Evangelischer Diakonieverein Berlin-Zehlendorf

The Evangelischer Diakonieverein Berlin-Zehlendorf e.V. is a German Protestant voluntary association (eingetragener Verein) dedicated to diaconal care, nursing education and the professional and spiritual support of its members. It was founded in 1894 by the theologian Friedrich Zimmer, who deliberately departed from the traditional Kaiserswerth mother-house model and organised the association on a more cooperative, member-oriented basis. Its founding purpose was to give women access to a recognised profession in nursing and diaconal service, thereby securing their social and financial independence — an aim the association's own history describes as socially and politically avant-garde for the late 19th century. The association is the sponsor (Träger) of the Diakonische Gemeinschaft Berlin-Zehlendorf, which traces its origins to the sisterhood founded in 1895 and has borne its current name since 2018. With roughly 1,500 sisters and brothers, it describes itself as the largest Protestant sisterhood in Germany. Members work as nurses, paediatric nurses, geriatric carers, teachers, nursing managers and chaplains in around 50 hospitals, retirement homes and care facilities, with nationwide deployment opportunities in hospital nursing, work with the homeless and refugee assistance. Education has been central since the beginning. The first Diakonieseminar for nursing was opened in July 1894 at the municipal hospital in (Wuppertal-) Elberfeld, and the association today advertises top-level training at 24 locations, alongside continuing education in nursing, Christian-diaconal formation, coaching and management consulting. It also operates a guest and conference house in Berlin. The association is a non-profit religious organisation rather than a commercial company; it is not listed on any stock exchange and has no parent company. Its identity combines professional nursing practice with Christian charity, and its history reflects broader changes in German nursing, women's professionalisation and church social welfare.

The Evangelischer Diakonieverein Berlin-Zehlendorf was founded in 1894 by the theology professor Friedrich Zimmer (1855–1919), together with representatives of the German women's movement. It was originally named "Verein zur Sicherstellung von Dienstleistungen der evangelischen Diakonie" and took the name "Evangelischer Diakonieverein" in 1900. Its aim was to qualify women for a profession in diaconal service through its own training institutions, the Diakonieseminare, so that they could achieve social and financial security. The association consciously distinguished itself from the Kaiserswerth mother-house model and was organised on a cooperative basis. The first Diakonieseminar for nursing was opened in July 1894 at the municipal hospital in (Wuppertal-) Elberfeld; its first superior (Oberin) was Anna Margarete van Delden (1858–1938). In Kassel a "Töchterheim" (housekeeping school) was opened. In 1895 the sisters who remained in the profession after training formed a sisterhood association, with admission marked by a service of consecration (Einsegnung). In 1897 the association's journal "Blätter aus dem Evangelischen Diakonieverein" first appeared, the scattered fields of work were grouped into sisterhood districts, and early work abroad began in Antwerp and New York. In 1899 the "Heimathaus" was built in Berlin as the central headquarters; it was replaced by a new building in 1928. At the Sisterhood Day (Schwesterntag) in 1900, a state examination for nurses was unanimously endorsed. The statutes of the association sisterhood notably included, in §8, the right of a sister to settle as a free nurse after five years of membership. When Prussia issued regulations on the state examination of nursing personnel in May 1907, providing for only a one-year training at state-recognised nursing schools, the Evangelischer Diakonieverein already had a two-year training and maintained it after the examination regulations appeared. Eduard Dietrich, ministerial director in the Prussian Ministry of Spiritual, Educational and Medical Affairs, called the nursing schools of the Diakonievereine the first nursing schools in Germany. The journal's editor, board member and pastor Paul Pilgram, built up an additional association pension scheme for the Diakonieschwestern. After the National Socialists came to power in 1933 and sought to unify all sisterhood associations, the Evangelischer Diakonieverein was subordinated to the umbrella Reichsfachschaft Deutscher Schwestern und Pflegerinnen. From 1941 the association journal was no longer allowed to appear, and the Diakonieseminare were taken over by the NS sisterhood. After the end of the war, a branch of the association was founded in Göttingen in the western occupation zone; in the Soviet-occupied zone most Diakonieseminare were closed by 1950. The Göttingen branch became superfluous with reunification and was dissolved in 1992. Work begun in 1935 at the Al Moassat hospital in Alexandria, Egypt, had to be interrupted in 1939 but was resumed from 1949 to 1969. Since 1950 a journal has again appeared, "Die Diakonieschwester". Until the end of the 1980s, unmarried Diakonieschwestern were required to live in the sisters' home, and students had to wear the traditional dress even during lessons; pregnant women had to leave the sisterhood and possibly abandon their training. A change to the association's statutes in 1992 allowed married women, Catholic women and men trained in the Diakonieseminare or working in affiliated houses to become full members. Since 1991 active members in nursing have been able to choose between two sisterhood remuneration models, the cooperative and the collective-agreement (tariff) form. The dress code was renewed; from 1995 a trouser suit could be worn instead of the previous work dress with cap. Since 1 January 2015, membership in the sisterhood has been open not only to Protestant women but also to members of a church or church community of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland (ACK). The association marked its 125th anniversary in 2019, summarising its history in a 14-page publication. Its own history page notes that it is today the sponsor of the largest Protestant sisterhood in Germany, called the Diakonische Gemeinschaft since 2018. The nursing historian Liselotte Katscher, a member of the association, studied history and American studies at the Free University of Berlin after retiring at 68 and completed a master's thesis in 1990 on the history of the Evangelischer Diakonieverein 1933–1939; she had written one of the first textbooks on the history of nursing in 1957, which ran to 16 editions.

