The movement Wandervogel (migratory birds) is an apolitical organization of founded German youth in 1896, with Berlin - Steglitz, and which aimed at freeing the Jeunesse from a middle-class company, repressive and authoritative.

Description

This movement is addressed in priority to the youth which it makes it possible to acquire keys and reference marks for the future by the knowledge of its identity, its past and the regional history. Two distinct but nonseparate axes are cultivated there: life of group, the sport, and the excursion like prevalent activity on the one hand, and the cultural activity on the other hand.

This movement thus brings together its members around nature, the life in the open air, of the cultural sports activities and, fraternity, adventure, music folk and traditional songs. A little like the Scouting, from which it is distinguished on the following points: by its rejection of the world of the adults, his organization being dealt with by youth itself without framing; the fact that it is not based on a military model and its taste for the Mixité, a scandal for the time. Moreover, the formation integrates a wider and enracinée cultural dimension there. For example while giving to the last style of the traditional festivals which, since mists of time, have rate/rhythm the life of the people, and that the risks of the modern world could make fall in disuse, like the celebration of the Solstice S or the equinox S. to note that " schools populaires" give a training covering a great number of fields: history, literature, mythology, ecology, first aid, etc the movement can be brought, in a specific way, to take part in the restoration of buildings of the regional inheritance or, in a spirit of maintains close links with the rural world, in agricultural work. The whole in a spirit of escape from the town world.

History

Four periods mark the history of the movement.

The phase of Wandervogel

Inaugurated by Karl Fischer, the first phase is primarily a reaction against middle-class rigidities, the attitudes guindées of the Beautiful Time, the snobbery materialist, etc Wandervogel of Fischer is established like a “new school”, nearer to the nature, émancipée compared to conventions and at educational establishments, vectrices of a diagrammatic knowledge. Wandervogel, it is the dispute of before 1914. The movement inaugurates against-Institutions like Inn of youth, returns to the soil and free the deserts of stone which are the cities, discovers the camp-site and the excursions in forest. Wandervogel rejects frivolities of the “bourgeoisism”: he does not dance, does not follow the mode, condemns the Alcoolisme and the abuse tobacco. Before the release of the First World War, the majority of the movement is pacifist.

The phase of Freideutsche Jugend

The second phase, that carried by Freideutsche jugend, is in fact a phase of transition, between the movement of schoolboys and high-school pupils who was Wandervogel and that, more politicized, of the phase “bündisch”. With the meeting on the mount Hohen Meissner, close to Kassel October 11th and 12th 1913, the protest against the middle-class company is expressed for the first time in all clearness. In fact, it was a question of disputing 100 years the official patriotic commemoration of the battle of the nations with Leipzig. It was said from now on to the point that one wanted to create a “kingdom of youth” (Jugendreich) without interference of the adults. One finds also an influence of the theories of the teacher Gustav Wyneken. It would be for this reason that tens of leagues present united in Freideutsche Jugend. All wanted to exceed the Individualisme period “Wandervogel”. The desire to carry out an united action became increasingly strong and one believed in the possibility of forging a new community, an alive community deploying his own style, in head-on opposition at the company of mass of the adults. When the First World War bursts, this dream breaks in thousand pieces. On all fronts the volunteers resulting from the youth movement fall to the service from a company which they had scorned. The war also left its traces after the Traité of Versailles in the youth movement. Several leagues, in the circumstances of the time, end up beginning in political mobilities or are devoted to the most strange experiments. One could not speak any more about unit. It was the complete parcelling out. This phase is still apolitical, on the whole. Freideutsche Communists will be the first with being absorptive by an adult political training. By this scission, the signal of the general politization of the German company is given. Politization will engage under the pressure of the tragic events which the Germany knows: inflation, food shortage, repairs imposed by Versailles, social agitation, etc the escape out of realities, the marginalisation wanted by Fischer run up against frustrations of social reality, frustrations due to the report which it is not possible any more, with such a failing economy and such a controlled nation, to create the new man. To remove the obstacles of misery socio-policy, it is necessary, obviously, to act on the political field… The chiefs of the various movements cannot cultivate their philosophical hobby-horses indefinitely any more nor to continue their romantic dream of freedom, of social detabouisation.

