The Hitler Youth

Text

“We had a lot of troubles with the Hitler Youth leaders since we were considered Americans. I did get into a lot of fights, until my father paid them a visit… The German law required all children to enter the organized German Youth, or Deutsche Jungvolk(DJ) at age 10. At age 14 you graduated and were transferred to the Hitler Youth, or Hitler Jugend(HJ).”

Editor's Note: As a German youth, Eugene could not be spared from joining the Deutsche Jungvolk and Hitler Youth. Yet, having grown up in New York City, Eugene was regarded as an “American” in his German public school. He was discriminated against by some German teachers and Hitler Youth leaders. As a youth, Eugene Kimling spent the majority of his time away from his family. His mother died in January 1941 of coronary thrombosis, and his father was re-deployed into the German army until a World War I-era wound enabled him to resume civilian service. Eugen Kimling got a job working for the German government as a nutritionist in Hannover where the family was briefly re-united in comfortable government housing before Allied bombings forced them to separate again.