Information Issued by the Association of Jewish Refugees in Great Britain
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Vol. XVII No. 12 December, 1962 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH REFUGEES IN GREAT BRITAIN a FAIRFAX MANSIONS, FINCHLEY RD. (corner Fairfax Rd.). London, N.W.S Otfice and Consulting Hours: Telephone: MAIda Vale 9096'7 (General oflice and Welfare for the Aged) Motiday to Thursday "[Q a.m.—l p.m. 3- 6 p.m. MAIda Vale 4449 (Employment Agency, annually licensed by the L.C.C.. and Social Services Dept.) Friday 10 a.m.-l p.m. Menachem Gerson (Kibbutz Hasorea) integrity and elan vital there were in abundance, but these were matched by an excess of extra vagant and vaporous romanticism. Never before or since has German youth been led to remove THE GERMAN YOUTH MOVEMENT itself so far from realities." It was only the Freischar which between 1925 and 1933 attempted An Assessment of its Impact in their labour camps to draw together different social strata of young people, to live and work together for a few weeks and to discuss the burn Walter Z. Laqueur, an author of German- sonality never allowed him to fulfil the guiding ing political and social problems. But their efforts Jewish origin, has, in his new book* given us the role his gifts had predestined him for—neither touched only a small fraction of German youth. first history of the German Youth Movement in the youth movement, nor at his school, nor in The way towards a common ideology was not published in English. This was not an easy task, the Ministry of Education after the revolution of found by the Youth Movement. as the members of the Movement did not excel in 1918. Yet there is little doubt that Wickersdorf literary expression. It had so many faces and had a significant influence on the type of school In the meantime, a new force grew up: thc facets, that it is difficult for any author to give created by the Kibbutz Movement in Israel. Hitler Youth. Its success was remarkably small the picture as a whole without getting lost in Laqueur does not mention this fact, although he as long as it had to rely on its educational and details. mentions the interest the Soviets took in ideological strength. In January 1932, when the Wyneken's creation. Nazis were already the strongest political party in Laqueur has collected rich material for his the country, the Hitler Youth had fewer than book. Factual mistakes seem to be very rare Altogether, the Jewish aspect is quite neglected 1.000 members in the German capital! But in indeed. (One of them is the attribution of Buber's in this book (even though the author lived for 1933, they were given the monopoly for youth famous saying about youth as " mankind's eternal years in a kibbutz in Israel). It is dealt with in work, all the other youth movements and Buende chance of fortune " to Wyneken.) He takes a firm the chapter describing the antisemitic tendencies were dissolved. This was the end of the German stand on questions of principle, e.g., when he of the youth movement. Theirs was a sort of Youth Movement. Sporadic attempts to revitalise rejects the widespread oversimplification that the " cultural antisemitism " which regarded Jews as it after 1945 met with no success. German youth, German Youth Movement was a direct antecedent strangers in Germany who should develop their after the war. had no longings for a world of of Nazism. own culture. The resulting expulsion of Jewish autonomous youth. Nor were they rebels against members of course accelerated the creation of the world of their elders. Preoccupation with The history of the Wandervogel is retold in a Jewish youth movements. concise and exhaustive way, against the back personal interests and private careers has been ground of a saturated German bourgeoisie which The second phase of the German Youth Move the common characteristic of the adult and young could offer little guidance to its sons and ment began when its members had to face the generations in post-war Germany. daughters. The Wandervogel was not a politically- new reality of post-war Germany, after the Many of the Buende had certainly some minded movement. " They wanted a change in revolution of 1918. Political escapism had ideological elements in common with the Nazis. human relations, and there was no certainty that characterised the first phase. Now, as reality They were great believers in order, authority, the these could be changed by a new political and became harsher and social tensions in Germany Fuehrer principle and Grossdeutsches Reich ; they social system. The Wandervogel shows the sharpened, its insufficiency became apparent. As were also antisemitic. But their political influence other form of protest against society—romanti Laqueur puts it: "The fact that various people was irrelevant because of their lack of a common cism ". It was