Free German Youth 1949-1990 (East Germany)

Freie Deutsche Jugend, FDJ

Last modified: 2002-03-29 by santiago dotor
Keywords: east germany | german democratic republic | free german youth | freie deutsche jugend | fdj | coat of arms: sunrise |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors

2:3?
by Jaume Ollé and Volker Moerbitz Keith

• Introduction
• Description
• Young Pioneers (Junge Pioniere / JP)

See also:

• World Federation of Democratic Youth (Weltbund der Demokratischen Jugend)
• Political Organisations 1949-1990 (East Germany)
• East Germany 1949-1990

Although claiming to be the universal youth organization for all East Germans, the Free German Youth was de facto the youth organization of the Socialist Unity Party. 75% of all young East Germans of ages 14 through 25 were members of this organization. (...) At May Day and National Holiday parades, the FDJ flag was the third most commonly seen flag, after the national flag and the red flag. It was also flown in front of schools and public buildings.

Volker Moerbitz Keith, 24 January 2001

Blue flag at the center the symbol of the FDJ — a pentagon with upper right angles, upper portion in a black field, yellow bordered, the yellow letters 'FDJ', the lower field a yellow sun with rays on blue sky. Illustrated in Oliver 1993, pp. 76 and 77.

Norman Martin, February 1998

The flag was blue with FDJ symbol in center. The symbol showed a rising sun in front of a blue sky, symbolizing the dawn of a new era, and above it the letters FDJ. I did some slight corrections to Jaume Ollé's image: the blue inside the FDJ symbol matches the dark blue color of the flag. Sources: German Democratic Republic propaganda website and German Democratic Republic parties website.

Volker Moerbitz Keith, 24 January 2001