German Youth Hostel Association
Founded | 1909 |
---|---|
Founder | Richard Schirrmann, Wilhelm Münker and Julius Schult |
Type | registered society |
Focus | Umbrella organization for youth hostels |
Location | |
Area served | national |
Website | www |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Richard_Schirrmann.jpg/220px-Richard_Schirrmann.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Bundesarchiv_Bild_102-14911%2C_Berlin%2C_Lustgarten%2C_Aufmarsch_der_HJ.jpg/220px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_102-14911%2C_Berlin%2C_Lustgarten%2C_Aufmarsch_der_HJ.jpg)
The German Youth Hostel Association[1] (German: Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk) or DJH is a not-for-profit, registered association (eingetragener Verein). It was founded in 1909 to create an organized network of affordable and safe accommodation away from home for travelling school and youth groups and individuals all over the country. Today, the hundreds of member hostels in the association still cater to school and youth groups but most are also open to anyone else looking for an alternative to hotels - families, backpackers, business travellers, etc. Through the state (Bundesland) associations it is the representative of the 536 youth hostels in Germany (as at 2013) and thus the largest member of the international youth association, Hostelling International (HI). The headquarters has its seat in Detmold and is divided into 14 state associations and 218 local and county volunteer associations. It has more than 2 million members.[2]
Membership of the German Youth Hostel Association is a prerequisite for an overnight stay in a hostel in Germany. Abroad, DJH members can stay in hostels that are associated with Hostelling International and may be entitled to discounts there. DJH membership is obtained through the state association responsible for each residence. In addition, organizations such as clubs or schools may apply for corporate membership.
The DJH was merged into the Hitler Youth in 1933 until the end of the Second World War. In 1949 it was re-founded at Altena Castle in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The German Youth Hostel Association is a member of the European Movement Germany.
References
- ^ Legal Notice with English name of the association on the official website. Accessed on 19 Jun 2013.
- ^ Association structure of the DJH
Literature
- Eva Kraus (2011) (in German), Available online Das Deutsche Jugendherbergswerk und seine Gleichschaltung durch die Hitlerjugend (1909 – 1933), Paderborn: Hochschulschrift, ISBN 978-3-86386-488-0, http://digital.ub.uni-paderborn.de/hs/download/pdf/516999?originalFilename=true Available online. Retrieved 2013-05-24
- Jürgen Reulecke; Barbara Stambolis: 100 Jahre Jugendherbergen 1909–2009. Anfänge – Wandlungen – Rück- und Ausblicke. Klartext Verlag, Essen, 2009, ISBN 978-3-89861-990-5