Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk

The Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk e.V. (BwSW) is a German non-profit voluntary association founded on 20 May 1960 by then Federal Minister of Defence Franz Josef Strauß together with 20 soldiers and civilian employees of the Bundeswehr. It is the social welfare organisation of the German armed forces, integrated into the Bundeswehr and its administration, and is represented in every Bundeswehr office with personnel and financial support from the service. Its mission is to support members of the Bundeswehr and their families financially and materially when they face disability, hardship, wounds from foreign deployments, or when they are survivors of fallen soldiers. The association operates a wide range of leisure, holiday and welfare services. It maintains numerous hotels, holiday homes, apartments and campsites in Germany and neighbouring Europe. Its programme includes mother-and-child and father-and-child holidays, children's and youth camps, international youth exchanges and language trips, holidays for young people, family-friendly holidays (some with childcare), family holidays, cultural trips for adults, senior holidays, and holidays for people with disabilities. A hallmark is attractive holidays in its own holiday facilities with subsidies for families and lower-income members. It also runs targeted offers for those affected by the particular stresses of foreign deployments, and promotes tolerance and respect for other cultures through its international travel and youth programmes. The BwSW is a member of CLIMS (Comité de Liaison International des Organismes Militaires Sociaux), a liaison organisation of social welfare organisations of friendly European armed forces founded on 22 April 1975 in Paris by Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Through CLIMS, the BwSW cooperates with partner organisations in currently 12 European countries, developing multilateral youth exchanges, family travel to social holiday facilities, joint guidelines for international youth camps, and joint social projects for families and young people. The association's charitable work is largely financed by donations and carried out by volunteers. Its "Aktion Sorgenkinder in Bundeswehrfamilien des BwSW" (founded in 1973) supports holidays for people with disabilities and provides targeted individual assistance, such as wheelchair-accessible vehicle conversions, stair lifts, uncovered medical treatment costs, financial aid, and free holidays for soldiers injured on deployment or their survivors. On average, more than 500,000 euros are available annually for such holidays and individual assistance. The BwSW works closely with the Bundeswehr's family support centres and social counsellors, and can often help quickly and unbureaucratically, sometimes within 24 hours. Membership is open to anyone who serves or has served in the Bundeswehr, as well as children of members; others may join only upon application and decision of the federal board. The membership fee is currently 4 euros per month (as of 1 January 2019). The association had 117,961 members as of 9 December 2015. It publishes a quarterly magazine, "Unser Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk e. V." The BwSW works mainly with voluntary, unpaid staff; the regional and federal management offices are part of the Bundesamt für Personalmanagement der Bundeswehr (BAPersBw). The highest body is the Bundesversammlung (federal assembly), which meets every four years, as do the regional and area assemblies.

The Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk e.V. (BwSW) was founded on 20 May 1960 by the then Federal Minister of Defence Franz Josef Strauß, together with 20 soldiers and civilian employees of the Bundeswehr. The Minister also assumed patronage of the organisation. It belongs to the social welfare organisations of the German federal administration, which cooperate in a working group. From its founding, the association took on tasks of social, health, sporting and cultural welfare for members of the Bundeswehr and their families. It established numerous hotels, houses, holiday apartments and campsites in Germany and neighbouring Europe. Its programme focuses on mother-and-child and father-and-child holidays, children's holidays, youth holidays, international youth holidays and language trips, holidays for young people, family-friendly holidays (some with childcare), family holidays, cultural trips for adults, senior holidays, and holidays for people with disabilities. The BwSW cooperates with the social welfare organisations of other federal ministries and with the social welfare organisations of friendly armed forces through CLIMS. In 1973, the "Aktion Sorgenkinder in Bundeswehrfamilien des Bundeswehr-Sozialwerkes" was founded. It supports holidays for people with disabilities and provides targeted individual assistance. In 1973/1974, the then federal board appealed to the camaraderie and helpfulness of all Bundeswehr members to help people in need. The action was launched as the "Aktion Sorgenkinder in Bundeswehrfamilien des BwSW", and its great success is attributed to the high willingness to donate and the actions of members. On average, more than 500,000 euros are available annually for holidays for people with disabilities and for individual assistance. Examples of individual assistance include wheelchair-accessible vehicle conversions, procurement of a stair lift, payment of uncovered treatment costs, financial aid, and free holidays for soldiers injured on deployment or their survivors. Thanks to the help of voluntary members and many donation campaigns, the BwSW can help quickly and unbureaucratically in cooperation with the Bundeswehr's social service, sometimes within 24 hours. In the context of family support for relatives of soldiers and civilian employees deployed abroad, the BwSW works closely with the family support centres of the units and the social counsellors of the Bundeswehr. It is also engaged for soldiers injured or wounded on foreign deployments and their families. Special attention is given to survivors of soldiers who died on foreign deployments. On 22 April 1975, the CLIMS (Comité de Liaison International des Organismes Militaires Sociaux) was founded in Paris by Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The BwSW is a member of CLIMS, a association of social welfare organisations of friendly armed forces from currently 12 European countries. Besides the founding nations (the Netherlands had to leave CLIMS at the end of 2014 for organisational reasons), Spain, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and the Czech Republic belong to the organisation. The founding assembly set goals that remain valid today: multilateral development of youth exchange and family travel to social holiday and recreation facilities; development of common guidelines for the general organisation as well as activities and the implementation and further development of international youth camps; development and implementation of joint social projects for families and young people; and mutual understanding of the structures, procedures and working methods of the participating military social organisations. Membership in the BwSW is open to anyone who serves or has served in the Bundeswehr, as well as children of members. Other persons can become members only upon application and by decision of the federal board. The membership fee is currently 4 euros per month (as of 1 January 2019). The association magazine "Unser Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk e. V." appears quarterly. The BwSW works mainly with voluntary, honorary and unpaid staff. The area management offices and the federal management are part of the Bundesamt für Personalmanagement der Bundeswehr (BAPersBw). The highest body of the BwSW is the Bundesversammlung (federal assembly). It meets, like the area and regional assemblies, every 4 years. As of 9 December 2015, the association had 117,961 members.

• 2019

  Membership fee is 4 euros per month as of 1 January 2019.

• 2015

  As of 9 December 2015, the association has 117,961 members.

• 2014

  The Netherlands leaves CLIMS at the end of 2014 for organisational reasons.

• 1975

  CLIMS founded on 22 April in Paris by Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands; BwSW is a member.

• 1973

  "Aktion Sorgenkinder in Bundeswehrfamilien des Bundeswehr-Sozialwerkes" founded.

• 1973

  Federal board appeals to camaraderie and helpfulness of all Bundeswehr members to help people in need.

• 1960

  Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk e.V. founded on 20 May by Federal Minister of Defence Franz Josef Strauß and 20 soldiers and civilian employees of the Bundeswehr.

Non-profit social welfare organisation of the German Bundeswehr, providing subsidised holidays and individual assistance to Bundeswehr members and their families.

• Holidays in own holiday facilities

  Hotels, holiday homes, apartments and campsites in Germany and neighbouring Europe, with subsidies for families and lower-income members.

• Mother-and-child and father-and-child holidays

  Special holidays for single parents and their children.

• Children's and youth camps

  Camps and leisure activities for children and young people.

• International youth exchanges and language trips

  Youth exchanges and language travel, partly organised through CLIMS.

• Family-friendly holidays

  Holidays designed for families, some with childcare.

• Cultural trips for adults

  Cultural travel programmes for adults.

• Senior holidays

  Holidays tailored to older members.

• Holidays for people with disabilities

  Inclusive holidays and leisure activities for people with disabilities.

• Individual assistance

  Financial and material aid in cases of hardship, including vehicle conversions, stair lifts, uncovered medical costs, and free holidays for injured soldiers or survivors.

1. 1Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk – Hilfe und Erholungbundeswehr-sozialwerk.de
2. 2Wir über uns | Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk e.V.bundeswehr-sozialwerk.de
3. 3CLIMS | Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk e.V.bundeswehr-sozialwerk.de
4. 4Einzelhilfen | Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk e.V.bundeswehr-sozialwerk.de
5. 5Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
6. 6Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk – Wikidatawikidata.org