Verein Katholischer Deutscher Lehrerinnen

The Verein katholischer deutscher Lehrerinnen e. V. (VkdL) is a nationwide German professional association for Catholic women educators working across all educational levels, from early childhood education to higher education. It was founded on 13 September 1885 by Pauline Herber in Koblenz-Moselweiß and has its headquarters in Essen. The association represents the professional, salary, civil-service and labour-law interests of its members, and it promotes religious and professional-ethical continuing education. It publishes the journal Katholische Bildung, which appears every two months, along with short information brochures in the series Auf den Punkt gebracht and a newsletter. The VkdL is organised at federal, state and diocesan levels and holds an annual federal congress with a changing theme. Since 2022 it has awarded the Pauline-Herber-Preis to institutions and organisations that have rendered outstanding services to Catholic education in education and science. Its best-known member was the philosopher Edith Stein, who joined in the 1920s. The association's history includes the founding of numerous social institutions for members, the political engagement of its members in the Weimar National Assembly, the prohibition of its school- and professional-political activities under National Socialism in 1935/36, its forced dissolution in 1937, and its reconstruction after 1945. The VkdL-Bildungswerk, founded in 1983 as an independent non-profit limited liability company (gemeinnützige GmbH), is also based in Essen and finances itself exclusively through donations.

The Verein katholischer deutscher Lehrerinnen (VkdL) was founded on 13 September 1885 by Pauline Herber together with a group of colleagues in Koblenz-Moselweiß as a professional association for Catholic women teachers. Its aim was to represent a 'Christian pedagogy' based on a Christian view of humanity. In its early phase the association founded numerous social institutions for its members, including a health insurance fund, a placement service, legal protection, a pension fund, liability insurance, a support fund, a professional charity and homes. It formed commissions and committees, published journals and teaching handouts, and pursued professional-political initiatives such as petitions on teacher training and remuneration, demands for the expansion of the girls' school system, and for the equal deployment of women in school leadership and administration. It offered intensive further training, including realgymnasium courses and preparation courses for the headmistress examination, and initiated the founding of other Catholic women's associations. It also built up international relations. In 1917 it began establishing advice centres for unemployed young teachers. After women obtained the vote in 1919, VkdL members Maria Schmitz, Christine Teusch, Hedwig Dransfeld and Helene Weber sat as female Zentrum deputies in the Weimar National Assembly; further VkdL members were deputies in state parliaments and municipalities. In 1922 the VkdL was among the co-founders of the 'Deutsches Institut für wissenschaftliche Pädagogik' in Münster, where Edith Stein later taught. From 1935/36 the association was prohibited from engaging in school- and professional-political activity. Between 75 and 78 percent of VkdL members had themselves excluded from the National Socialist Teachers' League (NSLB) and remained in the VkdL; the consequences were harassment, interrogations, punitive transfers and the imprisonment of members for 'political unreliability'. During the Nazi period the VkdL continued its religious and professional-ethical further training under the protection of the Reichskonkordat and offered intellectual resistance. In 1937 the association was forcibly dissolved by decree of the Reich Minister of the Interior, and its property and assets were confiscated. After 1945 the association was rebuilt and reorganised at federal, state and diocesan levels, and its work resumed. National and international work was rebuilt and cooperation with other associations sought. In 1949 the federal office was established in Essen. Since 1950 the association has published the journal Katholische Frauenbildung, which in the years after 1950 became the association journal Katholische Bildung, appearing every two months with articles by notable contributors on pedagogical, professional-ethical, school-political, cultural and theological-philosophical questions. The VkdL also publishes the brochure series Auf den Punkt gebracht and a newsletter. An annual federal congress is held at changing locations, each under a different motto; the 2019 theme was 'Missbrauch von Sprache – Missbrauch von Macht', in 2022 'Bildung braucht Personen', and the 125th Federal Assembly in 2023, held jointly with the Edith-Stein-Gesellschaft Deutschland, had the motto 'Edith Stein als Lehrerin'. Since 2022 the VkdL has awarded the Pauline-Herber-Preis to institutions and organisations that have rendered outstanding services to Catholic education in education and science. The VkdL-Bildungswerk was founded in 1983 as an independent non-profit limited liability company (gemeinnützige GmbH) and is also based in Essen; it finances itself exclusively through donations, which are tax-deductible, and issues a donation receipt for every donation.

• 2023

  125th Federal Assembly held jointly with the Edith-Stein-Gesellschaft Deutschland under the motto 'Edith Stein als Lehrerin'.

• 2022

  Federal congress theme: 'Bildung braucht Personen'; first award of the Pauline-Herber-Preis.

• 2019

  Federal congress theme: 'Missbrauch von Sprache – Missbrauch von Macht'.

• 1983

  Founding of the VkdL-Bildungswerk as an independent non-profit limited liability company (gemeinnützige GmbH) in Essen.

• 1950

  Publication of the journal Katholische Frauenbildung, which later becomes Katholische Bildung.

• 1949

  Establishment of the federal office in Essen.

• 1945

  Reconstruction and reorganisation of the association after the end of the Second World War.

• 1937

  Forced dissolution of the association by decree of the Reich Minister of the Interior; property and assets confiscated.

• 1935

  Prohibition of school- and professional-political activity by the National Socialists (1935/36).

• 1922

  VkdL co-founds the 'Deutsches Institut für wissenschaftliche Pädagogik' in Münster.

• 1919

  VkdL members Maria Schmitz, Christine Teusch, Hedwig Dransfeld and Helene Weber sit as Zentrum deputies in the Weimar National Assembly.

• 1917

  Establishment of advice centres for unemployed young teachers.

• 1885

  Founding of the Verein katholischer deutscher Lehrerinnen on 13 September by Pauline Herber in Koblenz-Moselweiß.

A Catholic professional association for women educators in Germany, combining professional representation with religious and professional-ethical education.

• Katholische Bildung (journal)

  The association's journal, published every two months, with articles on pedagogical, professional-ethical, school-political, cultural and theological-philosophical questions.

• Auf den Punkt gebracht (brochure series)

  Short information brochures taking positions on socially and politically relevant topics.

• VkdL newsletter

  Provides hints and tips on events, teaching materials and recent developments in the pedagogical, social and church spheres.

• Annual federal congress

  Held annually at changing locations, each under a different motto; includes the Federal Assembly.

• Pauline-Herber-Preis

  Awarded since 2022 to institutions and organisations that have rendered outstanding services to Catholic education in education and science.

1. 1Startseite - VkdLvkdl.de
2. 2Entstehungsgeschichte - VkdLvkdl.de
3. 3Geschichte unseres Vereins - VkdLvkdl.de
4. 4Verein Katholischer Deutscher Lehrerinnen - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Verein katholischer deutscher Lehrerinnen - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org