Visit jungundfrei.de (verify current domain; as of 2025, it remains active). A print subscription costs around €36/year (Germany). Digital-only (PDF) subscriptions are offered for €24/year. Subscribers receive a download link for each new issue DRM-free.

Jung und Frei was founded in Stuttgart, West Germany, as a response to the need for constructive, value-based youth media after World War II. The magazine was closely tied to the Bund Evangelischer Pfadfinder (Association of Evangelical Scouters) and later the Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (VCP). Its mission was simple: provide young people with articles on nature, craft projects, team-building, ethics, and faith—without commercial sensationalism.

The VCP and Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt Georg (DPSG) sometimes host older issues (pre-2010) as PDFs for internal training. These are not public but can be requested by members.

Each bimonthly issue (6 per year) typically includes:

Notably absent: Anything “hot” in a sensational or adult sense. There is no nudity, sexual content, gossip, or shock journalism. The magazine’s self-imposed rating would be equivalent to “0+.”

Headline: „Warum ich mit 20 keine Angst mehr vor Langeweile habe“
Subline: Zwischen 24/7 Erreichbarkeit und dem Druck, immer was zu erleben – ein Plädoyer für echte Pausen.
Content: Personal essay (400 words) + 3 simple rituals for intentional boredom (e.g., “1 Stunde ohne Handy – aber mit Tee und Fensterblick”)

Many German public libraries (e.g., Berlin, Munich, Hamburg) offer digital borrowing via Onleihe. With a library card, you can download PDFs of Jung und Frei for free, legally.

Today, Jung und Frei is published by Jungundfrei Verlag and remains a niche but beloved resource for scout troops, church youth groups, and progressive Christian families.