Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder

The Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder was a Scout association in Germany active from 1926 to 1934. The association never had more than 500 members. It was the first coed Scout association in Germany. It was interdenominational and politically neutral.

History

1923-1933

Since 1923 there had been Scout groups within the International Organisation of Good Templars (IOGT) in Germany. There was a strong influence from the "Neupfadfinder". The Neupfadfinder was a group of German and Austrian Scouters and Scouts, who tried to modernize Scouting under the influence of the Wandervogel movement and of the Kindred of the Kibbo Kift. They founded among other things a publishing house and published the translation of the books of John Hargrave in their "Verlag Der Weiße Ritter". The Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder continued the traditions and style of the Neupfadfinder, after the Neupfadfinder and other groups of the German Youth Movement founded the "Deutsche Freischar".

In 1927 there were three Scout groups which formed the District "Sturmtrupp Süd":
* Jukkasjärvi in Stuttgart
* Rüppurr, named after a quarter of Karlsruhe, in Karlsruhe
* Wölfe in Mannheim

In the following years, Scout groups of the association were founded all over the German Reich, and groups of the Wandervogel and other Scout associations joined.

In 1929 Erich Mönch (Scout name: Schnauz) and Helmuth Helmut Hövetborn (Scout name: Doktor) founded the "Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder-die Reichspfadfinderschaft im Deutschen Guttemplerorden" (IOGT). [cite journal
author=Büffel
title = Der Graue Reiter 109
journal = Der Graue Reiter-Bundesschrift der Pfadfinderschaft Grauer Reiter
volume = 109
pages = 8
language= German
date= March 2000] After the" Bundesthing" (general assembly) in Roßlau the name was changed in "Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder, eine deutsche Waldritterschaft".
Chiefscouts became Helmut Hövetborn and Erich Mönch.

At the National Jamboree ( _de. Bundeslager) in 1931 at the Hoher Meißner, the Districts "Sturmtrupp Nord" and "Sturmtrupp Mitte" became part of the Scout association.

In 1932 it became an independent organization. [cite journal
author=Büffel
title = Der Graue Reiter 109
journal = Der Graue Reiter-Bundesschrift der Pfadfinderschaft Grauer Reiter
volume = 109
pages = 18
language= German
date= March 2000]

Scout groups within the IOGT were founded in the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and Great Britain. The Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder had strong contacts with groups in Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Still active is is the Nykterhetsrörelsens Scoutförbund, it is the Scout association of the IOGT in Sweden. There were plans to found a federation with the groups in Scandinavia, The Netherlands and Germany and name it Northern European Scout Association ( _de. Nordeuropäischen Pfadfinderverband).

1933-1945

In 1934 the last meeting of the association took place. Shortly the voluntary liquidation followed, the equipment and the Scout houses were destroyed, so that the Hitler Youth was not able to get it. The Scout center "Jungenland " was sold in 1934. [cite journal
author=Büffel
title = Der Graue Reiter 109
journal = Der Graue Reiter-Bundesschrift der Pfadfinderschaft Grauer Reiter
volume = 109
pages = 27
language= German
date= March 2000] Scouting continued in different ways:
*The Scout group "Rüppurr" and the Cub Scout pack "Zeisige" in Karlsruhe joined the "Reichsschaft Deutscher Pfadfinder" (another Scout association), that was banned shortly afterwards.
*The Scout group "Grauer Reiter" in Soldin continued their work until the had to had to join the army, all its members died on the Eastern Front. This group consisted of sons of farmers and were horse riders.
*The Scout group "Braune Bären" in Berlin was able to continue as a special unit called "Technische Bereitschaft" within the Hitler Youth. Until 1939 when the unit was disbanded new members gave the Scout Promise.

Helga Barth, the Cubmaster of the pack "Zeisige" in Karlsruhe was arrested and died in Ravensbrück concentration camp.

