Gianluca Giachery, Rebellion, custom and political commitment. The youth movement in Germany (1898-1926)

At the beginning of the twentieth century a great youth movement was born, whose name was Wandervögel. The aim of such movement was to revolutionize the ancient and strict educational styles, trying to restore, in part, the tradition of the classical Bildung. Paul Natorp, Gustav Wyneken, George Barbizon and Sigfried Bernfeld played a decisive role in calling the German educational system into question. This kind of changing climate was able to form new personalities such as Mark Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin, all involved in the experience of the “Institute for Social Research” in Frankfurt. In particular – starting from his first youth writings – Benjamin’s works are an extensive and meaningful testimony to the significance and experience of Wandervögel.