Marine-Offizier-Vereinigung

The Marine-Offizier-Vereinigung (MOV) is a German association of active and former naval officers, military physicians, reserve officers, officer candidates, widows and civilian friends of the German Navy. It describes itself as a "values community" (Wertegemeinschaft) built on maritime thinking, tradition and cohesion, and it sees its role as a bridge between junior and senior officers. The MOV is independent and non-partisan, and it promotes the "maritime idea" in German public life. The association traces its origins to the Marine-Offizier-Hilfe (MOH), founded on 12 November 1918 in Wilhelmshaven on the initiative of Korvettenkapitän Georg von Bülow, to help Imperial Navy officers who faced hardship after the First World War. It was renamed Marine-Offizier-Vereinigung in 1921. After being dissolved under Allied regulations following the Second World War, it was re-established in March 1952 in Krefeld as the Marine-Offizier-Hilfe and took its current name in 1966. Since German reunification it has presented itself as an interest and values community for officers of the German Navy. Membership benefits include access to a cross-generational network, contact with institutions, academies and maritime-related companies, support in career choice and transition, help for student officers seeking internships and contacts, mediation of speakers and moderators, a subscription to the magazine marineforum and free access to marineforum.online, the opportunity to publish and gain personal reach, access to events of the German Maritime Institute (DMI), and various discounts. The annual membership fee is €95 (€55 for officer candidates). The MOV is closely linked to the Marine-Offizier-Hilfe (MOH) and the Deutsches Maritimes Institut (DMI). The DMI, founded by the MOV in 1973, publishes the MarineForum magazine and promotes discussion of maritime questions; the joint office of MOV/MOH/DMI moved from Bonn to Wilhelmshaven in 2020. The MOV also awards the Admiral-Johannesson Prize at the Mürwik Naval Academy, although the namesake's record has been questioned. The association's president is Konteradmiral a.D. Karsten Schneider, and the chairman of the overall board is Flottillenadmiral Jens Grimm.

The Marine-Offizier-Vereinigung (MOV) emerged from the Marine-Offizier-Hilfe (MOH), founded on 12 November 1918 in Wilhelmshaven on the initiative of Korvettenkapitän Georg von Bülow. The immediate context was the naval order of 24 October 1918 and the Armistice of Compiègne, which left officers of the Imperial Navy in severe material distress. The MOH was conceived as a mutual-aid organization with the principle of "coming together to help one another for the future, finding positions for members." In 1921 the name was changed to Marine-Offizier-Vereinigung. From 1922 the association was a member of the United Patriotic Associations of Germany, a fusion of various right-wing organizations during the Weimar Republic. Its presidents, the retired captains Waldemar Krah (1919–1930) and Gustav von Stosch (1930–1935), did not hide their monarchist attachment and sympathy for the political right, and the board managed only with great effort, partly with the benevolent support of the Wehrmacht department, to maintain an apolitical course until 1933, at least outwardly. In 1935 the association was attached to the National Socialist German Navy League (NSDMB). To anticipate its dissolution and the loss of its not inconsiderable assets, the commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine ordered its name changed to Marine-Offizier-Hilfe within the NSDMB and its tasks limited to supporting members through advice and actions, preserving tradition and promoting the idea of defence. Male MOV members also had to belong to a navy comradeship of the NSDMB. After the Second World War the association was dissolved under Allied regulations and re-established in March 1952 as the Marine-Offizier-Hilfe (MOH) in Krefeld. As in 1918, the aim was to alleviate material hardship. Material aid was no longer the priority, and in 1966 the association was renamed Marine-Offizier-Vereinigung (MOV). It remained a secondary association with a social purpose. Since German reunification, the MOV has seen itself as a community of interests and values for officers of the German Navy. Within the MOV there are naval officer fairs in certain German and foreign cities as meeting places for active and former naval officers. The German Maritime Institute (DMI), founded by the MOV in 1973, publishes the Marine-Forum magazine and promotes discussion of maritime questions; for club members the subscription is included in the membership fee and each issue is supplemented by club and navy news. On the occasion of its 100th anniversary, the 2018 annual general meeting was held in its founding city of Wilhelmshaven. The joint office of MOV/MOH/DMI moved from Bonn to Wilhelmshaven in 2020. The MOV awards the Admiral-Johannesson Prize at the Mürwik Naval Academy. However, the attitude of the prize's namesake, Konteradmiral Rolf Johannesson, has been questioned for some time. According to an open letter signed by well-known historians and military officials, he was "culpably involved" in National Socialism and "unworthy of tradition." In this context it is notable that figures such as Grand Admiral Erich Raeder and Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz still appeared on the MOV's list of honorary members until the end of the 1980s. That list, published in the biennial members' directory, was changed so that only living persons are named. According to the statutes, the vice-president is the president of the German Maritime Institute, currently Admiral Christian Bock.

• 2020

  Joint office of MOV/MOH/DMI moved from Bonn to Wilhelmshaven.

• 2018

  100th anniversary; annual general meeting held in the founding city of Wilhelmshaven.

• 1973

  German Maritime Institute (DMI) founded by the MOV.

• 1966

  Association renamed Marine-Offizier-Vereinigung (MOV).

• 1952

  Association re-established in March in Krefeld as Marine-Offizier-Hilfe (MOH).

• 1935

  MOV attached to the National Socialist German Navy League (NSDMB) and renamed Marine-Offizier-Hilfe within the NSDMB.

• 1922

  MOV becomes a member of the United Patriotic Associations of Germany.

• 1921

  MOH renamed Marine-Offizier-Vereinigung (MOV).

• 1918

  Marine-Offizier-Hilfe (MOH) founded on 12 November in Wilhelmshaven on the initiative of Georg von Bülow.

Independent, non-partisan values community and network for active and former German naval officers, bridging tradition and progress.

• Membership

  Annual membership for active and former naval officers, officer candidates and friends; fee €95 (€55 for officer candidates).

• marineforum magazine

  Ten issues per year, published by the DMI; subscription included in MOV membership.

• marineforum.online

  German-language online platform for maritime news on security policy, technology and armed forces.

• Admiral-Johannesson Prize

  Awarded by the MOV at the Mürwik Naval Academy.

1. 1MOV - marineforummarineforum.online
2. 2Über Uns - MarineForum Onlinemarineforum.online
3. 3Marine-Offizier-Vereinigung (MOV) - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Association des officiers de marine - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org