Arbeitsdienst

Arbeitsdienst was a German labor service program primarily active during the Nazi era (1930s-1940s). It required young men, often as a precursor to military service, to perform mandatory manual labor, such as building roads, farms, or public works, to benefit the nation’s infrastructure and economy. The program aimed to instill discipline, promote physical fitness, and prepare individuals for military service. It was closely tied to the regime’s militarization efforts and nationalistic ideology but is also associated with authoritarian control over youth and forced labor practices.