Nordoberfränkischer Verein für Natur-, Geschichts- und Landeskunde

The Nordoberfränkischer Verein für Natur-, Geschichts- und Landeskunde e. V. — popularly nicknamed the "Langnamenverein" ("long-name association") because of its unwieldy official title — is a German registered association (eingetragener Verein) founded on 5 October 1891 in Hof, Bavaria. Its stated purpose is to cultivate awareness of nature, history and local heritage in northern Upper Franconia, to promote research in natural history, regional studies and local history, to communicate the findings of its members and friends, and to serve adult education. Its working fields span history, folklore, geography, geology, botany, zoology and other branches of regional knowledge. The association's catchment area covers the city and district of Hof as well as the districts of Wunsiedel and Kronach. The association emerged from a group of nature enthusiasts who set themselves the task of researching the Hof area and its history, and it was intended to serve the education of the bourgeoisie. Its early membership of 62 was drawn from the upper strata of society — law, administration and school teaching. Membership grew rapidly in the first years, reaching a first peak of 171 in 1906. Although women were not expressly forbidden to join before 1945, the board vetted every application and ensured that the association remained male-dominated in its early decades; from 1893 regular family evenings were held to which members' wives were invited. Lecture evenings began soon after the founding, initially mostly for members, with speakers drawn largely from the membership and supported by an early image projector. From 1896 the association regularly published "Berichte" (reports) containing members' essays, which were exchanged with publications of other institutions, building up a substantial club library enriched by donations and bequests, including three-dimensional exhibits. The association's initiatives gave rise to several lasting local institutions: the Museum Bayerisches Vogtland, the second-oldest earthquake station in Bavaria, and the Volkssternwarte (public observatory). It has erected more than 80 history plaques with historical information at sites in the city of Hof, and since 1995 it has annually honoured student work dealing with the natural history, history or regional studies of north-eastern Upper Franconia. The association is led by a volunteer board; as of the official website, Dr. Axel Herrmann serves as First Chairman, with Dr. Hans Schönemann as deputy chairman, Rolf Zeitler as treasurer, Reiner Frank as secretary and Sabine Schaller-John as third chair. Working groups, such as the archaeology group led by Eva Spörl, allow members to engage in specific research fields. After the membership peak of 1906, numbers declined markedly, falling to 61 by 1939. The association's collection, which had grown too large, was donated to the city of Hof, thereby founding a museum. The elitist stance of the association and competition from similar organisations in Hof — such as the beautification, art and literary associations — are seen as reasons for its declining attractiveness. During the First World War, lecture topics shifted to the geology of war and possible explosives, and from 1917 to themes such as war and epidemic danger or edible earth. The Nazi dictatorship also left its mark: in 1933 the association initially refrained from coordinating its board and restructuring, but in 1936, with membership still falling, it first considered dissolution. After the club library was handed to the newly founded city archive, the association had no collections of its own; shortly afterwards the Gleichschaltung was carried out and the association was integrated into the NS-Kulturgemeinde Vortragsring. Three years later, at the outbreak of war, activities ceased entirely. After the Second World War, the association — which had not dissolved itself — was revived in 1949 by a circle of former members.

