ORGANIZATIONS
Th e Federation of German Industries, the Confederation of German
Employers’ Associations, the Federation of German Wholesale
and Foreign Traders, and the Association of German Chambers
of Commerce represent business in the FRG. Th ere are about
14 regional associations of chambers of business and industry located
in the largest cities; many maintain branch offi ces in smaller
cities. Th e chambers are organized into provincial associations
and are headed by the Permanent Conference of German Industry
and Trade. Th e cooperative movement is well developed. Consumer
cooperatives are represented in the International Cooperative
Alliance by the Central Association of German Cooperatives,
founded in 1949; it also represents credit cooperatives. Th e central
association of agricultural cooperatives, the German Raiff eisen
Society, is located in Wiesbaden. Th e Association of German
Peasants is the largest society of farmers. Th ere is also a Central
Association of German Artisan Industries. Th e private Association
of Consumers operates more than 150 local advisory centers.
Professional societies and associations are numerous and represent
a wide variety of occupations and fi elds of study.
Civil action groups (Bürgerinitiativen) have proliferated in recent
years. August 13 Working Committee serves in part as a human
rights awareness organization. Deutscher Frauenring serves
as an umbrella organization for national women’s groups. Th e Red
Cross is active. Th ere are national chapters of Habitat for Humanity,
CARE and Caritas.
Th e German Academy of Arts in Berlin and the Academy of
Fine Arts in Dresden are well-known arts organizations. Th ere is a
network of seven academies of science in Germany. Th e UNESCO
Institute for Education has an offi ce in Hamburg. A few cultural
and learned associations particular to Germany include the International
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Society, the International
Heinrich Schutz Society, and the International Hegel Gesellschaft
Society. Th ere are numerous organizations dedicated to research
and education in scientifi c fi elds, particularly those relating to
medicine.
Th ere are about 80 youth associations, most of which belong to
the Federal Youth Ring. Th e scouting movement is highly active
and political parties sponsor groups associated in the Ring of Political
Youth. In total there are about 90 national youth organizations
and youth associations. Many of them are part of the umbrella
organization known as the German Federal Youth Association.
Th ere are thousands of groups and associations sponsoring various
arts and cultural activities and special organizations for various
hobbies and sports. Th e German Sports Confederation serves
as an umbrella organization for over 88,000 sports clubs nationwide.
Th ere are also many patriotic and religious organizations in
the country.