Scouting and Guiding in Germany

The Scout movement in Germany consists of about 150 different associations and federations with about 260,000 Scouts and Guides.

German Scouts of the YMCA before World War I on an early color photograph
The Kohte, the typical black tent of German Scouting since the 1930s

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. Today it is present in all parts of the unified Federal Republic of Germany.

Associations
Singing Girl Guides of the Christliche Pfadfinderschaft Deutschlands

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:

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

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[10] and Hebrew Scouts Movement in Israel in Berlin.[11]

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

See also

References
  1. "Erziehungsschwerpunkt: Empathie statt Egoismus-Pfadfindergemeinschaften in Deutschland" (in German). 3sat. 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-04. }
  2. "Inhalt" (in German). Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt Georg. 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-02-22. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  3. "Der Verband" (in German). Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder. 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  4. "Pfadfinden wird 100 Jahre jung" (PDF) (in German). Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder. 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  5. "Selbstdarstellung des DPV" (PDF) (in German). Deutscher Pfadfinderverband. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  6. "Wir über uns" (in German). Royal Rangers Deutschland. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  7. "Christliche Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder der Adventjugend" (PDF) (in German). CPA Reutlingen. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  8. "Christliche Pfadfinderschaft Deutschlands" (in German). Christliche Pfadfinderschaft Deutschlands. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  9. "Scoutbswe.org". Archived from the original on 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  10. "Erascout" (in French). Scouts et Guides de France. Archived from the original on 2012-12-18. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
  11. "מפת שבטי התנועה בתנועת הצופים". תנועת הצופים. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
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