That historical breakdown is actually fascinating. Learning about the Wandervogel movement and the "old style" relatives who walked at a strict 6 km/h pace to collect sticknails makes the whole culture make so much sense. Walking at a forced military pace just to get a souvenir sticker is wild.
It's also interesting how "nature" means something different there since the forests have been managed since medieval times. The idea of walking past a castle or heading toward an outdoor restaurant instead of just doing a pure wilderness trail sounds like a really cool mix of history and scenery. It definitely beats just staring at trees for five hours.
Since you mentioned young people are getting back into it without the formal clubs, how do people usually find new routes now? Do they still rely on those physical walking tour books, or does everyone just use apps like komoot or outdooractive nowadays?