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Scouting in Germany
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic with sixteen states of which Bavaria, in the south-east, is the biggest with about 70,500 square-kilometers and a population of nearly 12.5 millions. The Scout movement in Germany is very different from most other countries. It consists of about 165 different associations and federations with about 280,000 scouts and guides altogether (Status: 2008). The Christian Scout and Guide Association (VCP) is one of them and with about 50,000 members the second largest in Germany. It has subdivisions in every state and ours is called VCP-Bavaria.
A short History of German Scouting
In 1909 scouting in Germany started and later became involved with the German Youth Movement, of which the so called Wandervogel was a part. German scouting flourished until 1934/35 when nearly all associations were closed and their members had to join the Hitler Youth. Since then and during World War II scouts were not allowed to continue their activities, take part in scout meetings or reestablish groups. Although scouting was forbidden and prosecuted by law, secret meetings and camps were held. After World War II (in 1945) Scouting was instantly reestablished all over Germany by scouts and guides who survived. But 1949 Germany was divided in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany/Soviet Zone) and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and as a result scouting again was banned (in East Germany only) in favor of the Thälmann Pioneers and the Free German Youth. When Germany was unified in 1990, scouting was reestablished in former East Germany.
Today scouting is present in all parts of the unified Federal Republic of Germany, but most of the groups are located in the states of former West Germany.
German Scouting Associations
As mentioned above, today about 160 Scouting associations and federations exist in Germany. Most of them are coeducational, but there are also some single-sex organizations (boys-only as well as girls-only). These are the most important and largest associations and federations:
The Ring deutscher Pfadfinderverbände (RdP) is the national member of WOSM and a federation of three associations:
Guides and Scout Union (BdP) (interreligious, coed., 30,000 members)
German Saint George Scout Association (DPSG) (Catholic, coed., 95,000 members)
Christian Guide and Scout Association (VCP) (Protestant, coed., 50,000 members)
The Ring Deutscher Pfadfinderinnenverbände (RDP) is the national member of WAGGGS and a federation of three associations:
Guides and Scout Union (BdP)
Saint George Girl Guides (PSG) (Catholic, girls-only, 10,000 members)
Christian Guide and Scout Association (VCP)
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All other scout associations and federations in Germany are not members of WOSM and WAGGGS. The biggest are:
Deutscher Pfadfinderverband (DPV) is a federation of 18 independent associations (interreligious, coed., 29,000 members)
Christliche Pfadfinder Royal Rangers (Protestant, coed., 14,500 members); affiliated to Royal Rangers International
Christliche Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder der Adventjugend (CPA) (Adventist, coed., 10,000 members); affiliated to Pathfinders International
About 70% of all German scouts and guides are members of the RdP/RDP and therefore members of WOSM and WAGGGS. The remaining 30% participate in one of the 130 other (sometimes very small) scout and guide organisations. This makes it difficult speaking about the way of German scouting in general because each organisation has different traditions, uniforms, rules and often opinions how scouting should be done.
The scouts of the Fichtelgebirge District are members of the Christian Guide and Scout Association (VCP) and thus members of WOSM and WAGGGS.
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