East German secret police guide for identifying youth subcultures (1985)
Fascinating! Even back then people confused apostrophes with French accent marks. It's no new occurrence.<p>Survey of appearances of negative-decadent youths in the GDR<p>From the left:<p>* Ted's<p>Age: 15-30 years<p>Very small group by numbers, fanatic supporters of 50's Rock'n'Roll. Usually organized in respective fan clubs.<p>Clothing in 50's style: Skinny jeans, Winklepickers. Hair in the style of R&R-times (Elvis quiffe, "Duck").<p>Politically uninterested.<p>Hardly noticed operationally, activities mostly at birth and death days of idolized rock stars.<p>* Tramper (bum, blueser)<p>Age: 20-30 years.<p>Classic manifestation of the negative-decadent youth in the 70's. Blues fans. Participation in traditional events.<p>Long hair, jeans parka, tramping, Birkenstock (literally: "jesus slippers"), beards, sometimes fashin accessories similar to Hippies.<p>Not bound to any political worldview.<p>Noticed through organizing inter-regional meetings, no firm attachment to church groups, hardly growing.<p>* Skins<p>Age: 15-22 years.<p>English: "head skin". society-threatening manifestation of negative-decadent youths as lone wolfs or in loose groups without firm structures.<p>Outer attributes: baldness or very short hair, bomber jacket, skinny jeans, high steel-toe boots studded with nails and iron.<p>Deprecative negative to hostile political attitude, partly neo-fascist tendencies, glorification and use of violence, brutal action.<p>In danger of criminality (rowdyism, battery, resistance to state action.<p>Partly in open church youth groups.<p>* Heavys<p>Age: 15-25 years.<p>Fan of the so-called Heavy-Meta music (extremely hard rock).<p>Similarity to rockers in the west: black leather clothing, leather cap, Rivet-studded jackets and pants, wearing heavy chains etc., normal to semi-long hair.<p>Originally deprecative attitude towards state and society, growing integration into organizations forms og the Free German Youth with society-conforming attitudes.<p>Originally aggressive attitude, partly neo-fascist tendencies after the example of the west, with the proliferation of Heavy music increasingly society-conforming.<p>* Goths<p>Age: 15-20 years.<p>New Heavy scene, originating in hostility to that, glorofication of creepy effects, satanic and death cult, fans of the group "The Cure".<p>black or white dyed hair, sticking out in all directions. White powdered face, black clothing. Wearing of symbols like crucifixes upside down.<p>Totally uninterested in politics and society.<p>Hardly noticed operationally. High profile by collecting grave utensils, sometimes grave desecration. Calm, isolated from other youths.<p>* Punks<p>Age: 15-22 years.<p>English: Garbage/trash.<p>Characterized externally through documented decadence, society-adverse to -threatening. No firm structures.<p>Filthy, torn, paint-sprinkled clothing, utensils like safety pins/razor blades. multi-coloured, scraggy hair, partly "Irokese haircut".<p>Deprecative to hostile political attitude, rejection of all state forms and societal norms. Glorification of anarchist thoughts, "total freedom".<p>Violent appearance, criminal actions and antisocial ways of life, often regulars in public church youth groups, instructed by Deacons.<p>* New Romantics<p>Age: 15-18 years.<p>English: "New romantics", "dropout" movement, developed from punk, is punk's more society-conformant variant.<p>Black or grey clothing, often contrasting black-red as  a symbol of anarchy. Hair most of the time dyed black, short at the back and the sides, long on top. Hanging into the face, eyes concealed.<p>Stand for same negative to hostile postitions as Punks,but reject all forms of glorification and use of violence.<p>Partly attached to church youth work, diminishing tendency.<p>* Popper<p>Age: 13-20 years.<p>Performing as break-dancer. Notable one-sided interest in disco and dancing.<p>Youth with extremely modern clothing. Haircut similar to New Romantics, multi-coloured.<p>Totally uninterested in politics.<p>So far no operational appearance. Mostly involved in quarrels with Heavys.