Podcast episode with historian Nick Heath about anti-Nazi youth cultural movements in fascist Europe during World War II. In particular we look at the German Edelweiss Pirates and Swing Kids, the French Zazous and the Austrian Schlurfs.
This is a playlist of tracks curated by Nick which these groups listened to at the time: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7…gFZxZQ1P8xMJ_zOBa
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MORE INFORMATION
- A short history of the Edelweiss Pirates
- A short history of the Zazous
- A short history of the Schlurfs
FOOTNOTES
1. The Ehrenfeld resistance group – more info about them here: http://www.executedtoday.com/2015/11/10/1944-thirteen-from-the-ehrenfeld-roup-and-the-edelweiss-pirates/
2. The Edelweiss Pirates film from 2004 you can watch online here: vimeo.com/99341412
3. The mods – this is an interesting study of “moral panics” by the media, looking in particular at the mods and rockers youth culture in the 1960s UK: libcom.org/history/folk-devils-moral-panics
4. The White Rose Group – this is an archive of documents about the group: libcom.org/library/white-rose-documents
5. Zoot suits: this is a history of the US zoot suit phenomenon: libcom.org/history/zoot-suit-rebellion
6. Anarchist Communist Group – this is the website of the ACG: www.anarchistcommunism.org/
7. Also on a musical note we recommend checking out the Pet Shop Boys song, In the Night, which is about the Zazous: youtu.be/OB2y40HID44
MERCH
We have produced some merchandise, using artwork from original 1930s German anti-fascist groups, to help fund our work, including the Edelweiss Pirates, who wore edelweiss flowers flowers in their lapels. So our shirts and hoodies feature embroidered edelweiss flowers. Check it out at shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/anti-fascist
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (www.ushmm.org/) for permission to use excerpts of their interview with Walter Meyer, which is in four parts and begins here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlC1uahOuf4
Edited by Tyler Hill of the Gods & Ghosts podcast: tylerkenthill.podbean.com/
Our theme tune is Bella Ciao, an Italian partisan folksong, thanks for permission to use it from Dischi del Sole. You can purchase it here: www.alabianca.it/store/bravo-reco…ella-ciao-aa-vv/ Or stream it here: open.spotify.com/album/6yXBmaTSWD…nXQrWJWUUEzgNEAQ
The first song we play is Johnny Hess – Ils Sont Zazous. Buy it here: itunes.apple.com/us/album/78-rpm-swing/391646365
The second is Erhard Bauschke und sein Orchester – Nachtexpress Nach Warschau. Buy it here: itunes.apple.com/at/album/erhard-…hester/301892537
The final track is Tanzorchester Oscar Joost – Am Montag Fangt Die Woche An. Stream it here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6KgdXi50mxNh8QrDy3iMZK?highlight=spotify:track:0KxUeeufJOQ9uZRTEpsSOP
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