League of Kings
The Bund der Köngener (also Köngener Bund ) was a German youth association . It emerged in 1920 from older groups of the student Bible circles (BK), who were influenced by the German youth movement , and dissolved in 1934.
history
For the emergence of the Union of Köngener there were two starting points: groups of pietistic embossed student Bible study groups that had emerged in the wake of the national Luther celebrations in 1886, came from around 1910, but especially during the First World War , in contact with migrant groups of birds and the free German youth and adopted their style elements in their work. The returning soldiers from the front tried to reorganize the student Bible circles in the spirit of the youth movement. At the same time, there were theological disputes within the BC groups between pietistic adult leaders and more charismatic youth leaders. Due to the First World War, these conflicts were initially not carried out in association; they only emerged openly in 1919 and 1920.
A larger group of Württemberg members then left the BK-Jugend in autumn 1920 and founded the “Bund der Köngener” on October 10, 1920 under the leadership of Jakob Wilhelm Hauer , named after the town of Köngen , where in 1919 a conference that was essential for the exit took place . The renewal movement was joined by numerous BK groups from all over the Reich; but it did not remain untouched by internal conflicts. As early as 1923, the “Jungmannschaft Königsbühl” under Joachim Boeckh left the “Bund der Köngener” and joined the new pathfinders .
In the following years the Köngener established contacts with various hiking bird and scout associations . When the German Freischar formed in 1926 as the unification of the Bundestag youth , an affiliation was therefore only logical. Hauer became the "team leader" in the "German Freischar", ie the person responsible for adult work. In 1928 the federation expanded to become the friends of the coming community .
In 1930, large parts of the “Bund der Köngener” left the “Deutsche Freischar” after the failed attempt at alliance with the Greater German Youth League and the Young National Federation , Hauer was again federal leader of the Köngener. Under his leadership, the evangelical federation increasingly turned to folk ideas of an Indo-European religion .
Under Hauer's leadership, the German Faith Movement came into being in 1933 , and parts of the Koengen Confederation also joined. Large parts of the federal government rejected this step, gave up youth work and formed the “Friends of the Coming Community” around Rudolf Daur. The small remaining federation under Hauer's leadership dissolved in 1934. After the Second World War , the “Freundeskreis” took up the old name “Bund der Köngener” again, but remained restricted to adults.
Dealing with those who think differently was an important characteristic of the events of the “Köngener”. Different, even contradicting points of view should be made heard. That is why external speakers of divergent provenance were invited.
Known members
Magazines
- Our way. Voices from the League of Kings . Edited on behalf of the Bund der Köngener by JW Hauer et al., 1920 to 1927.
- Upcoming Congregation (subtitled An Independent Religious Magazine from 1930 ). Edited on behalf of the Köngener (from 1933 on behalf of the Friends of the Coming Community) by JW Hauer, quarterly magazine, continuation of the magazine "Unser Weg", z. Sometimes published irregularly, 1928/29 to 1933.
literature
- Jochim Boeckh: Königsbühl. The White Knight Publishing House Ludwig Voggenreiter. Potsdam 1925.
- Hans-Christian Brandenburg, Rudolf Daur: The bridge to Kings. Fifty years of the Kingship. JF Steinkopf publishing house , Stuttgart 1970.
- Werner Kindt: Documentation of the youth movement . Volume III: The German Youth Movement 1920 to 1933. The Bündische Zeit. Diederichs, Düsseldorf 1974. ISBN 3-424-00527-4 .