CVJM (German YMCA)

CVJM (Christlicher Verein Junger Menschen) is the German branch of the global YMCA movement and the country's largest ecumenical Christian youth organisation, with a predominantly Protestant character. Its national umbrella body, the CVJM-Gesamtverband in Deutschland e. V., is headquartered in Kassel and serves as the federation of thirteen regionally independent Christian youth associations operating under names such as Christlicher Verein Junger Menschen, Evangelisches Jugendwerk (EJW) and Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands (CJD). The movement's roots in Germany go back to 1848, when several Protestant young men's associations formed the first regional league, the Rheinisch-Westphälischer Jünglingsbund. From 1882 these regional groupings began cooperating in the form of a conference, and in 1883 the first association explicitly calling itself a Christlicher Verein junger Männer was founded in Berlin. The national umbrella organisation was established in 1882 and has been a registered association (e. V.) since 1908. CVJM's work centres on local youth work carried out in roughly 1,600 clubs, youth works and youth villages across Germany. According to its own figures, the CVJM movement regularly reaches about 375,000 people, including members, staff and regular participants. Its activities span children's and youth groups (Jungschar), sports work, camps, international exchanges and diaconal engagement. The organisation is a member of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Evangelischen Jugend in Deutschland (aej) and the Bundesverband Kulturarbeit in der evangelischen Jugend (bka e. V.), and it is part of the World Alliance of YMCAs, which counts 45 million members in 120 countries. CVJM also operates educational institutions. It ran training centres in Kassel for the formal education of pedagogical and Christian professional staff: the CVJM-Sekretärsschule, founded in 1928, became a Fachschule in 1973 and has been known as the CVJM-Kolleg since 1997. In 2009 the CVJM additionally founded the CVJM-Hochschule. The Stiftung Himmelsfels took over the licence of the CVJM-Kolleg in 2024 and continues the work as Himmelsfels College in Spangenberg. As of 1 April 2026, the CVJM-Hochschule is to be merged into the newly founded Evangelische Hochschule Hessen. The organisation is led by a members' assembly and a board; Pfarrer Hansjörg Kopp has been General Secretary of the national association since 2017. Its symbol is a red equilateral triangle with a horizontal black bar bearing the letters "CVJM" in white, a variation of the international YMCA symbol designed by Luther Gulick in the late 19th century. Transparency is emphasised: the CVJM has joined the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft and publishes information on its structure, finances and governance.

The German YMCA movement traces its origins to 1848, when several Protestant young men's associations joined to form the first regional league, the Rheinisch-Westphälischer Jünglingsbund, under Superintendent Karl Emil Krummacher as Präses — a predecessor of the CVJM-Westbund. In the following years further regional associations of young men's groups emerged with differing emphases, and from 1882 they began cooperating in the form of a conference. The national umbrella organisation was founded in 1882 and has been a registered association (e. V.) since 1908. Around the same time as the formation of this conference, in 1883 in Berlin, the first association explicitly calling itself a Christlicher Verein junger Männer was founded on the initiative of Friedrich von Schlümbach, a preacher trained in the USA. Its first chairman was Eberhard von Rothkirch, with Andreas Graf von Bernstorff as his deputy; it joined the Östlicher Jünglingsbund. Unlike the earlier young men's associations, which had emerged as gatherings of already-believing youths and men, the CVJM's main goal was evangelisation of those distant from the church. Over the 20th century the movement developed its characteristic structures and symbols. The red triangle symbol, designed by Luther Gulick in the late 19th century and first officially used by the YMCA in Springfield in 1890/91, became the official symbol of the English YMCA during the First World War and later of the World Alliance of YMCAs; in Germany it only became established after the Second World War. The Eichenkreuz (oak cross) was developed in 1921 by Johannes Tack for the national association of Protestant young men's leagues and was used throughout CVJM sports work until 2006, after which only some regional associations continued to use it. In the field of formal education, the CVJM founded the CVJM-Sekretärsschule in Kassel in 1928 to train pedagogical and Christian professional staff. In 1973 it became a Fachschule, and since 1997 it has been known as the CVJM-Kolleg. In 2009 the CVJM additionally founded the CVJM-Hochschule. In 2024 the Stiftung Himmelsfels took over the licence of the CVJM-Kolleg and continues the work under new sponsorship as Himmelsfels College at its Spangenberg location. As of 1 April 2026, the CVJM-Hochschule is to be absorbed into the newly founded Evangelische Hochschule Hessen, initially retaining a location in Kassel but concentrating in future on Darmstadt and Schwalmstadt-Treysa. Today the CVJM-Gesamtverband in Deutschland e. V., headquartered at Im Druseltal 8 in Kassel, is the umbrella of thirteen federally independent Christian youth associations. It is the largest ecumenical Christian youth organisation in Germany, with a largely Protestant majority and character. The focus of its member associations is local youth work in around 1,600 clubs, youth works and youth villages. According to its own figures, the CVJM movement in Germany regularly reaches 375,000 people (members, staff and regular participants). It is a member of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Evangelischen Jugend in Deutschland e. V. (aej) and of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Missionarische Dienste of the Evangelical Church in Germany, and together with 35 other nationwide associations it is a member of the bka e. V., the Bundesverband Kulturarbeit in der evangelischen Jugend e. V. Globally, the ecumenical Christian associations of young people are united in the World Alliance of YMCAs, with 45 million members in 120 countries. The organisation is led by a members' assembly and a board. Pfarrer Hansjörg Kopp has been General Secretary of the national association since 2017. In line with its commitment to the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft, the CVJM publishes ten categories of information, including its name, registered office, founding year, statutes, tax-exempt status, decision-makers, activity reports, personnel structure, and sources and uses of funds.

• 2026

  The CVJM-Hochschule is to be merged into the newly founded Evangelische Hochschule Hessen on 1 April.

• 2024

  The Stiftung Himmelsfels takes over the licence of the CVJM-Kolleg and continues it as Himmelsfels College in Spangenberg.

• 2017

  Pfarrer Hansjörg Kopp becomes General Secretary of the national association.

• 2009

  The CVJM-Hochschule is founded.

• 2006

  The Eichenkreuz ceases to be used throughout CVJM sports work, remaining only in some regional associations.

• 1997

  The school is renamed CVJM-Kolleg.

• 1973

  The CVJM-Sekretärsschule becomes a Fachschule.

• 1928

  The CVJM-Sekretärsschule is founded in Kassel.

• 1921

  Johannes Tack develops the Eichenkreuz for the national association of Protestant young men's leagues.

• 1908

  The CVJM-Gesamtverband becomes a registered association (e. V.).

• 1883

  The first association explicitly calling itself Christlicher Verein junger Männer is founded in Berlin.

• 1882

  The national umbrella organisation is founded; regional groupings begin cooperating as a conference.

• 1848

  Several Protestant young men's associations form the Rheinisch-Westphälischer Jünglingsbund, a predecessor of the CVJM-Westbund.

Germany's largest ecumenical Christian youth organisation, rooted in local youth work and part of the global YMCA movement.

• Local youth work in 1,600 clubs, youth works and youth villages

• Jungschar children's work

• Sports work (CVJM Hockey, Indiaca, instructor training)

• CVJM-Kolleg (vocational training)

• CVJM-Hochschule (higher education)

1. 1CVJM Deutschland Startseitecvjm.de
2. 2Über uns - CVJM Deutschlandcvjm.de
3. 3Transparenz - CVJM Deutschlandcvjm.de
4. 4CVJM - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5CVJM-Gesamtverband in Deutschland - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org