1945-1948

In 1945 there were plans of a re-foundation by the Chief Scout Helmut Hövetborn and other old Scouts of the association. In 1946 former members of the Scout group Rüppurr met in Ettlingen.In 1947 there were groups in Mannheim, Heidelberg and Karlsruhe. The "Landesmark Nordbaden" and later the" Tübinger Bund" were founded and allowed by the French Military government. On the 14th of March 1948 the Chief Scout Helmut Hövetborn died. He was succeeded by Richard König (Scout name: Alter), a member of the Scout group Rüppurr.

The "Tübinger Bund" had contacts to Scout groups in Bavaria, Hesse and to Alexander Lion, one of the founders of German Scouting.

In 1948 the "Tübinger Bund" joined the Bund Deutscher Pfadfinder, the interreligious member organization of the Ring deutscher Pfadfinderverbände. Erich Mönch, one of the founders of the Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder was a founder member of this association.

In 1956 the Gau "Grauer Reiter", named after the Scout group Graue Reiter in Soldin of the Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder, left the Bund Deutscher Pfadfinder.

Today there is still a group of former Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder within the association "Fördergemeinschaft Grauer Reiter e. V." The Fördergemeinschaft Grauer Reiter e. V. is a group of adults, grown up in different youth- and Scout association, which support the work of the Scout association Pfadfinderschaft Grauer Reiter and especially its national centre the Castle Hohenkrähen near Lake Constance (Bodensee). The Pfadfinderschaft Grauer Reiter is a small independent Scout association in Germany with about 350 members. It was founded by Erich Mönch. It preserves the history and traditions of the Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder.

Program

The work of the Scout association was based on the teachings of Ernest Thompson Seton. A big part of the programme was Arts and crafts and adventurous travels especially to Sweden and Norway. Each member of the association should make one piece of art or handicraft each year. All the pieces were shown at the National Jamborees.

Decision making was organised as a Grassroots democracy. Decisions on national level were made by a meeting of all leaders of the local Scout groups called "Bundesthing". On group level decision were made in a similar way.

The magazine of the association was "Jugendland" between 1929 and 1933, 24 issues were published, and between 1946 and 1948, 3 more.

The national campsite of this Scout association was called "Jungenland" and it was situated near Döffingen. Döffingen is today a quarter of Grafenau.It was bought in 1927.

Troops of the association travelled to foreign countries and took part in international camps with Scouts from groups associated by the International Organisation of Good Templars from the United States, Great Britain, The Netherlands and Scandinavia.

Membership

Most groups of the association were based in Southern Germany and there never was more than 500 members.

Known groups

*Founder members of the "Sturmtrupp Süd":
**Scout group "Wölfe" (Wolves) – Mannheim
**Scout group "Jukkasjärvi" - Stuttgart
**Scout group "Rüppurr" – Karlsruhe

*further members of the "Sturmtrupp Süd":
**Girl Guides group "Wildkatzen" (Wildcats)-Stuttgart
**Cub Scout pack "Zeisige"-Karlsruhe
**Scout group "Füchse" (Foxes)-Tübingen
**Girl Guides group "Burg" (Castle)-Tübingen
**Scout group "Adler" (Eagle)- Rottenburg am Neckar

*members of the "Sturmtrupp Nord":
**Scout group Grad dör- Bremen
**Scout group Widukind-Oldenburg
**Scout group Wiking (Viking)-Düsseldorf

*members of the "Sturmtrupp Mitte":
**Scout group "Braune Bären" (Brown bears) -Berlin
**Scout group "Grauer Reiter" (Grey riders) -Soldin
**Scout group "Goten" (Goths)-Dessau

Literature

*Pfadfinderschaft Grauer Reiter:Der Graue Reiter 106/107-Vierzig Jahre Pfadfinderschaft Grauer Reiter-Bundesschrift der Pfadfinderschaft Grauer Reiter, March 1997 (in German)
*Pfadfinderschaft Grauer Reiter:Der Graue Reiter 109-Bundesschrift der Pfadfinderschaft Grauer Reiter, March 2000 (in German)

External links

* [http://www.schriftleitung.org editorial staff ("Schriftleitung") of the Scout association Grauer Reiter (in German)]

ources

*Reflist
*translation from the German Wikipedia