Social Association VdK Germany

Social Association VdK Germany
legal form	non-profit registered association
founding	1950
Seat	Linienstraße 131, Berlin , Germany ( ⊙ coordinates: 52 ° 31 ′ 35.3 ″  N , 13 ° 23 ′ 18.6 ″  E )
main emphasis	Social policy, social law
Chair	Verena Bentele (President)
Managing directors	Bastian Brackelmann
Members	2 million
Website	www.vdk.de

The social association VdK Germany e. V. is the largest social association in Germany with two million members . It represents socio-political interests and advocates a strong welfare state , sustainable statutory social insurance and social justice . The topics of the social association range from pensions , health and care to participation , life in old age and social security .

After the Second World War , the abbreviation VdK stood for Association of War Disabled, War Survivors and Social Pensioners Germany. V.

The VdK is denominationally neutral. It is financed through the contributions of its members and corporate partnerships.

Under the motto “Pension for All”, the 2019 annual campaign deals with pension equity for young and old people as well as poverty in old age.

The VdK has also been politically active for over 70 years and is campaigning for the reintroduction of wealth tax , among other things .

history

Shortly after the end of the Second World War, war survivors initiated self-help groups in cities and communities to represent the interests of war victims , widows and orphans vis-à-vis the administration. In the years between 1946 and 1952, the regional associations of the VdK were established. From 1991 the new federal states were added.

Forum discussion on the reorganization of provisions for war victims (1963)

On January 28, 1950, the representatives of the regional associations in Düsseldorf of the forerunner umbrella association, the Bund der War- and Civil Disabled, Social Pensioners and Survivors' Associations of Germany (BKD), founded the new VdK Germany as an umbrella organization. VdK stood for V erband d he K riegsbeschädigten, war bereaved and social pensioners in Germany . Since 1994 the organization has been officially called Social Association VdK Germany . In 2014, the federal office of the VdK moved from Bonn to Berlin.

activities

The VdK represents its socio-political interests through press and public relations work as well as campaigns and actions. In addition to representing interests in social policy, the VdK advises its members on social law , especially in the area of ​​statutory security systems. At the European level, the social association VdK Germany is active in the umbrella organization of the disabled people's associations, the Action Européenne des Handicapés (AEH). For example, he is also a member of the German Disability Council (DBR), the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband and various committees.

criticism

The Federal Association of the VdK does not pass on the addresses of its members to ERGO insurance . Therefore, no basic surplus is returned to the social association VdK Germany.

Presidents of the social association VdK

At the head of the social association VdK is a president. Since 1950 these have been:

• 1950–1962: Hans Nitsche , MdL from Hessen
• 1962–1974: Friedrich-Wilhelm Weltersbach, North Rhine-Westphalia
• 1974–1989: Karl Weishäupl , MdL from Bavaria
• 1990–2008: Walter Hirrlinger , former Minister. D. from Baden-Württemberg
• 2008–2018 Ulrike Mascher , retired Parliamentary State Secretary D. (1998 to 2002 in the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs )
• since May 16, 2018: Verena Bentele , former Federal Government Commissioner for the Issues of People with Disabilities

Regional associations and organs

The social association VdK has a federal structure: at the federal level there is the social association VdK Germany, alongside thirteen regional associations with 400 offices and around 8000 district, district and local associations.

• Social Association VdK Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart
• Social Association VdK Bayern, Munich
• Social Association VdK Berlin-Brandenburg, Berlin
• Social Association VdK Hamburg, Hamburg
• Social Association VdK Hessen-Thuringia, Frankfurt am Main
• Social Association VdK Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schwerin
• Social Association VdK Lower Saxony-Bremen, Oldenburg
• Social Association VdK Nord (Schleswig-Holstein), Kiel
• Social Association VdK North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf
• Social Association VdK Rhineland-Palatinate , Mainz
• Social Association VdK Saarland, Saarbrücken
• Social Association VdK Saxony, Chemnitz
• Social Association VdK Saxony-Anhalt, Magdeburg

VdK newspaper

The organ of the social association VdK is the VdK newspaper with a circulation of over 1.6 million copies (as of 2018).

See also

• Walter Nothelfer
• Union of the severely disabled of both world wars

Web links

Commons : Sozialverband VdK  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Website of the social association VdK

References and comments

1. ↑ The VdK. Organization. About us. In: vdk.de, accessed on May 29, 2018.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Dietrich Mittler: Large corporation of humanity. In: sueddeutsche.de . May 15, 2012, accessed April 17, 2019.
3. ↑ # Rent for all. In: rentefüralle.de. Social Association VdK Germany e. V., June 24, 2019, accessed June 24, 2019.
4. ↑ Corona crisis: VdK calls for drastic social reforms. August 12, 2020, accessed August 13, 2020 . 
5. ^ Sabine Kohls: Ulrike Mascher elected as the new VdK President. (No longer available online.) In: vdk.de. September 30, 2008, archived from the original on February 18, 2018 ; accessed on April 8, 2019 . 
6. ↑ Verena Bentele is the new president of the social association VdK Germany. New elections at the social association VdK Germany. Press release. In: vdk.de May 16, 2018, accessed on May 16, 2018.
7. ^ VdK regional associations. Website of the social association VdK Germany, accessed on December 30, 2018.
8. ↑ Annual Report 2014–2018 (PDF; 3.9 MB). P. 90.
   VdK newspaper. Website of the social association VdK Germany, accessed on December 30, 2018.