Activity
Historical Background
Edelweiss Pirates were a loosely organized group of German teenagers who opposed the Nazi regime leading up to and during World War II. In contrast to the Hitler Youth, which was a state-controlled organization aimed at indoctrinating young Germans into Nazi ideology, the Edelweiss Pirates rejected Nazi militarization, propaganda, and conformity. Their name came from the Edelweiss flower, which became known as a symbol of resistance, and they were an alternative to the Nazi-controlled youth groups. The Edelweiss Pirates' primary goal was to resist the oppressive and totalitarian nature of the Nazi state.
The Edelweiss Pirates contributed to the broader spirit of resistance against the Nazis. The group's members were often persecuted by the Gestapo, and many were arrested, tortured, or executed for their resistance activities. Their legacy is remembered as a symbol of youth rebellion and resistance to tyranny during the Nazi era.
The Swing Kids (Swingjugend) were a group of young Germans in the 1930s and early 1940s who rejected the rigid, authoritarian values of the Nazi regime. Although their resistance efforts were primarily cultural rather than political, this still put them at odds with the Nazi state's strict social control and emphasis on conformity. The Swing Kids did not have a unified political agenda; their goal was to maintain their individuality by expressing themselves through music and dance. The Swing Kids rejected the uniformity promoted by the Hitler Youth, the official state-run organization that indoctrinated German youth into Nazi ideology.
Despite the oppression they faced, the Swing Kids remain a symbol of youth rebellion and resistance to authoritarianism. Their cultural defiance, through their love of swing music, stands as an important example of how young people resisted the oppressive totalitarian regime in Nazi Germany.
Day 1
Essential Question: How did the Hitler Youth contribute to the indoctrination and militarization of German youth, and how did the movement impact individual identity during the Third Reich?
Historical Context (8 minutes)
The video will serve as an introduction to the lesson's focus on the youth of Nazi Germany. As students watch the video they will answer viewing guide questions.
VIDEO: Oath and Opposition: Education in the Third Reich
Video Viewing Guide Questions
Image Analysis and Discussion (15 minutes) Link to Photograph Analysis Activity
- Students will analyze two sets of images. Set 1 contains two images of the Hitler Youth. Set 2 contains images of the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Kids. After viewing the images, students will answer questions about the differences between the images.
- Then, the teacher will facilitate a whole class discussion based on these questions:
- Do the images convey a sense of conformity or rebellion? Support your perception with specific references to the body language, expressions, and actions of the individuals shown.
- How might these images be used for propaganda purposes (either by the Nazis or by opposition groups like the Edelweiss Pirates and Swing Kids)?
Independent Practice: The Hitler Youth (15 minutes)
- Distribute reading activity and graphic organizer to students.
- While reading about the Hitler Youth, students will answer questions that will support their analysis of the goals and effects of joining this organization.
Class Discussion and Homework Writing Assignment (10 minutes)
Students will write a one-paragraph response that evaluates the Hitler Youth. In this paragraph, students will be asked to consider the purpose of the group, its impact on young people, and whether or not the Nazis were able to gain, maintain or consolidate their power by establishing the Hitler Youth.
Day 2
Essential Question: How did groups such as the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Kids challenge the Nazi regime, and what does their resistance tell us about the power of youth in times of oppression?
Do Now (8 minutes)
Students will respond to the questions on this worksheet regarding their thoughts about resistance against a powerful group.
Sound Clip Analysis (8 Minutes)-Music analysis-Third Reich Music and Swing Music
Group Activity: Youth Resistance against the Nazi Regime (20 minutes)
- Pair students. Distribute handouts with key information about both resistance groups. One student in the pair will read and complete the graphic organizer about the Edelweiss Pirates, the other will read and complete the graphic organizer about the Swing Kids.
- Edelweiss Pirates: A group opposing the regime through outdoor activities and anti-Nazi propaganda. Reading: Campaigning for Cologne’s Maligned Resistance
- Swing Kids: Young people who embraced jazz culture and defied Nazi youth norms.
- Reading: Rebel Sounds: The Frankfurt Hot Club
- Students will serve as “experts” and teach their partner about the resistance group discussed in the article they read. Students will have space on their reading worksheet to create a summary of information their partner shares.
Writing/Homework Assignment (12 minutes)
- Students will create a tribute for a member of the Edelweiss Pirates or the Swing Kids, depending on which group they read about in class. Instructions for this assignment can be found on this worksheet.
- Students will imagine they are writing an article for their school newspaper about one of the Edelweiss Pirates or the Swing Kids. They will provide 3-5 interview questions that they feel their peers would want to know the answers to.
