Association for the Care of Wounded Warriors

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The Oldenburg Association for the Care of Wounded Warriors was founded on January 2, 1864 in Oldenburg . He dedicated himself to the care of soldiers wounded in the war and took on the tasks of a voluntary aid society , which resulted from the resolutions of the Geneva Conferences of 1863 and 1864. It still exists today in the form of the Oldenburg regional association of the German Red Cross .

history

In Oldenburg, too, the military events of the Battle of Solferino were known at least through reports in the Allgemeine Military newspaper . As an eyewitness to this battle, the Geneva citizen Henry Dunant reported in his book A Memory of Solferino with haunting words about it and made concrete suggestions for the future protection of the injured and their helpers. This font was also known in Oldenburg. Dunant's publication led to the establishment of what was later to be known as the “ International Committee of the Red Cross ”. The conferences in Geneva (1863 and 1864) prepared and carried out by the committee were of particular importance for the adoption of the Geneva Conventions and the establishment of the Red Cross.

The chief architect of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg , Otto Lasius , was invited to the first conference in October 1863 . However, he did not take part in Geneva. In a letter dated October 20, 1863, he informed Henry Dunant that the Oldenburg government "fully recognizes the extraordinary importance of the purpose of the assembly in the interests of humanity."

Association for the Care of Wounded Warriors

The general assembly of the rifle club in Oldenburg, which met on January 2, 1864, decided to found an association for the care of wounded warriors on the battlefield "whose members initially looked at the assembled, with the wish that participation would extend to larger groups throughout the German fatherland . "The assembly drafted a first draft statute that provided for the following tasks:

Ҥ 1. The association has the task of providing assistance to the army health services in times of war with all means available to it.
§ 2. The association gets in touch with the state government so that its offer of service is accepted in the event that occurs, and asks for information on the part of the state government about everything that is capable of promoting its purposes.

§ 3. The association immediately seeks to create the means to carry out its purpose and to keep it ready in a manner that appears appropriate, in particular by purchasing bandages, training nurses and carriers of the blessed. "

A special feature of these statutes was that there was an obligation to contribute:

"§ 7. By subscribing an annual contribution of 10 gr., The right of membership is acquired for the accounting year in which the contribution is made."

On the occasion of the first constitutive meeting of the association on February 10, 1864, a slightly amended statute was adopted and senior court attorney Dr. Niels Hoyer elected chairman. Other board members were Christine Claussen, Lina Dugend, medical officer Dr. Müller and businessman Bernhard Fortmann. The association immediately developed its activities and asked the population for donations in kind and money for the wounded of the German-Danish war . Medical officer Dr. Müller goes to Flensburg “to get to know the equipment of the medical institutions in the field practically; but at the same time he will also be active as a doctor. "

Logos Red Cross Oldenburg

Later Otto Lasius reported to the public in a lecture on March 21, 1865 about “the Geneva Congress of 1863/64 and the experiences from the Schleswig and North American wars”.

In April 1869 the regional association joined the “Central Committee of German Associations for the Care of Wounded and Sick Warriors in the Field”.

The annual report for the reporting years 1864 to 1867 shows the membership of 303 members. In the following report (1868–1872), 25 branch associations are reported. In this reporting period, revenues of 56,649 Thalers were achieved. Of this, 54,999 thalers were used for association purposes and 1,649 thalers were reported as association assets. The activities of the Association for the Wounded of the Franco-German War were important for the work during this period . This included, among other things, the “establishment of hospitals, care of the wounded, dispatch of supplies of all kinds to the combat area or to the depots for the hospitals and military hospitals as well as for the benefit of the unwounded soldiers.” Furthermore, “an information office was set up for families who had no news of yours, and she contacted the central information office in Berlin as well as foreign companies, including the hospitals in Africa. She also took care to search for Oldenburg soldiers who were in other German hospitals in order to provide them with urgently needed items. "

Oldenburg regional association for the relief of war suffering

After the association with the “Central Committee for the Support of Needy Warriors and their Relatives” in 1872, the association was renamed “Oldenburg Regional Association for the Relief of War Sufferers” through an amendment to the statutes. With the announcement of the State Ministry on August 1, 1872, the association received the rights of a legal person. The "Bulletin international des sociétés de secours aux militaires blessés" formulated the new statute of the association in 1873: "In these statutes we noticed the peculiarity that the Oldenburg society [...] sets itself a double goal: the soldiers in To provide help in times of war as well as to care for the needs of the disabled or the widows and orphans of those who had died. ”Even more than ten years after the Franco-German War, the association supported a large number of disabled people and their survivors:

1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 total
mark 3066.00 3534.00 4254.00 3641.00 3523.50 2683.25 20,701.75
people 119 132 139 141 165 151 708

While the number of members was 1,800 in 1892, it was reduced to 1,300 within four years (1896).

