The voluntary welfare associations in Germany: An overview

13

• 1923: Creation of the German League of Non-statutory Welfare Associations,
which led after World War II to the federal Association of Non-statutory Wel-
fare.

• 1924: Creation of the Association of the Non-affiliated Charities.

• 1933-1945: The National Socialists ban and dissolve or severely limit the activi-
ties of most charitable organizations.

• 1945-1989: The associations resume their work in Western Germany and face
limitations to their activities in Eastern Germany.

• 1990 to present: Union of East and West German welfare organizations.

The history of the Voluntary Welfare Associations reflects important historical periods
of German history:³¹

• the rapid economic development 1850 and 1900,

• the conflict between Bismarck and the Catholic regions of the Reich over educa-
tion, culture and welfare 1871 to 1891,

• the tumultuous years of the Weimar Republic with the Third sector expansion
1918 to 1923,

• the Third Reich 1933 to 1945 with the Third Sector contraction and far-reaching
levelling and incorporation,

• the development of the West-German Welfare State including the expansion of
the Voluntary Welfare after World War II and

• the unification of West- and East-Germany 1990 and the development of the Eu-
ropean Union.

Over the last 200 years this history gave rise to three crucial principles that shaped
Germany's modern nonprofit sector including the voluntary welfare associations:³²

• the principle of self-administration or self-governance,

• the principle of subsidiarity and

• the principle of Gemeinwirtschaft or communal economics.

2.3 Services, Facilities and Employees

Voluntary Welfare is characterized by independence and a partnership based co-
operation with the public social service providers like the State, local authorities and
social insurance bodies. The objective is to effectively complement the latter’s action in
favor of those in need.

³¹ Anheier in: Anheier/Seibel 1990: 317-319.

³² Priller/Zimmer/Anheier/Toepler/Salamon 1999: 104-105.

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