Youth in Nazi Germany, Wives & Warriors; Girls- Kinder, Kirche, Kuche (children, church, kitchen)

[appalachiablue]

- Nazi Germany - Tomorrow's Wives and Warriors - Youth in Hitler's Germany. The Nazis defined clear gender roles. For the girls: Kinder, Kirche, Kuche (children, church, kitchen). The boys, meanwhile, were being trained for war.

- (Natl. Holocaust Centre & Museum, UK). Female Hitler Youth: The League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel- BDM) was the female section of the Hitler Youth, its role was to indoctrinate girls into the beliefs and ideals of the Nazi regime. The BDM focused on developing girls into women who were dedicated to Nazism, dutiful housewives, and whose role within in society was to become a mother. Girls were to grow-up with an unquestioning understanding of the intended role of women in the Third Reich. BDM members were required to have German parents, be in good health, and conform to Nazi racial ideals.

In 1939, on the implementation of the Law on the Hitler Youth, it became mandatory for all young girls aged 10 to 14 to be in the Young Girls League, and girls 14 to 18 to be in the League of German Girls. The indoctrination of young people into Nazi ideals was the purpose of the groups, with a focus on the role of young girls as future mothers of the Third Reich. The Belief and Beauty Society was intended to link young women directly into the women’s wing of the Nazi Party. It was aimed at girls aged between 17 and 21. The group was voluntary and focused on cooking, sewing, education, and politics, in line with Nazi ideals. Members also carried out work in the areas of home help, store and office help, assistance within the health service, and troop support.



- Conformity: By 1941, thousands of girls were part of the BDM, meaning the organisation had a large reach, and greater ability to indoctrinate girls into Nazi ideals. Girls who were not part of the movement began to be treated differently at school, often being shunned by the BDM members. The BDM strove to ensure members were in conformation with Nazi ideals. It was designed to produce girls who were dedicated to Nazism, Adolf Hitler, and the State. This included ensuring that all individuals they came into contact with, such as teachers and parents, were also conforming. Like the male members of the Hitler Youth, it was encouraged that members of the BDM would inform the authorities if their parents or neighbours were not acting in line with the regime.

Members of the BDM were encouraged to choose an ‘appropriate’ partner with which to start a family. The girls were taught that good health and an acceptable racial background, in line with Nazi racial theory, were essential qualities. The intention was they should leave the movement with the ability to do practical work, have many children, and be devoted to their community. The intention was that former members of the BDM would raise their children in line with Nazi ideals, in order for their beliefs to become embedded in the minds of future generations...
https://www.holocaust.org.uk/the-league-of-german-girls

[irisblue]

1. The more things change....