10th August 1938
RADwJ

Reichsarbeitsdienst der weiblichen Jugend – RAD/wJ

(The Reichs Labour Service section for young women)

The Reich Labour Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst; RAD) was a major paramilitary organization established in Nazi Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the German economy, militarise the workforce and indoctrinate it with Nazi ideology. It was the official state labour service, divided into separate sections for men and women.

From June 1935 onward, men aged between 18 and 25 may have served six months before their military service. During World War II, compulsory service also included young women, and the RAD developed to an auxiliary formation which provided support for the Wehrmacht armed forces.

The RAD was divided into two major sections, one for men (Reichsarbeitsdienst Männer – RAD/M) and the voluntary, from 1939 compulsory, section for young women (Reichsarbeitsdienst der weiblichen Jugend – RAD/wJ).

Source: Wikipedia

The Labor Service for Female Youth (RADwJ) - like its more important counterpart for male youth - was designed from the outset as an instrument of power for the Nazi state. From 1935, young females, if 'Aryan', were to be registered by the RAD and raised 'to become dutiful German citizens' during six-month stays in camps. Unlike the male RAD, however, the deployment initially remained voluntary. It was not until 4th September 1939 that compulsory military service was actually introduced for young women between the ages of 17 and 25.

The women's labor service was also supposed to be the school of the nation, promote the formation of the national community and serve to develop a work ethic defined by the Nazis. Ultimately, the RADwJ also primarily pursued ideological goals, behind which productive work clearly took a back seat. The core of all efforts was and remained preparation for the appropriate role as wife and mother. Through the education of virtues such as commitment, dedication, obedience and perseverance, it was also possible to involve the young women in the implementation of the war of expansion without any apparent resistance. This was particularly true for the so-called 'Eastern operation'.

During the course of the Second World War, the profile of the RADwJ changed significantly. The educational policy task that was the focus between 1936 and 1939 was increasingly replaced by missions that were necessary for the military economy from around 1941 onwards. Due to the compulsory service that had now been implemented, the RADwJ was the only organization into which entire - although not complete - cohorts of young women were drafted and were easily available through accommodation in camps. This created a working army of 'maidens' that, politically indoctrinated and closely monitored, could be used flexibly, especially from a war economic point of view.

Source: jugend1918-1945.de

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