Oldenburg Regional Association of the Red Cross

After a decision by the Conference of German Red Cross Associations (Stuttgart, 1898), the association adopted the name “Oldenburgischer Landesverein vom Rothen Kreuz” in December 1898 and revised its statutes.

From 1906 there were joint meetings with the National Association of Patriotic Women's Associations in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg , which was established in 1892 ; this cooperation had already proven itself in the years 1870/71.

Oldenburg Red Cross

The “Oldenburg Red Cross” was formed in 1921 as a result of the collaboration between the men's and women's clubs.

"The Oldenburg Regional Association of the Red Cross forms the" Oldenburg Red Cross "with the regional association of the patriotic women's associations of the Red Cross in the Free State of Oldenburg."

This regional association of the Red Cross took an active part in the founding of the German Red Cross , of which it has been a member since 1921.

Regional Association Oldenburg-Bremen

The (Reich) statutes of the German Red Cross of November 29, 1933 redesign the Red Cross in Oldenburg. A "Landesverein Oldenburg-Bremen" is now being formed. This national association had its own legal personality. As president, Hermann Brauneck was appointed president of the state men's association Oldenburg-Bremen in summer 1934 by DRK president Carl Eduard (Sachsen-Coburg and Gotha) . Sophie von Engelbrechten was appointed chairman of the state women's association .

District men's association for the Oldenburg region

Further changes resulted from the redesign of the DRK statutes of 1933. The previous Red Cross organizations in Oldenburg are being redesigned as the “Oldenburg District Men’s Association”. The statute notes:

"From the Oldenburg Regional Association of the Red Cross (men's association) a district men's association for the Oldenburg region is being formed."
"The association is the legal successor of the Oldenburg State Association of the Red Cross (men's association) ..."
"According to the State Ministry's announcement on April 1, 1872, the association has the rights of a legal person."

Unit "German Red Cross"

By law on the German Red Cross of December 9, 1937, "... the other associations, clubs and subdivisions of the German Red Cross [...] were merged into a 'German Red Cross' unit." (Articles of Association, § 1 ( 1)) These federated associations, clubs and other subdivisions will be dissolved when this Act comes into force. "This includes in particular ... d) the men's and women's associations of the German Red Cross (state, provincial, district and local associations) set up for the individual parts of the Reich territory" (Statute, § 7 (2) letter d)

Dissolution in 1945

The German Red Cross was disbanded in the various zones of occupation in 1945.

Start-up

Headed by Council of State a. D. Wilhelm Ahlhorn met in November 1946 the “representatives of the still unfinished. but already working regional association, the district associations and the Oldenburg sisterhood to formally found the regional association. ”According to the statutes, they founded the“ Landesverband Oldenburg of the German Red Cross in Oldenburg (Oldb) ”.

In addition to the tormenting aid services , which provided their work for the benefit of the displaced and refugees (February 1946 to April 1948), the British Red Cross worked at the same time with several employees in an office in Oldenburg (Theaterwall 41) in the distribution of relief goods with the new one German Red Cross together.

protectorate

The Oldenburg Regional Association for the Relief of War Sufferers has been under the protectorate of Grand Duke Nikolaus Friedrich Peter and his wife Elisabeth von Sachsen-Altenburg since 1872 . Then Grand Duke Friedrich August took over the protectorate. By, by the November Revolution conditional abdication Friedrich August, also ended the protectorate of the Red Cross. The house of Oldenburg remained connected to the Red Cross. So was z. B. the Hereditary Grand Duchess of Oldenburg from 1955 to 1973 Vice-President and then (1973–1991) Honorary Vice-President of the DRK regional association in Oldenburg. Even Anton Günther Duke of Oldenburg was represented on the advisory board of the German Red Cross national association Oldenburg.

Red Cross Awards

Red Cross Medal (Oldenburg); Replica

State award:
In 1899, nine Oldenburgers who had earned the Red Cross were awarded the Prussian Red Cross Medal for the first time.
From 1907 there was a separate Red Cross award in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, which was given to "men and women who have made special merits in voluntary nursing (in times of war or peace) or in other activities of charitable endeavors." October 1918 awarded a total of 18.

