In 1896 the Wandervogel, a popular movement of youth groups who protested against industrialization, was founded in Berlin, and its members soon derived many vital concepts from the ideas of earlier social critics and Romantics, ideas that had extensive influence on many fields at the onset of the 20th century.
To escape the repressive and authoritarian German society at the end of the 19th century, its values increasingly transformed by industrialism, imperial militarism, as well as by British and Victorian influence, groups of young people searched for free space to develop a healthy life of their own away from the expanding cities.
Expressing a romantic longing for a pristine state of things and older diverse cultural traditions, they turned to nature, confraternity and adventure.
From the Wandervogel came a stronger culture of hiking, adventure, bigger tours to farther places, romanticism and a younger leadership structure.
Many welcomed it as a liberation movement to break free of the perceived injustice of the Treaty of Versailles and to see Germany thrive once again.
On the other hand, there were also many in the German Youth Movement who saw their associations as an elite superior to the more primitive Nazis.
One thing which might have been different from other sections of German society is the following: The Youth Movement was very idealistic, romantic and moral.
In West Germany the Youth Movement became strongly dominated by Scouting, although Wandervogel, Jungenschaft and other groups were also refounded.
In contrast to the situation before the war, all groups tried to have a more rational ideology and declared their support of the new Basic Law.