Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs
Encyclopedia
Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs (PPÖ; Austrian Boy Scouts and Girl Guides) is the largest Scouting
and Guiding organization in Austria
and the only one approved by World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
(WAGGGS) and the World Organization of the Scout Movement
(WOSM). The association claims more than 300 troops (local units) with more than 85,000 Scouts nationwide. WOSM and WAGGGS give quite smaller membership values for the PPÖ: 10,277 Scouts (as of 2011) and 10,508 Guides (as of 2003).
The badge of the PPÖ is dark red with a white combination of a fleur-de-lis
and a trefoil
, the symbols of WOSM and WAGGGS, respectively. In the center of the crest is a lighter red-and-white shield bearing the heraldic colors of Austria. The badges of both supranational organizations are also used.
The association is member of the Austrian National Youth Council.
. In 1910, the first Scout group - still in existence today - was founded in Wiener Neustadt
. In 1912, Emmerich Teuber
began the first Scout group in Vienna
. The Catholic Church simultaneously founded the Pfadfinderkorps Sankt Georg. The first camps were held in 1913.
As the movement spread, Girl Guides joined in 1913 and troops were founded all over the country. The national organization, the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund (ÖPB), was founded in April 1914. including the Girl Guide movement. This organization had strong ties to Magyar Cserkészszövetség
and Junák
, which was an independent Scout association in Bohemia
. After World War I
, Scouting developed separate organizations in Slovenia
and in other areas of the fractured Habsburg Empire.
The ÖPB's programs expanded, including Cub Scouts in 1920 and Rovers in 1921. Austria's movement also gained international recognition as a founder member of WOSM during an international conference in 1922; it hosted another international conference in 1931 (in Baden bei Wien
). The Girl Guides association grew more prominent with the foundation of the Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnenbund, which was part of the national organization and was led by Marie Antoinette Hofmann; this was followed by an independent girls association, formed in 1929, called Bund der Helferinnen. Austrian Scouts introduced the Mother's Day in Austria, first to honour the mother of the Bundespräsident
.
In 1922 Catholic groups within the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund united in the "Ring der St.Georgspfadfinder". In 1926 they left the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund and founded the Österreichisches Pfadfinderkorps St.Georg, which also gained international recognition.
In 1937 9,410 Scouts (ÖPB: 3,000, ÖPK St.Georg: 6,410) were registered in 1,025 troops.
Beginning in 1934, there was a non-Scouting youth organization run by the state, which provided competition for Austrian Scouts. With the arrival of the Nazis
and World War II
, however, Scouting in Austria was banned. In 1938, a number of Scout leaders were arrested and Scouting went underground, becoming associated with the Red Cross for example.
At the first celebration of the end of World War II, there were Scouts in uniform on the streets. More than 800 Scouts and Scoutleaders left Austria in 1938. "Austrian Scouts in Great Britain" was the Austrian Scouts-in-Exile
organisation. Between 1939 and 1945 "Der neue Weg" was published as Austrian Scout magazine in Exile.
The Boy Scouts were readmitted to WOSM in 1946. Following the way, the national organizations combined to form the Pfadfinder Österreichs, which hosted the 7th World Scout Jamboree
in Bad Ischl
in 1951 with 12,884 participants from 61 countries.
In 1949 several Scoutleaders left the Pfadfinder Österreichs and founded the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund again.
In 1956 Austrian Scouts helped refugees after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
Austrian Scouts celebrated the 26th of October as "Day of the Austrian Flag" for long years.
The first national Austrian jamboree occurred in 1961, and continued every ten years.
In October 1946 the Bund Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnen (BÖP) was founded in Vienna.
Among the founder members was Charlotte Teuber-Weckersdorf
. In 1948 the Catholic groups united in the Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Gruppen im Bund Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnen (work group of Catholic groups of Bund Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnen). 1950 the Catholic groups left the "Bund Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnen" and founded the Östereichischer Pfadfinderinnenverband Sankt Georg (ÖPVSG). The Bund Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnen declined.
In 1957, the ÖPVSG became an associate member of WAGGGS, receiving full member status in 1969.
The boys and girls associations were finally merged again in 1976, forming the modern Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs.
In 1995 the Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs and the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund signed a cooperative agreement.
