SOLIDAR Sterbegeldversicherung

SOLIDAR Sterbegeldversicherung is a German funeral-expense insurance (Sterbegeldversicherung) provider operating in the legal form of a Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG), a mutual insurance association. It traces its origins to 1 April 1922, when employees of the Bochumer Verein steelworks founded the "Sterbeunterstützungseinrichtung der Angestellten des Bochumer Vereins" as a workplace death-benefit fund. Over the following decades the fund grew alongside its industrial sponsor, was renamed after the Krupp merger, and in 1986 was opened to the general public. In early 1988 it adopted its current name, Solidar Versicherungsgemeinschaft Sterbegeldversicherung VVaG. Today it describes itself as one of Germany's largest funeral-expense insurers, with roughly 85,000 insured members. The company's core product is a funeral-expense insurance policy that pays a lump sum to cover burial costs. According to its official website, the policy requires no health examination, offers graded benefits already after 12 months, provides immediate insurance cover for accidental death with double payout, and grants contribution discounts of up to 18% through surplus participation. As a mutual, SOLIDAR states that it is non-profit-oriented, passes 100% of profits to its members, and follows an ethical, sustainable and crisis-proof investment strategy. It positions itself as a fair alternative to shareholder-owned insurers, with a brand promise built on solidarity and customer satisfaction. SOLIDAR is headquartered in Bochum, in Germany's Ruhr region, and operates primarily in the German market. Its membership base historically centered on people from the Ruhr area, but it now insures people throughout Germany. The company has consolidated several smaller funeral funds over the years, including takeovers in 2003, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2022 and 2024. It is supervised by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). Its governance consists of a members' representation of 80 elected members, a supervisory board of three to six members, and a two-person management board.

The history of SOLIDAR Sterbegeldversicherung begins on 1 April 1922, when employees of the Bochumer Verein steelworks founded the "Sterbeunterstützungseinrichtung der Angestellten des Bochumer Vereins" as a workplace death-benefit fund. In its early years the fund operated on a pay-as-you-go basis: when a member died, the costs were shared proportionally among all members. On 24 March 1939 the small Bochum death fund obtained legal capacity as a smaller mutual insurance association (Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit). This meant that members had a binding legal right to a death benefit based on fixed contributions and actuarially calculated benefits, and the fund could build up assets and safety reserves. Since then it has been subject to insurance supervision, today by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). The fund survived the end of the Second World War and the subsequent currency reform financially. After its Reichsmark assets of 202,000 in 1945 had already risen again to 23,000 Deutsche Mark by the end of 1948, it counted 1,971 members in 1949. In 1951, partly because of its good financial position, the death fund was opened to all employees and company pensioners of the Bochumer Verein (at that time around 12,000 workers) and their dependents; membership rose to 26,086 in 1952. In 1966 the Bochumer Verein für Gußstahlfabrikation AG was finally merged with Friedrich Krupp AG. At the same time the "Sterbekasse Bochumer Verein" was renamed "Sterbekasse Fried. Krupp Hüttenwerke", opening it to the 100,000 employees of the Krupp group. As a result, membership grew to almost 90,000 by the end of the 1960s. In 1986 the death fund was converted from a purely company-based institution into a public insurance provider, open to all interested parties including those outside the Krupp group. In early 1988 this was accompanied by the change of name to its current form: Solidar Versicherungsgemeinschaft Sterbegeldversicherung VVaG. Membership subsequently rose to around 100,000 by the turn of the millennium. Since then several smaller death funds have joined the SOLIDAR model and been transferred to it, helping to stabilize membership numbers. While historically many people from the Ruhr region with sometimes decades-long memberships form the core of SOLIDAR, today people from all over Germany insure with the company. SOLIDAR has taken over the insurance portfolios of several other funeral funds. In 2003 it acquired the portfolios of the Begräbnis-Beihilfe of the municipality of Gennebreck and the parish of Herzkamp VVaG, and the Sterbekasse "Allgemeine Begräbnishilfe" VVaG (Wetter/Ruhr). In 2005 it took over the portfolio of Allgemeine freiwillige Sterbekasse Meinerzhagen. In 2009 it acquired the portfolio of Vorsorgekasse für Führungskräfte in der ULA VaG (Essen). In 2017 it took over the "Sterbekasse Hoffnung" in Wuppertal (founded 1842) and the Sterbekasse der Arbeitnehmer der Nickel-Werke Schwerte VVaG. In 2022 it merged with the "Sterbekasse für die Beschäftigten der Deutschen Rentenversicherung Knappschaft-Bahn-See VVaG". In 2024 SOLIDAR took over the insurance portfolio of the Sterbekasse Geesthacht from 1923. The governance of SOLIDAR reflects its mutual structure. The members' representation is the highest body of the insurance company. It consists of 80 SOLIDAR members elected for five years, who meet regularly as a representatives' assembly. The members' representation elects the supervisory board and is involved in all important decisions. The supervisory board consists of three to six members; as the statutory supervisory body it advises the management board and reviews its business decisions. The two-person management board forms the company's executive leadership.

• 2024

  SOLIDAR takes over the insurance portfolio of the Sterbekasse Geesthacht from 1923.

• 2022

  SOLIDAR merges with the "Sterbekasse für die Beschäftigten der Deutschen Rentenversicherung Knappschaft-Bahn-See VVaG".

• 2017

  SOLIDAR takes over the "Sterbekasse Hoffnung" in Wuppertal (founded 1842) and the Sterbekasse der Arbeitnehmer der Nickel-Werke Schwerte VVaG.

• 2009

  SOLIDAR takes over the portfolio of Vorsorgekasse für Führungskräfte in der ULA VaG (Essen).

• 2005

  SOLIDAR takes over the portfolio of Allgemeine freiwillige Sterbekasse Meinerzhagen.

• 2003

  SOLIDAR takes over the insurance portfolios of the Begräbnis-Beihilfe of Gennebreck and Herzkamp and the Sterbekasse "Allgemeine Begräbnishilfe" VVaG (Wetter/Ruhr).

• 2000

  Membership reaches around 100,000 by the turn of the millennium.

• 1988

  The company is renamed Solidar Versicherungsgemeinschaft Sterbegeldversicherung VVaG.

• 1986

  The death fund is converted from a purely company-based institution into a public insurance provider.

• 1966

  Bochumer Verein merges with Friedrich Krupp AG; the fund is renamed "Sterbekasse Fried. Krupp Hüttenwerke" and opened to around 100,000 Krupp employees.

• 1952

  Membership rises to 26,086.

• 1951

  The death fund is opened to all employees and company pensioners of the Bochumer Verein and their dependents.

• 1949

  The fund counts 1,971 members after surviving the war and currency reform.

• 1939

  On 24 March the fund obtains legal capacity as a smaller mutual insurance association (VVaG) and becomes subject to insurance supervision.

• 1922

  Employees of the Bochumer Verein steelworks found the "Sterbeunterstützungseinrichtung der Angestellten des Bochumer Vereins" on 1 April.

Fair, member-owned mutual insurer focused on funeral expense cover, with no health check, profit participation and ethical investment.

• SOLIDAR Sterbegeldversicherung

  Funeral expense insurance with no health check, graded benefits after 12 months, immediate cover for accidental death with double payout, and up to 18% contribution discount through surplus participation.

1. 1SOLIDAR Versicherungsgemeinschaft: die faire Sterbekasse | SOLIDARsolidar-versicherung.de
2. 2Solidar Sterbegeldversicherung – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3SOLIDAR Sterbegeldversicherung – Wikidatawikidata.org