Youth of the German Alpine Club

The Youth of the German Alpine Club (German: Jugend des Deutschen Alpenvereins, JDAV) is the youth organization of the Deutscher Alpenverein (DAV), Germany's largest mountaineering and alpine sports association. As an independent youth association, it is a publicly recognized provider of free youth welfare services (Träger der freien Kinder- und Jugendhilfe). Membership in the JDAV is automatic for all DAV members up to the age of 27, all JDAV youth leaders with a valid annual badge, and all elected JDAV functionaries; no separate application is required. At the end of 2020, this encompassed roughly 356,000 young people across the DAV's 355 sections nationwide. The JDAV's work is organized on three levels: section, state (Land), and federal (Bund). At the section level, volunteer youth leaders and youth officers run youth groups. At the state level, state youth leadership teams coordinate project-based work of the regional associations. At the federal level, the Bundesjugendleitung (Federal Youth Leadership) — consisting of a federal youth leader, a federal youth leader (female counterpart), and five deputies — oversees nationwide activities. The organization's activities range from climbing and mountaineering to environmental education, youth participation, and international cooperation, such as involvement in the Alpine Convention's youth participation working group. The JDAV traces its roots to the early 20th century. While the DAV was founded in Munich on 9 May 1869, youth work only gained systematic attention later. In 1913, the Hochland section founded the first youth group within the DuOeAV (German and Austrian Alpine Club). On 11 October 1919, the 45th general assembly in Nuremberg passed a resolution creating a dedicated badge and ID card for youth group participants, marking the beginning of systematic youth work in the German Alpine Club. The JDAV celebrated the 100th anniversary of this youth work in 2019 with projects such as the virtual time travel "jung.laut.bunt" and "100 Jahre – 100 Menschen." Since 1994, the JDAV has operated its own youth education center (Jugendbildungsstätte) in Hindelang, Bavaria. The organization maintains partnerships with outdoor companies; Mountain Equipment has been the official equipment partner since 2009, and Globetrotter is a retail partner. The JDAV also runs a podcast and organizes events such as the Bundesjugendversammlung (Federal Youth Assembly).

The history of youth work within the German and Austrian Alpine Club (DuOeAV, later DAV) began in the late 19th century. In the early years after the DAV was founded on 9 May 1869 in Munich, youth work received little attention; only the establishment and support of youth hostels entered the association's activities from around 1890. Until 1913, it was mainly academic sections that sought to recruit students for the DuOeAV. Extended youth alpine hikes were undertaken only under the leadership of older, experienced guides. While the "promotion of youth alpine hiking" was generally welcomed, the DuOeAV was initially reluctant to provide financial support. In 1913, the Hochland section founded the "Free Association for the Introduction and Cultivation of Youth Mountain Hikes" (Freie Vereinigung zur Einführung und Pflege von Jugendbergfahrten), creating the first youth group in the DuOeAV. With support from the Munich section, a motion was submitted to the DuOeAV general assembly to promote youth alpine trips and grant youth groups discounts on mountain huts. The motion was accepted. Seventeen young people participated in the first youth mountain hike to the Jochberg. During the year, at the suggestion of later member Professor Ernst Enzensperger and under the chairmanship of the Hochland section, the "Munich Local Committee for Youth Hikes" was formed, including several sections and other Munich associations. The section was regarded as the initiator and pioneer of youth alpinism in the DuOeAV. The motives behind youth work in the DuOeAV were mixed. Supporters of youth hiking wanted young people to become familiar with their homeland, but they also justified their efforts with military considerations and a certain longing for discipline and order. The outbreak of World War I brought all youth work efforts to a standstill. After World War I, the topic of youth came to the fore again, sparking debate about its goals. One side subordinated the high goals of youth education to military usefulness; the other strictly opposed any youth education and advocated a youth movement like the Wandervogel, in which youth itself pursued high goals. In this spirit, the DuOeAV main committee — driven by Ernst Enzensperger as the first youth officer — steered development into orderly channels even before the war ended, recommending "Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment of Youth Groups of Sections" to the sections in September 1918. On 11 October 1919, at the 45th general assembly in Nuremberg, Ernst Enzensperger and his fellow campaigners achieved a breakthrough on the "question of youth hiking," also invoking national considerations: "We currently recognize everywhere that the most precious national asset we have is youth, and that their education is vital not only for the association but for the fatherland." Particularly the final passage of the third guiding principle can be considered the definitive starting signal for systematic youth work in the German and Austrian Alpine Club: "It is especially important to imbue youth with the correct mountaineering spirit, which is why, whenever possible, every section should establish a youth department." Further organizational measures followed in 1923 and 1925. However, there was no unified youth association within the DuOeAV, but rather individual youth groups affiliated with sections. These groups were under the care of the section but were independent. In 1928, the main committee approved the general establishment of "Jungmannschaften" (youth teams) in the DuOeAV through the so-called Stuttgart Guidelines. It was also decided to introduce an ID card, badge, accident and liability insurance, regulations for discounts at huts and hostels, and financial contributions from the DuOeAV. By the end of 1929, there were already 21 Jungmannschaften with 598 members. With the inclusion of the association purpose "promotion of youth hiking" in the DuOeAV statutes in 1927 and the introduction of Jungmannschaften, the construction of youth work within the DuOeAV reached a conclusion. To clarify the situation outside the association as well, state offices for alpine youth hiking were formed in the nine Austrian federal states, coordinating with other alpine and related associations. In 1927, the Austrian state associations joined with the Bavarian state association to form the "Working Group Bavaria-Austria for Alpine Youth Hiking." Ernst Enzensperger chaired the working group for Germany and R. Greenitz for Austria. At the same time, a subcommittee for alpine youth hiking was established within the DuOeAV. In 2019, the JDAV celebrated the 100th anniversary of youth work in the DAV, marking the 1919 Nuremberg resolution as the beginning of systematic youth work. The anniversary included projects such as the virtual time travel "jung.laut.bunt" and "100 Jahre – 100 Menschen." Since 1994, the JDAV has had its own youth education center in Hindelang, Bavaria.

