Catholic young community

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Catholic young community
logo
founding 1970
Seat Dusseldorf
main emphasis Catholic Youth Association
Chair Julia Niedermayer, Marc Eickelkamp (Federal Management)
people Rebekka Biesenbach (Spiritual Director)
Members 80,000 (as of January 2020)
Website kjg.de

The Catholic Young Congregation ( KjG for short ) is a children and youth association that is structured according to the Catholic parishes in the dioceses of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has around 80,000 members nationwide in 24 diocesan associations (as of January 2020), making it the second largest Catholic youth association in Germany after the St. Georg Scouting Association. The KjG is a member of the Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ).

organization

Parish level

At the parish level, volunteer group leaders offer group lessons, holiday camps and other offers for children, adolescents and young adults. Those responsible meet in leadership groups and working groups. The coordination runs through an elected parish administration. In principle, every KjG member in the parish has the active right to vote , with age limits in some cases (locally different), for example a restriction of the right to vote to members who are at least 13 and at most 27 years old. Various diocesan associations attach importance to consistently equal voting rights, regardless of the age or function of the respective member.

Middle level

The middle level is called district, deanery , district or region depending on the diocesan association . Here, cross-community offers are created and the individual parishes are networked with one another. Depending on the municipal structure, the political representation of interests of the KjG in regional bodies, such as at BDKJ city assemblies or in city ​​or district youth councils , is one of the tasks of the middle level. However, this can also be at the parish level. This level is coordinated by elected, honorary, parity district / dean's / district / regional leaderships, as an exchange and control body there is a committee in some middle levels, which, like the diocesan committee at the diocesan level, is the highest decision-making body between the conferences. Furthermore, working groups can be elected to plan activities and to support / advise the parishes.

Diocesan level

The next higher level is the diocesan level, on which the diocesan instructions (DL) coordinate the diocesan events. The Diocesan Conference (DiKo), at which representatives of the middle levels are represented, elects and controls the DL. The DiKo can issue work orders to the DL via applications. The DiKo also elects the members of the diocesan committee, the highest advisory and decision-making body between two diocesan conferences, from the management of the middle levels. In addition, the diocesan conference sets up working groups (AK) that support the diocesan instructions in their tasks. An important task of the diocesan association is to create an offer by which the quality work of the parish level is to be ensured. Training and further education offers for group leaders should be mentioned here in particular .

Federal level

As a union of diocesan associations, the federal level forms the highest level of the KjG. It should promote contact and exchange between the individual diocesan associations, carry out projects for the entire association, offer services for the diocesan associations and represent the interests of the KjG (of children and young people) in politics and the church. Information brochures and membership cards are created for all diocesan associations, training courses for diocesan leaders are organized, and projects like Menschen komm! carried out for the entire association.

The board of directors of the KjG consists of a federal leader, a spiritual leader and a managing director who are elected by the annual federal conference. Until 2011, the federal committee, which was also elected and consisted exclusively of incumbent diocesan leaders, was the highest decision-making body between the conferences. Since then, the Federal Council has replaced it through an amendment to the statutes. Members entitled to vote are the members of the federal government and one delegate and one delegate from each diocesan association. In particular, the following tasks are reserved for the Federal Council: taking decisions on joint actions and federal association priorities, receiving interim reports from the federal management and the commissions and supporting the federal management in planning and preparing the federal conference, mediating and making decisions in cases of conflict between diocesan associations or between one Diocesan Association and the Federal Government and the care for the implementation of the decisions of the Federal Conference.

Federal meeting

The federal association, possibly in cooperation with a diocesan association, invites all KjG members to a federal meeting at irregular intervals. The last one took place from May 1st to 4th, 2008 in Würzburg under the title "UTOPIAjetzt!" Earlier events of this kind were "Eventure 2001" in Mannheim or "Signals '90" in Neuss . UTOPIA now was largely conceived as an open-air event and combined a wide range of workshop offers with cultural highlights, rock music, church services, a children and youth demonstration in downtown Würzburg and a presentation of the association's regional focus areas. Approx. 3000 association members took part. The last major nationwide event “DenkMal!” Took place from May 24th to 28th, 2017 under the motto “Think Peace. Give the future. ”In the Nordsternpark in Gelsenkirchen. Approx. 1500 KjGler from all over Germany took part.

