Young Communist League of Germany
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The Young Communist League of Germany (Kommunistischer Jugendverband Deutschlands, abbreviated KJVD) was a political youth organization in Germany.
History
The KJVD was formed in 1920 from the Free Socialist Youth (Freie Sozialistische Jugend) of the Communist Party of Germany, A prior youth wing had been formed in October 1918, with the support from the Spartacus League (Spartakusbund). It was unable to attract new members and its membership peaked in the last years of the Weimar Republic with 35,000 and 50,000 members. However, those who did join were commonly children of communist parents that were extremely devoted to the Communist Party.
Their activities included selling party newspapers, painting slogans, gluing posters, collecting dues and taking part in agitation. They also made up the voice choruses for Communist songs at demonstrations and other events. The KJVD had its own publishing house, the "Young Guard". The KJVD followed the Communist Party propaganda of attacking the Social Democratic Party of Germany as a proponent of "social fascism" resulting in hostility toward the Social Democrats becoming a feature of the KJVD.
Political rifts between the KJVD and its parent organization, the Communist Party, appeared, including support by members of the KJVD for the young Communist intellectual Heinz Neumann who advocated increased use of physical violence against political enemies, including the Nazis.
The future leader of East Germany, Erich Honecker was a member of the KJVD and became the KJVD leader of Saarland in 1931.
After the majority of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany joined the Communist Party of Germany at the end of 1920, the Independents' Socialist Workers Youth group followed suit and merged with the Communist Party's youth organization which in 1925, became known as the Young Communists League.
The central organ of KJVD was Die Arbeit, which was published illegally.
Legacy
In 2002 the KPD (1990) established their youth organisation, also calling it the KJVD.
Leadership
| No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||
| 1 | Richard Gyptner | 12 September 1920 | 10 April 1924 | 3 years, 6 months, 29 days | |
| 2 | Hermann Jacobs | 10 April 1924 | 22 May 1925 | 1 year, 1 month, 12 days | |
| 3 | Conrad Blenkle | 22 May 1925 | 11 November 1928 | 3 years, 5 months, 20 days | |
| 4 | Walter Häbich | 11 November 1928 | c. 12 June 1929 | c. 7 months, 1 day | |
| 5 | Kurt Müller | c. 12 June 1929 | June 1931 | c. 2 years | |
| 6 | Artur Becker | June 1931 | February 1932 | 8 months | |
| 7 | Alfred Hiller | February 1932 | October 1932 | 8 months | |
| 8 | Fritz Große | October 1932 | August 1934 | 1 year, 10 months | |
| 9 | Gabo Lewin | August 1934 | February 1935 | 6 months |