• 2019

  The association marks its 125th anniversary with a 14-page history publication.

• 2018

  The sisterhood takes the name Diakonische Gemeinschaft Berlin-Zehlendorf.

• 2015

  Membership in the sisterhood opens to members of churches in the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland (ACK).

• 1995

  A trouser suit may be worn instead of the previous work dress with cap.

• 1992

  Statutes are changed to admit married women, Catholic women and men as full members; the Göttingen branch is dissolved.

• 1950

  The journal "Die Diakonieschwester" resumes publication; most Diakonieseminare in the Soviet-occupied zone have been closed.

• 1941

  The association journal is no longer allowed to appear; the Diakonieseminare are taken over by the NS sisterhood.

• 1935

  Work begins at the Al Moassat hospital in Alexandria, Egypt.

• 1933

  The association is subordinated to the Reichsfachschaft Deutscher Schwestern und Pflegerinnen.

• 1928

  The Berlin Heimathaus is replaced by a new building.

• 1907

  Prussia issues state examination regulations for nursing personnel; the association maintains its two-year training.

• 1900

  The association is renamed "Evangelischer Diakonieverein"; the Sisterhood Day unanimously endorses a state examination for nurses.

• 1899

  The "Heimathaus" is built in Berlin as the central headquarters.

• 1897

  The journal "Blätter aus dem Evangelischen Diakonieverein" first appears; sisterhood districts are formed; early work abroad begins in Antwerp and New York.

• 1895

  Sisters remaining in the profession form a sisterhood association; admission is marked by the service of consecration.

• 1894

  Friedrich Zimmer and representatives of the German women's movement found the association; the first Diakonieseminar for nursing opens at the municipal hospital in (Wuppertal-) Elberfeld.

A non-profit Protestant diaconal association combining professional nursing education with Christian community and service.

• Diakonieseminare (nursing training institutions)

  Own training institutions founded from 1894 to qualify women for diaconal professions.

• Diakonische Gemeinschaft Berlin-Zehlendorf

  The sisterhood of the association, with around 1,500 sisters and brothers, renamed in 2018.

• Nursing services in hospitals and care facilities

  Members work in around 50 hospitals, retirement and care facilities in hospital, paediatric, maternity and geriatric nursing.

• Continuing education and coaching

  Nursing professional development, Christian-diaconal offerings, coaching and management consulting.

• Guest and conference house in Berlin

  A guest and conference house operated by the association in Berlin.

1. 1Startseite - Evangelischer Diakonieverein Berlin-Zehlendorf e.V.diakonieverein.de
2. 2Unsere Geschichte - Evangelischer Diakonieverein Berlin-Zehlendorf e.V.diakonieverein.de
3. 3Unsere Geschichte - Evangelischer Diakonieverein Berlin-Zehlendorf e.V.diakonieverein.de
4. 4Wir über uns - Evangelischer Diakonieverein Berlin-Zehlendorf e.V.diakonieverein.de
5. 5Evangelischer Diakonieverein Berlin-Zehlendorf - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Evangelischer Diakonieverein Berlin-Zehlendorf - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org