels. Stolzenfels is a famous castle at the Rhine river near Koblenz.