“Your Bood Makes You One Of Us”

Hitler’s Youth as a Means of Germanisation in Gorenjska and Lower Styria

Abstract

This contribution is centered around the findings of the author’s PhD research on cross-border youth mobilization during the German occupation of Upper Carniola and Lower Styria. The article portrays the ideological cornerstones as well as the Germanization practices and activities deployed by the Hitler Youth as hegemonic strategies to solidify Nazi domination all over Europe. With the goal to remind the local youth of their “Germanness” – disregarding their individual national or other identities – Nazi youth leaders continued to define “German” very vaguely based on “blood”, “behavior” or language skills. Whilst high-ranking youth leaders strongly believed in this colonial and educational mission, the local youth of today’s Slovenia proofed to be more difficult to mobilize ideologically despite all efforts, threats and incentives and mainly arranged itself with the (eventually only temporary) Nazi rule.