a movement of middle-class youth, had belonged in their youth to a group of ideology. It is unwarranted to regard the Youth with its centres in the big towns. ramblers was more or less accidental; there was really no good reason to perpetuate this in later Movement as one of the sources of National life, for their interests would undoubtedly broaden Socialism. The dissolution of the youth move Beginnings of the Wandervogel and differ—and so would their political, cultural ments in the first year of the Nazi regime and social orientation. Only a clear purpose indicates that this accusation is not justified. The author describes in detail the new style of would hold a group of adults together ; but did Laqueur formulates the differences as follows: life which was fostered in the Wandervogel. such a common platform exist ? " "The Youth Movement did not appeal to the During the following decades it was destined to mass instincts, nor did it develop an ideology of exert a great influence on the life of youth—far its own, because it saw the prospect of a better beyond the boundaries of the German Youth Penetration of Politics Germany not in terms of political action, but of Movement. Laqueur does not always show a the education of a new dlite from the ranks of deep understanding of this style of life. His In a most informative chapter, Laqueur des the younger generation." Thus the Youth Move remark that " they made it a rule to sleep in barns cribes the penetration of political consciousness ment could never play an important role in rather than hotels " would sound like sacrilege to into the Youth Movement and the ensuing struggle Germany's political and cultural life. It remained readers who can speak from personal experience. between Left and Right. Newly founded journals within the boundaries of a personal experience, On the other hand, he is certainly right in des ("Der Anfang", "Der Aufbruch") sounded the " the experience of personal integration into a cribing the special meaning of this style for a clarion call for active participation in politics. charismatic group". bourgeois youth, which was guided by neither But as early as 1919, there began the polarisation Laqueur gives the following summing up of the socialism nor religion and could have become an which was to put an end to any hope for a united, Youth Movement: " It contributed much to the easy prey for a purely hedonistic outlook. "It politically conscious Youth Movement. Right- gradual transformation of German education. acted as an important corrective to selfishness ; wing nuclei were formed, which gathered under It invented and developed patterns of youth life neither the school nor the parental home could the banner of a "voelkisch" approach, but were —of groups, of leadership, of rambling and com provide boys and girls of that age with the inner much too individualistic to find their way to the munal singing—that have survived widely in discipline and the comradeship that the youth Nazis. On the other hand, important leaders of adapted forms. ... Its young men and women movement demanded from every member ". This the Freideutsche joined the Left-wing Socialists developed qualities of sincerity, decency, open- created certain human qualities which remained or became Communists. throughout adulthood. As one of the leaders mindedness and idealism. The main defects of expressed it in 1954: "It is impossible to imagine In the beginning, there existed some illusion that the Youth Movement were confused thinking, anybody who ever felt anything of the ethos of political differences would not harm the unity of inadequate social courage and responsibility, and the youth movement as a commandant of Ausch the Freideutsche, as long as beliefs were sincerely a profoundly illiberal outlook. It tended, like witz or as a G.P.U. manhunter." held. But at Hofgeismar (1920) bitter con the Romantics before them, to venerate the troversies between Communists and Right-wingers Middle Ages in contrast to the modern world, proved that political differences left no scope for and to exalt the peasant way of life above that of During the first period, ending in the Youth industrial society, to an extent which disqualified Rally of the Hohe Meissner, 1913, the central a united movement. Some sought refuge in com munal settlements (the most famous : the Bruder- it for dealing with present realities. This anti- personality of the movement was the educa rationalism caused them to be easily swayed in tionalist and philosopher, Gustav Wyneken. He hof); the majority, however, had to make a decision and joined either one of the Left-wing different directions by philosophical charlatans was the spiritual father of the idea that youth, and political demagogues preaching all kinds of having its special values, has to develop its own or of the Right-wing parties and Buende.