Country team of the Bessarabian Germans
The Landsmannschaft der Bessarabiendeutschen e. V. was an association of expellees . It was founded on October 23, 1949 as the community of German settlers from Bessarabia . From 1958 she was called Landsmannschaft and was a member of the Association of Expellees . Federal chairmen were Christian Fieß (1976 to 1982) and Edwin Kelm (1982 to 2004). In 2006 the Landsmannschaft was merged into the newly founded Bessarabiendeutschen Verein , which was created through the merger of the previous Bessarabiendeutsche associations.
In contrast to the members of other country teams, there was no expulsion from their homeland for the Bessarabian Germans . They voluntarily resettled to the German Reich in October 1940 after Bessarabia was occupied by the Soviet Union in June 1940. A return of the lost homeland was never requested.
Duties and seat
The Landsmannschaft had its seat in Stuttgart and had been housed in the house of the Bessarabian Germans since 1960 together with the local museum of the Bessarabian Germans . Your tasks were:
- Representation of the ethnic group in public
- Preservation of the historical and cultural tradition that Bessarabian Germans developed during their 125-year stay abroad
- Organization of events such as national meetings, cultural days, meetings of Bessarabian hometowns
- Reception of representatives and delegations from states on the soil of the former Bessarabia, today Ukraine and Moldova
- Building and maintaining relationships with today's residents of Bessarabia
Affiliated Associations
The Landsmannschaft was previously closely associated with the Bessarabian German associations:
- Auxiliary Committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church from Bessarabia
- Local history museum of the Bessarabian Germans
- Alexander-Stift (Diaconal geriatric care facility)
Coordinates: 48 ° 47 ′ 3.9 " N , 9 ° 12 ′ 24.3" E