Stories+of+Hilter+Youth

Stories of Hitler Youth  "//This self-confidence must be inculated in the young national comrade from childhood on. His whole education and training must be so ordered as to give him the conviction that he is absolutely superior to others. Through his physical strength and dexterity, he must recover his faith in the invincibitlity of his whole people."// Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

"Heidi" joined Hitler Youth around 1939. She was one of the thousands of members that lived in Nuremburg. This town was concidered the national center for sports competitions. Here is Heidi's story- "//We had meetings in Wednesday and Friday afternoons. On Wednesdays we were singing and talking. And then we were marching out in the fields. Friday was sports day. Every year, spring and fall, there were the big sports compitions at the big sports arenas. You had to participate."// For Girls' Hitler Youth, track and field was held in the summer and gymnastics was held during the winter. Heidi had many victories in track and the winners were given little pins. Heidi still has them to remember her wins. "//Usually for Christmas, we were involved in lots of art, especially for children. We made little stuffed animals and toy boxes. And before Christmas we had a big exhibition, and again you were competing with all the other groups. And you always got a little reward if you were the best, or you had the most or the most beautiful//." The Hitler Youth gave toys and other goodies out to needy children. Heidi, along with several past members of Hitler Youth, never regret being a member of Hitler Youth. //"I was in it with all my heart because we did nothing but good."//

"Karl" too grew up in Nuremberg. He became a member of Hitler Youth when he was ten and he is now a U.S. citizen. "//Most children the same age were a member of that group. If there's a group of Boy Scouts in your neighborhood, you want to become a member, too. We were looking forward to going to meetings, because we had a sense of belonging that everybody wants to have. Many times, it was just fun to be there. At the camps were lots of games. The games were most of the time oriented towards paramilitary training. 'Trapper and Indian' was the only thing you might have wanted to play. But it was soldiering. It was exercises on how to conceal yourself in the country, how to attack enemies. Everyone wanted to go, because it was a way to get away from school and have some fun."// Unlike Heidi, Karl was terribly guilty that he belonged to Hitler Youth. "//The main thing that stuck to me is that there is no country that is any better than the others. For a lot of years, I had a guilt complex, because of the things that happened in Germany during the war. But now I know these things can happen just as well in this country."//

Many of the members of Hitler Youth didn't have a clue of what was going on in the concentration camps. Many didn't seem to care or notice what was going on either. They knew that the Jews were being rounded up, but they weren't imformed on how the Jews were being treated. Hitler Youth was created to create soldiers and mother but in my opinion, Hitler Youth was also created to keep the youth distracted from what was going on with the concentration camps. At Hitler Youth, members' heads were filled with Hitler's opinions and ideas. They were also distracted with all of the sporting events so they didn't notice what was going on in their surroundings.