Elberfeld system

The Elberfeld system (also NKJV ) model of care for the poor emerged in the 1850s and was an attempt to adapt the municipal arms management to the conditions of the emerging industrial society. It originated in Elberfeld (now part of Wuppertal ) and was taken in the second half of the 19th century of many cities.

Development and operating principles

The textile towns of Barmen and Elberfeld belonged in the first half of the 19th century's most pioneering cities of industrialization in Germany. Also already through immigration, the population increased sharply and the cities were among the most densely populated municipalities in Germany. Thus, the two cities grew mainly through immigration 1810-1840 of 19,000 or 16,000 to 40,000 or 31,000 inhabitants. The proportion of poor people was disproportionately high.

The outdated centrally managed urban poor administration proved to be too expensive and inefficient to cope with these problems. The 1853 introduced Elberfeld system tried to adapt to the new conditions, the structure of care. First, the poor management was decentralized. Below the total urban poor deputation more deputations were established in the districts whose behalf arms nurse worked. Another key principle was the voluntariness of the arms caregiver. These came mostly from the middle class ( petty officials, craftsmen or merchants ). The participation of women opened this a rare in contemporary society opportunity to participate in public life. The greater number of volunteers decreased for the individual arms, the number of nurses take care of clients and for the system costs. The third principle of the system was to " help people help themselves. " Apparently, it was assumed that a considerable part of the poor was not willing to do something about their situation. Therefore, the support services were limited to two weeks. Other services had to be approved again.

The Elberfeld system was adopted by Münster, Cologne, Breslau, and many other cities, and was a rooting in liberal concept, but which had already precursor in the 18th century. Thus, the "Hamburger arms system " was established in 1788 in Hamburg: The city was divided into 60 districts, each with there three volunteer nurses arms.

In the last third of the 19th century, the number of needy people participated in the phase of industrialization in particular through immigration but in many places once again, and the voluntary poor relief came to the limits of their capabilities. Especially in the big cities there was a return to the Strasbourg system to a more centralized and to the professionalization of poor relief.

At the Elberfeld system remembers the Elberfeld poor relief monument.