Clementine zu Castell-Rüdenhausen

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Clementine Countess of Castell-Rüdenhausen , with full name Clementine Erika Hedwig Mechtilde Ottilie Marka Martina Helene Countess of Castell-Rüdenhausen , married Clementine Utermann , (born January 30, 1912 in Munich , † October 12, 2008 in Roggersdorf, municipality of Holzkirchen ) was one BDM functionary in the Reich Youth Leadership of the NSDAP and the first representative for the BDM work “ Faith and Beauty ”.

Life

As the third of four children of Hermann Graf zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (1872-1941) and Freda Countess zu Solms-Sonnenwalde (1882-1980), she belonged to the Franconian nobility ( Castell-Rüdenhausen family ). According to the later portrayal of her older brother Hubertus (1909-1995), however, the family was impoverished as a result of inflation in the early 1920s .

With effect from May 1, 1933, at the age of 21 and on the same day as her mother Freda and several high-ranking members of the Castell-Castell family , Clementine zu Castell became a member of the NSDAP ( membership number 3.133.869) after her brother Hubertus the Party had already joined on August 1 of the previous year. In 1933 she became the leader of the BDM-Gau Lower Franconia, in November 1934 she became the leader of the BDM-Upper Franconia. In February 1938, Reichsjugendführer Baldur von Schirach appointed her to the staff of the Reichsjugendführung and appointed her representative for the BDM work "Faith and Beauty" founded on January 19, 1938, with her special merits in a press release in connection with this appointment as Head runner in the organization of "exemplary large [n] sporting events for young women" were highlighted. As a representative she was subordinate to the BDM Reichsreferentin Jutta Rüdiger , with whom she also had a personal friendship and at times shared a house in Berlin-Frohnau .

On October 26, 1939, she married Wilhelm Utermann , known as "Utz", who was the chief editor of the Reich Youth Leadership and was responsible for the youth magazines. After the war he became one of the most influential film producers in the Federal Republic of Germany under the name Utz Utermann . Since it was one of the goals of the BDM to lead female youth towards marriage and motherhood (cf.Women under National Socialism ), but BDM leaders had to retire from active service after marriage, Castell was relieved of her duties as a representative of the BDM Works 1939 "relieved". Reich Youth Leader Schirach announced:

“With effect from September 12, 1939, I exonerated the senior manager Clementine zu Castell-Rüdenhausen as the representative for the BDM work 'Faith and Beauty' in the Reich Youth Leadership. I would like to express my thanks to her for her selfless work and my special appreciation for her success in setting up the BDM work 'Faith and Beauty'. Head of the Castell-Rüdenhausen district leader, who is retiring from active service, will continue to be available to the Reich Youth Leadership for special tasks even after her marriage. "

These special tasks apparently included the publication of the illustrated book Faith and Beauty with the subtitle A picture book by the 17-21-year-old girls , which appeared in print in 1940 with a preface by Schirach and is one of the most important sources for the self-portrayal of this BDM work. During her time as commissioner, she is also said to have been involved in the making of the propaganda film Faith and Beauty (1940) by Leni Riefenstahl's cameraman Hans Ertl .

The marriage with Wilhelm Utermann, which resulted in three sons, was divorced on October 27, 1954, and on January 24, 1967, the two married a second time.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Dag Henrichsen, Hubertus Graf zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (1909–1995): Partial estate & manuscripts on Namibia , Basler Afrika Bibliographien, Typoprint (Pty) Ltd., Windhoek 2002, p. IX.
  2. ↑ Jonathan Petropoulos: Royals and the Reich: the princes von Hessen in Nazi Germany , Oxford University Press, Oxford 2006, p. 381.
  3. ^ Official news sheet of the youth leader of the German Reich and the Reichsjugendführung of the NSDAP, VI / 6 of March 11, 1938, p. 94, quoted in Hering / Schilde , Das BDM-Werk "Glaube und Schönheit" (2004), p. 41.
  4. ↑ Change of leaders in Obergau Franconia , in: Reichs-Jugend-Pressedienst No. 56, March 8, 1938, p. 4, quoted. Hering / Schilde, The BDM work "Faith and Beauty" (2004), p. 41.
  5. ↑ Jutta Rüdiger: A life for the youth: girl leader in the Third Reich. The work of the Reichsreferentin of the BDM , Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft , Preußisch Oldendorf 1999, p. 56; According to Hering / Schilde, Das BDM-Werk "Glaube und Schönheit" (2004), p. 42 note 36, Castell was also one of the co-signers of an obituary notice for Jutta Rüdiger in the FAZ in 2001 (edition of March 17, 2001, p . 49).
  6. ^ Hering / Schilde, The BDM work "Faith and Beauty" (2004), p. 42.
  7. ↑ The history of the BDM work Faith and Beauty from the ZeitReisen Verlag publishing house .

literature

  • Sabine Hering / Kurt Schilde: The BDM work “Faith and Beauty”: the organization of young women under National Socialism. Leske and Budrich, 2nd revised. Edition Opladen 2004, ISBN 3-8100-3559-9 .
  • Michael Buddrus: Total education for total war: Hitler Youth and National Socialist youth policy. Vol. 2, Saur, Munich 2003 (= texts and materials on contemporary history, 13/2; ISBN 3-598-11615-2 ), p. 1131
personal data
SURNAME Castell-Rüdenhausen, Clementine too
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Utermann, Clementine
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German youth leader, representative of the BDM work “Faith and Beauty” in the Reich youth leadership of the NSDAP
DATE OF BIRTH January 30, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH Munich
DATE OF DEATH October 12, 2008
Place of death Wooden churches