Zivildienst is the German denomination for the alternative civilian service for conscripted persons who are conscientious objectors to fulfill their

national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

, typically in the fields of social work (e.g. hospitals,

retirement home A retirement home – sometimes called an old people's home or old age home, although ''old people's home'' can also refer to a nursing home – is a multi-residence housing facility intended for the elderly. Typically, each person or couple in ...

emergency medical services Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...

) and, although rarely,

environmental protection Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by individuals, organizations and governments. Its objectives are to conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where possible, to repair dam ...

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

, and

public administration Public Administration (a form of governance) or Public Policy and Administration (an academic discipline) is the implementation of public policy, administration of government establishment (public governance), management of non-profit est ...

. As such, it is exempt from the general ban of

forced labor Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...

by the

European Convention on Human Rights The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is an international convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by ...

. The word itself is German, translated verbatim to "Civilian Service", although "compulsory community service" is more contextually equivalent. However, the official translation in German is " alternative civilian service" as the civilian branch of the national service systems in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and Switzerland. The drafted person to "Zivildienst" is "Zivildiener" in Austria and "Zivildienstleistender" in Switzerland, commonly called "Zivi" in both countries.

History

Germany

Between 1973 and 2011 "Zivildienst" was available in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

as well as an alternative service to conscription in the German armed forces. The ''Federal Office for Alternative Civilian Service'' (German: ''Bundesamt für den Zivildienst'' ) was the responsible government office for petitions along with an essay describing their reasons, the applicants had to fill in to become recognized objectors (German: ''anerkannter Kriegsdienstverweigerer''), who then are able to fulfill "Zivildienst". The "recognized objector" could then either negotiate for an accredited service institution or be assigned to an institution. The ''Zivildienst'' was the most common alternative service to before conscription was suspended for peacetime in 2011. As a substitute to the "Zivildienst", the voluntary service '' Bundesfreiwilligendienst'' (German for "federal volunteers service") was established in 2011.

''Zivildienst'' in force

''Zivildienst'' in Austria

In Austria, since 1975 the ''Zivildienst'' is provided as an alternative for conscientious objectors to the draft for military service. It is served for nine months, three months longer than the military service. Participants can choose one of several organisations (mainly NGOs) at which to serve. Most popular choices for compulsory service personnel are working for the ambulance services (usually transporting non-emergency patients to and from hospital) and nursing homes. Other options include serving at hospitals, charity organizations, or in several ministries. Because of the upcoming years with a low birth rate, by 2021 the Austrian government will draft every male citizen, without physical or

intellectual disability Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation, Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signif ...

to have the maximum number of men available for "Zivildienst".

''Zivildienst'' in Switzerland

In Switzerland the ''Zivildienst / Service civil / Servizio civile'' was created in 1996 as an civilian substitute service to the military service. It was introduced as part of the so-called Vision 95 (Armeeleitbild 95) reform package. Any man who is unable to do compulsory military service for reasons of conscience can submit an application to be allowed to do substitute civilian service instead.

References

{{Reflist

External links

''Zivildienstserviceagentur''
(Austrian ''Zivildienst'' administrator, in German)
''Alles über den Zivildienst''
(Impartial Source for current as well as prospective men serving community service, in German)
Swiss Civilian Service
(in German, French, and Italian) Society of Germany Society of Austria Society of Switzerland Conscientious objection de:Zivildienst