2) Opposition 4: Cultural/Social Opposition (Edelweiss Pirates) Flashcards
What did the Edelweiss Pirates mainly consist of?
The Edelweiss Piraten mainly consisted of 12-18 year old boys with no distinctive political ideology, but a great dislike of the uniformity of the Hitler Youth and the lack of freedom in Nazi Germany.
What did they stress?
They stressed their free-spirited individuality and desire for youthful rebellion against authority by wearing eye-catching clothing.
What did the local Gestapo do?
They drew up lists of their fashions in order to identify and arrest them.
What other groups were they closely related to?
The Raving Dudes……….
What slogans did they use?
“Eternal war on the Hitler Youth!”
What increased during the war years?
Their disruptive activities increased.
What did they daub subways with?
Anti-Nazi slogans like “Down with Hitler - we want freedom!”
What did they post?
They posted anti-Nazi pamphlets.
What did the youthful rebellion of the Edelweiss Pirates turn into during the war?
During the war, their youthful rebellion turned into active resistance against the Nazis.
During the war, what did the Gestapo define their activities as?
Opposition, and placed the leaders of the Pirates under strict surveillance.
What happened in December 1942?
In December 1942, 739 Pirates were paced in a ‘re-education’ camp.
In 1944, what decree did the SS issue?
In 1944 the SS issued the decree on ‘The Combating of Youth Gangs.’
What happened in November 1944?
In November 1944, leaders of the Cologne Edelweiss Pirates were publicly hanged by the Nazis in order to warn others.
