" THE YOUTH MOVEMENT IN GERMANY" [To the Editor of
the SPECTATOR.]
Sia,—A correspondent in your last issue states that in my account of the Youth Movement in Germany I make no allusion to, or perhaps forbear to mention, Nacktkultur. May I state that the omission on my part was certainly not due to the second reason, and that during visits to both large and small Herbergen, thoroughly representative of the movement, I neither saw nor heard any reference to the matter described in his letter.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Llandrindod Wells. W. J. H. WATiosTs. [We think that it would be difficult for any visitor to Germany or Austria to escape being brought into contact with " Nacktkultur," as the movement is very widespread and has followers in many of the large cities ; but the writer of the original article on the Youth Movement in Germany, as he points out, was describing an entirely different organization.
During a visit to Germany last year we took occasion to visit the Berlin headquarters of the league of all the organizations which practice out-of-doors nudity. At the time of our visit the societies claimed a membership of between 50,000 and 60,000, and their monthly periodical had a circulation of 15,000. We reproduce the notes we made at the time :-
" The directors of the movement state that they are very strict about letting in members, and applicants have to go through a year's probation and any membership can be cancelled on the slightest pretext. No husband is accepted for membership unless his wife joins too, and vice versa. Only 30 per cent. of applications received are accepted, and
eases of reprehensible conduct are drastically dealt with and the offending party turned out. • " Members spend the week-end from Saturday afternoon till Sunday evening in the summer in the special fenced-off (with high wooden palings, which shield the inmates from outside observation) reserves among the forests or near lake or stream, working, bathing, playing games in a state of nature ; members frequently bring their children who also wear no clothes.
" Clothes are put on for meals, no smoking is allowed, alcohol is barred, and meat-eating is discouraged.
" The promoters of the movement have approached the cult of the nude from the moral standpoint rather than from that of health or aestheticism. They believe ' mankind must shake off the shackles of convention and be free.' The number of adherents to the movement increases steadily each year. Those connected with the cult assert that it does not lead to immorality but just the reverse."
As far as it is possible for a visitor to draw conclusions as the result of a short visit, it seems that " Nacktkultur " is being taken very seriously in Germany, and we took away the impression that every precaution is taken to prevent abuse. This is not to say that we are prepared to endorse the " cult of the nude," but as a contemporary phase of European social development it has to be recorded.—En., Spectator.]
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