Halbstarke
Encyclopedia
Halbstarke is a term describing a postwar-period subculture
of adolescents – mostly male
and of working class
parents – that appeared in public in an aggressive
and provocative way during the 1950s in Germany
, Austria
and Switzerland
. Later, the term sometimes described youths in general. While in German, it is still in use today for young, aggressive, mostly male adolescents, it has mostly fallen out of active usage in English.
with “unformed” and “premature” (in German, there also are a few other slight verbal slanders containing “halb”: e.g. (literally: half-smart) and (literally: half dish / half portion, used for children or adolescents that appear weak). But it is likely that the defamation wasn’t as defamatory to the subculture itself, because its members began calling themselves “Halbstarke”, too.
In German, both terms also have an adjective
-form ( / ).
in Rebel Without a Cause
(German title: ) and Marlon Brando
, as well as the stars of rock 'n' roll, that was gaining popularity then. In 1956 Karin Baal
and Horst Buchholz
became idols thanks to the movie Die Halbstarken. That same year Bill Hayley & His Comets' song Rock Around The Clock reached #1 in the German Pop charts.
Often, the wore a quiff, jeans
, checked shirts and leather jackets. Their look separated them from the other, more widespread, German youth culture. Moped
s and motorbikes were very popular and used for riding in 'gangs' (as seen in American movies).
Because there weren't a lot of alternatives, the Halbstarken often spent their leisure time outdoors. Their cliques met at corners of the road, in parks or at other public places. This behaviour wasn’t appreciated by elder citizens and so they described it as “bumming around” ().
Rock 'n' roll offered tunes and rhythms that were revolutionary and a catalyzer for the youths' emotions and fears, unlike the then-popular but shallow genre Schlager
. The effect of this was probably maximized by the new music being rejected by wide parts of the population.
During the 1950s, more or less 5% of youth could be referred to as .
On December 30, 1956 about 4000 juveniles walked through Dortmund’s city, affronting passers-by, rampaging and having battles with the police, after a cinema show of Außer Rand und Band (Rock Around the Clock
with Bill Haley
)
Big riots occurred especially from 1956 to 1958. Often, the furniture of cinemas and concert halls was totally destroyed. These riots started severe discussions in media and politics.
The seeming sense- and directionlessness of the riots wasn’t comprehensible. Often, the American popular culture
was considered guilty.
Nowadays, the riots and all of the Halbstarken-phenomenon is seen as a protest against society and its authorities which seemed draconic and bleak. But the protest was neither organized nor politically motivated.
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
of adolescents – mostly male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
and of working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
parents – that appeared in public in an aggressive
Aggressive
“Aggressive” is a New York-based Grammy award-winning music video and commercial directing team of Alex Topaller and Daniel Shapiro.Aggressive has been described by Movie Creation Mag as “having a fascination with the wonderful, in the likes of the surrealist Rafal Olbinski” and “tenacious about...
and provocative way during the 1950s in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Later, the term sometimes described youths in general. While in German, it is still in use today for young, aggressive, mostly male adolescents, it has mostly fallen out of active usage in English.
Literal meaning
The word itself literally means “the half-strong”. Its origins can be traced back to a manufacturing technology named (= to tumble/ mill/ full), via the word’s synonym – “half tumbleds”. Seen that way, the word is a defamation, because it can be associatedAssociation (psychology)
In psychology and marketing, two concepts or stimuli are associated when the experience of one leads to the effects of another, due to repeated pairing. This is sometimes called Pavlovian association for Ivan Pavlov's pioneering of classical conditioning....
with “unformed” and “premature” (in German, there also are a few other slight verbal slanders containing “halb”: e.g. (literally: half-smart) and (literally: half dish / half portion, used for children or adolescents that appear weak). But it is likely that the defamation wasn’t as defamatory to the subculture itself, because its members began calling themselves “Halbstarke”, too.
In German, both terms also have an adjective
Adjective
In grammar, an adjective is a 'describing' word; the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified....
-form ( / ).
“Halbstarke“ during the 50s
These had found prototypes for their fashion and style in American movies, e.g. James DeanJames Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
in Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
(German title: ) and Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
, as well as the stars of rock 'n' roll, that was gaining popularity then. In 1956 Karin Baal
Karin Baal
Karin Baal , real name Karin Blauermel, is a German film actress. She has appeared in over 90 films since 1956.She was born in Berlin, Germany.-Films:*1956: Die Halbstarken*1957: Der müde Theodor...
and Horst Buchholz
Horst Buchholz
Horst Werner Buchholz was a German actor, remembered for his part in The Magnificent Seven and Nine Hours to Rama. He appeared in over sixty films during his acting career from 1952–2002.-Life and work:...
became idols thanks to the movie Die Halbstarken. That same year Bill Hayley & His Comets' song Rock Around The Clock reached #1 in the German Pop charts.
Often, the wore a quiff, jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
, checked shirts and leather jackets. Their look separated them from the other, more widespread, German youth culture. Moped
Moped
Mopeds are a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals , but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their...
s and motorbikes were very popular and used for riding in 'gangs' (as seen in American movies).
Because there weren't a lot of alternatives, the Halbstarken often spent their leisure time outdoors. Their cliques met at corners of the road, in parks or at other public places. This behaviour wasn’t appreciated by elder citizens and so they described it as “bumming around” ().
Rock 'n' roll offered tunes and rhythms that were revolutionary and a catalyzer for the youths' emotions and fears, unlike the then-popular but shallow genre Schlager
Schlager
Schlager music is a style of popular music prevalent in Central and Northern Europe and the Balkans and also in France and Poland. In Portugal, it was adapted and became pimba music...
. The effect of this was probably maximized by the new music being rejected by wide parts of the population.
During the 1950s, more or less 5% of youth could be referred to as .
Riots by the Halbstarken
The first Halbstarken riots happened after concerts or cinema screenings, which usually were preceded later uprisings as well.On December 30, 1956 about 4000 juveniles walked through Dortmund’s city, affronting passers-by, rampaging and having battles with the police, after a cinema show of Außer Rand und Band (Rock Around the Clock
Rock Around the Clock (film)
Rock Around the Clock is the title of a 1956 Musical film that featured Bill Haley and His Comets along with Alan Freed, The Platters, Tony Martinez and His Band, and Freddie Bell and His Bellboys. It was produced by B-movie king Sam Katzman and directed by Fred F...
with Bill Haley
Bill Haley
Bill Haley was one of the first American rock and roll musicians. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and their hit song "Rock Around the Clock".-Early life and career:...
)
Big riots occurred especially from 1956 to 1958. Often, the furniture of cinemas and concert halls was totally destroyed. These riots started severe discussions in media and politics.
The seeming sense- and directionlessness of the riots wasn’t comprehensible. Often, the American popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
was considered guilty.
Nowadays, the riots and all of the Halbstarken-phenomenon is seen as a protest against society and its authorities which seemed draconic and bleak. But the protest was neither organized nor politically motivated.
Literature
- Poiger, Uta G.: Jazz, Rock and Rebels, 2000.
- Maase, Kaspar: BRAVO Amerika, Hamburg 1992.
- Schildt, Axel: Modernisierung und Wiederaufbau, Bonn 1993.
- Grotum, Thomas: Die Halbstarken. Zur Geschichte einer Jugendkultur der 50er Jahre, Frankfurt am Main, 1994.