Kurt Gruber

For the World War I flying ace, seeKurt Gruber (aviator).

Kurt Gruber(21 October 1904 inSyrau,Vogtland– 24 December 1943 inDresden) was aNazipolitician and from 1926 to 1931 the first chairman of theHitler Youth(Hitler-Jugendor HJ).

Career

After the failedBeerhall Putschin 1923, many groups from theNSDAPYouth League continued to be led under assumed names. In the end, only one such group inPlauenin the Vogtland along with its leader, Gruber, could keep itself running.

Gruber managed to increase the group's membership. In 1926, through Gruber's efforts, a few such groups came together to form what was called the Greater German Youth Movement (Großdeutsche Jugendbewegungor GDJB). This movement, which at first was confined toSaxony,was sheltered by the now – afterAdolf Hitler's release fromprisoninLandsberg am Lech– re-established NSDAP. It was, however, still not a Party youth movement as such.

After a short power struggle with the "Schilljugend", founded by Gerhard Roßbach, Gruber in the end prevailed and his Greater German Youth Movement became the Nazi Party's official youth organization. In July 1926, it was given the new name "Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth" ("Hitler-Jugend, Bund deutscher Arbeiterjugend").

In October 1931, Gruber was "promoted sideways" to the NSDAP Reich Leadership (Reichsführung). He was replaced byTheodor Adrian von Renteln,the Reich Leader of the National Socialist Schoolchildren's League (NS-Schülerbund).

Gruber transferred into the NSDAP Reich Party Leadership and theSA's High Leadership. In 1939 he became NSDAP Gauamtsleiter (Gauoffice leader) for Municipal Politics in the Gau of Saxony. He was moreover the sport leader for the Gau and the publisher of themagazineNS-Gemeinde(National Socialist Community). His highest rank in the SA wasStandartenführer.

Gruber died on 24 December 1943 at the age 39 after having suffered astroke.