the phase of Bündische Jugend

Magma of idyllic or smoky ideals, sublimes or eccentrics, is born the third phase: the phase “bündisch”. The Anarchisme grows blurred. The leagues which are constituted accept from now on guiding principles and organizing hierarchies. In the tread, the uniforms gradually appear and replace the chamarrés implements, the coloured shirts and the hats with flowers. The “style” succeeded charming imagination thus. The stress is laid from now on on Bund, as a community, that authority supra personal (“the personalities die as the flies but what is objective never does not die”). Bund recruits the best boys and in this direction it is élitiste. But its chiefs are elected, as at old the Germains. Bund functions democratically: the elected chiefs discuss plane and projects with all the members. The principle of autonomy remains, in spite of the change in forms.

the phase of dissolution by repression main road-Socialist

But, when the politization of the German company reaches its paroxysm at the time of the electoral campaigns which will bring Hitler to the capacity, this principle of autonomy proves terribly weak vis-a-vis the politicized and fanaticized groups. Hitler had always shown its contempt for the “marginal ones” of the youth movements. It will do all so that those join the rows of its party or disappear. In spite of an ultimate attempt at regrouping, under the aegis of the old Admiral von Trotha, Bünde will end up being all prohibited and dissouts. The recalcitrant ones will be pitilessly pursued. New the German Totalitarisme did not tolerate any space of autonomy… When well even would be he healthily teacher like were to it Bünde. In Germany, this movement will thus be prohibited by the Nazi S in 1933.

The Wandervogel movement today

The movement will reappear painfully after the Second world war, for essaimer then slowly in various countries.

The Wandervogel movement in Germany

Country which saw being born the Wandervogel movement, Germany shelters today still the most important branch of many members of the movement, approximately 5 ' 000. The castle of Ludwigstein, in the north of Kassel, contains the files of the movement.

The Wandervogel movement in France

It was necessary to wait exactly eighty ten years after the official creation of the Wandervogel movement in Steglitz to see the emergence of an youth organization claiming of this movement in France, fascinating for name its French translation: “Migratory birds”.

This movement started from Normandy, in the middle of Cotentin, of the initiative of a handle of young people Normands, at the same time deeply attached to the culture of their area, and fascinated by the model of the German movement, if ignored in France, and that they had discovered through their readings. They had the feeling that there was the model which brought finally the answer to their aspirations, that the Scoutisme French could only leave dissatisfied. Indeed, they had found there the development of a “total education”, of an ethics of life such as they conceived them. They mix all at the same time spirit Völkisch (concept complex meaning at the same time “regionalistic”, “traditional”, “popular” and “rural”), spirit of friendship, freedom and “revolt against the middle-class spirit”. It is here about the freedom of the youth directed by the youth, released of any influence - even taken of hostage - policy, philosophical or religious by the company, that of the adults. They find there also a certain ecological design of the world, the aspiration with a simple life, healthy and close to the Nature, the rejection of the world of the cities and its artificial values which alienate youth, and which made forget with the men the gasoline of the things and nature. Lastly, and especially, they make the their exaltation of the great excursions of youth wandervogel in a found nature, with discovered their areas, but also of the Europe, furrowing scrap-metals, moors, forests and mountains. There is besides the first currency which their group took: “Norman and European”, namely enracinés and marked in their own culture (völkisch spirit), and sharing the universal values, European of Wandervogels, as well as a heritage and a cultural heritage commun runs with the European people.

By an astonishing analogy, and in a quite unconscious way besides, the first developments of this incipient movement followed those of the first German wandervogels groups. Indeed, it was initially a “group of buddies”, as one would say familiarly, little structured - even if the activities were comparatively numerous, mainly excursions in Normandy -, and without much unit in the appropriate dress, typically with the image of what one called Ur-Wandervogel, that of the first times.

Then, following the first contacts with one of the oldest German wandervogels groups, fresh impulse was given to the young Norman Migratory birds, which then discovered visu the spirit and the form “wandervogels” that they had known until now only in the books: reality exceeded the fiction. Definitively convinced that they had found the right track, they were also conscious of the extent of the task to be achieved: they started from scratch, having for them only their will, their good intentions, and their frame of mind. The turning bündisch was then taken: the movement had to be structured.

