E72: Swing Kids and Edelweiss Pirates

E72: Swing Kids and Edelweiss Pirates

Author: Working Class History April 3, 2023 Duration: 31:51
Podcast episode about anti-fascist youth cultural movements in Nazi Germany before and during World War II. In particular we look at the German Edelweiss Pirates and Swing Kids, and in our patreon bonus episode we also speak about the French Zazous and the Austrian Schlurfs.
Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistory
Despite years of indoctrination, young people in fascist Europe in the 1930s and 40s resisted the authoritarianism and conformism of Nazi rule. We hear from former Edelweiss Pirate Walter Mayer, and speak with historian Nick Heath about these little-known movements.
See sources, more information and a transcript on the webpage for this episode here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/72-edelweiss-pirates-swing-kids/.
Acknowledgements
  • Thanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands and Jamison D. Saltsman.
  • Episode graphic, mural of a group of Edelweiss Pirates in Cologne, courtesy wwwuppertal Flickr, CC by 2.0.
  • Edited by Louise Barry
  • The theme music was Functionizin’, by Fats Waller, courtesy of the Swiss Foundation and Wikimedia Commons.
  • Also featured was Richard Wagner’s Gerechter Gott, performed by Ernestine Schumann-Heink also courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Podcast Episodes
E89: Indigenous resistance since 1992, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:57
Following on from his excellent book, 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance, Gord Hill of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation gives us an overview of over three decades of Indigenous resistance in the Americas since 1992. A podcast in…
E88: Indigenous resistance since 1992, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:28
Following on from his excellent book, 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance, Gord Hill of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation gives us an overview of over three decades of Indigenous resistance in the Americas since 1992. A podcast in…
E87: Class struggle in Palestine, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:14
Part 2 of our double-episode podcast about workers' struggles in Palestine during the British Mandate (1920-48). In this episode, we cover the Palestinian labour movement during World War II, new Palestinian workers’ org…
E86: Class struggle in Palestine, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:53
First of a double podcast about workers' struggles in Palestine during the British Mandate (1920-48). In this episode we cover the Balfour Declaration and establishment of the British Mandate, the campaign for 'Hebrew La…
E85: [TEASER] May Day with Upstream [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:49
Teaser extract from an episode exclusively for our patreon supporters. Episode produced by Upstream in conversation with John from Working Class History talking about the history of May Day, International Workers’ Day, f…
E84: Angry Brigade, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:11
Second in a double podcast about the Angry Brigade, Britain’s first home-grown urban guerrilla group, in the 1960s and 70s, in conversation with John Barker, who was put on trial as part of the group.Our podcast is broug…
E83: Angry Brigade, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:26
Double podcast about the Angry Brigade, Britain’s first home-grown urban guerrilla group, in the 1960s and 70s, in conversation with John Barker, who was put on trial as part of the group.Our podcast is brought to you by…
E82: Workmates collective [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:28
Podcast episode about the Workmates collective, a rank-and-file initiative on the London Underground using unofficial direct action and workplace assemblies to fight privatisation in the late-1990s/early 2000s.Our suppor…
E81: Miners' strikes 1972-4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:08
Podcast episode about strikes by miners in Britain in 1972 and 1974, in conversation with Dave Douglass.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive e…