In the mid-1930s, when the specter of Nazism haunted Europe but seemed a distant reality for the United States, a summer camp on Long Island became a focal point for Nazi indoctrination in America. Camp Siegfried, nestled in the seemingly peaceful Yaphank on Long Island, appeared as an idyllic retreat for youngsters and adults alike. Yet, it was here that the German-American Bund, an organization rooted in Nazi ideology, cultivated a toxic environment of hate and extremism just 49 miles from New York City.
The camp was one of several operated across the nation by the German-American Bund, an American Nazi group committed to propagandizing the views and policies of the Nazi regime in Germany, and was operated by the German American Settlement League (GASL). Here, a small mid-Suffolk village: Yaphank, an Indian name meaning “Valley of Peace,” the dark underbelly of American society was being nurtured, with thousands of Bund supporters flocking to Camp Siegfried each summer to steep themselves in a culture of racism and anti-Semitism.
The camp activities mirrored those of any other summer camp, with a twist that was both sinister and deeply chilling. Children, aged between 6 to 18, participated in typical camp endeavors—swimming, archery, and hikes through the woods. They celebrated with oom-pah bands and Oktoberfest festivities, with women in German peasant outfits greeting visitors. The Long Island Railroad even ran “Camp Siegfried Specials” from Penn Station for the convenience of visitors, many of whom came out from the German-American Manhattan neighborhood of Yorkville to spend time at what appeared to be a family-oriented summer retreat. In 1938, The New York Times reported that 40,000 people attended that year’s annual German Day festivities.
According to The Washington Post, the purpose of Camp Siegfried was to “raise the future leaders of America – and make sure they were steeped in Nazi ideals.” The German American Bund severed its connection with the German American Settlement League in 1940, and the League took over the Camp with the announcement that henceforth it would be “non-political.”
Relevant articles:
– Camp Siegfried, Jan 21, 2022