Youth In European Labor Camps: A Report To The American Youth Commission Of The American Council Of Education, by Kenneth Holland Published by the American Council on Education. Washington 1939 – first edition. Important publication about the labor camps established in Europe for American youth accompanied by many photographs of young people in labor camps – American youth alongside SS men. Perfect copy – hardcover with the original rare dust jacket. Accompanied by 64 pages with dozens of photographs documenting the activities of the youth in the camps, including rare photographs of American youth alongside SS commanders. Rare documentation for joint training camps of different nations that within a few months will fight each other in the greatest war in history.
Following the famous economic crisis that struck the United States in 1929, many youth found themselves without work and without an educational institution due to their parents’ inability to fund their studies. This worsened in 1933 when President Roosevelt took office – then the American nation faced the greatest economic crisis in its history. In an attempt to solve the problem of the youth, the American Council on Education decided to promote a solution for youth in the form of establishing labor camps in various countries in Europe, in addition to those established in the United States. The boys were sent to camps for education and employment. The author, Mr. Kenneth Holland, visited these camps twice. The first time in 1933, and later in 1936. He visited labor camps established in Nazi Germany, Sweden, England, Switzerland, Austria, Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands. During his visits to the camps, Holland conducted conversations with the young men and in the book he documents impressions, experiences and specific information he received about what was happening in the camps from official sources dealing with bringing the boys. One of the unprecedented phenomena regarding these camps is the takeover of various camps by Nazi Germany, and the integration of American youth into the German military effort.
It was the first time in history that a dictatorial state made internal use of an initiative of a democratic state that was originally established to nurture its own youth. While in other European countries the camps served for vocational and civic training, in those under German control the camps became military training centers in the service of the state.
XIII, [3], 303 p. 24 cm. Perfect copy – hardcover with original dust jacket featuring a photo of American youth at work. Slight tears in the dust jacket. Very good condition.
