Young Communist League of 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.