21. German Youth Had to Head Out to the Sticks to Be Able to Freely Express Themselves
Members of the Edelweiss Pirates often engaged in outdoor activities, and organized camping and hiking trips. During those times, they often had the freedom, while temporarily away from snoops and snitches, to partake in prohibited activities such as to sing, dance, and listen to music deemed “degenerate” by the Nazis, like jazz and the blues. Few things are more illustrative of the darkness that descended upon Germany during the Third Reich than the fact that kids had to go out into the wilderness just to be able to engage in such innocent activities.
Out in the sticks, the Edelweiss Pirates were also able to express themselves, and openly discuss topics and voice opinions that would have gotten them in trouble with the authorities had they been overheard by informants back home. A common theme was their opposition to what they viewed as the excessively paramilitary nature of the Hitler Youth. The authorities initially dismissed the Edelweiss Pirates as minor irritants and teenage delinquents going through a phase, but attitudes hardened once WWII began.