Resist, Revolt, and Risk - The Purpose

Resistance can come in many forms. It may simply be a reaction against the status quo, a small change such as clothing or hairstyle, or dancing to a different tune. However, it could also be violent confrontations, prominent people leading the way, or extreme defiance. Either way, on a small or large scale, these are all examples of resistance. Thus, when discussing the topic of resistance, it is essential that we look at all spectrums and forms. This is why the Edelweiss Pirates, the Swing Youth, and the White Rose are all perfect examples to demonstrate the resistance movement by the German youth against the Nazi regime. We focus on these three groups for the fact that they all opted to defy against the Nazi party in both similar and dissimilar ways. The Edelweiss Pirates used more direct and aggressive methods of resistance, the Swing Youth used cultural transformations, and the White Rose used peaceful and informative demonstrations. Extending from both large and small scale protesting, all of these groups succeeded in resisting from the norm, which is why their place in anti-Nazi resistance history is at the forefront. It can be argued that these three youth groups were necessary for effectively attacking the Nazis grasp on mainstream Germany, since they exposed the limitations of a Nazi-confined society through various types of resistance, such as direct and aggressive, cultural and political.

Therefore, this blog is dedicated to these people and organizations who risked their lives to fight against evil. Our attempt is to show all facets of these organizations and how they resisted, whether it was a song they sang or physical aggression they practiced. In addition, we want to show how effective, on both a small and large scale, their methods of resistance were. Hopefully, by the end of your exploration of our blog we will have accomplished at least one thing -- to educate others about finding a voice and resisting evil. 

Quote by "Youth Guidance"

"The members of the Swing youth oppose today's Germany and its police, the Party and its policy, the Hitlerjugend, work and military service, and are opposed, or at least indifferent, to the ongoing war. They see the mechanisms of National Socialism as a "mass obligation". The greatest adventure of all times leaves them indifferent; much to the contrary, they long for everything that is not German, but English."

-From a Paper of the "Youth Guidance" office

Quote by Hitlerjugend Patrol

“The sight of some three hundred dancing people thrashing about was absolutely horrid.  No one can describe the dancing because no one danced normally.  Indeed, this was the naughtiest of Swing dancing that can be imagined.  Sometimes two boys danced with one juvenile girl, and at other times several couples locked themselves into a mass embrace and just hopped around.  Many couples hopped together while holding hands and bent over wildly, so that their long hair flew across their faces and whipped their thighs as they spun.  You had to worry about the sanity of some of them.  The scenes that happened on the dance floor were fit for a lunatic asylum.  Even the most hysterical and primitive Black jungle warrior war-dance would have paled in comparison to what happened here.  Everyone jumped about like crazy while they mumbled English musical gibberish.  The Band increased the tempo faster by the minute.  No member of the band was sitting, because they were all getting hotter and wilder as they also succumbed to the jungle beat on the stage. You often saw boys dancing together with other boys, always with two cigarettes dangling from each corner of the mouth.”

-Hitlerjugend Patrol Report on a Hamburg Swing Dance, August 2, 1940.

Swing Youth and their Methods of Cultural Resistance

Unlike the Edelweiss Pirates who used aggression and more direct forms of resistance, the Swing Youth used a more cultural form of resistance. This is predominately due to the fact that the Swings were not anti-fascist but more opposed to the traditional music and lifestyles of the Nazi Party and Hitler Youth. In the novel, “No Nazi Party: Youth Rebels of the Third Reich,” author Tom Neuhaus explains, “The Swing Youths resented the rigid, conformist codes of behavior advocated by the Third Reich and pressed upon young Germans by the regime. ‘They expressed their rebellion in a number of ways, most obviously in terms of their dress and hairstyles,”’ (Neuhaus 1).

Further, the Swing Youth dressed extremely differently from their Hitler Youth counterparts. Neuhaus goes on to explain how the Swing’s look was deliberately different to the uniform of the Hitler Youth, which kept young people in shorts and somber brown shirts until the age of eighteen, their hair short (for boys) or in neat plaits (for girls). In resistance to this traditional appearance, Swing Youth boys had long hair often reaching to their shoulders; they also wore plaid jackets: a popular British trend. Further, they wore thick shoes, bright scarves, diplomat’s hats and an umbrella over their arm at all times – even in sunny weather.

Similar to the boys, Swing Youth girls tried to resist the conformity of the German Girls' League by emphasizing their individual femininity. The girls also preferred their hair long with their eyebrows penciled in. They brightly painted their lips and fingernails.

In addition to their rebellion in terms of appearance, the Swings showed cultural resistance through their choice in dance and music. They engaged in various activities including swing dance, based on the American Lindy Hop of the 1920s and ‘30s, which was practiced at a number of private and carefully chosen venues. In the book “Hitler Youth,” author Michael Kater describes, “Swing requires shoving your upper torso forward while shaking your lower body. ‘Many times 4-6 people danced and hopped around circles, knocking their hands together and even rolling their heads against each other,’” (Kater 142). This was juxtaposed to the strict Nazi party type of dance, where people were supposed to dance as if they had a stick up their spine.

The Swings further resisted the traditional music of the Nazis by listening to American and American-influenced styles of music. Kater goes on to describe how the “musical accompaniment was provided by indigenous German bands playing American Benny Goodman-type swing, sometimes of questionable amateur quality, but also by Dutch and Belgian professionals such as John Kristel or Fud Candrix orchestras,” (Kater 142). In the book “The Third Reich,” author David Welch describes how the swing youth, “rejected voelkische music and listen[ed] instead to jazz and swing music, which the authorities labeled as American-influenced Unkultur and later banned” (Welch 62).

Thus, the Swing Youth used cultural resistance as their means of rebellion, as they rejected the traditional and stricter lifestyle of the Nazi Party. 

Founding of the Swing Youth

The Swing Youth formed around 1938, in the wealthy northern region of Hamburg. The founding members included wealthy boys and girls who typically knew each other from Gymnasium, the German name for High School. Members of this group usually met in local skating rinks and particular cafes. In the book “Hitler’s Children,” author Gerhard Rempel describes how they were originally called “Loafer Clubs” and “Gangster Cliques (Rempel 92).” The term “Swing Youth” came later and reflected their connection to American music and English apparel.

Similar to the White Rose and the Edelweiss Pirates, the “Swings” were formed as a counter movement to the Nazi Youth group. However, unlike the White Rose and Edelweiss Pirates, the Swings served more as a countercultural group than a counter political group to the traditional Nazi party.  They rejected the traditional music of the Nazi party and instead embraced American and English influenced music, such as Jazz and swing.

Unlike the Edelweiss Pirates who represented a more serious challenge to Hitler, the Swing Youth was politically indifferent to National Socialism. In the book “The Third Reich,” author David Welch, describes how, “The swing youth were definitely not anti-fascist (Welch 62).” Nonetheless, the existence of these youth and “non conformists” groups illustrates how not all Germans supported the Nazi Party. The Swings also show that there was a rift between the traditional older German generation and the more laid-back younger generation.

In addition, smaller dissensions of the Hamburg Swings formed in cities such as Breslau, Kiel and Berlin. It wasn’t until 1941, that the German authorities became aware of the Swing group.  

Swingdance in "Swing Kids" (1993)

Popular Swing Youth Music: Benny Goodman - Roll 'Em (1942)