“Młody Polak w Niemczech” (1930–1939)

The content and goals of the youth periodical
 

The first issue of “Młody Polak w Niemczech” described the tasks and goals of the youth periodical as follows:

“Our aim is to unify the Polish youth in Germany. (...) We wish to, and shall, create well-rounded Poles. We shall awaken and strengthen a feeling of love and a sense of an indestructible bond among young people in relation to the great Polish nation. We aim to communicate to them a full understanding of their mission within the German state. In addition, we wish to foster young Poles who are of value in every respect by providing general educational information. In Silesia and Westphalia, in Berlin, the border regions and in East Prussia, the Polish youth should be focused on just one thought: we shall begin with the main task of creation”.[6]

With these ideals in mind, the new youth periodical, like “Polak w Niemczech”, reported on news from Poland and Germany (in relation to social, cultural and political issues) as well as on the work of the Union.[7] The editors also made efforts to make the magazine as attractive as possible to its target audience, and to reflect their needs. As a result, articles were increasingly printed about different Polish youth organisations, as were songs, poems, instructions for various crafts, riddles, crossword puzzles and, at the end of each edition, jokes and cartoons (Figs. 4–8). However, information about particular historical events and reminders of Polish national holidays and prominent individuals was also included (Fig. 9). 

In October 1931, to create a clearer separation between the entertainment value and the conveying of knowledge, a change to the structure and topics covered by the youth periodical was agreed. From November 1931, “Nasz Uniwersytet Ludowy” (“Our People’s University”) was included with “Młody Polak w Niemczech” as a supplement every three months. In the words of the editors, this was their way of responding to the need for more comprehensive information to support independent further education, in contrast to the generally artistic-creative and entertaining material presented in “Młody Polak w Niemczech”.[8] In addition, in combination with “Nasz Uniwersytet Ludowy”, the plan was to publish a reader’s edition which would offer readers a platform for discussion about the articles in the university issue. However, publication of this special edition ground to a halt due to editorial difficulties (Fig. 10). Overall, the youth periodical only had a small readership (Fig. 11). One result was the following appeal, published in “Polak w Niemczech”: “Dear parents, make efforts to ensure that your sons and daughters read ‘Młody Polak w Niemczech’”.[9] The outbreak of the Second World War made publication of both “Młody Polak w Niemczech” and “Polak w Niemczech” impossible. However, unlike the adult version of the periodical, publication of “Młody Polak w Niemczech” did not resume after the war ended.