The
Scout movement in
Germany consists of about 150 different associations and federations with about 260,000 Scouts and
Guides.
History
Scouting in Germany started in 1909. After
World War I, German Scouting became involved with the
German Youth Movement, of which the
Wandervogel was a part. Another group that, while short-lived, was influential on later German Scouting, was the
Deutsche Jungenschaft vom 1.11.1929 founded by
Eberhard Koebel; some specifics of German Scouting derive from Koebel's group. German Scouting flourished until 1934-35, when nearly all associations were closed and their members had to join the
Hitler Youth. In
West Germany and
West Berlin, Scouting was reestablished after 1945, but it was banned in
East Germany until 1990 in favor of the
Thälmann Pioneers and the
Free German Youth
The Free German Youth (german: Freie Deutsche Jugend; FDJ) is a youth movement in Germany. Formerly, it was the official youth movement of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.
The organization was meant ...
. Today it is present in all parts of the unified
Federal Republic of Germany.
Associations
As mentioned above, today about 150 Scouting associations and federations exist in Germany. Most of them are coeducational, but there are also some single-gender organizations - boys-only as well as girls-only. The most important and/or largest associations and federations are:
*
Ring deutscher Pfadfinderverbände (
World Organization of the Scout Movement member), a federation of
**
Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (interreligious, coeducational, 30,000 members)
**
Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt Georg (
Catholic, coeducational, 95,000 members)
**
Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (
Protestant, coeducational, 50,000 members)
**
Bund Moslemischer Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Deutschlands (
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
, coeducational, <1,000 members)
*
Ring Deutscher Pfadfinderinnenverbände (
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts member), a federation of
** Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder
**
Pfadfinderinnenschaft Sankt Georg (Catholic, almost girls-only, 10,000 members)
** Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder
** Bund Moslemischer Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Deutschlands
* Verband Deutscher Altpfadfindergilden, affiliated to
International Scout and Guide Fellowship
*
Deutscher Pfadfinderverband, a federation of 18 independent associations (interreligious, coeducational, 29,000 members); one of its members is also member of the
World Federation of Independent Scouts:
**
Pfadfinderbund Weltenbummler (interreligious, coeducational, 2,000 members)
* ''Christliche Pfadfinder Royal Rangers'' (Protestant, coeducational, 14,500 members); affiliated to
Royal Rangers International
* ''Christliche Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder der Adventjugend'' (
Adventist, coeducational, 10,000 members); affiliated to
Pathfinders International;
* ''
Ring junger Bünde'', an umbrella organization of about 20 independent interreligious Scout and
Wandervogel organizations with troops in Germany,
Austria and
Spain (mostly coeducational, estimated 6,000 members); among its members is
** ''
Deutscher Pfadfinderbund'' (interreligious, coeducational, 3,000 members)
* ''Christliche Pfadfinderschaft Deutschlands'' (Protestant, coeducational, 4,000 members)
* Members of the
Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe:
**
Katholische Pfadfinderschaft Europas (Catholic, coeducational, 2,500 members)
** ''Evangelische Pfadfinderschaft Europas'' (Protestant, coeducational, 500 members)
Mergers of large male and female associations in the 1970s
The mainly male Bund der Pfadfinder (BdP) merged in 1976 with the female Bund Deutscher Pfadfinderinnen (BDP) to form the Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (BdP).
The three Protestant scout organisations Bund Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen (BCP), Evangelischer Mädchen-Pfadfinderbund (EMP) (both female) and Christliche Pfadfinderschaft Deutschlands (CPD) merged in 1973 to form Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (VCP).
The Catholic scout organisation Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt Georg is also open to girls and women since 1971. The primarily female Catholic organisation Pfadfinderinnenschaft St. Georg decided in 1982 not to merge with the inclusive counterpart.
International Scout and Guide units in Germany
A large number of international Scout and Guide units from different countries are active in Germany. Most of them developed on military bases, but there are also some at international schools or connected to diplomatic missions. The majority of international Scout and Guide groups dates back to the
Allied occupation of Western Germany following World War II. The small remainder were started recently.
Among the foreign associations in Germany are
* The
Boy Scouts of America with about 120 units, served by three districts of the
Transatlantic Council (Barbarossa District, Charlemagne District, and Edelweiss District)
* The
Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), commonly referred to as simply Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. Founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, it was organized a ...
with about 80 units, served by ''USA Girl Scouts Overseas—North Atlantic (NORAGS)'' and by ''USAGSO headquarters''
*
Girlguiding UK with about 60 units, served by ''
British Guides in Foreign Countries/Germany County'' in five divisions (Lower Saxony Division, Westphalia Division, EMS Division, West Rhine Division, and Independent District of Munich)
*
The Scout Association with 11 groups, served by ''British Scouts Western Europe, Germany District''.
*
Scouts Canada (1952–1994)
*
Scouting Nederland
*
Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség - Hungarian Scout Association in Exteris
There are also other foreign Scout associations active in Germany, mostly with single troops (e.g.
Organization of Russian Young Pathfinders,
Plast),
Scouts et Guides de France in Munich and
Hebrew Scouts Movement in Israel in
Berlin.
The
Dansk Spejderkorps Sydslesvig
The Dansk Spejderkorps Sydslesvig (DSS, Danish Scouts Corps in South Schleswig) is a Scout association of the Danish minority of Southern Schleswig, Germany. Founded in 1919, the coeducational association had about 680 members in 12 groups, as of ...
offers Scouting to the
Danish minority of Southern Schleswig in
Schleswig-Holstein. It is affiliated to the Danish
Det Danske Spejderkorps
The Danish Scout Council (DSC; da, Dansk Spejderråd, formerly ''Fællesrådet for Danmarks Drengespejdere'', FDD) is the national Scouting federation of Denmark. Scouting was founded in Denmark in 1909 and among the charter members of WOSM in ...
as well as to the German ''Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder'' and has about 700 members in 15 troops.
See also
*
Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder
The Sturmtrupp-Pfadfinder was a Scout association in Germany active from 1926 to 1934. The association never had more than 500 members. It was the first Scout association in Germany to admit boys and girls. It was interdenominational and politica ...
*
Scouting in displaced persons camps
References
External links
German Scouting Forum- With members in about 20 countries and 150 associations (in German)
Ring deutscher Pfadfinderverbände and Ring Deutscher PfadfinderinnenverbändeDeutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt GeorgDeutscher PfadfinderverbandChristliche Pfadfinderschaft Royal RangersRing junger BündeGerman Scout WikiChristliche Pfadfinderschaft DeutschlandsKatholische Pfadfinderschaft Europas
{{Scout continent, Europe
Youth organisations based in Germany