Celebrating the 100th birthday of the Scout Movement in Austria, a jubilee jamboree, named "urSPRUNG 2010 - Austrian Jubilee Jamboree", took place on the palace grounds of Laxenburg
Castle in August 2010 (August 2–12).
The Austrian National Jamborees of 1936
and 1961
also took place on the same grounds.
. Every Scout wears the badge of his state on his uniform.
Some troops have introduced a Biber division for children younger than 7, but that age division is not approved by the PPÖ.
groups in Hainburg an der Donau http://www.scout.at/hainburg_donau/, Vienna http://www.seepfadfinder.at, Villach http://www.seascouts.at/, St. Georgen an der Gusen (the "Seepfadfinder" are part of the Scout group 4222http://www.pfadis4222.org/heimstunden/) and Graz (the "Flusspfadfinder" are part of the Scout group Graz 5 Kalvarienberg http://graz5.at/).
In 2007 a delegation of Guides and Scouts from Austria, Germany
, Israel
, Jordan
and the Palestinian National Authority
together lighted the Peace Light in Bethlehem
.http://www.pfadfinder.at/presse/friedenslicht07.pdf
Also in 2005 the International Commissioner of Austria Thomas Ertlthaler passed the Peace Light to a delegation of Guides and Scouts from the Palestinian National Authority under the leadership of Saed Shomali, the International Commissioner of the Palestinian Scout Association
.http://www.pfadfinder.at/wir/archiv/friedenslicht_2005.html
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
and Guiding organization in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and the only one approved by World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is a global association supporting the female-oriented and female-only Scouting organizations in 145 countries. It was established in 1928 and has its headquarters in London, England. It is the counterpart of the World Organization of the Scout...
(WAGGGS) and the World Organization of the Scout Movement
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...
(WOSM). The association claims more than 300 troops (local units) with more than 85,000 Scouts nationwide. WOSM and WAGGGS give quite smaller membership values for the PPÖ: 10,277 Scouts (as of 2011) and 10,508 Guides (as of 2003).
The badge of the PPÖ is dark red with a white combination of a fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
and a trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
, the symbols of WOSM and WAGGGS, respectively. In the center of the crest is a lighter red-and-white shield bearing the heraldic colors of Austria. The badges of both supranational organizations are also used.
The association is member of the Austrian National Youth Council.
History
The first Austrian Scouting was founded in 1909 under Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. In 1910, the first Scout group - still in existence today - was founded in Wiener Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt
-Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to...
. In 1912, Emmerich Teuber
Emmerich Teuber
Emmerich Teuber began the first Scouting group in Vienna, Austria in 1912.Teuber later served on the International Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from its creation in 1922 until 1929.Teuber died as a result of the sufferings he had endured in a concentration...
began the first Scout group in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. The Catholic Church simultaneously founded the Pfadfinderkorps Sankt Georg. The first camps were held in 1913.
As the movement spread, Girl Guides joined in 1913 and troops were founded all over the country. The national organization, the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund (ÖPB), was founded in April 1914. including the Girl Guide movement. This organization had strong ties to Magyar Cserkészszövetség
Magyar Cserkészszövetség
Magyar Cserkészszövetség , the primary national Scouting organization of Hungary, was founded in 1912, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922 and again after the rebirth of Scouting in the country in 1990...
and Junák
Junák
Junák, or more properly, Junák - svaz skautů a skautek ČR , is the largest association of Scouts and Guides of the Czech Republic...
, which was an independent Scout association in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Scouting developed separate organizations in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and in other areas of the fractured Habsburg Empire.
The ÖPB's programs expanded, including Cub Scouts in 1920 and Rovers in 1921. Austria's movement also gained international recognition as a founder member of WOSM during an international conference in 1922; it hosted another international conference in 1931 (in Baden bei Wien
Baden bei Wien
-Points of interest:The town offers several parks and a picturesque surrounding, of which the most frequented is the Helenental valley. Not far from Baden, the valley is crossed by a widespread aqueduct of the Vienna waterworks...
). The Girl Guides association grew more prominent with the foundation of the Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnenbund, which was part of the national organization and was led by Marie Antoinette Hofmann; this was followed by an independent girls association, formed in 1929, called Bund der Helferinnen. Austrian Scouts introduced the Mother's Day in Austria, first to honour the mother of the Bundespräsident
Bundespräsident
Bundespräsident is the German language title for:* The President of Austria * The President of Germany...
