Wandervogel was the name adopted by a popular movement of German youth groups from 1896 onward. The name can be translated as migratory bird and their ethos was to shake off the restrictions of society and get back to nature and freedom. Soon the groups split and there originated ever more organisations, which still all called themselves Wandervogel, but were organisationally independent. Nonetheless the feeling was still of being a common movement, but split into several branches.

After the first world war, the leaders returned disillusioned from the war. The same was true for leaders of German scouting. So both movements started to influence each other heavily in Germany. From the Wandervogel came a stronger culture of hiking, adventure, bigger tours to farther places, romanticism and a younger leadership structure. Scouting brought uniforms, flags, more organistion, more camps and a clearer ideology. There was also an educationalist influence from Gustav Wyneken.

Together this lead to the emergence of the Bündische Jugend . The Wandervogel, German Scouting and the Bündische Jugend together are referred to as the German Youth Movement.

They had been around for more than a quarter of a century before the Nazis began to see the opportunity to hijack some methods and symbols of the German Youth Movement to use it in the Hitler Youth to manipulate the young.

This movement was very influential at these times. Its members were romantic and prepared to sacrifize a lot for their ideals. That is why there are many to be found on both sides in the Third Reich. Some of the Wandervogel groups had Jewish members. Other groups within the movement were anti-semitic or close to the Nazis. Therefore one can later find prominent members, both subscribing to the Third Reich or resisting it.

Adolf Eichmann was one of their members from 1930 to 1931. Hans Scholl was a member of the Jungenschaft an association of the Bündische Jugend . Claus von Stauffenberg was a member of the scout association of the Neupfadfinder , also an association of the Bündische Jugend .

From 1933 the Nazis outlawed the Wandervogel, German scouting, the Jungenschaft and the Bündische Jugend , alongside with all youth groups independent of the Hitler Youth. (Only church affiliated groups had some years more.)

The Wandervogel movement was refounded after World War II and exists in Germany to this day with arround 10 000 to 20 000 members.

See also

• http://www.wandervogel.de Some present day Wandervogel associations
• There are many articles in the German wikipedia about these topics. Start with or the category .

Literature

• Robert A. Pois. National Socialism and the Religion of Nature. (In English, 1986).
• Walter Laqueur: Young Germany: A History of the German Youth Movement, Transaction Pub, 1984, ISBN 0878559604