The Scout movement in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

consists of a multitude of associations and federations with about 260,000 Scouts and Guides.

History

Scouting in Germany started in 1909. After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, 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 The Hitler Youth ( , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth wing of the German Nazi Party. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. From 1936 until 1945, it was th ...

. In

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

and

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

, Scouting was reestablished after 1945, but it was banned in

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

until 1990 in favor of the Thälmann Pioneers and the Free German Youth. Today it is present in all parts of the unified Federal Republic of Germany.

Associations

As mentioned above, today several 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 Pfadfinder*innenverbände (

World Organization of the Scout Movement The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest and, after the Order of World Scouts (formed in 1911), is the second-oldest international organization in the Scout Movement, having been established in 1922. It has 176 members. ...

and

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS ) is a global association that supports Girl Guides, female-oriented and female-only Guiding and Scouting organizations in 153 countries. It was established in the year 1928 in Parád, H ...

member), a federation of ** Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (interreligious, coeducational, 30,000 members) ** Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt Georg (

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, coeducational, 95,000 members) ** Verband Christlicher Pfadfinder*innen (

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

, coeducational, 50,000 members) ** Bund Moslemischer Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Deutschlands (

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, coeducational, <1,000 members) ** Pfadfinderinnenschaft Sankt Georg (Catholic, almost girls-only, 10,000 members) * Verband Deutscher Altpfadfindergilden, affiliated to

International Scout and Guide Fellowship The International Scout and Guide Fellowship (ISGF) is a worldwide organization of adults in support of Scouting and Girl Guides, Guiding. The International Scout and Guide Fellowship is open to former members of the World Association of Girl Gui ...

* 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 The World Federation of Independent Scouts (WFIS) is a non-governmental international Scouting organization with over 7 million members in 151 affiliated Scout organizations in 65 countries. WFIS was formed in Laubach, Germany Germany, ...

: ** 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 Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

(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 Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...

with about 120 units, served by three districts of the

Transatlantic Council There have been American Scouts overseas since almost the inception of the movement, often for similar reasons as the present day. Within the Scouting America formerly the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), these expatriate Scouting, Scouts are now se ...

(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 Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, a year after she ...

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 The Scout Association is the largest organisation in the Scout Movement in the Scouting in the United Kingdom, United Kingdom. Following the rapid development of the Scouting, Scout Movement from 1907, The Scout Association was formed in 1910 ...

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 Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. The Dansk Spejderkorps Sydslesvig offers Scouting to the Danish minority of Southern Schleswig in

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...

. It is affiliated to the Danish Det Danske Spejderkorps as well as to the German ''Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder'' and has about 700 members in 15 troops.

References

External links