Socialist Youth League Karl Liebknecht

Template:Short description Template:Infobox political youth organization Socialist Youth League Karl Liebknecht, (Template:Langx, abbreviated SJV-KL), initially known as the Free German Youth of West Berlin (Template:Langx, abbreviated FDJW), was a youth organization in West Berlin during the Cold War. It was the youth organization of Socialist Unity Party of West Berlin (SEW).<ref name=ote>Olav Teichert. Die Sozialistische Einheitspartei Westberlins. Untersuchung der Steuerung der SEW durch die SED. kassel university press GmbH, 2011. pp. 37, 258, 274–275, 290–291</ref> It was named after the revolutionary leader Karl Liebknecht.

Free German Youth of West Berlin

The Free German Youth (FDJ) organization in Berlin was legalized by the Allied occupation authorities in October 1947, along with three other youth organizations.<ref name=amc>Alan McDougall. Youth Politics in East Germany: The Free German Youth Movement, 1946–1968. Clarendon, 2004. pp. 20–21, 26</ref><ref>Christa Mahrad. Der Jugendverband FDJ und die gesellschaftliche Erziehung in der DDR. APuZ 27/1986</ref> Until 1961 FDJ branches in West Berlin were part of the all-Berlin organization of FDJ.<ref name=tkl>Thomas Klein. SEW – die Westberliner Einheitssozialisten: eine "ostdeutsche" Partei als Stachel im Fleische der "Frontstadt"?. Ch. Links Verlag, 2009. p. 75</ref> By 1948 FDJ had 657 members in West Berlin, but by 1954 the membership numbers had been halved.<ref name=tkl/> The June 1951 prohibition of the FDJ movement in West Germany did not affect the FDJ in West Berlin, due to the special status of the city.<ref name=amc/> On August 21, 1961 a West Berlin unit of FDJ, Free German Youth of West Berlin (FDJW), was constituted.<ref name=tkl/> At a FDJW City Delegate Conference June 7–8, 1969 new statutes of FDJW were adopted, to legitimize the work of the organization on the basis of the September 1, 1950 West Berlin constitution.<ref name=tkl/> Thus FDJW was organizationally separated from the East German FDJ central organization.<ref name=amc/>

During the latter half of the 1970s FDJW ran a campaign against youth unemployment and against lack of vocational training opportunities.<ref name=ote/> The FDJW chairman at the time was Peter Klaar.<ref name=nd76>Template:Cite news</ref> The peak of the campaign was the holding of a musical festival ('Atze-Fest '76') at Lützowplatz June 12–13, 1976, with performances from Puhdys, Dean Reed, Template:Ill and others.<ref name=ote/><ref name=nd76/> The Atze-Fest '76 was attended by some 10,000 people.<ref name=ote/> FDJW membership peaked in 1979–1980 at around 1,000 members.<ref name=tkl/>

SJV Karl Liebknecht

At its 8th congress, held in May 1980, FDJW took the name SJV-KL.<ref name=tkl/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Freie Deutsche Jugend und Pionierorganisation Ernst Thälmann in der DDR. Verlag Neue Gesellschaft, 1984. p. 41</ref> SJV-KL was a democratic mass organization, organizing cultural and sporting activities.<ref name=statt/> The organization was active in the peace movement, mobilized anti-fascist campaigns and campaigned against unemployment and rent hikes.<ref name=ote/> The organization played a leading role in the 'Youth Initiative against Rearmament' (IJGA), which was a prominent force in the West Berlin peace movement.<ref name=ote/> SJV-KL maintained close contacts with other youth organizations in West Berlin, such as Socialist Youth of Germany – The Falcons, Jusos, Young European Federalists, Template:Ill, Bund der Deutschen Katholischen Jugend, Template:Ill, the squatters' movements, etc.<ref name=ote/>

It had its offices on Allerstrasse 35.<ref name=ote/> Volker Junge, who was also a SEW politburo member, was the chairman of SJV-KL.<ref>Weekly Bulletin, Vol. 21, Issues 1–17. The Agency, 1982. p. 21</ref><ref>Summary of World Broadcasts: Far East, Part 3. Monitoring Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation, 1983. p. C-13</ref> The organization published the monthly magazine Signal.<ref name=ote/><ref name=statt/> There was also a pioneer movement under SJV-KL, the Karl Liebknecht Pioneer Organization (Template:Langx, abbreviated 'POKL'), with some 250–300 members.<ref name=ote/><ref name=statt/>

SJV-KL and the Aktionsgemeinschaft von Demokraten und Sozialisten (ADS, the SEW-aligned students movement) organized the Youth Day festival with an anti-NATO theme September 25–26, 1982, which was attended by some 20,000 people.<ref name=ote/> A second Youth Day event was held October 27, 1984 under the slogan 'Peace, Work, Education and Anti-Imperialist Solidarity', attended by some 10,000 people.<ref name=ote/> A third Youth Day was organized on May 31, 1986, which attendance numbers estimated at between 6,000–15,000 people.<ref name=ote/>

SJV-KL was a member of World Federation of Democratic Youth, and conducted international youth exchange activities.<ref name=statt>Stattbuch Berlin, Vol. 3. Stattbuch Verlag, 1984. p. 444</ref> By 1989 SJV-KL had some 200 members.<ref name=tkl/>