Anna's+IA+page

**IA Topic** : Resistance of Youth Groups against Hitler/Nazis in Germany during World War II

**Question** :
 * What was the impact of having youth resistance in Nazi Germany?
 * To what extent was there youth resistance in Nazi Germany? Big youth groups: Swing Kids, Edelweiß Piraten, White Rose
 * Youth Resistance in Wartime Germany
 * 1) Swing Kids
 * interest in Jazz (banned in Nazi Germany)
 * defined themselves with term "Lottern"
 * desire undermine "sexual mores of Nazi orthodoxy"
 * members middle-class and generally not politically involved
 * listen to oversea radio (for music)= contact with Allied propaganda
 * swing clubs tolerated until 1940
 * 2 Jan. 1942 Himmler wrote to Heydrich to clamp down on leaders
 * 1) Helmut Hubener Group
 * antithesis to Swing Kids
 * distributed illegal transcriptions of BBC broadcasts and anti-govt. leaflets
 * arrested by Gestapo
 * 1) Edelweiß Piraten
 * working class
 * "sub-cultural" clothes ( shorts, chequered shirts) for identification
 * object to HJ/BDM, sex segregation
 * older members= deserters, objectors to military and labor service
 * after war= little recognition
 * 1) Leipzig Meuten
 * many similarities with EP
 * tended to come from org. socialist/communist background
 * background= official attention
 * violent
 * Source: http: //www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A305925//


 * Edelweiß Piraten
 * loosely org. youth culture in W. Germany
 * out of German Youth Movement in late 1930s
 * response to regimentation of HJ
 * similar to Leipzig Meuten
 * evade HJ by dropping out of school
 * avoid Reich Labor and military service
 * offered freedom to express themselves
 * mingle with members from opposite sex
 * predominantly male (some girls)
 * used symbols and forms from groups of German Youth Movement
 * gatherings on street corners, hiking and camping trips
 * response harsh
 * those identified by Gestapo= heads shaved for shame, sent to concentration camps or prison
 * 25 Oct. 1944 Himmler orders crack down
 * Nov 1944 13 boys (16 and up) hanged in public in Cologne
 * still not recognized as resistance movement
 * Source: http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Edelweißpiraten


 * Ch. Youth and Nazi Terror
 * some groups that didn't conform
 * Navajos
 * Nerother
 * Edelweiß Piraten
 * Kittelbach Piraten
 * usually on a neighborhood basis (wanted freedom and fun)
 * clothing, pins, medals, other insignia for recognition
 * activities, chance for boys and girls to mingle (not allowed in HJ)
 * strong measures taken against "illegal" youth groups in war years
 * Dec 1942 Düsseldorfer Gestapo broke up 28 group of Edel/Kittelbach Pirates and 739 adolescents were arrested in Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Wuppertal, Cologne
 * charges (fall 1942) painted provocative graffitti on local buildings, distributed flyers p. 276
 * Sept 15, 1943 Köln Special Court convicted 12 of the arrested, Apr 9, 1944 additional 9 = prison sentence range 6 months to 4 years 4 months
 * Nov 10, 1944 (w/o) court judgement) 13 Edelweiß Piraten were publicly executed
 * Cologne Ehrenfeld Edelweißpiraten - provided shelter for army deserters, POW's, forced laborers, concentration camp escapees; stockpile weapons after armed raids on military depots; partisan-style attacks on local Nazi leaders
 * ex. that some became involved during war years
 * not everyone, beginning aim= non-conformist youth seeking adventure and romance
 * Source: __Nazi Terror- The Gestapo, Jews, and Ordinary Germans__ by Eric A. Johnson

**Plan for the Summer/ Outline (200 Words):**

At the moment I have three possible, tentative research questions:

· What was the impact of having youth resistance in Nazi Germany? · To what extent was there youth resistance in Nazi Germany? · Why was there youth resistance to the Nazis and Hitler in Germany during the 1930s-40s?

 I haven't decided which one would be the best to use, or which one to tweak in order to fit my final research question, as my research is not extensive enough to choose. However, I do know from the minimal research that I have done already which groups I would like to focus on: Edelweiss Piraten, Swing Kids, White Rose or Leipzig Meuten. My plan for over the summer is, while I am in Germany, to pay a visit to the Albert-Ludwigs University, which is going to be my main area for research. I have already checked their online search site, and have found a list of books concerning my topic, and I’m hoping that I will be able to find some primary sources, like newspaper articles. I would like to get an outline and first draft done over the summer as well, if not even a good second draft.

COMMENTS:

Holy moly, Anna, you are making the rest of us look bad! You have clearly put a lot of time and effort into your IA already, and for that I commend you. :) The only suggestions I can make is that it is a good idea to do your actual MLA formatted citations now, to save time later, and also to work on formulating your research question. Maybe something like "To what extent was youth resistance in Nazi Germany effective in undermining the Nazis?" -- Hannah

Ditto. - Jenna