Bund Deutscher Mädel

[gumby]

BDM Leaders

Thankyou, Miss Bothmann, for sharing your memories. I hope that you will remember more about your involvement in BDM. You were a very young leader at age 16 or 17, but that was not at all uncommon in the ranks, for there to be girls in their late teens in charge of the 10 to 14 year old girls. I became a leader at age 18 -19. However, the constant air raids during 1944 caused our group to disband. The intense air raid in that year destroyed our headquarters in Stuttgart-mitte. Our call after that was to our immediate families, and trying to survive to the bitter end. So many times I have cried for my girls, oh, what has happened to my girls? Yes, I used to say that, not knowing why. Now I know. I could not protect my girls. : (

[privatetucker]

Those bombings were terrible. I feel sorry for all of those victims, and I'm sorry you had to go through that, and have such intense memories of it now. D8

I'm really interested in reading these BDM memories; I've always had a fascination with them despite the fact that I was on the victim side. Probably because of the strong friendships it seems like you guys had, while all of my friends abandoned me. I only had my sister in the ghetto.

[kapitanprien]

I know I posted this link in the 'Off Topic' section - but I feel it should be added in the discussion here:

www.bdmhistory.com/

[gumby]

Thankyou privatetucker I am truly sorry for what you had to endure in that horrible time. This was human suffering on a scale that was beyond comprehension.

That is an excellent web site on the BDM, thakyou for posting the link, Kapt. Gunther Prien. That web site has confirmed my memories many times.

BDM Special Events

Here is more of what I can remember about my experiences in the BDM:

There were hundreds of girls from Wurttemberg in the huge theater, probably Staatstheater Stuttgart. It was a BDM annual event where regional chapters of the BDM gathered. Hundreds of girls were in the theater, all dressed in immaculate uniforms with the required neckerchief properly tied, a triangle insignia on our blouse sleeve,designating our region.

Put hundreds of girls together and of course you have a loud auditorium, lots of chatter as we awaited the appearance of our National leader, Dr. Jutta Rudiger This was an exciting time, to be able to see her in person, the one we so admired from a distance, was here! Our enthusiasm could not be contained, and this caused us to chatter even more.

The program began with some news reels that showed the progress of our troops. We saw columns of tanks and troops marching through Paris, and we really thought that the Parisians were welcoming us! The news reels always painted this impression of our war progress.

After the news reels were over, we waited impatiently for Dr. Jutta Rudiger to appear. I was talking to one of my friends, she was sitting in the seat directly in front of me. I don't know if I said something that offended her, but she suddenly got up and walked up the aisle, and started talking to some other girls. I became intensely furious with my friend for this, I remember sitting there and feeling the anger rising as I watched her talking with the girls from the other troop. I mean, she was supposed to be my best friend, why was she now shunning me? I'm feeling hurt that she has ditched me. Well, so much for our friendship which I thought was special. I turned and started talking with some other girls, no longer caring what my "best" friend was doing.

In about a week, we were best friends once again!

[Iseke]

Hello! While I have no memories of living in Germany (except at the end of my life) as I lived in Russia/France, I just wanted to let you know that I am reading your memories and am so glad you are sharing them with us! I actually hadn't heard of the BDM and find your memories of it and being a civilian very interesting! I remember very little of my civilian life before the camp, and it's something I'd like to explore more too.

I look forward to reading more!

[gumby]

My Childhood Activities reflect BDM

Thankyou Iseke I do enjoy sharing about my PL memories from that time. I actually do have more memories of civilian life than I do of BDM, but I do have the BDM memories, because BDM service did become a major part of a girl's life in Nazi Germany. I have found that many of my childhood actions in my present life must have come from my BDM training. I used to hate dolls with curly hair, and I found out a while back that excessive hair styles (perms) and makeup were frowned upon in the BDM. I also was a club leader ( when I turned 12, same time girls entered JM ) I started a club where members had to have a card with their personal information and achievements ( very similar to BDM membership cards and benchmark books ) Actually the regimens were mostly beneficial to me, even now in my present life!

[gumby]

The Nazi Salute

I found this photo at Chris Crawford's BDM site. Here are BDM girls doing the Nazi salute. This is exactly how I remember it in BDM, we always did the salute like this, our arms straight out and below eye level , palms of the hands down. This was the formal way to do it, often you will see the salute done with the arms outstreached at more of an angle, but in BDM, they way I remember the salute, it was done properly like the girls in the photo. This is one of the rare color pictures that you can find on this excellent web site.
bdmhistory.fotki.com/pictures/uniform-photos/summeruniform/summeruniforms146.html#media

Here are many photos of BDM members, showing the uniforms and activities bdmhistory.fotki.com/pictures/uniform-photos/summeruniform/

[Storm]

Hey gumby,

I think the BDM was a very positive thing for girls and I wish there was something similar now to be honest. In the UK many girls have embraced ladette culture and go out and get drunk and fall over in the street and vomit on a Saturday night. It seems some females think that the feminist movement means we must now adopt the worst attitudes and traits of the worst type of men!