The Nordoberfränkischer Verein für Natur-, Geschichts- und Landeskunde was founded on 5 October 1891 in Hof by a "group of nature enthusiasts who had set themselves the task of researching the Hof area and its history," and it was intended to serve the education of the bourgeoisie. The scientific orientation of the organisation is reflected in its initial 62 members, all from the upper strata of the population and working in law, administration or school teaching. Within the first years of the association, membership rose rapidly, not least because no association with such an orientation had previously existed in Hof. In 1906 a first peak of 171 members was recorded. Until 1945 women were not expressly forbidden to join, but the board, which reviewed every membership application, ensured that men initially remained among themselves. From 1893 family evenings were held at regular intervals, to which members' wives were also invited. Soon after the founding, the first lecture evenings took place; they were partly public but the audience was usually limited to members. The topics initially were not exclusively regional but served the general education of members. The speakers usually came from within the association and could soon use a purchased image projector. From 1896 regular "Berichte" with members' essays on various topics were published and exchanged with publications of other institutions. This quickly built up a substantial club library, enriched by donations and bequests, including three-dimensional exhibits. According to Arnd Kluge, a chairman of the association, the Nordoberfränkische Verein can be understood as a kind of social institution that always showed itself open to modern technological and scientific discoveries. The aim was above all to entertain members while making knowledge and education accessible to them. Examples include the installation of a seismograph and a refractor in 1908 and 1913. From this initiative of the association later arose the earthquake station and the observatory of the city of Hof. Soon after the membership peak in 1906, numbers declined noticeably, falling to 61 in 1939. The association's collection, which had become too large, was donated to the city of Hof, thereby founding a museum. Kluge sees the elitist attitude of the association as a main reason for its declining attractiveness to new members, since the lecture evenings, always organised by internal speakers, quickly exhausted topics and hardly any new impulses came from outside. Meanwhile a broad competition of organisations with similar goals had formed in Hof, such as the beautification, art and literary associations. Although attempts were made to bundle the various activities — for example, the group of the family researcher association Roland merged into the Nordoberfränkische Verein and the already long name was extended by "und Familienkunde" — the conditions of the heyday could not be restored for the time being. In addition to lectures on the association's namesake research fields, changing focus topics were added. During the First World War, reports covered the geology of war or possible explosives; from 1917 topics such as war and epidemic danger or edible earth were addressed. The period of the Nazi dictatorship also left its mark on the association, which now dealt among other things with family studies and the question of living space. Although in 1933 the association initially refrained from coordinating its board and restructuring the association, in 1936, due to continuing declining membership, it considered dissolution for the first time. After the club library was also handed over to the newly founded city archive, the association had no collections of its own. Shortly afterwards the Gleichschaltung was carried out and the association was integrated into the NS-Kulturgemeinde Vortragsring. Three years later, at the outbreak of war, activities ceased entirely. After the war, the association, which had not dissolved itself, was revived in 1949 by a circle of former members. Membership rose rapidly within a short time and reached a new peak of 292 in 1956, now including more women. As in the membership structure, activities had also changed: lectures were no longer given only by members but increasingly by outside persons presenting local-historical topics. Dialect evenings in North Bavarian and East Franconian as well as excursions were also on the programme. Publications also dealt with these themes, with great emphasis on cooperation with colleges and universities. Despite the changed image of the association, membership stagnated again in the 1960s. Today the association continues its activities. Its initiatives gave rise to the Museum Bayerisches Vogtland, the second-oldest earthquake station in Bavaria and the Volkssternwarte. It has erected over 80 history plaques with historical information in the city of Hof. Since 1995 it has annually honoured student work dealing with the natural history, history or regional studies of north-eastern Upper Franconia. Because of its long name, popular parlance gave it the nickname "Langnamenverein". The association is led by a volunteer board, with Dr. Axel Herrmann as First Chairman, Dr. Hans Schönemann as deputy, Rolf Zeitler as treasurer, Reiner Frank as secretary and Sabine Schaller-John as third chair. Working groups, such as the archaeology group led by Eva Spörl, allow members to engage in specific research fields. The published programme extends into 2026–2027.

• 1995

  Annual student competition for work on natural history, history or regional studies begins.

• 1956

  New membership peak of 292, including more women.

• 1949

  Revival by a circle of former members after the Second World War.

• 1939

  Membership falls to 61; activities cease at the outbreak of war.

• 1936

  First consideration of dissolution due to declining membership; Gleichschaltung carried out shortly after.

• 1913

  Installation of a refractor, leading to the later observatory.

• 1908

  Installation of a seismograph, leading to the later earthquake station.

• 1906

  First membership peak with 171 members.

• 1896

  Regular publication of 'Berichte' with members' essays begins.

• 1893

  Regular family evenings begin, to which members' wives are invited.

• 1891

  Founded on 5 October in Hof by a group of nature enthusiasts.

Volunteer-run learned society and adult-education association for northern Upper Franconia.

• Lecture programme

  Regular lecture evenings on history, folklore, geography, geology, botany, zoology and other regional topics.

• Annual reports (Berichte)

  Published since 1896, containing members' essays and exchanged with other institutions.

• History plaques

  Over 80 plaques with historical information erected in the city of Hof.

• Student competition

  Annual award since 1995 for student work on the natural history, history or regional studies of north-eastern Upper Franconia.

1. 1Official website homepagehof-lnv.de
2. 2Über uns - Nordoberfränkischer Verein für Natur-, Geschichts- und Landeskunde e. V.hof-lnv.de
3. 3Wikidata entrywikidata.org
4. 4Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org