Optocht Jeugdstorm met trommels 1935 - 1937

J. Otto's photograph shows a procession of boys marching on a paved road. The image invites us to consider the social conditions that shape artistic production. The boys are members of the Jeugdstorm, the Dutch equivalent of the Hitler Youth. Their uniforms, the flags they carry, and the presence of onlookers all contribute to the image's meaning. The photograph was likely taken in the 1930s, a time of rising nationalism and political extremism in Europe. The Jeugdstorm was a tool for indoctrinating young people with Nazi ideology, teaching them to obey authority and to value the collective over the individual. By studying photographs like this alongside historical documents, personal accounts, and institutional records, we can better understand the complex relationship between art and society, and the ways in which images can be used to promote certain ideologies.