Franziska V. loved to hang out in Vienna’s Prater amusement park or in the pubs in the city’s Second District. She wanted to have fun with people of her own age. She rejected the drill of the
Hitler Youth or the
League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel). She was a »
Schlurf girl«. »Schlurf« is an Austrian German expression for idleness and means taking things easy, having fun, going for nights on the town, not following the norm.
»Schlurfs« were young members of the working class in Vienna, who during the National Socialist regime attracted attention with their unique sense of style and love of jazz music. »Schlurf« is an Austrian term for idleness. Like »Schlurf« is an Austrian term for idleness. Like the »swings« in Hamburg, the »zazous« in Paris or the »Potápki« in Prague, the »Schlurfs« lived in their own youth sub-culture which was diametrically opposed to the military drill of the Nazi youth organisations. They were persecuted by the Nazis.
The Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend, abbr. HJ) was the National Socialist youth organisation for boys; its female equivalent was the League of German Girls (BDM). All other youth organisations were banned in 1933. Children and teenagers were to be educated in National Socialist principles both in and outside school. For this reason, membership of the HJ was compulsory for all 10 to 18 year-old boys who were classed as »Aryan«.
The League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel abbr. BDM) was the Nazi youth organisation for girls and young women, the female equivalent of the Hitler Youth. All other youth organisations were banned in 1933. Children and teenagers were to be educated according to National Socialist principles both in and outside the classroom. From 1939 membership of the BDM was therefore made compulsory for all girls aged between 10 and 17 who were classed as »Aryan«.
