Hitler Youth & League of German Girls: Education

• The text details the education and indoctrination within the Hitler Youth (HJ) and League of German Girls (BDM).

General Effects of Membership in HJ and BDM

• Propaganda led to distorted self-perception and perception of others, causing prejudice and avoidance of contact.
• Sports served as a lure, with physical fitness idealized.
• Individual freedom was curtailed, overshadowing personal interests and hobbies.
• Strict duties included uniforms, obedience, loyalty to the Führer which led to recognition and appreciation.
• Emotional manipulation occurred through films, songs, and a sense of community.
• The effects of Nazi ideology persisted after the war, complicating social life.

Gender Roles in Nazi Education

• Women were confined to "children, kitchen, church," with promotion of childbirth and exclusion from the workforce.
• Men were associated with war, the protector role, head of the family, and being a central force in the economy.

Ideal Traits of an HJ Boy

• Boys were expected to be athletic, obedient, willing to sacrifice, and disciplined.
• They were indoctrinated with a sense of duty, national socialism, and the "Herrenrasse" ideal (blond, blue-eyed).

Role of Sports & Military Training

• War-ready exercises were taught playfully at first, gradually becoming more serious.
• The cultivation of a "heroic" fighting spirit was encouraged, along with competitive sports and contests.

Propaganda & Indoctrination in HJ and BDM

• Songs with National Socialist content.
• Fear of enemies and the idea that Germany was under threat.
• Sports and adventures were offered as attractive activities for young people.
• These activities provided an opportunity to escape parental control.

The BDM – Girl's Organization of the Nazi Era

• Its members included 14-17/18-year-olds, making it the largest female youth organization worldwide.
• The goal of the BDM was to prepare girls for their roles as housewives and mothers.

Ideal Traits of a BDM Girl

• Girls were to be athletic, healthy, "Aryan," and obedient.
• They were instructed in childcare and household management such as cooking and needlework.

Key Methods of Education in HJ & BDM

• Songs and singing.
• Propaganda and schooling.
• Social pressure.
• Military exercises and discipline.
• Performance competitions and awards.

Nazi Educational Goals & Implementation in Schools

• Dictatorship and the Führer principle.
• Militarism.
• Racial ideology and anti-Semitism.
• Volksgemeinschaft (People's Community)