1918–1945 The KJÖ is rooted in the tradition of the Austrian Communist Youth Association (KJV), founded on November 8, 1918. The KJV was active in youth work, with several youth delegations visiting the
Soviet Union. In the early 1930s, state persecution intensified, forcing the KJV to operate under increasingly precarious and often illegal conditions. The focus of its activities was on the fight against fascism, frequently resulting in clashes with
SA units. By 1934, when
Engelbert Dollfuss came to power, the KJV had become the most significant
antifascist youth movement in Austria. During the
Spanish Civil War, the KJV was involved in solidarity efforts with the young Spanish Republic, organizing actions such as the "One Machine Gun for Spain" campaign by the Meidling KJV. Additionally, 250 KJV members joined the International Brigades. Following the Nazi takeover in Austria, conditions for the KJV worsened further. Despite waves of
arrests,
executions, and
concentration camps, young Communists continued their fight against fascism. They conducted
sabotage operations, distributed leaflets denouncing the war and Nazism, and advocated for a free, independent Austria. They also sent numerous "subversive" letters to front-line soldiers and attempted to infiltrate the
Hitler Youth. Many joined
partisan groups, though these did not reach the scale or impact of those in
Yugoslavia or
Greece. Others emigrated and founded the youth organization
Young Austria in
Great Britain.
1945–1970 In 1945, the
Free Austrian Youth (FÖJ) was founded, consisting of
Communists,
Socialists, and
Catholics. The FÖJ aimed to build a democratic and free Austria beyond ideological boundaries. The FÖJ played a significant role in the
October strikes of 1950.
Since 1970 At the end of 1968, a majority within the FÖJ protested against the KPÖ’s shift in policy, particularly its justification of the suppression of the
Prague Spring. Throughout 1969, this led to increasing alienation between the KPÖ and the FÖJ. As a result, on May 10, 1970, the FÖJ was re-established as the KJÖ was founded under the slogan "The Future – Socialism". In the 1970s, the KJÖ was especially active in the
Chile solidarity movement, following the violent overthrow of Chile’s
leftist Popular Unity government in a military coup supported by the
CIA (see also:
History of Chile). Additionally, the organization prioritized advocating for the interests of young workers and vocational students, and it played a key role in peace movement activities. The collapse of socialist states in Central and Eastern Europe triggered a crisis within the KJÖ. In response, the organization's name was expanded to "KJÖ-Junge Linke" to reflect its continued aim of building a broad, influential left-wing youth movement by engaging young people with diverse political perspectives. The KJÖ has been involved in various movements, including protests against the formation of the conservative-right government coalition and opposition to the
Iraq War. The organization also takes a stand against
neo-Nazi activities and social cuts. In
Braunau am Inn, the KJÖ organizes a major
anti-fascist protest each year just before
Hitler's birthday, supported by Mayor
Gerhard Skiba and
Green Party National Council member
Karl Öllinger. The KJÖ opposes war,
neofascism, Austrian membership in the
EU and cuts in social welfare. Since 2004, following the KPÖ’s 33rd Party Congress, the KJÖ is an independent organisation. On February 16, 2007,
American celebrity Paris Hilton was in
Vienna for an autograph session in a mall when she had to be rushed offstage because members of the Communist Youth began throwing tubes of lipstick and lit cigarettes at her. They also distributed fliers explaining the reason of the protest. In 2008 the KJÖ dismissed the former addendum "Young Left" in its name and was admitted to the
Styrian youth advisory council. In 2019, 2021 and 2022 the KJÖ in Graz organized the (HarvestPUNKfest) together with the . == Structure ==