Studentenwerk

The student unions in Germany are responsible for the promotion of social, economic and cultural aspects of students. Originally formed as a student self -help institutions, the student unions today are established by state law and the almost all organized as public institutions.

Currently, 58 student unions (eg in Rhineland -Palatinate, Hamburg and Freiburg in the Black Forest region known as students of art ) are delimited by defined by the Länder responsibilities for universities and cities from each other spatially. The size of the student unions is very different, ranging from approximately 1300-125000 students in the area of responsibility and 11-790 employees. The student unions are working together under the umbrella organization German Student ( DSW).

History

The first student works were created in the aftermath of the First World War, when many students were impoverished by war and inflation consequences and could only with difficulty to finance their studies. 1921 joined the local student self clubs, academic aid agencies etc. on the 4th German Student Day in Erlangen for economic aid of the German student body eV together. But by the political developments within the German student body itself, there was already in the course of the 1920s to an increasing alienation between the two organizations, which was reflected finally in 1929 in the renaming of the economic aid German Student Association ( DSW).

After 1933, the DSW was transferred as Reich Student in a rich institution incorporated under public law, assumed the newly created Reich Student Leadership and subjected to the political goals of the Nazi regime; the local student unions were degraded to instruction-bound branches.

After the Second World War, the kingdom of Student Services was disbanded and re-founded in West Germany the local student unions - mostly in the form of registered associations or foundations. This amalgamated in 1950 again into a loose confederation together, who took back in 1956 the old name German Student eV. As of 1957, the Student Unions were you with the handling of the general student support after the so-called Honnefer model - a precursor of today's federal financial aid - in charge, also since 1960 the construction of student dormitories was forced. Since both tasks were financed increasingly from government grants, student unions lost more and more her character as a student self-help institutions. In contrast, turned the then Association of German student bodies and the West German Rectors' Conference and demanded the student unions (again) more to convert them into the custody of the student bodies or universities. With the introduction of the federal financial aid, the Administration has also transferred the student unions, but these were transferred early 70s almost everywhere in public institutions.

In the GDR there was no student unions. Dining halls and dormitories were instead operated by the universities themselves. After the reunification, however, student unions have been established by the West German model also in East Germany, which was also was a member of the German Student Union. The deployment of these new institutions, the DSW sat for extensive participation rights of students a. So this place in the bodies of the East German student often half the members.

Tasks

In practice, the student works will be handled by the following tasks:

Operation of canteens and cafeterias
Management and operation of residence halls
Study funding under the federal financial aid (except Rhineland -Palatinate - here are the federal financial aid office of the college) and beyond
Psychological and social counseling, and legal advice
Granting of loans and social support
Child care for student parents
Cultural offerings

Legal status, funding and organization

Student works are from colleges formally independent, legally independent institutions and mostly work in the legal form of a public institution, where their work falls within the field of education and is therefore governed by state laws ( of higher education legislation or independent student union laws). They are funded by government grants ( majority of the states, but also by the federal government ), from social security contributions, which have to pay for all students and from sales, such as revenue in the cafeteria or rental costs.

In addition to federal financial aid, which can be seen as a direct, individual student finance, student services are provided by the governmental grant another means of financing your studies, referred to in this case study as indirect financing.

Student Unions are run by full-time managers, however, decide on policy issues voluntary bodies ( Board of Directors, Board of Directors), which are also responsible for overseeing the management. Members of these bodies are, depending on the province, representatives of the universities, the student body, the staff of the Student Union, the state governments or external people.

German Student

The 58 student unions in Germany are united German Student eV in the nationwide umbrella organization. Its mission is the one of experience and knowledge sharing and training for the local student unions. On the other hand, the DSW seeks to be a socio-political interest group of the students.

It is especially famous for its DSW since 1952, every three years, appearing Social Survey for " economic and social situation of students " in Germany. It forms the basis for a large part of the work in the area of student social policy.

The German Student Union has its headquarters in Berlin. President of DSW since 1 January 2012, the former rector of Bielefeld Dieter Timmermann.

Weimar Republic Wilhelm Schlink | Fritz Tillmann

Third Reich ( " Reich Student Services " ): Gustav Adolf Scheel

International comparison

The economic and social support for students is released internationally widely, with the German system of detached from the universities, independent care facilities is rather rare. In many countries, the tasks described here, in particular the management and operation of canteens and dormitories, adopted by the universities themselves. In other cases, such institutions - then mainly residences - run by the student councils.

Comparable with Germany is mainly the French system. There are also available from the universities detached Centre national des œuvres universitaires et scolaires ( CNOUS ), which is organized on a national level. In addition, there is the Centre régional of oeuvres universitaires et scolaires ( CROUS ) who work at the regional level for the needs of the students. Its areas include student accommodation, the maintenance of canteens, financial aid and scholarships, as well as the reception of international students who are completing a study abroad in France. Between the German student unions and its French counterpart, there are annual meetings and an exchange of working groups to facilitate through international cooperation to improve their own work and to emphasize the German - French friendship hiss.

Hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic German Rectors' Conference

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