Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a WWII German HJ National Youth Organization Unit Marked parade flag! The flag measures 46" x 72" and is a double sided multi-piece design. The red portions look to be made from dyed wool, with the white and black portions being canvas. The main body of the flags is three pieces, with the HJ "mobile' swas insignia on each side being made from a white diamond with a sewn on black swas. The flag has a sturdy web header on one end, with 7 non-magnetic rings attached to web loops so the flag could be attached to a pole.
These flags would have been used to identify the different companies and elements within the HJ and would have a unit patch featured in the corner. This flag has a bullion-bordered green 7 1/2" x 10" rectangle, embroidered in white with LBA, for the HJ Lehrerbildungsanstalt (Teacher Training Institute). These were made to train the teachers in the HJ organization, though we do not know which specific school this would have referred to. The flag is in very good condition, showing some age toning, staining, and wear from age, but still presenting beautifully. There are a few small holes and tears in the wool portions, which is to be expected.
A genuine WW2 German HJ Youth flag in this condition is unlikely to be encountered again anytime soon! Comes ready to display.
The German National Youth Organization, often abbreviated as HJ, was the youth organization of the NSDAP Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name H-Jugend, Bund deutscher Arbeiterjugend ("H Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. From 1936 until 1945, it was the sole official boys' youth organization in Germany and it was partially a paramilitary organization. It was composed of the HJ Youth proper for male youths aged 14 to 18, and the German Youngsters in the HJ Youth (Deutsches Jungvolk in der HJugend or "DJ", also "DJV") for younger boys aged 10 to 14.
With the surrender of NSDAP Germany in 1945, the organization de facto ceased to exist. On 10 October 1945, the Youth and its subordinate units were outlawed by the Allied Control Council along with other NSDAP Party organizations. Under Section 86 of the Criminal Code of the Federal Republic of Germany, the H Youth is an "unconstitutional organization" and the distribution or public use of its symbols, except for educational or research purposes, is illegal.