Very quickly, an appropriate dress “Birds” made its appearance, wanting to dissociate itself by its side völkisch, traditional, of the uniform scout. It is resulting from a synthesis of elements wandervogels bündisch (knickers and lines) and of French regional specificities: the “Affe” (backpack) of the Germans was replaced by the good old man French “Bergamo”, JuJa by old “the track” of the French Alpine hunters. As for Kohte, the famous emblematic Lappish tent of Wandervogels, it was obviously adopted. In the same way on the shirts the badge of the Migratory birds appeared: the “Bouais-Jan” (Norman word meaning “flower of gorse”), symbolizing for Normandy what is the “Thistle” in Scotland. The symbol of the “Bouais-Jan” was exalté by the poet and Norman writer Louis Beuve (1869-1949). It was also the name of a regionalistic review Norman of the beginning of the XXe century. But also one henceforth carries, on the shoulder, the ecu of his area. Indeed, of new young people, many, joined the movement, coming from other areas of France, where they formed in their turn their own regional group of the Migratory birds. The first was that of Brittany.

In addition to in the form, it is as in the content as the movement then took its rise and its maturity, cultivating its regional specificities. Concerning the aspect völkisch, one learns there and practical the traditional languages, dances and the songs of the areas. One also gives there to the last style the regional traditional festivals which, since mists of time, have rate/rhythm the life of our people, and that the risks of the modern world could make fall in disuse: fires of summer solstice (Holy Jean), festivals of winter solstice (Jul, Christmas), and other Fields of May (May 1st). Moreover, on the basis of the principle which the spirit of the people saw in the campaigns, the young “Birds” aspire to maintain a close contact with the rural world, while taking part for example in the agricultural work. Lastly, they practice what makes the gasoline of the movement: life of group, sports collective, and especially great steps through the wild areas of France and Europe, which contribute to cultivate the defense of the environment by the training of nature. Lastly, one of great specificities of the movement of the Migratory birds resides in the organization of “High Popular Schools”, of which the name and the concept resulting from Folke Hojskole are rested by Danish reformer N.F.S. Grundtvig in first half of the XIXe century, which initiated a fort running of revival cultural and popular in all Scandinavia, and which wanted to be a “eveillor of people”. It will be noted that it remains of this current of very many schools of this type in Scandinavia, and also in Germany. They very popular, and from now on are institutionalized there. Nevertheless, the majority moved away appreciably from their vocation first.

He wanted to make of it an alternative to the academic education of state (universities, etc), which he described as “school of death”, opponent with the latter a “school of life”, that he preached. By courses which go from the regional and European history to popular mythology and legends, while passing by the traditions, the dances, the songs, the languages, fauna and the flora regional, one learns the “popular culture there” (in the direction of Folke-Dannelse de Grundtvig), a “culture of the life”, aiming insufflating, waking up “the spirit of the people” (the folkelig spirit of the Norwegians) and at transmitting the “vital breath”, to forge enracinés spirits. Grundtvig stressed particular on the Mythologie, which he regarded as fundamental, because carrying according to him the gasoline of people, of his mental and spiritual universe. Thus in its logic, for example, very Normand should learn the Scandinavian Mythologie, and very Breton the Celtic Mythologie.

In conclusion, the Migratory birds, Wandervögel, in France today, were born from the same revolt of youth that whose their German predecessors were animated, here now a century. Indeed, even however the French company surfaces some appears not easily comparable with the company wilhelmienne of the time, the basic problems remain intact for youth: alienation in the urban world, taken of hostage morals, policy, even religious by the world of the adults (in particular that of the media and school), endoctrination consumerist and materialist, uprooting and loss of landmarks cultural and moral. Current youth does not think by itself: one conceives for it “loan to be thought”. This company does not serve any more but one world to him insipid, insipid, gray and undifferentiated. Nothing has changed in fact for one century. The spirit middle-class such as Flaubert or Höffkes defines it remains: is middle-class that which accepts such a world and takes part in it.

With that, the Migratory birds oppose a “school of life”, that of Wandervogels and N.F.S. Grundtvig, and a “total education”, as defined by Pierre de Coubertin. It oppose to it also a worship of the “great health”, promoted by the Norman writer Jean Prevost. It oppose to it finally the spirit of the people, the spirit völkisch wandervogel or folkelig of the large Scandinavian reformers.

Drawn from the site: http://www.crevetabous.com/chapitre_wv_om.htm

Currencies and Quotations

To become ripe and remain pure.

Wild and Free.

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