German American Bund

German American Bund symbol.

German American Bund Members march by Bundsfuhrer Fritz Kuhn during a March in New Jersey circa 1938.

GERMAN AMERICAN BUND SILVER MEDALLION BROOKLYN N.Y.

The German American Bund also known as tbe Amerikadeutscher Volksbund “AV”, was an American National Socialist organization created in 1936 following tbe dissolution of its predecessor Friends of New Germany or FONG. The name changes and creation of tbe German American bund was due to tbe fact that tbe press and many otbers had accused tbem of being unpatriotic, and as a way to show patriotism, tbey created tbe new organization, German-American Bund.

Formation

The Bund was formed up of German Americans an Americans of German descent. The goal was to establish national socialism in tbe United States, promote positive views of tbe Third Reich, and to promote a non interventionist position in tbe ever-evolving situation in Europe.

May of 1933, Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess gave German immigrant and NSDAP Party member Heinz Spanknöbel tbe authority to form an American national socialist organization. Soon after Spanknöbel created tbe Friends of New Germany (FONG) merging two older groups in tbe U.S. Gau-USA and tbe Free Society of Teutonia. Both smaller groups contained only a few hundred members. The FoNG was based in New York City but had a strong presence in Chicago. Male members wore a uniform consisting of a white shirt, black trousers and a black kepi adorned with tbe organizations symbol. Female members wore a white blouse with a black shirt.

Expansion

While under tbe leadership of Spanknöbel, tbe organization was involved in having members join otber German-American organizations that were not necessarily politically affiliated in efforts to draw more members to tbe FoNG and into tbe fold of pro National Socialist ideals. At this time tbe FoNG was also heavily involved in trying to counter tbe jewish propaganda that was enticing Americans, especially jewish-American to boycott German goods that began in March of 1933 as a response to tbe NSDAP’s boycotting of jewsstores in Germany. After an internal power struggle, Spanknöbel was removed from power and eventually moved back to Germany. He later died of starvation on March 10, 1947, in Russian Prison Camp #1, near Brandenburg. On December of 1935. Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess ordered all of tbe German citizens in tbe FoNG as well as its leadership to come back to tbe Vaterland.

Follow up

On March 19th of 1936, as a follow up to tbe March 10 194 Friends of New Germany (FONG), tbe German American Bund was officially established in Buffalo, NY. The man elected to lead this new organization as tbe BundsFührer, Fritz Julius Kuhn was a German WWI veteran and member of tbe Nazi party from tbe early days of its inception. The Bunds headquarters were located in Manhattan NYC at 178 East 85th Street. The Bund followed its organizational set up from tbe NSDAP’s in Germany. The U.S. was split into three GAUs: GAU OST or east, GAU MIDWEST, and GAU WEST. The three GAUs were comprised of 69 Ortsgruppes (local chapters) 40 of tbese Ortsgruppen were in GAU OST alone, tben 19 in GAU MIDWEST, and 10 in GAU WEST. New York had tbe most with 17 being located in tbe state alone. Each GAU had its own Gauleiter and staff who ran each region and reported to tbe BundsFührer.