German Society for Defense Technology
| German Society for Defense Technology V. (DWT) |
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| purpose | Lobbying for the German arms industry |
| Chair: | Gerhard Schempp |
| Establishment date: | 1957 |
| Number of members: | approx. 250 supporting members, approx. 930 personal members |
| Seat : | Hochstadenring 50 53119 Bonn |
| Website: | www.dwt-sgw.de |
The German Society for Defense Technology e. V. (DWT) is a German lobby organization that was established at the initiative of the Armaments Department in the Federal Ministry of Defense . The seat of the non-profit association is Bonn . The association has around 250 sponsoring and around 930 personal members.
history
In 1956 the consortium for defense technology was founded. In the same year it joined the Working Group for Defense Research (AfW) on a corporate basis. The AfW had previously been founded by former Wehrmacht generals around Franz Halder , who were employed by the Operational History (German) Section of the Historical Division of the United States Army after the Second World War . In 1957 it was renamed to its current name.
Self-image
According to its own statements, the DWT is committed to “the state security of Germany” and, according to its own statements, acts as a “neutral dialogue and information platform” and as such feels that it belongs to the “security policy 'community' of the Federal Republic of Germany , the EU and NATO ”. The association also has the goal of promoting “knowledge of key issues in security and defense policy ” as well as “defense and security technology and the defense industry”.
Board
Its president has been the manager Claus Günther since December 31, 2019 , who previously headed Diehl Defense for 13 years. The Vice President of DWT is Gisela Manderla . Chairman of the board is General a. D. Rainer Schuwirth .
links
The association works together with domestic and foreign companies with comparable objectives. Special cooperation agreements exist with the Society for Defense and Security Policy , the Carl Cranz Society , the German Armed Forces Association and the Association of Reservists of the German Armed Forces .
criticism
The association is accused of being close to the arms industry . In 2009, some members of the Defense Committee of the German Federal Government did not state that they were also on the DWT Presidium. It was Elke Hoff ( FDP ), Rainer Arnold and Jörn Thießen (both SPD ). However, the rules of procedure of the Bundestag are clear on this issue. The code of conduct states that MPs must notify the President of the Bundestag in writing of their "activities as a member of a board of directors or any other management or advisory body of an association (...) with a not exclusively local significance" so that the President of the Bundestag can publish them. It is a scandal that “these lobbyists can repeatedly exercise decisive influence in parliament,” said the federal chairwoman of Bündnis90 / Die Grünen , Claudia Roth . Also, the levels reported in October 2015 about it.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Esther-Julia Howell: Learn from the vanquished? The war-history cooperation between the US Army and the former Wehrmacht elite 1945–1961. De Gruyter Oldenbourg, Berlin 2015, ISBN 978-3-11-041478-3 , pp. 281f.
- ↑ Working Group for Defense Research (Ed.): 15 years Working Group for Defense Research 1954–1969 . Stuttgart 1969, p. 5.
- ↑ Interview. In: esut.de. European Security & Technology, accessed March 29, 2020 .
- ↑ Board of Directors. In: German Society for Defense Technology. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
- ↑ Arms lobby in the Bundestag. In: n-tv.de. n-tv, August 6, 2009, accessed October 9, 2015 .
- ↑ Secondary employment hidden. In: sueddeutsche.de. Süddeutsche Zeitung, May 17, 2010, accessed on October 9, 2015 .
- ^ Christian Schweppe: Speed dating with diplomats . In: Der Spiegel . No. 42 , 2015, p. 50-51 ( online ).