Artur Mahraun
Encyclopedia
Artur Mahraun was the founder and leader of the Young German Order
(Jungdeutscher Orden or Jungdo) and an early contender for the leadership of the far right
youth in Weimar Germany.
Born the son of a privy councillor in Kassel
, Mahraun became a career soldier with the Imperial German Army when he enlisted in the Prussia
n Infantry Regiment No. 83 in 1908. He served with distinction on the Eastern Front
during First World War.
Like many of his contemporaries he became involved in Freikorps
activity after the Armistice, forming his own group, the Offizierkompagnie Kassel in January 1919. The group was restructured in May 1920 when the Jungdo was adopted and by 1921 Mahraun could call on 70,000 followers. A strong believer in law and order, he rejected revolutionary activity and instead called for Germany to reconcile with France
and rebuild her prestige through Franco-German co-operation. At its peak Mahraun's movement, which sought a return to the Wandervogel
spirit, could call on as many as 300,000 followers. After meeting Adolf Hitler
during the Beer Hall Putsch
he quickly became a critic of the Nazi
leader.
Mahraun entered the political arena in 1928 when he formed the People's National Reich Association (Völksnationale Reichsvereiningung) as an adult version of his movement, merging it with the German Democratic Party to form the German State Party
in 1930. However the move was not a success as the new party performed very poorly at election. Mahraun's party and Jungdo were banned in 1933 and he was for a time imprisoned by the Gestapo
.
He was briefly associated with a group called the Nachbarschafts-Bewegung after the war until his death in Gütersloh
in 1950.
Young German Order
The Young German Order was a large para-military organisation in Weimar Germany. Its name and symbol were inspired by the Teutonic Knights ....
(Jungdeutscher Orden or Jungdo) and an early contender for the leadership of the far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
youth in Weimar Germany.
Born the son of a privy councillor in Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, Mahraun became a career soldier with the Imperial German Army when he enlisted in the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n Infantry Regiment No. 83 in 1908. He served with distinction on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
during First World War.
Like many of his contemporaries he became involved in Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
activity after the Armistice, forming his own group, the Offizierkompagnie Kassel in January 1919. The group was restructured in May 1920 when the Jungdo was adopted and by 1921 Mahraun could call on 70,000 followers. A strong believer in law and order, he rejected revolutionary activity and instead called for Germany to reconcile with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and rebuild her prestige through Franco-German co-operation. At its peak Mahraun's movement, which sought a return to the Wandervogel
Wandervogel
Wandervogel is the name adopted by a popular movement of German youth groups from 1896 onward. The name can be translated as rambling, hiking or wandering bird and the ethos is to shake off the restrictions of society and get back to nature and freedom...
spirit, could call on as many as 300,000 followers. After meeting Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
during the Beer Hall Putsch
Beer Hall Putsch
The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed attempt at revolution that occurred between the evening of 8 November and the early afternoon of 9 November 1923, when Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff, and other heads of the Kampfbund unsuccessfully tried to seize power...
he quickly became a critic of the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
leader.
Mahraun entered the political arena in 1928 when he formed the People's National Reich Association (Völksnationale Reichsvereiningung) as an adult version of his movement, merging it with the German Democratic Party to form the German State Party
German State Party
The German State Party was a short-lived German political party of the Weimar Republic, formed by the merger of the German Democratic Party with the People's National Reich Association in July 1930...
in 1930. However the move was not a success as the new party performed very poorly at election. Mahraun's party and Jungdo were banned in 1933 and he was for a time imprisoned by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
.
He was briefly associated with a group called the Nachbarschafts-Bewegung after the war until his death in Gütersloh
Gütersloh
Gütersloh is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name and has a population of 96,320 people.- Geography :...
in 1950.