.
In 1922 Catholic groups within the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund united in the "Ring der St.Georgspfadfinder". In 1926 they left the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund and founded the Österreichisches Pfadfinderkorps St.Georg, which also gained international recognition.
In 1937 9,410 Scouts (ÖPB: 3,000, ÖPK St.Georg: 6,410) were registered in 1,025 troops.
Beginning in 1934, there was a non-Scouting youth organization run by the state, which provided competition for Austrian Scouts. With the arrival of the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, however, Scouting in Austria was banned. In 1938, a number of Scout leaders were arrested and Scouting went underground, becoming associated with the Red Cross for example.
At the first celebration of the end of World War II, there were Scouts in uniform on the streets. More than 800 Scouts and Scoutleaders left Austria in 1938. "Austrian Scouts in Great Britain" was the Austrian Scouts-in-Exile
Scouts-in-Exile
Scouts-in-Exteris, also referred to as Scouts-in-Exile, are Scouting and Guiding groups formed outside of their native country as a result of war and changes in governments...
organisation. Between 1939 and 1945 "Der neue Weg" was published as Austrian Scout magazine in Exile.
The Boy Scouts were readmitted to WOSM in 1946. Following the way, the national organizations combined to form the Pfadfinder Österreichs, which hosted the 7th World Scout Jamboree
7th World Scout Jamboree
The 7th World Scout Jamboree was held August 3 to 12, 1951 and was hosted by Austria at Bad Ischl. The attendance was 12,884 from 61 different parts of the world, with 675 German Scouts given a warm welcome as official participants in a World Jamboree for the first time...
in Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden Ahorn, Bad Ischl, Haiden, Jainzen, Kaltenbach, Lauffen, Lindau, Pfandl, Perneck, Reiterndorf and Rettenbach...
in 1951 with 12,884 participants from 61 countries.
In 1949 several Scoutleaders left the Pfadfinder Österreichs and founded the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund again.
In 1956 Austrian Scouts helped refugees after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
Austrian Scouts celebrated the 26th of October as "Day of the Austrian Flag" for long years.
The first national Austrian jamboree occurred in 1961, and continued every ten years.
In October 1946 the Bund Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnen (BÖP) was founded in Vienna.
Among the founder members was Charlotte Teuber-Weckersdorf
Charlotte Teuber-Weckersdorf
Univ. Prof. DDr. Charlotte M. Teuber-Weckersdorf was one of the most important Girl Guides Leader of Austria and an Austrian university professor.-Family:...
. In 1948 the Catholic groups united in the Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Gruppen im Bund Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnen (work group of Catholic groups of Bund Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnen). 1950 the Catholic groups left the "Bund Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnen" and founded the Östereichischer Pfadfinderinnenverband Sankt Georg (ÖPVSG). The Bund Österreichischer Pfadfinderinnen declined.
In 1957, the ÖPVSG became an associate member of WAGGGS, receiving full member status in 1969.
The boys and girls associations were finally merged again in 1976, forming the modern Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs.
In 1995 the Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs and the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund signed a cooperative agreement.
Celebrating the 100th birthday of the Scout Movement in Austria, a jubilee jamboree, named "urSPRUNG 2010 - Austrian Jubilee Jamboree", took place on the palace grounds of Laxenburg
Laxenburg
Laxenburg is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, near Vienna.- History :The place is well-known for its castle, Schloss Laxenburg, which, beside Schönbrunn, was the most important summer seat of the Habsburg dynasty....
Castle in August 2010 (August 2–12).
The Austrian National Jamborees of 1936
and 1961
also took place on the same grounds.
Divisions
There are nine geographical divisions of the PPÖ, one for each State of AustriaStates of Austria
Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms...
. Every Scout wears the badge of his state on his uniform.
VorarlbergVorarlbergVorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...
- cloth banner on a white field
TyrolTyrol (state)Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
- red eagle on a white field
SalzburgSalzburg (state)Salzburg is a state or Land of Austria with an area of 7,156 km2, located adjacent to the German border. It is also known as Salzburgerland, to distinguish it from its capital city, also named Salzburg...
