Arbeitsgemeinschaft Katholischer Studentenverbände

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Studentenverbände e.V. (AGV) is the joint working group of four Catholic student associations in the Federal Republic of Germany, with its registered office in Berlin. Its member associations are the Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen (CV), the Kartellverband katholischer deutscher Studentenvereine (KV), the Verband der Wissenschaftlichen Katholischen Studentenvereine Unitas (UV) and the Ring Katholischer Deutscher Burschenschaften (RKDB). Through these member associations the AGV represents roughly 10,000 organised Catholic students at almost all universities, universities of applied sciences and comprehensive universities in Germany. The AGV describes itself explicitly as an Arbeitsgemeinschaft (working group) rather than a Dachverband (umbrella federation). According to its statutes it has no authority to intervene in the affairs of its member associations or their individual student corporations. Its purpose is to coordinate, support and promote the diversity of Catholic student life and to make visible the unity within that diversity, both internally and externally. It seeks to realise and defend Christian fundamental values and concerns in the academic sphere, to represent the common interests of Catholic students in public life, and to support the Church's tasks through participation in the lay apostolate. The organisation is active in three main fields of dialogue. In its dialogue seminars, held each spring in a state capital and each autumn in Berlin, it meets with high-ranking politicians such as minister-presidents and federal ministers and presents the positions of the Catholic associations. It maintains ongoing contact with representatives of the clergy and the Church, from priests to cardinals and the Holy Father. It also conducts dialogue with business representatives on current political events and on the development of the economy and society. In addition, the AGV publishes position papers and press releases on current ethical and political debates, such as the responsible use of artificial intelligence in university studies and the rejection of commercial surrogacy. Since 2010 the AGV has been a member of the Bund der Deutschen Katholischen Jugend (BDKJ) as a youth organisation, and it participates in an advisory capacity in the BDKJ's decision-making. It also has a representative in the general assembly of the Zentralkomitee der deutschen Katholiken (ZdK); since March 2024 this has been the former chairman Fabio Crynen. The AGV is registered in the Lobbyregister of the German Bundestag. Its history reaches back to a first working group founded in 1926, which was banned during the Nazi regime; after the Second World War the Katholische Deutsche Studenten-Einigung (KDSE) was founded in 1947 and dissolved around 1968, and on 13 November 1969 the associations joined together as the Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Studentenverbände (AkStV), which was renamed AGV on 18 July 1974.

The organisational roots of the AGV go back to 1926, when various Catholic student associations joined together in a working group. The aim was to bundle common interests and to ensure a unified public appearance. During the period of the Nazi regime, the working group of Catholic associations was banned as an organisation hostile to the state, and the AGV subsequently dissolved itself. After the end of the Second World War, the Katholische Deutsche Studenten-Einigung (KDSE) was founded in 1947. It was intended to initiate a new beginning for the German Catholic student body. Besides the organisation itself, the goal was to promote university parishes and to establish Catholic student life more broadly. The KDSE, however, was dissolved in the era of the 1968 movement. On 13 November 1969 the associations came together as the Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Studentenverbände (AkStV). With a resolution of the German Bishops' Conference in 1973, the reorganisation of the Church's presence in the university sector was undertaken. First an 'Arbeitsstelle für pastorale Arbeit im Hochschulbereich' (office for pastoral work in the university sector) was created. On 18 July 1974 the AkStV renamed itself AGV (Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Studentenverbände). In order to make the intra-church distinction from the Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Studenten- und Hochschulgemeinden, abbreviated AGG (AG Gemeinden), clear, the actually unsuitable abbreviation AGV (AG Verbände) was chosen. Since 2010 the AGV has been a member of the Bund der Deutschen Katholischen Jugend (BDKJ) as a youth organisation; it thus participates in an advisory capacity in the BDKJ's decision-making. The AGV also has a representative in the general assembly of the Zentralkomitee der deutschen Katholiken (ZdK); since March 2024 this has been the former chairman Fabio Crynen. Chairmen of the AGV have included Stephan Holthoff-Pförtner, Johannes C. Weiss, Michael Güntner, Bernd Schulte and Johannes Winkel. The AGV is registered in the Lobbyregister of the German Bundestag.

• 2024

  Since March, former chairman Fabio Crynen represents the AGV in the general assembly of the Zentralkomitee der deutschen Katholiken.

• 2010

  The AGV becomes a member of the Bund der Deutschen Katholischen Jugend (BDKJ) as a youth organisation.

• 1974

  On 18 July the AkStV renames itself AGV (Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Studentenverbände).

• 1973

  A resolution of the German Bishops' Conference initiates the reorganisation of the Church's presence in the university sector.

• 1969

  On 13 November the associations come together as the Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Studentenverbände (AkStV).

• 1947

  The Katholische Deutsche Studenten-Einigung (KDSE) is founded to initiate a new beginning for the German Catholic student body.

• 1926

  Various Catholic student associations join together in a working group to bundle common interests and ensure a unified public appearance.

• During the Nazi regime the working group of Catholic associations is banned as an organisation hostile to the state; the AGV dissolves itself.

• The KDSE is dissolved in the era of the 1968 movement.

A working group rather than an umbrella federation, coordinating four Catholic student associations and representing around 10,000 Catholic students in political, church and economic dialogue.

• Dialogue seminars with politicians

  Held each spring in a state capital and each autumn in Berlin, meeting high-ranking politicians such as minister-presidents and federal ministers.

• Dialogue with church representatives

  Ongoing meetings with representatives of the clergy and the Church, from priests to cardinals and the Holy Father.

• Dialogue with business representatives

  Engagement with business representatives on current political events and the development of the economy and society.

• Discussion paper on artificial intelligence in university studies

  'Der Mensch im Mittelpunkt. Künstliche Intelligenz im Studium verantwortungsvoll gestalten' argues for responsible AI use in studies.

• Press release on surrogacy

  'Kein Kind auf Bestellung' takes a position against commercial surrogacy.

1. 1Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Studentenverbände (AGV) e.V. – official websiteagvnet.de
2. 2Arbeitsgemeinschaft Katholischer Studentenverbände – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Studentenverbände – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org