The ''Rheinische Volkspflege'' (''RVP'') was a propaganda organisation founded on 1 August 1919 as part of the

Reichszentrale für Heimatsdienst Reichszentrale für Heimatdienst ("Reich Agency for Homeland Service") was an organisation established in Germany in March 1918 to disseminate propaganda and educational material. It was soon to play a role in the emergent Weimar Republic. The orga ...

(Reich Central Office for Home Service), the official press department of the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...

. It provided an umbrella organisation for a variety of educational and nationalistic movements during the

occupation of the Rhineland The Occupation of the Rhineland from 1 December 1918 until 30 June 1930 was a consequence of the collapse of the Imperial German Army in 1918, after which Germany's provisional government was obliged to agree to the terms of the 1918 armist ...

by allied forces as accepted by the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...

. The name can be translated as "Protectors of the Rhenish people". The organisation was first established under the leadership of Alfred von Wrochem, until differences of opinion between him and his superiors led to his replacement in June 1921. Von Wrochem subsequently published ''Die Kolonisation der Rheinlande durch Frankreich'' (''The Colonisation of the Rhineland by France'') to present his views in 1922. However his use of official documents led to further disapproval from the Heimatsdienst. The RVP had a political department which co-ordinated the production of anti-French propaganda including material about the so-called Black Shame – the use of African troops by the French Army during the occupation of the Rhineland. There was also a press department, the Pressestelle and the

Rheinische Frauenliga The Rhenish women's league (Rheinische Frauenliga) was an organisation set up by the Rheinische Volkspflege (Protectors of the Rhenish people) to bring together various primarily middle class women's organisations initially to campaign against the ...

(Rhenish Women's league) which was headed by Margarete Gärtner from offices in Berlin.

References

{{reflist 1919 in Germany Occupation of the Rhineland Weimar Republic 1919 establishments in Germany Government agencies established in 1919