I guess it’s pretty certain Ratzinger was in the Hitler Youth in 1941, quit soon thereafter. If I’m wrong, I apoligize, I just heard about this today. This makes me wonder if all youth about that time in Germany had to join the Hitler Youth for a while?
I’m not coming down on him, I don’t think at 14 I’d want to be the one to tell Adolf I really don’t want to join up. Just wondering how it was then for German youth.
Membership in the Hitler Youth became compulsory for all youth over 10 in 1941. Ratzinger was 14 and was only briefly a member.
-Lil
cite: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/hitleryouth.html
Apparently it was compulsory, but accounts I’ve read recently say that some other young men did not comply with the law and were not punished.
Yes, a few people avoided the service entirely, but this was clearly illegal and their parents (keep in mind that all people in question were minors) faced a fine of 150 Mark, a significant sum at the time, or prison time if they failed to report their children.
You could also be ineligible for the Hitler youth if you did not comply with their standards of moral and honor, or you were a jew.