The aim of this article is to describe the gender ideology of Nazism through BDM. In order to reveal the origin of BDM, this article traced the historical, cultural and social background of Girl’s organizations and then briefly explained the structu...
The aim of this article is to describe the gender ideology of Nazism through BDM. In order to reveal the origin of BDM, this article traced the historical, cultural and social background of Girl’s organizations and then briefly explained the structure and activity of it. It was possible to grasp the position of girls in the Hitler Jugend and gender discourse in the youth policy of Nazi through analysis. They provide important implications for understanding the political purpose, racial policy, educational and social policy and propaganda policy of Nazi. In addition, through analysis of social recognition and memory of BDM, the process how the ideal womanhood of Nazi realized or how it was rejected could reveal. All this process clearly showed the co-existence of tradition and modernity in Nazi regime.
After the world war I the traditional values which placed nation and home highly were emphasized again and girls were forced to think that becoming wives was the most precious duty. Nazi’s values were also based in this traditional ones. In Nazi era German girls were systematically infused with traditional womanhood, duty and responsibility as a future mother. However only by the revival of traditional values cannot explain why lots of girls voluntarily participated in BDM. The free time and activities that they could experience in BDM pulled girls and girl's psychological factor of gathering together also worked. Furthermore, the modern womanhood with Glaube und Schonheit, ‘promising German girls’ and independent young woman also helped to recruit girls.
The lesson of BDM is to testify the fact that boys and girls who lived in totalitarian regime had their own personality and individuality as human beings. Also the dualism of modernity revealed through BDM.