How were Hitler Youth leaders selected and trained?

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Does anyone know how one obtained the position of HJ Leader? Was it a position acheived at age 18, instead of say,moving on to RAD or Heer service? If it was for the 18+ group, did they stay on long, or hold that title for a year or so before moving on? I looked on the fourm here, and didn't really come up with anything in detail.

Thanks in advance

Rob
 
I believe that most leader ranks had to be appointed or merited .
 
Hi Rob,

There were many changes to the rank system/rank structure as you know so rather than go into those here's the culmination from 1942 (source: RJF Dienstvorschrift, Annex C). I'll attempt to find the same info but for BDM/JM.



Minimum ages applied to the lower ranks (Gemeinschaftsränge) and the Führerschaft only. The prerequisites for promotion within these rank levels are in brackets

HJ

(Rank - minimum age)
Rottenführer: 14 1/2 (no prerequisites)
Oberrottenführer: 15 (HJ achievement badge in black (Eisen) and successful completion of a weekend leadership course/short course at the Bannführerschule).

Kameradschaftsführer: 15 1/2 (HJ achievement badge in bronze and successful completion of a weekend leadership course/short course at the Bannführerschule).

Oberkameradschaftsführer: 16 (prerequisites: as for Kameradschaftsführer).

Scharführer: 16 1/2 (HJ achievement badge in silver and successful completion of a leadership course at the Gebietsführerschule).

Oberscharführer: 17 (prerequisites: as for Scharführer)


DJ

(Rank - minimum age)
Hordenführer: 11
Oberhordenführer: 12

Jungenschaftsführer: 13
Oberjungenschaftsführer: 14
Jungzugführer: 15
Oberjungzugführer: 16
Fähnleinführer: 17

The prerequisites for promotion for the DJ were that the ranks Oberhordenführer to Oberjungenschaftsführer had to hold the DJ achievement badge and have successfully completed a weekend leadership course or short course at the Bannführerschule. The rank range Jungzugführer to Fähnleinführer required the HJ achievement badge in silver and successful completion of a leadership course at the Gebietsführerschule. There were no prerequisites for promotion to Hordenführer.

The ages shown above were guidelines and a boy could be promoted earlier/faster if his performance warranted such a promotion. Promotions for these ranks were authorised by the Bannführer (Jungbannführer for DJ) and a boy would normally have been elegible for promotion after 6 months in the previous rank (12 months for DJ). For those working on the Gebiet Staff all promotions were authorised by the Gebiet personnel office.




Führerkorps

HJ/DJ

Gefolgschaftsführer
Obergefolgschaftsführer/Oberfähnleinführer
Hauptgefolgschaftsführer/Hauptfähnleinführer
Stammführer/Jungstammführer
Oberstammführer/Oberjungstammführer
Bannführer

With the exception of Bannführer which was one and a half years the time which had to be spent in a rank before promotion was possible was 12 months.

From September 1941 the prerequisites for all Führerkorps ranks were:

Must be a party member
Must hold the HJ achievement badge in silver*
Must have successfully completed a leadership course at the Gebietsführerschule (for Bannführer at the Reichsführerschule).
Must have completed armed service (Wehrdienst)


* this could be waived for those incapacitated through injuries sustained whilst on active service with the Wehrmacht.


Higher Führerkorps (höheres Führerkorps)

Oberbannführer
Hauptbannführer
Gebietsführer
Obergebietsführer

Appointments within the higher Führerkorps were made by Hitler. Minimum time to be spent in a rank was 3 years.


For certain ranks/appointments there were further requirements.

The Gefolgschaftsführer of a Flieger-HJ Gefolgschaft had to satisfy the following additional requirement for example:

Must hold glider pilot licence.

The Scharführer of a Marine-HJ Schar had to hold the B-class Seesportprüfung badge.

....and so on
 
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