Yes. In the 1930s, the pro-Nazi German American Bund and its predecessor groups operated youth camps in the United States. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum says the Bund opened “some two dozen” summer camps across the country, with the most active sites on the East Coast. These were political youth camps—not Nazi Germany’s concentration camps—and their outdoor and cultural activities were intertwined with Nazi symbols and instruction.
What were the American Nazi summer camps?
They were camps run by the German American Bund, an antisemitic, pro-Nazi organization founded in 1936, as well as by predecessor groups. The Bund used rallies, propaganda, and youth activities to promote support for Nazism among German Americans. Its camps recruited boys and girls of German ancestry, generally ages 8 to 18, drawing inspiration from Nazi efforts to indoctrinate young people.
The Bund presented itself as patriotic, but its support for Nazism and promotion of antisemitic conspiracy theories conflicted with democratic and inclusive values. It was not representative of German Americans: the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum notes that the vast majority of the more than eight million people of German ancestry in the country did not join or support the Bund.
What did children do at the camps?
Camp life combined outdoor recreation and German cultural activities with explicit political instruction. The museum says campers learned German language and songs, saluted the swastika, listened to Hitler’s speeches, studied Nazi leaders, wore uniforms, and carried daggers. The activities were meant to build loyalty to the Bund and readiness to fight its enemies. Families also used some camps for weekend retreats.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →#1 Best Overall
National Archives descriptions of surviving footage show boys building a camp by cutting trees and digging trenches, as well as uniformed youth and group scenes. The Archives reports that one recruitment-film intertitle was translated as “German boy you also belong to us.” These records reveal the movement’s effort to reach young people, but they do not establish that every camper or family shared the same level of commitment.
The Yaphank Historical Society quotes Stony Brook University history professor Ryan Shaffer, who distinguishes committed Nazis from families who also understood themselves as patriotic Americans: “While some were ardent Nazis, many were patriotic German-Americans whose families were in the country for decades.” That distinction describes varied motives among participants; it does not make the Bund’s ideology any less pro-Nazi or antisemitic.
Rank #2
Where were the Bund camps?
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum places camps from Connecticut to California and describes the East Coast as the most active region. It names Camp Siegfried in Yaphank, New York, and Camp Norland in Andover, New Jersey. The museum’s estimate is “some two dozen” camps, not a definitive national inventory. The surviving records and accounts identify several sites, but do not reconcile every name, location, and operating date.
| Camp or site | Location and earliest documented date | What the sources establish |
|---|---|---|
| Camp Wille und Macht | New Jersey; opened in 1934 | Sponsored by the Friends of New Germany as a pilot German-American youth camp, before the Bund was founded in 1936. (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; National Archives) |
| Camp Siegfried | Yaphank, New York; established in 1935 | The Yaphank Historical Society says it began under the Friends of New Germany and later became associated with the German American Settlement League and Bund rallies. Its account says the federal government took over the site in 1941. (Yaphank Historical Society) |
| Camp Bergwald | Catskill Mountains, New York; operating date not stated | National Archives records identify surviving footage from the camp. (National Archives Catalog) |
| Camp Norland | Andover, New Jersey; dedicated July 18, 1937 | The FBI’s historical account calls it the twenty-first Bund camp established in the country at the time of its dedication; that description is not a final count. (Federal Bureau of Investigation) |
| Youth vacation camp | St. Louis, Missouri; operating date not stated | National Archives film records include a youth vacation camp there. (National Archives Catalog) |
These examples are not a complete list. The figures sometimes cited for the network refer to different sources and dates: the museum’s “some two dozen,” the FBI’s description of Camp Norland as the twenty-first camp in 1937, and a 2019 scholarly article summary reporting 24 youth camps at the Bund’s peak. They should not be treated as interchangeable measurements of a settled, complete count.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallOutdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWhat happened at Camp Siegfried?
Camp Siegfried was among the best-known sites, located in Yaphank on Long Island. According to the Yaphank Historical Society, it was established in 1935 under the Friends of New Germany, before the Bund’s formal founding. The camp later became associated with the German American Settlement League and Bund rallies. The society says the federal government took it over in 1941.
That timeline illustrates why “Bund camp” can refer to a site whose origins predated the organization itself. Camp Wille und Macht also opened before 1936, while other documented camps were established after the Bund formed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What do surviving records show?
The National Archives describes approximately 40 reels of motion-picture footage from 1937 to 1940 concerning Hitler Youth camp activity in Germany, Camp Bergwald in New York, and a youth vacation camp in St. Louis. The films include scenes at U.S. camps; the Archives says they were seized on January 5, 1942, under a federal grand jury subpoena served on the German-American Vocational League’s national headquarters. Related sound recordings document German nationalist music, Nazi leaders’ speeches, and Bund rallies.
The Archives’ 2014 account says the films and recordings were held as evidence in an investigation, later discovered in other holdings, and transferred to its audiovisual branch. They are valuable primary records of the government investigation and of some camp activity, but the collection does not document every camp or provide a complete register of sites.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Best Value
When did the camps close?
The Bund officially disbanded on December 16, 1941, after the United States entered the war, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. That is the endpoint of the organization, not a single documented closure date for every camp or property. The Yaphank Historical Society dates the federal takeover of Camp Siegfried to 1941; the histories of individual sites varied.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
