Eberhard Koebel also Eberhard Köbel, called ''tusk'', i.e., "the German" in the language of the

Sámi people The Sámi ( ; also spelled Sami or Saami) are the traditionally Sámi languages, Sámi-speaking indigenous people inhabiting the region of Sápmi, which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Kola Peninsula ...

he traveled among, (22 June 1907 – 31 August 1955) was a German youth leader, writer, and publisher. Eberhard Koebel was born in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

on 22 June 1907. From the age of 13, in 1920, Koebel was a member of the

Wandervogel ''Wandervogel'' (plural: ''Wandervögel''; English: "Wandering Bird") is the name adopted by a popular movement of German youth groups from 1896 to 1933, who protested against industrialization by going to hike in the country and commune with na ...

. Koebel soon became a leader in the movement, inventing the

Kohte The Kohte is the typical tent of Germany, German Scouting and the German Youth Movement. Based on the Sámi people, Sámi goahti and lavvu and developed in the late 1920s and early 1930s, it is an open-topped tent assembled on-site from four cha ...

, a tent design that consists of several smaller canvas panels that are carried by individuals and then assembled when they reach the campsite. In 1926 Koebel joined the Deutsche Freischar, a fusion of Wandervogel and

Scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

organizations; a year later, he advocated the formation of a unified German youth association for boys. On 1 November 1929 Koebel established the dj.1.11. In the beginning secret conspiracy within the Deutsche Freischar to renew and mobilize it, it later broke off, when the leader of the Freischar, Ernst Buske, no longer accepted an organisation within the organisation. As leader of the Jungenschaft Koebel designed the Kohte and a particular jacket, the Jungenschaftsjacke. With these and other elements such as songs and writings he created a very influential style within the

German Youth Movement The German Youth Movement () is a collective term for a cultural and educational movement that started in 1896. It consists of numerous associations of young people that focus on outdoor activities. The movement included German Scouting and the ...

. In the spring of 1932, hoping to make a more effective resistance to the Nazis, he resigned as head of DJ 1.11. and joined the

Young Communist League The Young Communist League (YCL) is the name used by the youth wing of various Communist parties around the world. The name ''YCL of ountry' originates from the precedent established by the Communist Youth International. Examples of YCLs includ ...

and the

Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany (, ; KPD ) was a major Far-left politics, far-left political party in the Weimar Republic during the interwar period, German resistance to Nazism, underground resistance movement in Nazi Germany, and minor party ...

. On 18 January 1934, about a year after Hitler's seizure of power, Koebel was arrested for trying to infiltrate the

Hitler Youth The Hitler Youth ( , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth wing of the German Nazi Party. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. From 1936 until 1945, it was th ...

. After being severely maltreated in custody several times, he was released from Columbia Haus Prison in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

at the end of February 1934, and banned from future youth work. During the

Night of the Long Knives The Night of the Long Knives (, ), also called the Röhm purge or Operation Hummingbird (), was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany from 30 June to 2 July 1934. Chancellor Adolf Hitler, urged on by Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler, ord ...

of 30 June 1934, Koebel narrowly missed being murdered by fleeing via

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. On his travel to Sweden Koebel visited a Scout group of the Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder, which was led by his university friend

Erich Mönch Erich Mönch (July 10, 1905 in Rötenbach bei Calw – 26 May 1977 in Unterjesingen bei Tübingen) taught for 20 years at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart, was an important figure of Tübingen art scene after the Second World War, and aft ...

. In

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, Koebel kept in contact with the Free German Movement. Koebel returned to Berlin in 1948 and worked as a writer and author in

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

until his death on 31 August 1955.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Koebel, Eberhard 1907 births 1955 deaths Writers from Stuttgart People from the Kingdom of Württemberg East German writers Communist Party of Germany politicians German Youth Movement Socialist Unity Party of Germany politicians Scouting and Guiding in Germany Scouting pioneers German male writers

See also

Notes

References