8. Jazz and Blues Were in Fashion Among Anti-Nazi Youths
The German kids who refused to conform to the Nazi regime often expressed themselves through lifestyle and fashion choices that bucked the totalitarian state. Like many youth cultures across the ages, the Edelweiss Pirates set themselves apart with a distinctive style of dress that became common among their members. They did not all use the title Edelweiss Pirates – the branch in Cologne, for example, went by “Navajos” – but they shared some common traits. Foremost among them was an emphasis on and encouragement of free thought.
The Edelweiss Pirates rejected the strict gender segregation of the Hitler Youth and League of German Girls, in favor of co-ed activities. They liked to hike and camp, not least because while in the great outdoors, they often had the freedom, while temporarily away from snoops and snitches, to engage in prohibited activities. Those included singing or listening to music deemed “degenerate” by the Nazis, like jazz and the blues. They were also able to freely express themselves, and openly discuss topics and voice opinions that would have gotten them in trouble had they been overheard by informants back in the cities.
