From: Gabriella Taylor (Health9Net@AOL.COM)
Date: Sun Feb 04 2001 - 09:33:38 PST
Date: February 4, 2001 TO: Eddy Behrendt memories@maelstrom.stjohns.edu In Reply to: 19971113214129.AAB20769@holcaust.rio.com Re: Hitler Youth Dear Eddy, Thank you so much for your personal information, experience, and analysis of Hitler Youth. Though I have a fairly good general idea of what it was about, your commentary has reinforced my ponderings and theories. You generously invited further questions, so I thankfully submit them herein: 1. What was the minimum age requirement for joining HJ? Was there a minimum age requirement? 2. Were little children, say 5-8 allowed to join? (I don't mean the military factions but the general movement/indoctrination) 3. How frequently did children attend meetings/sessions? Was this a daily activity? For how many hours did a given session last? 4. What activities did the children partake in? 5. Aside from the indoctrination with "strong mental and physical GERMAN values", what were the children subjected to? 6. What type of mental abuse (other than the obvious brainwashing techniques and peer-pressure) were the children subjected to? 7. Aside from daily severe beatings, what other types of physical abuse did the children suffer in the name of becoming "prepared to tolerate any kind of pain" thereby becoming a "good German"? 8. Do you know personally about the severe beatings? If not, can you direct me to someone who does? 9. Was there sexual abuse against the children? I would find it almost impossible to assume that there was not, when the atmosphere was such as to emphasize *strength* and the *tolerance and ability to take any kind of pain or punishment, both mental and physical. 10. Do you know any men who were young boys in Hitler Youth who were traumatized as a result of belonging to HJ? If so, would it be possible for you (or them) to give me some of the specific symptoms and the incidents that they feel caused the traumas? 11. Did indoctrination and torture methods vary according to locality... that is, would HJ's approach be different, harsher, or less strident in a major city as opposed to a suburb? (i.e. Was there a difference in Munich, Kemnath, or Berlin?) I know these are a LOT of questions but you probably can see from them that I'm trying to formulate a theory. Rather, I HAVE a theory already and am trying to support it or to see how much basis it has in fact. My theory is that many of these children who were forced into HJ at a tender age, and who "never told" their parents or anyone what they suffered there, have grown to be adults (some in their 60's, 70's, and 80's) who are STILL suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; and many of them aren't even aware of it! This is a travesty and I am shocked that there are no support groups in every country for these lost souls who have had to face their memories and pain in complete solitude... Or worse, who have lived lives of denial -- denial of the past, and denial of SELF. I feel that we must all try to help these innocents who were unwittingly turned/forced into villains and a sort of self-perpetuated "enslavement" as a result of never being able to face certain horrors of their past. Thank you so much, Eddy, for any help or information you may be able to give me. Please be so kind as to send a cc of your reply my email address: Health9Net@aol.com as well as to this bulletin board, thank you. Sincerely, Gabriella Taylor