Hitler Youth Activities: Hiking

Figure 1.--Hiking was an important activity in the HJ. The unit here seems to have hiked out to a local landmark, perhaps a medieval tower if some sort. Click on the image to see an enlargement.

Hiking was an important activity in the HJ. This seem to have been an activity that the HJ was especially noted for organizing. The Germans have a traditional love of their countryside which was clearly seen in Wondervogel. This tradition was continued in the HJ. A range of benefits were seen in hiking, not only did it help build physical stamina and discipline, but also a variety of useful military skills like map reading. Hikes might be an outing into the countryside meerly for fresh air and exercise. Or the units might hike to see various landmarks of historical or geographic interest. The length and pace would vary depending in the age of the boys involved. While marching the boys would sing approved HJ songs. This seems to have been a more common activity for the HJ than the BDM. Normally the hikes would be organized by the older boys acting as leadrs without adult supervision. Often hikes would be organized on sundays to draw boys away from church attendance and other church-related activities. Availavle images suggest that the boys always dressed up in their uniforms for these outings. There may have even been an inspection before they started out, although I do not yet have details.

Importance

Hiking was a very important activity in the HJ, perhaps one of the most important group activities. This seem to have been an activity that the HJ was especially noted for organizing. The photographic record confirms this. We have found countless images of HJ boys marching along German roads and through villages. There are far fewer images of the boys marching in urban settings. We are not entirely sure how that worked. Boys in big cities like Berlin and Hamburg would have to march some distance before getting to the countryside. Boys in towns and village were much closer to the countryside. We see the boys hiking in grups of various sizes, both small and large groups, almost always in well formed columns. Most show the boys hiking in the summer or relatively warm weather. We are not sure what activity replaced the hiking during the winter. The hikes were commonly scheldued on Sunday, but but this of course can not be determined by the photographic record. The weekend was necessary so as not to interfre with school and had the advantage of interfering with church attendance, The hiking was imortant for several reasons. Like drill in fomer years, it helped to instilla sence of group descipline. It was also excellent phsical exercise prepring boys for the rigors of military service.

Tradition

The Germans have a traditional love of their countryside which was clearly seen in Wondervogel--the first important youth grouop. This tradition was continued in the HJ. The HJ adopted many traditions from both Wandervogel and the Boy Scouts.

Benefits

A range of benefits were seen by the HJ leadership in hiking. Not only did it help build physical stamina and discipline There were also a variety of useful military skills like map reading.

Popularity

We are not sure how popular these hikes were with the boys. We do not yet have any insights on this. Was this somrhing the boys were required to do or was it something that they enjoyed. It ceratinly got them out of the home and into the fresh air. Some boys would have liked this. The chance to enjoy the countryside would have also appealed to some boys. Other boys might not have enjoyed long marches. Many accounts written by former HJ boys after the War stress that what they got out of their HJ experience was friendship and camaradship. And it is on experiences like hiking and camping where close friendships were often forged.

Assemblying

We think most HJ boys went hiking in small units at the troop level. This was easiest enough for the boys living in villages or even small towns. It must have been a little more complicated for the boys living in cities. A hike down a city thoroughfare was not the same as out in the countryside. So we assume that the boys must have assembled in the morning for a major hike. Then they probably marched to the train station where they could get out into the country. I don't think their parents took them to the station, but rather they assembeled in their neigbothood and marched to the station. We say that because we note photographs of the boys assembling and there do not seem to be parents or even adult leaders about. Presumably the boys could ride on the rail road free of charge. Here we are largely guessing. Pergaps readers will have some dicumentary evidence to add to our understanding.

Types

Hikes might be an outing into the countryside meerly for fresh air and exercise. Or the units might hike to see various landmarks of historical or geographic interest. The length and pace would vary depending in the age of the boys involved.

Singing

While marching the boys would sing approved HJ songs. Here the HJ provided appropriate songs. Some traditional ones may have been used, but the HJ created manuy new ones for the boys to use.

Gender

Hiking was very important for the boys. This seems to have been a more common activity for the HJ than the BDM. We have found far fewer of the girls,

Leadership

Normally the hikes would be organized by the older boys acting as leadrs without adult supervision. We rarely see adults hikig with the boys, but we do sometimes see adult leaders when the boys are marching in thecities.

Scheduling

Often hikes would be organized on sundays to draw boys away from church attendance and other church-related activities. One sorce suggests that the erly HJ designated every second Sunday for mandatory hiking trips into the countryside. I'm not sure if this continued to be the case in the 1930s.

Uniforms

Available images suggest that the boys always dressed up in their uniforms for these outings. There may have even been an inspection before they started out, although I do not yet have details. We do not that during and even at the end of these hikes, the boys were almost always well uniformed. We never see boys wearing civilian clothes or even opart of the uniform. There were some uniform choices. There were seasonal uniforms. Some of the older boys wore long pants. There were jackets, but no sweaters. But in the available images, as far as we can tell, the choices very commonly were made at the group level. There seems to have been very little individual choice permitted. We note that even after a long hike on a warm day, the boys are still well uniformed.

Fights

We note accounts of fights between youth groups before the NAZIs seized power. These might occur when groups on hikes and other outings emcountered each other. There were a large number of youth groups in Weimar Germany during the 1920s and early 30s. Many had political and/or religious associations. This often occurred with right-wing groups (the HJ was just one such group, albeit the most important) encountered left-wing groups associated with the Socialist and Communist parties. There were also often problems when right-wing groups encountered Jewish groups. This all changed after the NAZIs seized power (1933). The HJ began to grow and other groups were closed or incorporated into the HJ. Catholic groups were allowed to operate for a few years longer. Not only did the growing size of the HJ movement reduce the scope for fights and other encounters, but when brought to the attention of the authorities, legal action could be taken against the other boys. We have noted mention of the Edelweiss Pirates, a collective name for working-class boys who resisted the regimentation of the HJ, These were informal groups of teenagers who had left school and avoided paricipation in the HJ. [Kellerman] There are reports of these boys attacking isolated HJ groups hiking and camping in the countryside. We do not know how common this was. We suspect that after the War that claims may have been exagerated. We do know that the NAZIs were concerned about juvenile delinquyency which is how such acgions would have been viewed. NAZI authorities took a series of actions against what they called "youth cliques". There was also concern about lingering resistance, normally passive resistance, in worling-class eighborhoods.

Sources

Kellerman, Katie. The Edelweiss Pirates: A Story of Freedom, Love and Life.