Memberships

The KjG belongs together with other Catholic youth associations to the Federation of German Catholic Youth as an umbrella organization. In addition, the KjG is represented internationally through its membership in fimcap .

Basics and goals

“In the Catholic Young Congregation (KjG) young Christians come together. Anyone can become a member who accepts the principles and goals. Democratically and equally, all members elect the management and decide on the content and forms of work of the association. "

- (Revised) principles and goals of the KjG, decided in Altenberg in 2017

The KjG is politically active at all levels and wants to encourage children and young people to get involved, to take responsibility, to become active for things that concern them and that need to be changed. In addition, the KjG wants to encourage social action and the shaping of one's own everyday life based on one's own religious convictions.

Building on the basics and goals, various campaigns are started, such as 'Enjoy the difference' (an action by the federal association that speaks out against xenophobia and racism) and 'Trialog - together in difference' in which the KjG and the BJSD ( Federal Association of Jewish Students in Germany ) and the MJD ( Muslim Youth in Germany ) became aware of the differences and similarities between the three religions.

history

From the foundation to the ban in 1939

The "Catholic Young Men Association" (KJMV), the forerunner of the "Catholic Young Men Community" (KJG), was founded in Düsseldorf in 1896 as the first forerunner association of the Catholic young community. In 1915 the central association of the “Catholic Virgins' Associations of Germany”, the forerunner of the “Catholic Women's Youth Community” (KFG), was also founded in Düsseldorf.

The general assembly of the Catholic youth associations in Mainz in 1907 elected Carl Mostert , the chaplain of the Düsseldorf parish of St. Maximilian , as the first full-time general secretary of the Catholic Association of Young Men . On February 2, 1908, a first office was inaugurated as the association headquarters in two rooms of the parish of St. Lambertus at Stiftsplatz 10a in Düsseldorf. The association headquarters moved to the Achenbachhaus at Schadowstrasse 54 in 1916 and moved to Derendorfer Strasse 1 in 1922/1923. On February 2, 1924, the association headquarters was inaugurated there under the name " Jugendhaus Düsseldorf ".

In 1922, Carl Mosterts leased the site of the former Altenberg Abbey in the Bergisches Land east of Cologne , right next to Altenberg Cathedral , in order to establish a recreation and holiday home for young men who had returned from the First World War . A few days after the lease was signed, a fire broke out in the former “ Konversenflügel ” next to the main entrance to the cathedral, which was used as a hotel and destroyed large parts of the building. A “work group” of volunteers started the reconstruction. Groups of boys soon met in the rooms, which were completed in sections, for relaxation and further training. The new construction and renovation of Haus Altenberg , as the meeting place was called, was completed in 1933.

Carl Mosterts died in 1926. His successor, Ludwig Wolker, developed Haus Altenberg into the “Reichsfuhrer School” of the Catholic Young Men’s Association, which combined youth club management and youth pastoral care. The neighboring Altenberg Cathedral was intensively involved in this spiritual youth work. Ludwig Wolker liked to refer to himself as "Rufer von Altenberg", the fundamentals of church youth work and pastoral care he designed as "Pastorale Altenbergense". He declared the Madonna von Altenberg in the cathedral "Queen of the League".

The youth center, whose publishing house of the same name published various magazines and song books, was occupied several times by the Gestapo from 1933 onwards during the Nazi era . Ludwig Wolker and 57 employees of the youth center were temporarily arrested for alleged cooperation with the communists. On February 6, 1939, the Gestapo finally closed the house and confiscated it. At the same time, all Catholic youth associations, including the Catholic Young Men Association and the Catholic Women's Youth Community, were dissolved.

