Young Communist League of Germany (Opposition)

The Young Communist League of Germany (Opposition) (German: Kommunistischer Jugendverband Deutschlands (Opposition), abbreviated KJVD-Opposition, KJVDO, KJVO or KJO) was a youth organization in Germany. KJVD-Opposition was the youth wing of the Communist Party of Germany (Opposition).^[1]

Organization

KJVD-Opposition had approximately 1,000 members. It was strongest in Thuringia and Saxony. Other areas where the organization was active were Berlin-Brandenburg, Wasserkante, Silesia, Württemberg and Hesse. KJVD-Opposition had a national school (Reichsschule), which could host 35 people at a time. At the school, the organization conducted political training, usually for two weeks at a time.^[2]

Publications

KJVD-Opposition published the monthly Junge Kämpfer ('Young Fighter') in Berlin from 1929-1931, which was distributed amongst members and sympathizers of the movement.^[3][4][5] Junge Kämpfer was mainly edited by Walter Uhlmann.^[6] Another monthly KJVD-Opposition publication, Kommunistische Jugend-Politik ('Communist Youth Politics') dealt with organizational issues and was distributed amongst cadres.^[3]

Under the National Socialist regime

In 1932 the national leadership of KJVD-Opposition shifted from Berlin to Stuttgart. Around this time Alfred Albrecht became the national leader of KJVD-Opposition.^[7] Albeit a minor group in the German labour movement, KJVD-Opposition organized some resistance activities against the National Socialist regime in the 1930s.^[1] Under Albrecht's leadership KJVD-Opposition formed a youth cartel of left-wing organizations, and conducted anti-fascist mobilizations in working-class neighbourhoods.^[2][7] Walter Uhlmann was the representative of KJVD-Opposition in the underground Berlin Committee of the mother party.^[8]

References