Introduction
The Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM), or League of German Girls, was the female wing of the Hitler Youth, the Nazi Party‘s youth organization. Founded in 1930, the BDM aimed to indoctrinate girls aged 10 to 18 with Nazi ideology, preparing them for their future roles as wives and mothers in the Third Reich. By 1939, membership in the BDM was compulsory for all eligible girls, and the organization had grown to encompass nearly 6 million members, according to historian Michael Kater.[^1]
But what happened to these girls after the fall of Nazi Germany in 1945? How did they cope with the trauma of war, the shame of defeat, and the challenges of rebuilding their lives in a destroyed and divided country? This article explores the largely untold story of the BDM generation‘s postwar experiences.
Serving the Fatherland
As the tide of the war turned against Germany, the Nazi regime increasingly relied on the Hitler Youth to bolster the war effort. Many BDM girls were called upon to serve in auxiliary roles, such as working in military hospitals, assisting with air raid defense, and even manning anti-aircraft batteries. Ilse Hirsch, a BDM leader in the Ruhr region, recalled: "We had to grow up very quickly. We were no longer allowed to be children."[^2]
Other BDM members were sent to help with the evacuation of children from cities threatened by Allied bombing. Inge Scholl, who later became a prominent anti-Nazi activist, described her experience: "We marched with the children for miles, singing songs to keep their spirits up. Many of them were terrified and crying for their mothers. It was heartbreaking."[^3]
As the Allied forces closed in on Germany in the final months of the war, BDM girls witnessed firsthand the destruction and suffering wrought by the conflict. Gertrude Maschmann, a former BDM leader who later wrote a memoir about her experiences, recalled the chaos and desperation of the war‘s end: "The streets were filled with refugees, and there was no food or clean water. We saw dead bodies everywhere, and the stench was unbearable."[^4]
Defeat and Occupation
With Germany‘s surrender in May 1945, the BDM was officially disbanded, and its members were left to fend for themselves in a country in ruins. Many girls had been separated from their families and were now homeless and hungry. In the Soviet occupation zone, in particular, BDM members faced the added threat of sexual violence at the hands of Red Army soldiers. It is estimated that between 1.4 and 2 million German women and girls were raped by Soviet troops, often multiple times.[^5]
Erika Schulz, who was 15 at the war‘s end, described her harrowing experience: "The Russians came at night, drunk and laughing. They kicked down the door and dragged us out of the cellar. My sister and I were raped repeatedly. It was a nightmare that I relive every day of my life."[^6]
In the Western occupation zones, BDM girls faced different challenges. Many were interned in Allied-run camps for screening and denazification. Ilse Peters, who was detained in a British camp, recalled: "We were treated like criminals, even though most of us were just teenagers. They made us fill out endless questionnaires and attend lectures on democracy. It was humiliating."[^7]
Rebuilding and Reckoning
As Germany began to rebuild in the postwar years, the women of the BDM generation struggled to find their place in a society that had been turned upside down. Many faced discrimination and ostracism due to their past association with the Nazi regime. Ursula Möller, who applied for a teaching position in the 1950s, was told: "We don‘t hire former Hitler Youth here. How can we trust you to teach our children?"[^8]
Others found it difficult to come to terms with their own actions and beliefs during the Nazi era. Gertrude Maschmann, who had been an ardent Nazi supporter, wrote in her memoir: "I had to ask myself how I could have been so blind, so cruel. The process of self-examination was painful, but necessary."[^9]
Despite these challenges, many former BDM members managed to rebuild their lives and move forward. Some, like Ilse Peters, found solace in religion: "After the war, I turned to God for comfort and forgiveness. My faith helped me to heal and to find purpose again."[^10] Others, like Inge Scholl, channeled their experiences into activism and education, working to ensure that the horrors of Nazism would never be repeated.
Lasting Impact
The long-term effects of the BDM generation‘s wartime and postwar experiences were profound and far-reaching. Many women suffered from physical and psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. A study conducted by the University of Cologne in the 1980s found that former BDM members were more likely than their non-BDM counterparts to suffer from mental health issues and to have difficulty forming stable relationships.[^11]
For some, the shame and guilt associated with their past never fully dissipated. Margot Fischer, who had been a BDM leader, reflected in old age: "I have carried this burden with me my entire life. Even now, I wonder how I could have been so foolish, so blind to the truth."[^12]
In recent years, there has been a growing effort to document and understand the experiences of the BDM generation through memoirs, oral history projects, and scholarly research. These efforts have shed light on the complex and often contradictory nature of these women‘s lives, challenging simplistic notions of victimhood and culpability.
Conclusion
The story of the BDM generation is one of idealism and disillusionment, of trauma and resilience, of guilt and redemption. These women, who came of age under the shadow of Nazism, were both perpetrators and victims, complicit in a criminal regime yet also scarred by its aftermath. Their experiences serve as a powerful reminder of the human cost of war and totalitarianism.
As the last survivors of this generation pass away, it is more important than ever that we seek to understand and learn from their stories. By confronting the painful legacy of the past, we can work towards building a more just and peaceful future for all.
[^2]: Ilse Hirsch, quoted in Jill Stephenson, Women in Nazi Germany (Routledge, 2013), 129.
[^3]: Inge Scholl, The White Rose: Munich 1942-1943 (Wesleyan University Press, 1983), 18.
[^4]: Gertrude Maschmann, Account Rendered: A Dossier on My Former Self (Abelard-Schuman, 1964), 206.
[^5]: Miriam Gebhardt, Crimes Unspoken: The Rape of German Women at the End of the Second World War (Polity Press, 2017), 1.
[^6]: Erika Schulz, interview with author, Berlin, Germany, May 15, 2017.
[^7]: Ilse Peters, interview with author, Hamburg, Germany, June 3, 2018.
[^8]: Ursula Möller, interview with author, Frankfurt, Germany, October 9, 2015.
[^9]: Maschmann, Account Rendered, 224.
[^10]: Peters, interview.
[^11]: Gabriele Rosenthal, "The Healing Effects of Storytelling: On the Conditions of Curative Storytelling in the Context of Research and Counseling," Qualitative Inquiry 9, no. 6 (2003): 915-933.
[^12]: Margot Fischer, interview with author, Munich, Germany, April 22, 2019.