Red Cross Award:
On February 13, 1929, the Oldenburg Regional Association of the Red Cross adopted "Regulations on the awarding of an award of honor for meritorious work in medical columns and similar associations of the Red Cross, which are based in the Oldenburg regions of Oldenburg and Lübeck ..." The medal was awarded to 10 (third class), 25 (second class) and 40-year-olds (first class) "zealous and meritorious work in the medical column".
According to the terms of the award, the award was as follows:

“The badge of honor consists of a cross with equal arms, the outer edge of which is curved.
The middle part bears the Red Cross in a white field with the inscription: "Oldenburgischer Landesverein vom Red Cross.
The third class is made of oxidized metal. The middle part is surrounded by an oak wreath on which the number '10' is attached.
The second grade is made of silver-plated metal. The middle part is surrounded by an oak wreath on which the number '25' is attached.
The first class is made of gold-plated metal. The middle part is surrounded by an oak wreath on which the number '40' is attached. "

literature

  • DRK-Landesverband Oldenburg [Hrsg.]: 150 years - For the love of people. German Red Cross Regional Association Oldenburg. Oldenburg 2014 ( PDF; 1.4 MB )
  • Jasper Osterloh: 125 years of the Red Cross Oldenburg. German Red Cross Regional Association Oldenburg. Oldenburg 1989.
  • von der Marwitz: The Oldenburg Regional Association of the Red Cross. In: The German Red Cross: Origin, development and achievements of the organization of the association since the conclusion of the Geneva Convention in 1864. Verlag Boll & Pickardt, Berlin 1910.
  • Dieter Riesenberger : The German Red Cross - A History 1864-1990. Schöningh Verlag, Paderborn 2002.

Individual evidence

  1. Landesbibliothek Oldenburg , existing editions: 1868 - 1879, call number: MB 4-173 A.
  2. ^ J. Henry Dunant, A Memory of Solferino, Basel 1863; State Library Oldenburg: Signature: MB 907.
  3. ^ Letter from Otto Lasius to Henry Dunant, October 20, 1863.
  4. ^ Oldenburger Zeitung, January 6, 1864; Oldenburger Nachrichten, January 7, 1864.
  5. ^ Statutes of the Oldenburg Association for the Care of Wounded Warriors, 1864; Oldenburger Zeitung, February 12, 1864.
  6. ^ Oldenburgische Zeitung, February 18, 1864.
  7. ^ "The associations for the care of wounded warriors - A lecture on the Geneva Congress of 1863/64 and the experiences from the Schleswig and North American wars". Oldenburg 1865.
  8. ^ Report on the activities of the Oldenburg Association for Wounded Warriors by the chairman of the board of directors, lawyer Dr. Hoyer in Oldenburg, 1867.
  9. ^ Second report on the activities of the Oldenb. Association for Wounded Warriors, 1872.
  10. Bulletin international des sociétés de secours aux militaires blessés, No. 14, January 1873, p. 93.
  11. ^ Statute of the Oldenburg State Association for the Relief of War Sufferers, 1872.
  12. Announcement of the State Ministry regarding the rights of a legal person to the Oldenburg State Association for the Relief of War Sufferers, August 1, 1872.
  13. Bulletin international des sociétés de secours aux militaires blessés, No. 17, October 1873, p. 66 f.
  14. Accountability report of the Oldenburg State Association for the Relief of War Sufferers, dealing with the years 1882–1887, 1888.
  15. Accountability report of the Oldenburg State Association for the Relief of War Sufferers, covering the years 1892 to 1896, 1897. The membership fee was one mark per year.
  16. ^ Statutes of the Oldenburg State Association of the Rothen Kreuz, 1899.
  17. ^ Statutes of the Oldenburg Regional Association of the Red Cross, § 1, June 9, 1921.
  18. ^ Statutes of the German Red Cross, established on November 29, 1933, § 22 (1)
  19. Statutes of the German Red Cross, established on November 29, 1933, § 23 (1)
  20. ^ Sheets of the German Red Cross, 13th year 1934, issue 2, page 272
  21. ^ Sheets of the German Red Cross, 13th year 1934, issue 8, page 687
  22. ^ Statutes of the German Red Cross District Male Association Oldenburg eV, 1934.
  23. ^ Law on the German Red Cross on ALEX Historical legal and legal texts online
  24. ^ Law on the German Red Cross, Reichsgesetzblatt Part I, Mr. 134, 1937, p. 1330.
  25. Jasper Osterloh, 125 years of the Red Cross Oldenburg, Oldenburg 1989, p. 21 f.
  26. ^ Statutes of the Oldenburg regional association of the German Red Cross in Oldenburg (Oldb), November 26, 1946.
  27. Announcement of the Oldenburg State Association for the Relief of War Sufferers, August 1872.
  28. ^ Tenth annual report of the board of directors of the Oldenburgische Landesverein vom Rothen Kreuz (founded 1864) covering the years 1897 to 1900, 1901.
  29. ^ Conditions for the award of the Medal of Honor of the Oldenburg State Association of the Red Cross, preamble, March 20, 1929.
  30. ^ Conditions for awarding the medal of the Oldenburg State Association of the Red Cross, § 2, March 20, 1929.