Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Winterhilfswerk
The Winterhilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes (English: Winter Relief of the German People), commonly known by its abbreviated form Winterhilfswerk (WHW), was an annual donation drive by the National Socialist People's Welfare (German: Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt, or NSV).
Established in 1933, the WHW was a major source of funding for the activities of the NSV and the second largest mass organisation in Nazi Germany. Donations were theoretically voluntary but de facto required of German citizens, with high levels of social pressure to contribute.
WHW replaced tax-funded welfare institutions, freeing up money for rearmament. It also had a propaganda role: encouraging solidarity of the Volksgemeinschaft. Persistent rumours that the WHW was a sham, with the proceeds spent on armaments, were at least partially confirmed by Martin Bormann who responded to questions from the Nazi Party treasurer by stating that the money raised by WHW was controlled and allocated by Adolf Hitler alone.
The Winterhilfswerk was organised by the National Socialist People's Welfare, a social welfare organisation whose declared purpose was "to develop and promote the living, healthy forces of the German people". The NSV's origins can be traced to Nazi party welfare activities during the Kampfzeit, when local groups were formed to provide aid to party members in distress.
The Berlin association "Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt e.V." is considered the primary institutional ancestor of the NSV, although initially, this organisation was met with contempt by Nazi Party leaders. In 1932 the party informed the association's leadership that it had initiated legal proceedings because of "misuse of the word 'national socialist'". In 1933, the party changed its position; Hitler designated the NSV a party organ on 3 May 1933. It went on to grow rapidly, counting 3.7 million members in 1934 and becoming the second largest mass organisation in Nazi Germany, behind the German Labour Front. At the onset of the Second World War, it had more than 10 million members.
Hitler ordered the establishment of the Winterhilfswerk in 1933 and personally opened the first drive, giving out the directive "no one shall be hungry, no one shall freeze". The initial donation drive in winter 1933/1934 took place against a backdrop of acute distress in large parts of the German populace; its initiation was partly a result of the party's desire to prevent social unrest. The "Law on the Winterhilfswerk of the German People", passed on 1 December 1936, formally established the WHW as a registered association, to be led by the Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda.
The yearly donation drives by the Winterhilfswerk constituted the most visible part of the NSV's work. As part of the centralisation of Nazi Germany, posters urged people to donate, rather than give directly to beggars. The Hitlerjugend and Bund Deutscher Mädel (boys' and girls' associations, respectively) were extremely active in collecting for this charity. As part of the effort to place the community over the individual, totals were not reported for any individuals, only what the branch raised.
Certain weekends were assigned to all of the different Nazi associations, each with their own special Abzeichen, or badges, to pass out in exchange for a pfennig or two. The highly collectible items were made of many different materials, such as wood, glass, paper, terra cotta, metal and plastic. Over 8,000 different pieces had been produced by the end of the war, and some of the rarer ones sell for quite a lot of money today.
Hub AI
Winterhilfswerk AI simulator
(@Winterhilfswerk_simulator)
Winterhilfswerk
The Winterhilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes (English: Winter Relief of the German People), commonly known by its abbreviated form Winterhilfswerk (WHW), was an annual donation drive by the National Socialist People's Welfare (German: Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt, or NSV).
Established in 1933, the WHW was a major source of funding for the activities of the NSV and the second largest mass organisation in Nazi Germany. Donations were theoretically voluntary but de facto required of German citizens, with high levels of social pressure to contribute.
WHW replaced tax-funded welfare institutions, freeing up money for rearmament. It also had a propaganda role: encouraging solidarity of the Volksgemeinschaft. Persistent rumours that the WHW was a sham, with the proceeds spent on armaments, were at least partially confirmed by Martin Bormann who responded to questions from the Nazi Party treasurer by stating that the money raised by WHW was controlled and allocated by Adolf Hitler alone.
The Winterhilfswerk was organised by the National Socialist People's Welfare, a social welfare organisation whose declared purpose was "to develop and promote the living, healthy forces of the German people". The NSV's origins can be traced to Nazi party welfare activities during the Kampfzeit, when local groups were formed to provide aid to party members in distress.
The Berlin association "Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt e.V." is considered the primary institutional ancestor of the NSV, although initially, this organisation was met with contempt by Nazi Party leaders. In 1932 the party informed the association's leadership that it had initiated legal proceedings because of "misuse of the word 'national socialist'". In 1933, the party changed its position; Hitler designated the NSV a party organ on 3 May 1933. It went on to grow rapidly, counting 3.7 million members in 1934 and becoming the second largest mass organisation in Nazi Germany, behind the German Labour Front. At the onset of the Second World War, it had more than 10 million members.
Hitler ordered the establishment of the Winterhilfswerk in 1933 and personally opened the first drive, giving out the directive "no one shall be hungry, no one shall freeze". The initial donation drive in winter 1933/1934 took place against a backdrop of acute distress in large parts of the German populace; its initiation was partly a result of the party's desire to prevent social unrest. The "Law on the Winterhilfswerk of the German People", passed on 1 December 1936, formally established the WHW as a registered association, to be led by the Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda.
The yearly donation drives by the Winterhilfswerk constituted the most visible part of the NSV's work. As part of the centralisation of Nazi Germany, posters urged people to donate, rather than give directly to beggars. The Hitlerjugend and Bund Deutscher Mädel (boys' and girls' associations, respectively) were extremely active in collecting for this charity. As part of the effort to place the community over the individual, totals were not reported for any individuals, only what the branch raised.
Certain weekends were assigned to all of the different Nazi associations, each with their own special Abzeichen, or badges, to pass out in exchange for a pfennig or two. The highly collectible items were made of many different materials, such as wood, glass, paper, terra cotta, metal and plastic. Over 8,000 different pieces had been produced by the end of the war, and some of the rarer ones sell for quite a lot of money today.