A look back at the exhibition "Poisoned! Youth under the Nazi boot"

The exhibition

Thanks to unique documents — educational objects, posters and videos — from public and private archives, French and German, the exhibition "Poisoned! Youth under the Nazi boot" presented the indoctrination of young people in Germany but also in the annexed territories of Alsace and Moselle.

« Wer die Jugend hat, hat die Zukunft » ("He who holds the youth, holds the future")

This Nazi slogan perfectly illustrates the extent of the indoctrination implemented by the Third Reich. While this exhibition addressed a potentially difficult topic, it helped our visitors understand the extent to which these young people were manipulated from kindergarten onward to shape the new society envisioned by Hitler.

The main themes addressed

The course was structured around several themes allowing participants to understand the different levers of this control: 

• propaganda and indoctrination
• education
• culture and leisure
• the Hitler Youth

An original version, enhanced for the Normandy Victory Museum

Previously presented in several regions of France, the exhibition offered at Normandy Victory Museum The exhibition was expanded to include a space dedicated to French youth under the Vichy regime. The aim was to present to the public the education of children under the occupation and the regime's attempts to mold the "New Man" of the National Revolution. This enriched display, enhanced by numerous objects, traced the journey of young French people, from their school desks to the French Youth Camps.

Several partners also contributed to this exhibition:

• A 1943 Panzer II "Luchs" tank loaned by the Tank Museum of Saumur

• 4 mannequins (children and teenagers) representing various organizations and activities within the Hitler Youth, as well as some objects, such as a training rifle, loaned by the MMPark France in La Wantzenau in Alsace

• A collection of personal belongings and documents from a young Alsatian man who joined the Hitler Youth, loaned by the Walbourg Memorial Museum in Alsace

• Various objects evocative of the theme (drums, decorations, clothing, equipment, documents) from private collectors, loaned for the occasion of the exhibition

An exhibition that made a lasting impression on visitors

The subject of the exhibition "Poisoned! Youth under the Nazi boot", both demanding and sometimes little known, particularly caught the attention of visitors, sensitive to the mechanisms of influence brought to light.

In a context where issues of propaganda and the dissemination of ideas remain very relevant, particularly through social networks, the exhibition offered valuable insights.

For many parents, it was also an opportunity to discuss these issues with their children, while other visitors found new insights into a period they thought they already knew.

Exhibition curator

The exhibition "Poisoned! Youth under the Nazi boot" was conceived under the direction of Marcel Spisser, exhibition curator, former regional educational inspector in history and geography and president of the Association of Friends of the Alsace-Moselle Memorial.