wandervogel
Posted in ephemera by will - Apr 16, 2010The wandervogel (the name means wandering birds) were turn of the century german and austrian left wing youths, who roamed the countryside with backpacks and folksongs, not unlike many of us today, that new wave of young degree and guitar holding farmworkers, backpackers, sailors, and forest workers. A lot of our current reactionary ideas about organic agriculture, local diet, conservation, and a simpler lifestyle find there roots here. These were not country people, but educated middle class youth, reacting to the impact of industry and the consumer culture they saw growing.
The wandervogel (the name means wandering birds) were turn of the century german and austrian left wing youths, who roamed the countryside with backpacks and folksongs, not unlike many of us today, that new wave of young degree and guitar holding farmworkers, backpackers, sailors, and forest workers. A lot of our current reactionary ideas about organic agriculture, local diet, conservation, and a simpler lifestyle find there roots here. These were not country people, but educated middle class youth, reacting to the industrial consumer focused society they saw being formed.