Scouting and Guiding in Germany


The Scout movement in Germany consists of a multitude of associations and federations with about 260,000 Scouts and Guides.

History

Scouting in Germany started in 1909. After World War I, German Scouting became involved with the German Youth Movement, of which the Wandervogel was a part. Another group that, while short-lived, was influential on later German Scouting, was the Deutsche Jungenschaft vom 1.11.1929 founded by Eberhard Koebel; some specifics of German Scouting derive from Koebel's group. German Scouting flourished until 1934-35, when nearly all associations were closed and their members had to join the Hitler Youth.
In West Germany and West Berlin, Scouting was reestablished after 1945, but it was banned in East Germany until 1990 in favor of the Thälmann Pioneers and the Free German Youth. Today it is present in all parts of the unified Federal Republic of Germany.

Associations

Most of the Scouting associations and federations are coeducational, but there are some single-gender organisations.
The most major associations and federations are:
The mainly male Bund der Pfadfinder merged in 1976 with the female Bund Deutscher Pfadfinderinnen to form the Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder.
The three Protestant scout organisations Bund Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen, Evangelischer Mädchen-Pfadfinderbund and Christliche Pfadfinderschaft Deutschlands merged in 1973 to form Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder.
The Catholic scout organisation Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt Georg is also open to girls and women since 1971. The primarily female Catholic organisation Pfadfinderinnenschaft St. Georg decided in 1982 not to merge with the inclusive counterpart.

International Scout and Guide units in Germany

A large number of international Scout and Guide units from different countries are active in Germany. Most of them developed on military bases, but there are also some at international schools or connected to diplomatic missions. The majority of international Scout and Guide groups dates back to the Allied occupation of Western Germany following World War II. The small remainder were started recently.
Among the foreign associations in Germany are
There are also other foreign Scout associations active in Germany, mostly with single troops, Scouts et Guides de France in Munich and Hebrew Scouts Movement in Israel in Berlin.
The Dansk Spejderkorps Sydslesvig offers Scouting to the Danish minority of Southern Schleswig in Schleswig-Holstein. It is affiliated to the Danish Det Danske Spejderkorps as well as to the German Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder and has about 700 members in 15 troops.