Dachverband Freier Weltanschauungsgemeinschaften

The Dachverband Freier Weltanschauungsgemeinschaften e.V. (DFW) is a German umbrella organization based in Berlin that unites freethought, humanist, freireligiös, pantheist, atheist, agnostic, freidenker and Unitarian communities. It describes itself as a union of associations and communities in Germany that work for the realization of the freedom of faith, conscience and religious or worldview confession guaranteed by Article 4 of the German Basic Law. The DFW advocates that no one be disadvantaged or favored because of origin, life philosophy or gender, and it stands for humanism, tolerance, human rights, peaceful coexistence independent of religious, worldview or political views, and a balanced relationship between humans and nature. The DFW emerged in 1991 from the Deutscher Volksbund für Geistesfreiheit (DVfG), which had been founded on 8 October 1949 in Wiesbaden. It continues efforts to bundle freethought-humanist forces in Germany. Its main goals include uniting all German freireligiös and freethought associations, a stronger separation of church and state, and the introduction of integrative values education in state schools to replace confessional religious instruction. According to its own information, it represents about 25,000 members through member associations such as the Bund Freireligiöser Gemeinden Deutschlands, the Unitarier – Religionsgemeinschaft freien Glaubens, the Fachverband bekenntnisfreie Religions- und Lebenskunde in Schleswig-Holstein, the Freie Akademie, the Freigeistige Aktion für humanistische Kultur (formerly Deutscher Monistenbund), the Freigeistige Gemeinschaft Berlin, the Humanistischer Freidenkerbund Brandenburg and the Verband Freier Weltanschauungsgemeinschaften Hamburg. The organization engages in political advocacy for the interests of people not bound to a confession, legal support for people and groups facing discrimination because of their religion or worldview, and public communication through its website, blog and publications. It publishes the Schriftenreihe für freigeistige Kultur and the Pressedienst Freier Weltanschauungsgemeinschaften. Since 7 July 2005 it has been a member of Humanists International, and it was a founding member of the Koordinierungsrat säkularer Organisationen (KORSO) in 2008, in which it participated until the end of 2021. Its presidency has changed over the decades; since 2024 Silvana Uhlrich-Knoll has served as president, with Alexander Knöß as vice president, Ortrun E. Lenz as secretary/public relations, and Dr. Volker Mueller as board member.

The DFW emerged in 1991 from the Deutscher Volksbund für Geistesfreiheit (DVfG), which was founded on 8 October 1949 in Wiesbaden. The Volksbund, in name but not structurally or functionally, linked to the Volksbund für Geistesfreiheit founded in 1925; it saw itself in the traditions of the Weimar Cartel and the Reichsarbeitsgemeinschaft freigeistiger Verbände der deutschen Republik. Founding members included the Bund Freireligiöser Gemeinden Deutschlands (BFGD), the freireligiöse Landesgemeinden of Bavaria (later Bund für Geistesfreiheit Bayern) and Württemberg-Baden, the Freigeistige Union München, the Deutsche Freidenker-Verband, the Deutsche Monistenbund, the Unitarier – Religionsgemeinschaft freien Glaubens, the Vereinigung für freigläubige Feiergestaltung (later Eekboom-Gesellschaft), the Unabhängige Gesellschaft zur Pflege junger Kunst und Wissenschaft, the Gesellschaft für Lebenskunde Duisburg and the Germanische Glaubens-Gemeinschaft. In the following years the number of members declined; by 1957 only the BFGD, the Deutschen Unitarier, the Monisten and the Eekboom-Gesellschaft were still named as members. In its early years the Volksbund could unite associations from the entire continuum of free religious and worldview communities, encompassing the socialist Freidenker-Verband as well as the religious-völkisch Germanische Glaubens-Gemeinschaft. President from 1949 to 1959 was the zoologist and Social Democratic politician Gerhard von Frankenberg, who was also honorary president of the Deutsche Monistenbund; from 1959 he was honorary president. Subsequent presidents were Albert Heuer (1959–1960), Fritz Hermann (1961–1973), Hans-Joachim Firgau (1973–1985), Gerd-M. Achterberg (1985–1987), Fritz Bode (1987–1994), Helga Lewandowsky (1994–1996), Klaus Stolle (1996–1999), Volker Mueller (1999–2010), Renate Bauer (2010–2018) and Swaantje Schlittgen (2018–2024). Since 2024 Silvana Uhlrich-Knoll has been president. The DFW publishes the Schriftenreihe für freigeistige Kultur and the Pressedienst Freier Weltanschauungsgemeinschaften. According to its own information, it represents about 25,000 members of member associations. Since 7 July 2005 it has been a member of Humanists International. It worked in the Koordinierungsrat säkularer Organisationen – KORSO – (founding member 2008) until the end of 2021.

• 2024

  Silvana Uhlrich-Knoll becomes president.

• 2021

  DFW ends its participation in KORSO at the end of the year.

• 2008

  DFW is a founding member of the Koordinierungsrat säkularer Organisationen (KORSO).

• 2005

  DFW becomes a member of Humanists International on 7 July.

• 1991

  DFW emerges from the DVfG.

• 1949

  Deutscher Volksbund für Geistesfreiheit (DVfG) founded on 8 October in Wiesbaden.

Umbrella organization and public voice for freethought, humanist and non-confessional communities in Germany, advocating humanism, tolerance, human rights and separation of church and state.

• Schriftenreihe für freigeistige Kultur

• Pressedienst Freier Weltanschauungsgemeinschaften

1. 1Startseite - DFWdfw-dachverband.de
2. 2Über Uns - DFWdfw-dachverband.de
3. 3Eine Geschichte erzählen, die vorwärts blickt: eine Geschichte, die gut tut - DFWdfw-dachverband.de
4. 4Dachverband freier Weltanschauungsgemeinschaftenwikidata.org
5. 5Dachverband Freier Weltanschauungsgemeinschaftende.wikipedia.org