I despair of all of it!

I used to be in the Guides because I wanted a uniform but it was so boring I left. Perhaps if they had acknowledged politics, trained in survival skills and gone into wider citizenship, home running and motherhood I might have stayed.

As for natural looks, amen to that! I still do keep myself natural and try to be healthy and to be honest it actually makes you age less too if you do not lag your skin with horrible make up or ruin your hair with perming, colouring and heated appliances.

Yes, there was a lot to be said in favour of the BDM and I do think there is room for a modern interpretation now in our present society.

[kapitanprien]

You're Welcome Gumby re/ the link. Chris Crawford is really nice and if you want any photos for your personal use (I needed one because of a vision I had of my sister when she was in the BDM) feel free to contact her. I don't know how soon she will be able to respond, but she is happy to help you out!

[Laurasia]

Hi Gumby.

Thank you for continuing to share your memories with us. I do find them interesting indeed!

And yeah, I agree that better ethics/morals would be better all around in modern society. Not necessarily "traditional morals" (as that tends to denote "strict Christian values" - & being a Pagan, bisexual I hardly abide by all of that ), but simply better ones. Common courtesy, consideration, respect for oneself & others, thinking of the long-term consequences of one's own actions, etc.

Sincerely,
Laurasia

[Storm]

Hey Laurasia,

Yes, absolutely. As I said it would have to be a modern interpretation and not a Bible bashing exercise in moralistic clap trap!
xx

[kapitanprien]

I'm 50-50 on the whole make-up thing...that's because I'm a sick man who loves the 'Flapper' look (as that was how my first wife dressed). Interestingly, my second wife - Ingeborg had the 'natural look' - which was great on her. One can also use natural make-up too...not that chemical filled junk, should one want stuff.

I agree on the 'moral' thing too - I don't care for 'moral police'. Yet oddly, society seems to act this way due to this 'split' - on the one side you have absolute deprivation (and no - I'm not talking about homosexuality...I'm talking about simple disrespect) and then on the other extreme - you have the 'moral police' (more often than not being 'strict' Christians). I've noticed things like this since having done Shadow work - you 'see' the 'splits' in people and society at times...giving one a peculiar feeling.

[gumby]

The Purpose of the BDM

Thanks everyone for your comments, I know that there are many pros and cons regarding the BDM. As a national organization it did instill values and built strong character in members, pride and respect for our nation and delineated the goals of the regime. But in a sense it was the National policy to mold the young mind to the will of the regime. This was the purpose of the Hitler Youth. And functioning in that way it was a very successful organization. The BDM had its time and place, but I don't think it would work in a free society. Granted our sociey seems like it is falling apart because people have taken freedoms beyond excess. But who really wants a government that imposes its will on the people such as the Nazi's did? There has to be balance, I think, Perhaps something like the BDM could work on a limited scale.

[kapitanprien]

Gumby - I agree...something apolitical, and something that would teach skills to young women (survival stuff too - not selling cookies - despite my love of Thin Mints ;D ) - like firearms practice, etc. I also think something that would 'cut across' all beliefs/non-beliefs (all paths).

The 'German societal view of women' - for lack of a better phrase, was always alien to me. This 'children-church-kitchen' thing... My mother worked, she divorced and remarried - is a part of it, but another part of it is that my very first life was spent living in Finland during the 19th century and the views there with women were quite different.

I had come across online version of the book 'Through Finland in Carts' and it is about Finland during the later part of the 19th c. ( www.archive.org/details/throughfinlandin00tweeuoft ). There were 600 women builders - the women helped with building the buildings in this one town (I can't remember which town they were in when the author made that quote).

I can't see Germany having been that way towards women during that time.

I think that the III Reich showed the 'split' in the 'psyche of society' as a whole - the more 'forward' thinking aspect, and then the more 'regressive' aspect. And it showed it quite clearly.

[gumby]

Yes I think that the concept of the male dominant society goes back to the patriarchial religions that were incorporated into Europe though conquest. ( the Indo-European influx circa 4500 BC ) The Neolithic Europeans had matriarchial societies that were centered in Mother Goddess worship. Women were respected and they were considered more on an equal basis with men. I think that generally speaking, the problem with the male dominated society is that the male ego is threatened by the fear that a woman could wield power. The ideal of equality still has not taken hold in many places in this world.