Appearing first bimonthly and then monthly, De Stormmeeuw was the mouthpiece of the Nationale Jeugdstorm (National Youth Storm). Its entire contents propagated the ideas of the Dutch National Socialist Movement. The underlying message was clear: the individual must put his or her interest second to the interests of the population as a whole, and young people must be militant, naturally sincere, love their ‘fatherland’ and their comrades should be of paramount importance to them. To emphasize these ideas, the writers of De Stormmeeuw wrote in a militaristic language that used words such as leader, storm troopers, marching, and fighting.

The magazine primarily contained articles. Some of them were explicitly aimed at educating the youth, preparing for the fight and defending the homeland. Among other subjects, it dealt with the royal house, youth unemployment, or pleasure in one’s work. There were also articles on more neutral subjects (nature, airplanes, sport, and the like). However, these were often dealt with in such a way that the Nazi ideology filtered through. The importance of the national culture was permanently underlined and ‘usefulness’ was the central message in all the information in the magazine.

The Stormmeeuw included one or two stories for relaxation and enjoyment, but most features were on hobbies, such as collecting stamps, aircraft construction, and training dogs. Young people were called on not only to read, but first of all to act! Riddles and puzzles were part of the feature Breinbestormingen (Brainstorming), in which competitors from various places in the Netherlands entered into battle with each other.

At the back of the Stormmeeuw, readers found announcements about the activities of the Nationaal Jeugdstorm and news about the troops. Photographs were the primary visual content, with only a few illustrations.

Digitized: vol. 1, no 1 (1934) – vol. 11, no 4 (1945) (emergency issue)

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