Location: Soboth
On November 12 and 13, 1932, Soboth was the site of the Hitlerjugend-Grenzlandtreffen, (Hitler Youth Borderland Meeting). The event’s theme was “Die Jugend wird ein neues Deutschland bauen” (“The youth will build a new Germany”).
On November 12 and 13, 1932, Soboth hosted a Hitlerjugend-Grenzlandtreffen (Hitler Youth Borderland Meeting) under the theme “Die Jugend wird ein neues Deutschland bauen” (“The Youth Will Build a New Germany”). Promoted extensively by the National Socialist party newspaper Der Kampf, the event was hailed as the “largest youth rally the Western Styria and the German borderland had ever seen.” Around 300 youths participated in the meeting, which aimed to solidify Nazi ideology among the youth.
The event, which included speeches from notable figures like NS Gauleiter Walther Oberhaidacher, was framed as a commemoration of the “Abwehrkampf” (defensive struggle) that had taken place in Soboth following the collapse of the monarchy. However, its true purpose was to indoctrinate the young participants in National Socialist ideals, particularly given the symbolic importance of the location. Key figures like HJ-Bannführer Fritz Bauer and SA-Gausturmführer Prof. Paul Geißler delivered speeches with a strong ideological tone. The program also featured a “large-scale night exercise” and paramilitary drills, emphasizing the militaristic nature of the event, which was aimed at fostering loyalty and readiness for future roles within the Nazi system
Literature: Markus Roschitz, Die NSDAP in der Region Schwanberg 1930–1938. Eine Mikrostudie (= Forschungen zur geschichtlichen Landeskunde der Steiermark; 85). Innsbruck/Wien 2020, 83–84.
Text: Markus Rieger-Roschitz / Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on War Consequences