After the Second World War

In 1947 the association was re-established, now under the name "Catholic Young Men Community". (KJG). With other Catholic youth associations revived after the end of the war, the association formed an umbrella association in March 1947 in the youth center Kloster Hardehausen near Paderborn, the " Federation of German Catholic Youth " (BDKJ). In 1954 the "Catholic Women's Youth Community" (KFG) was re-established, which sees its task in "activating the life of the youth in the community and taking on social tasks." In 1966, KFG and KJG worked together for the first time in the joint "Aktion Mosaik". A first joint meeting of delegates of the predecessor organizations “Catholic Young Men Community” (KJG) and “Catholic Women's Youth Community” (KFG) took place in Münster in 1968 . Around 13,000 young people and members of the predecessor organizations met for a large German meeting under the motto “Ready to answer”. A year later, the two associations in Würzburg decided on common “basics and goals” with programmatic pedagogical and political accents that are essentially of importance to this day. At the federal conference from June 12 to 17, 1970 in Altenberg, the KJG and KFG united to form the new “Catholic Young Congregation” (KjG). The association set itself the goal of consciously helping to shape life in the parish and community

The 1970s and 1980s were characterized by conflicts with the German Bishops' Conference , when the association, which sees itself as a democratic association, criticized rigid hierarchies in the church and the official Catholic image of women. In 1976 the association opened for Christians of other denominations. From 1974 to 1977 the “Children, where are your shoes?” Campaign provided an impetus for the youngest members of the association's children's level.

In 1977 8,000 young people met for the 'FORUM AACHEN 77' and articulated problems in school, company and community. The initiative "Not Silence - Act" brought about a political accent that led to a conflict with the German Bishops' Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics and which in the long term was unable to reach a consensus within the association. This resulted in a self-understanding and perspective discussion with the development of “points of orientation”, which were aimed primarily at building consensus within the association and reaching an understanding with the bishops.

New elements of the association's work were the project method and increased work with girls and women; the first federal women's conference on the subject of “women's work in the KJG” was then in 1983, the first federal women's conference in 1986 and the first federal men's conference in 1989. In 1979 the federal conference decided to campaign for the phase-out of atomic energy . The opening service of the Federal Conference in 1986 took place at the fence of the Wackersdorf reprocessing plant ; In 1988, this resulted in the “Turn energetically” campaign on questions of alternative energy policy. The environmental protection commitment was taken up in 1985 with the project "Noah's Ark - environmental campaign by children".

Another conflict with the German Bishops' Conference arose in 1984 from the "red songbook of the KjG"; it led to an updated self-understanding and perspective discussion of the association and the resolution of a “location of the KJG in the church” as a description of the location of the KJG in the church.

At the federal conference in 1994, gender parity was introduced in the management positions at all levels of the association. In 1995 the federal agency moved into its own building in Neuss. At the same time, the KjG-Verlag has massive financial problems, which led to layoffs in the federal office and increased contributions. In 1999 the federal agency in Neuss, which had only been occupied in 1995, was sold. In October 2007 the federal agency moved back to the Düsseldorf youth center.

The 2000s were characterized by collaborations, major events, the topic of “ sustainability ” as well as publications and campaigns in the field of gender democracy. A "KjGay - the KjG LesBiSchwules Network" was founded in 2001. In 2002 TRIALOG - together in difference , a multi-religious dialogue project of the Federal Association of Jewish Students in Germany (BJSD), the Catholic Young Community and the Muslim Youth in Germany (MJD) took place. ; a common goal was formulated: "All three associations want to come one step closer to peaceful and equal coexistence of different religions in Germany."

