Samaritan International

Samaritan International e.V. (officially styled SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL, often abbreviated SAM.I.) is a European umbrella organisation that unites national Samaritan aid and welfare associations. It was founded on 11 August 1994 as an international non-governmental organisation by four founding members: Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland e.V. (ASB), Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreichs (ASBÖ), Dansk Folkehjaelp (DKFH) of Denmark, and the Fédération des Secouristes Français-Croix Blanche (CB) of France. Its registered seat is in Cologne, Germany. The organisation traces its roots to the Samaritan movement that began in Germany in 1888 and spread across Europe from the early twentieth century, with the first organisation outside Germany founded in Copenhagen on 28 June 1907. Samaritan International itself was created to give these historically linked national organisations a common voice, particularly as the European Union grew more significant for politics and legislative procedures in member states. Today Samaritan International describes itself as consisting of 23 member associations in 21 European countries, representing almost three million members, around 150,000 volunteers and some 45,000 full-time employees across the network. Member organisations contribute experience in social services, civil protection, rescue services, first-aid training and humanitarian aid abroad. The umbrella body coordinates activities among members, develops cross-border partnerships and projects, and represents members' interests towards the European Union, including in disaster prevention and the development of international civil protection systems. Samaritan International's current work includes the SPIRIT initiative (Social Preparedness and Resilience Initiative), which addresses principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights in light of social resilience and is co-funded by the European Commission's ESF+ programme. It also runs the international Samaritan Contest, a first-aid youth competition bringing together young volunteers from Samaritan organisations across Europe, and participates in Erasmus projects such as ClimateAmbassadors, contributing civil protection expertise to higher-education modules. The organisation publishes news, activity reports and a newsletter, and maintains an Advisory Committee that can appoint honorary members.

The Samaritan movement began in Germany in 1888, and from the outset its organisations operated at a European level. The first Samaritan organisation outside Germany, the "Samaritan organisation of workers," was founded in Copenhagen on 28 June 1907; it evolved into Arbejdernes-Samariter-Forbund (ASF) Denmark on 21 August 1932, and after the Second World War extended its tasks and became a charity under the name ASF-Dansk-Folkehjaelp. In France, former German groups in Alsace, which had become French territory, merged on 18 June 1921 to found the Fédération des Sociétés Samaritaines Ouvrières de France. In 1945 this became the Service Sanitaire de France, and in 1964 the Samaritans of the French White Cross organisation, which had existed since 1892, joined, after which the organisation was called Secouristes Français – Croix Blanche. International cooperation among workers' aid organisations developed through the International Aid for Workers (IAH), which the German ASB joined in 1921. The IAH was re-founded after the Second World War and established in Switzerland in 1951 as an organisation not affiliated to any political party; ASB Germany became a member again on 11 April 1964. Today the IAH is based in Brussels under the name SOLIDAR. Following the ASB example, Samaritan organisations were founded elsewhere in Europe: in the first months of 1923 the Workers' Samaritan Federation was founded in Basel, initially as an affiliation of the French ASB, and from 1926 the ASB spread to cover the whole of Switzerland. More than 2,000 Samaritans provided their services at the 1st International event, and training exercises such as one in Hamburg in 1955 illustrate the movement's practical cooperation. As the European Union became increasingly significant for politics and legislative procedures in its member states, four organisations — Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland e.V. (ASB), Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreichs (ASBÖ), Dansk Folkehjaelp (DKFH) and Fédération des Secouristes Français-Croix Blanche (CB) — united on 11 August 1994 to become the international non-governmental organisation Samaritan International e.V. Its seat is in Cologne, Germany. Since its founding, the association has expanded to include organisations from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Romania, Serbia, South Tyrol/Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Georgia, Poland, Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina, among others. It describes itself today as comprising 23 member associations in 21 European countries, representing almost three million members, 150,000 volunteers and 45,000 full-time employees. The network's members bring experience in social services, rescue services, first-aid training and humanitarian aid abroad, and cooperation is strengthened in disaster prevention and the development of international civil protection systems. Samaritan International coordinates activities among members, develops new cross-border partnerships and projects, and represents members' interests towards the European Union. In 2019 it marked its 25th anniversary with a commemorative brochure. In the 2020s the organisation has focused on social preparedness and resilience. Its SPIRIT initiative (Social Preparedness and Resilience Initiative) addresses five principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights in light of social resilience, referencing the Niinistö report's "whole of society approach" and the Preparedness Union Strategy, and is co-funded by the European Commission's ESF+ programme. In June 2026 Samaritan International and SOLIDAR formally established a joint EU Enlargement Task Force on Social Rights and Democracy, and SAM.I. joined the Erasmus project ClimateAmbassadors, contributing civil protection expertise to a higher-education module on the digital and green transition. The organisation also runs the Samaritan Contest, an international first-aid youth competition, and in August 2026 appointed Reinhard Hundsmüller, Federal Secretary of ASBÖ, as an Honorary Member.

• 2026

  Joint EU Enlargement Task Force with SOLIDAR launched; ClimateAmbassadors Erasmus project joined; Reinhard Hundsmüller appointed Honorary Member.

• 2019

  25th anniversary marked with a commemorative brochure.

• 1994

  Samaritan International e.V. founded on 11 August by ASB, ASBÖ, DKFH and CB.

• 1964

  ASB Germany rejoins IAH on 11 April; French organisation becomes Secouristes Français – Croix Blanche.

• 1951

  IAH re-founded and established in Switzerland as a non-party organisation.

• 1945

  French organisation becomes the Service Sanitaire de France.

• 1932

  Arbejdernes-Samariter-Forbund (ASF) Denmark evolves on 21 August.

• 1926

  ASB spreads to cover the whole of Switzerland.

• 1923

  Workers' Samaritan Federation founded in Basel, initially affiliated with the French ASB.

• 1921

  German groups in Alsace merge on 18 June to found the Fédération des Sociétés Samaritaines Ouvrières de France; German ASB joins International Aid for Workers (IAH).

• 1907

  First Samaritan organisation outside Germany founded in Copenhagen on 28 June.

• 1888

  Samaritan movement begins its work in Germany.

A European network and advocacy platform for national Samaritan aid and welfare organisations, focused on social services, civil protection and first aid.

• SPIRIT – Social Preparedness and Resilience Initiative

  Initiative addressing five principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights in light of social resilience, co-funded by the European Commission's ESF+ programme.

• Samaritan Contest

  International first-aid youth competition bringing together young volunteers from Samaritan organisations across Europe.

• EU Enlargement Task Force on Social Rights and Democracy

  Joint structure with SOLIDAR bringing civil society realities in EU candidate countries into European policy and advocacy work.

• ClimateAmbassadors

  Erasmus project developing an electable module on the digital and green transition for higher education, to which SAM.I. contributes civil protection expertise.

1. 1SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL e.V. – official websitesamaritan-international.eu
2. 2History – SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL e.V.samaritan-international.eu
3. 3About us – SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL e.V.samaritan-international.eu
4. 4SPIRIT – SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL e.V.samaritan-international.eu
5. 5Samaritan International – Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Samaritan International – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org