- red yellow lion on white
Upper AustriaUpper AustriaUpper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
- red and white stripes with a yellow eagle on a black field
Lower AustriaLower AustriaLower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
- blue field with five yellow eagles
StyriaStyria (state)Styria is a state or Bundesland, located in the southeast of Austria. In area it is the second largest of the nine Austrian federated states, covering 16,401 km². It borders Slovenia as well as the other Austrian states of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Burgenland, and Carinthia. ...
- green field with a white panther
CarinthiaCarinthia (state)Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
- white field with three red yellow lions on the left side
BurgenlandBurgenlandBurgenland is the easternmost and least populous state or Land of Austria. It consists of two Statutarstädte and seven districts with in total 171 municipalities. It is 166 km long from north to south but much narrower from west to east...
- yellow field with a red eagle on a stone
ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
- red with a white cross
Program
There are four age divisions of the PPÖ.- Age 7 - 10 - Wichtel (girls; BrowniesBrownies (Girl Guides)A Brownie is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations for girls from their seventh birthday to their tenth birthday. Exact age limits are slightly different in each organisation.-History:...
) and Wölflinge (boys; Cub Scouts) - Age 10 - 13 - Guides (girls) and Späher (boys)
- Age 13 - 16 - Caravelles (girls) and Explorers (boys)
- Age 16 - 20 - Rangers (girls) and Rovers (boys, Rover ScoutsRover ScoutsRover Scouting is a service division of Scouting for young men, and in most countries, women. A group of Rovers, analogous to a Scout troop, is called a 'Crew.'...
)
Some troops have introduced a Biber division for children younger than 7, but that age division is not approved by the PPÖ.
Sea Scouts
There are Sea ScoutSea Scout
Sea Scouts are members of the international Scouting movement, with a particular emphasis on water-based activities, such as kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and rowing. Depending on the country and the available water these activities are on lakes, rivers or sea in small or large ships. Sea Scouting...
groups in Hainburg an der Donau http://www.scout.at/hainburg_donau/, Vienna http://www.seepfadfinder.at, Villach http://www.seascouts.at/, St. Georgen an der Gusen (the "Seepfadfinder" are part of the Scout group 4222http://www.pfadis4222.org/heimstunden/) and Graz (the "Flusspfadfinder" are part of the Scout group Graz 5 Kalvarienberg http://graz5.at/).
Peace Light of Bethlehem
The Peace Light of Bethlehem is a program inaugurated in Austria in 1986 as part of a charitable relief mission for handicapped children and people in need. It has gone to more than 20 countries in Europe, as well as the Americas.http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/011-3610-346-12-50-902-20051213STO03609-2005-12-12-2005/default_en.htmIn 2007 a delegation of Guides and Scouts from Austria, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and the Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
together lighted the Peace Light in Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
.http://www.pfadfinder.at/presse/friedenslicht07.pdf
Also in 2005 the International Commissioner of Austria Thomas Ertlthaler passed the Peace Light to a delegation of Guides and Scouts from the Palestinian National Authority under the leadership of Saed Shomali, the International Commissioner of the Palestinian Scout Association
Palestinian Scout Association
The Scout movement started in Palestine in 1912. The Palestinian Scout Association was recognized by the World Scout Bureau in 1945, however recognition was withdrawn in 1949. Official recognition was restored by the World Scout Conference in 1996, and the Palestinian Scout Association serves...
.http://www.pfadfinder.at/wir/archiv/friedenslicht_2005.html
See also
- Leopold FiglLeopold FiglLeopold Figl was an Austrian politician of the Austrian People's Party and the first Federal Chancellor after World War II...
- Elisabeth GehrerElisabeth GehrerElisabeth Gehrer is a Conservative Austrian politician. From 1995 until January 2007 Gehrer was Federal Minister of Education, Science and Culture, at first in grand coalition governments headed by Franz Vranitzky and Viktor Klima , and, since 2000, in Wolfgang Schüssel's coalition government...
- Heinz ZemanekHeinz ZemanekHeinz Zemanek is an Austrian computer pioneer who in 1955 developed the first complete transistorised computer on the European continent...
- Südtiroler PfadfinderschaftSüdtiroler PfadfinderschaftThe Südtiroler Pfadfinderschaft , abbreviated as SP, is the Roman Catholic Scout association of the German minority of the Italian province of South Tyrol . The association is coeducational and has 600 members in seven troops. It is affiliated to the Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani...