22. The Tragic German Children Who Resisted Nazi Overtures
Not all German youngsters were eager recipients of Nazi propaganda, and some refused to get on board with the official program. To resist the pressure to join the Hitlerjugend was difficult and often hazardous, but some brave youths nonetheless refused to simply go along. Best known among them were the so-called Edelweiss Pirates, a loose association of youth movements in western Germany that developed in opposition to the regimentation of the Hitler Youth. They took their name from the edelweiss – a hardy white mountain flower that grows in high altitudes.
As with many youth cultures across the ages, the Edelweiss Pirates set themselves apart with a distinctive style of dress that became common among their members. They did not all use the title Edelweiss Pirates – the Cologne branch, for example, referred to themselves as “Navajos” – but they shared some common traits. Foremost among them was that they encouraged free thought, and eschewed the strict gender segregation of the Hitler Youth and League of German Girls, in favor of co-ed activities. Their fates were often tragic.
Hitler’s power may lay us low,
And keep us locked in chains,
But we will smash the chains one day,
We’ll be free again
We’ve got fists and we can fight,
We’ve got knives and we’ll get them out
We want freedom, don’t we boys?
We’re the fighting Navajos!
– Song of the Navajos, a subset of the Edelweiss Pirates