Date: Fri, 11 Nov 94 13:28 MET From: bell To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Edelweisspiraten Dear friends, Fifty years ago today, here in Cologne six boys at the age of 15/16 were hung to death by the Gestapo. Their crime was that they didn't want to wear a uniform. They didn't join the HJ, as all boys had to, but they formed their own gang, going out to nature at the weekends to camp, taking their guitars to sing songs that weren't convenient for the dictators. They called themselves Edelweisspiraten and in october 1944, most of them were taken to prison and tortured by the Gestapo. Last night I was at a memorial service at the place were the gallow stood. A survivor told us about the time in prison, the tortures, the day when his friends were murdered and his liberation by American soldiers. There were also many scouts and scouters in prisons and KZs. Naturally soon after the Nazis came to power, scouting and other youth-organizations were forbidden in Germany. Only the HJ was allowed and every boy had to join. Many scout-groups continued their meetings and work illegaly and when they were discovered, they had to suffer prison or even death. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Nov 94 23:25 MET From: lucrezi@iinf01.ing.univaq.it. (Gino Lucrezi) To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Edelweisspiraten > There were also many scouts and scouters in prisons and KZs. Naturally soon > after the Nazis came to power, scouting and other youth-organizations were > forbidden in Germany. Only the HJ was allowed and every boy had to join. > Many scout-groups continued their meetings and work illegaly and when they > were discovered, they had to suffer prison or even death. In Italy, scouting was disbanded in two phases in 1927-28, after lots of provocations from the "Balilla" in 1926. This didn't prevent the "Aquile Randagie" (Wandering Eagles) and other groups to keep doing some scout activities , in some cases just until the fall of Mussolini. Many eventually joined Partisan groups, of course. Fortunately, in 15 years of "Giungla Silente" there are no recorded cases of captures of underground scouts (but lots of beatings of former ones suspected of going on). A book telling the story of many such groups is "Storia dello Scoutismo in Italia", by Mario Sica (who was recently awarded the Bronze Wolf), of course in Italian. Some news about Giulio Cesare "Bad Boy" Uccellini and the Aquile Randagie can also be found in "Scouting Around the World", by J.S. Wilson. Ciao! Gino