• 2020

  Approximately 356,000 young people are members across 355 DAV sections.

• 2019

  JDAV celebrates 100 years of youth work in the DAV with projects including 'jung.laut.bunt' and '100 Jahre – 100 Menschen'.

• 2009

  Mountain Equipment becomes official equipment partner of the JDAV.

• 1994

  JDAV opens its own youth education center (Jugendbildungsstätte) in Hindelang.

• 1929

  By year-end, 21 Jungmannschaften with 598 members exist.

• 1928

  Stuttgart Guidelines approve general establishment of Jungmannschaften (youth teams).

• 1927

  'Promotion of youth hiking' added to DuOeAV statutes; Working Group Bavaria-Austria for Alpine Youth Hiking formed.

• 1919

  On 11 October, the 45th general assembly in Nuremberg resolves to create a dedicated badge and ID card for youth group participants, marking the start of systematic youth work.

• 1918

  DuOeAV main committee recommends 'Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment of Youth Groups of Sections'.

• 1913

  First youth group in the DuOeAV founded by the Hochland section; first youth mountain hike to Jochberg with 17 participants.

• 1869

  German Alpine Club (DAV) founded in Munich on 9 May.

The JDAV positions itself as the vibrant youth organization of the German Alpine Club, dedicated to youth participation, outdoor education, and sustainable alpine sports. It is a publicly recognized youth welfare provider that empowers young people to engage in mountaineering, environmental stewardship, and community leadership.

• Youth group activities

  Local youth groups organized by volunteer youth leaders in DAV sections.

• Mountaineering and climbing courses

  Training in alpine sports for young people.

• Jugendbildungsstätte Hindelang

  The JDAV's own youth education center in Hindelang, Bavaria, operating since 1994.

• JDAV Podcast

  Podcast covering JDAV topics and events.

1. 1JDAV official websitejdav.de
2. 2JDAV Jubiläumjdav.de
3. 3Über unsjdav.de
4. 4Partner*innenjdav.de
5. 5Wikidata: Youth of the German Alpine Clubwikidata.org
6. 6Wikipedia (German): Jugend des Deutschen Alpenvereinsde.wikipedia.org