Other projects were:

  • 2002: “Schoko sucht Lade”, a children's level project on the subject of fair trade and chocolate
  • 2003: "generation xy - no model boys", online project for boys' education for 14-16 year olds
  • 2004: “4girls - the KjG girls project” for girls aged 11 to 14 years
  • 2006–2007: “Menschkomm!” Over 10,000 KjGler in 400 groups reflected on their beliefs, their lives, thoughts and actions reflected and presented it in public.
  • 2012: “I'm… there!” - a decentralized church service project from November 23rd to 25th, during which the KjG presented their own spirituality in their home parishes.
  • In 2013, in the year of the Bundestag election , the youth policy project “POLITIX - get involved and change”, in 2014 “YOUrope - pulling the strings for a youth-friendly EU” was the European political project of the KjG in the EU election year.
  • In 2016, the Federal Conference resolved two motions on the subject of diversity and tolerance based on current socio-political developments: “Solidarity instead of enmity” and “Against an atmosphere of fear”.

Association members call the association emblem of the KjG “soul drill”. It was designed by the Cologne-based graphic artist Alfred Klever in 1967 during a screen printing course in Altenberg. It was supposed to symbolize the motto of the Whitsun meeting of the KJG predecessor associations KFG and KJG 1968 in Münster : “Ready to answer!” At the Germany meeting, the logo was then explained as follows: “The point in the middle means Christ, the good news, life. The bar that moves around the point symbolizes the people who try 'from the center' to face problems and give answers, and the arrow indicates dynamism. To stand on the ground of the message of Christ also means to go forward, to pursue goals. ”A (self-) ironic interpretation is:“ Once around the bush, just past the goal and then quickly away again! ”

The Rottenburg-Stuttgart Diocesan Association has, in addition to the soul drill, a dragon as a logo.

Patron saint

The patron saint of the KjG is Thomas More (1477–1535). The motto of the KjG also comes from him:

"I would never have thought of agreeing to a thing that would have been against my conscience."

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Homepage of the KjG Freiburg
  2. ↑ KjG.de: Principles and Objectives
  3. ↑ https://kjg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/kjgfolder/wer_wir_sind/bundesverband/bundesstelle/2015-07-16_Bundessatzung.pdf
  4. ↑ KjG Rottenburg-Stuttgart: Monument! Archived from the original on April 4, 2017 ; Retrieved April 2, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Karl Wuchterl (ed.): The past a future. 75 years Jugendhaus Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf 1984, p. 83.
  6. ↑ Willi Bokler: Foreword. In: Carlfried Halbach: The cathedral to Altenberg. With a cycle of poems by Georg Thurmair and a contribution by Hans Peters. Verlag Haus Altenberg. Altenberg and Düsseldorf 1953.
  7. ↑ Barbara Schellenberger: Catholic Youth and Third Reich. A history of the Catholic Young Men’s Association 1933–1939 with special consideration of the Rhine Province. Matthias Grünewald Verlag Mainz 1975, p. 82; Wilhelm Schepping: The song as Corpus Delicti in the Nazi era. In: Julius Alf (Hrsg.): Contributions to the Rheinische Musikgeschichte. Volume 118, Cologne 1977, pp. 109-132, here p. 127; Berthold L. Flöper: Contact point for church, politics and society. In: Karl Wuchterl (Ed.): A future for the past. 75 years Jugendhaus Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf 1984, pp. 36-39, here p. 37f. - The dating partly different.
  8. ↑ Barbara Schellenberger: Catholic Youth and Third Reich. Matthias-Grünewald-Verlag Mainz 1975, ISBN 3-7867-0523-2 , p. 173
  9. ^ History of the KjG. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
  10. ^ History of the KjG. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
  11. ^ Forum Aachen. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
  12. ^ Forum Aachen. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
  13. ^ History of the KjG. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
  14. ^ History of the KjG. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
  15. ↑ Reports from the Federal Conference of the KjG 2011: Friday, June 17. ( Memento from September 19, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  16. ↑ KjG.de: The soul drill
  17. ↑ KjG.de: Logo generator
  18. ^ KjG Rottenburg-Stuttgart: Downloads
  19. ↑ KjG.de: Thomas More