HJs in Cologne

And of course it has to be the handsomest, blondest boy who leads.

The Wandervogel

Although even semi-respectable historians (the BBC's Laurence Rees, for example) try to link the Wanderwogel with the HJs, personally I can't really see the connexion. Apart from both being outdoorsy-type German youth movements, they really have nothing in common. The Wanderwogel were really proto-hippy, young ramblers, who merrily tramped about the beautiful German countryside with their guitars, singing songs about how lovely everything was and how young and handsome they were (or something!). They weren't known for throwing stones at Catholic priests, beating up Jews, informing on their parents or forming teenage SS tank divisions.

In fact the only thing they (probably!) had in common with Hitler's lads was a propensity for a bit of underage boy-on-boy action - and let's face it, adolescent adventures between friends after lights-out don't really compare with having to deal with the attentions of the pervert instructors of the notorious "Homo Youth".

Is this an actual uniform, or are these just normal German student caps?

Nazis with guitars? Now you've heard everything.

So who's first? If you played a stringed instrument you could just stand and watch, presumably.

Something to show to the Führer?

This is lovely.

What can the story here be? The lad looks like a young poet, delivering some verses to the Führer (because his mum thought they were good), and AH, like a good dad, is reading over them gently and carefully, and presumably preparing some cheerful words of encouragement for the young artist. (Perhaps he reminds him of himself at that age!)

And as with all pictures from the Third Reich, the tragic question left hanging is simply How much time did they have left? How much longer would it be before this brief era of hope and vision was cut short and forever?

The Star Wars Hitler Youth

Apparently in the Star Wars “Extended Universe” the Empire actually has its own version of the HJs.

Irresistible, really, though it’s interesting that nothing remotely like this ever made it into the films!

My feeling is that the reason the baddies in the films are quite so blandly, generically “evil” is that the more they seem like the Nazis (and they’re actually most Nazi in The Force Awakens - which is thus far the least successful of the films) the more interesting and appealing (and the less evil) they seem.

And I’m not even being flippant here: bear in mind that in the first Star Wars film it’s actually the Rebels who are the most fascist - even modelling their awards ceremonies on the Nuremberg Rallies!

(But then who wants to take his children to the movies to see a morally and politically complex monomyth anyway?)

HJs in Lederhosen

And looking heartbreakingly adorable with it!

Honestly, the crummy pseudo-Scout uniforms they normally wore just don't compare. This is how handsome, beautiful young German boys ought to dress.