1947/48
How Arbeiter Wohlfahrt USA was founded
Shortly before the military defeat of Nazi Germany, Arbeiter Wohlfahrt USA vas initiated. Its founders were well aware of the fact that the reconstructionof a democratic Germany would essentially have to depend on German Anti Nasis,1.0. mainly on those parts of the German Labor movement that had not been contamina-ted by Hitler . It was therefore particularly important to be ready to stretch outa helping hand to those men and women who had suffered to a much larger degree ofNasi oppression and the war's destruction than the average population.
In order to be able to do this at the right moment, Arbeiter Wohlfahrt USAcontacted a number of social, cultural and fraternal organisations in USA , suchas the Workmen's Benefit Fund of the USA , Workmen's Mutual Fire Insurance, Workers'Sport League of America, Federation of Workers' Singing Societies, ProgressivePublishing Association, German Branch of Social Democratic Federation , German American Congress for Democracy, Detroit , Mich., and Chicago , Ill. These organisationssent delegates into Arbeiter Wohlfahrt USA , and in the months and years to come,they fully made good on their pledge to assist Arbeiter Wohlfahrt USA in its reliefwork for Germany .
Arbeiter Wohlfahrt Germany was founded after the first world war and soonbecame within the framework of the new democratic parliamentary form of governmentan important welfare organisation, with many institutions of its own, with a networkof practical relief setivity which was carried out by highly qualified reliefworkerstrained in Arbeiter Wohlfahrt's own schools, With Hitler 's rise to power, ArbeiterWohlfahrt of course, was destroyed, its institutions were taken over by the Nazis ,and the better known of Arbeiter Wohlfahrt's workers and leaders were persecuted.After the military defeat of the Nasis the organisation had to start from scratch,as far as material means were concerned. The only asset on which they could build,were intellectual and moral forces, and a tremendous amount of good will which hadboon the basis of Arbeiter Wohlfahrt before its dissolution. Within a short periodof time, Arbeiter Wohlfahrt was recognised and licensed by the Military Governmentsof all three Western zones, and of Berlin.
Aims of Arbeiter Wohlfahrt USA
As said before, the main purpose of Arbeiter Wohlfahrt USA consisted in bringinghelp to those German workers who had suffered particular hardship at the hands ofthe Nazis , and to help especially their children, the mothers, the adolescents.One means to achieve this was fund raising here, the other one a close contact withthe representatives of Arbeiter Wohlfahrt in Germany , in order to be correctlyinformed about their needs and wishes.