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DOI: https://doi.org/10.37547/history-crjh-02-05-11 
ISSN 2767-472X 
©2021 Master Journals 

   
  Accepted 25th May, 2021 &  Published 31th May, 2021  

 

 
 

 

CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY                           
ISSN – 2767-472X 

37 

   https://masterjournals.com/index.php/CRJH 

 

THE HISTORICAL PHENOMENON OF PHILANTHROPY IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES 

 (ON THE EXAMPLE OF GERMANY) 
 

Abdulazizbek Fahriddin Ugli Utkirov 

2nd-Year Student, Historical Faculty, Tashkent State Pedagogical University 

 

 

INTRODUCTION 

The purpose of the research is to identify the 
specifics of modern charitable activity in the 
context of its historical development, theoretical 
interpretation and practical experience. 

The date of the entry of the German Democratic 
Republic into the Federal Republic of Germany – 
October 3, 1990-is considered to be the 
beginning of the history of modern Germany. 
From the point of view of constitutional law, the 
five former lands of the GDR became constituent 
parts of the Federal Republic of Germany. The 
unification of Germany did not lead to the 
creation of a new state. The GDR ceased to exist 
as a subject of international law, and the FRG, 
while continuing to exist as such, increased its 
territory and population. Germany today is a 
highly developed European state, a member of 
the" Big Seven", a member of the European 
Union. The Basic Law of the Federal Republic of 

Germany (dated May 23, 1949) is the fourth 
Constitution in the history of Germany (before 
that, Constitutions were adopted in 1849, 1871, 
and 1919). The right to social assistance was 
enshrined in the German Constitution of 1919. 
According to the Constitution, the Federal 
Republic of Germany is defined as a democratic 
and social federal State [1]. 

In Germany, in 1682, a decree on measures of 
state charity was adopted, and in 1748 and 1763, 
respectively, an edict and a rescript appeared to 
combat beggary. The heyday of charity in 
Germany falls at the beginning of the XX century, 
the coordinator of which was the "German 
Association of Public and Non-Governmental 
Support". The new laws "On Public Assistance to 
Young People" and "On compulsory Social 
security" have made it possible to unite the state, 
municipal levels and free associations [2]. 

In the middle of the XIX century, there was an 
experience of creating a unique non-state system 

ABSTRACT  
 
This article is devoted to the reformation of charity and charitable societies in Germany. The subject is the 
study of the formation and development of charity in Germany under the influence of socio-economic and 
cultural-historical factors. 
 
 
KEYWORDS: - German Democratic Republic, edict, subject of charity, Sozialhilfe, provision, Sozialamt. 
 
 



CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY 2(5): 37-41, May 2021      
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37547/history-crjh-02-05-11 
ISSN 2767-472X 
©2021 Master Journals 

   
  Accepted 25th May, 2021 &  Published 31th May, 2021  

 

 
 

 

CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY                           
ISSN – 2767-472X 

38 

   https://masterjournals.com/index.php/CRJH 

of individual and selfless assistance to those in 
need. This system, characterized by strict order 
and thoughtful organization, was introduced in 
the city of Elberfeld in 1852. At its core, it 
contained the desire not only to provide short-
term assistance to the needy, but also to lift them 
out of poverty, as well as to promote the moral 
growth of both the well-off and the benefactor. 
One of the most important principles of the 
Elberfeld system was the belief that a detailed 
study of the social status of each applicant for 
social assistance was necessary. Management 
and coordination of assistance to the poor in 
Elberfeld was carried out by a special elected 
body (deputation), the head of which was the 
mayor. The deputation also consisted of 4 
members of the city council and 4 
representatives chosen from citizens. The entire 
city was divided into 31 districts, each of which 
had several voluntary trustees for the poor, who 
took care of 5-6 needy families. 

Without dwelling on the details of the Elberfeld 
system, we note that it was implemented in 
Bremen, Lübeck, Dusseldorf, Munich, Frankfurt 
am Main and other cities in Germany and has 
shown its effectiveness everywhere [3]. By the 
end of the XIX century, Germany had established 
a legal framework for the system of mandatory 
social protection and insurance of workers 
employed in production. It included legislation 
on protection against disease (1883), disability 
and old age (1889), and on the harmful effects of 
production and accidents (1884). The second 
stage, which included the beginning of the late 
20-60s of the XX century, determined the need 
for a serious approach and attention to the 
human factor in relation to the universal 
community of huge human reserves lost in the 
first and Second World Wars, namely, the 
development of universal criteria, principles, 
directions of measures for perfect social 
protection of the population [4]. 

Social assistance (Sozialhilfe) was introduced in 

Germany in 1962.At that time, the recipients of 
various kinds of subsidies and benefits were 500 
thousand people, which was about 1% of the 
population. The current objective of social 
assistance is to help the recipient achieve a 
decent standard of living (which includes 
providing food, housing, clothing, hygiene 
products, household goods, as well as providing 
them with the opportunity to participate fully in 
cultural life). The provision of assistance should 
help the recipient to gain financial independence, 
which he is obliged to promote to the best of his 
ability [5]. 

In the 70s of the XX century. in Germany, a large-
scale reform of social legislation was carried out. 
Currently, the main law is the "Federal Law on 
Social Assistance" (Bundessozialhilfegesetz), 
which regulates the rights and obligations of 
both the recipient of social assistance and the 
social agency, as well as the types of assistance 
provided and the relationship of the said agency 
with other agencies. Since 1975, 10 "Social Law 
Books" (Sozialgesetzbuch) have been published, 
regulating various legal situations and 
procedures. It should be noted that the" 
Agreement on Unification " (Einigungsvertrag) 
for the new lands (excluding Berlin) provides for 
special circumstances in which the action of the 
norms set out in the "Book of Social Laws" is 
limited to the actual available funds: the lack of 
funds in the city cash register of any of the new 
lands causes the payment of social assistance in a 
reduced form. It should be noted that the 
bureaucratic institutions of social protection 
were sharply criticized by sociologists of the 
Frankfurt School. For example, Yu. Habermas 
argued that " the 'system world' is replacing the 
'life world', and formal relations with the state 
are replacing social responsibility and the joint 
activities of citizens" [6]. 

According to the current legislation, the State 
social Service (Sozialamt) is obliged to help every 
person who applies for help, provided that they 



CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY 2(5): 37-41, May 2021      
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37547/history-crjh-02-05-11 
ISSN 2767-472X 
©2021 Master Journals 

   
  Accepted 25th May, 2021 &  Published 31th May, 2021  

 

 
 

 

CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY                           
ISSN – 2767-472X 

39 

   https://masterjournals.com/index.php/CRJH 

are registered in Germany. The object of charity, 
that is, non-state social assistance, can be the 
following categories of citizens: 

- persons who do not have a registered place of 
residence (homeless people). There are about 30 
thousand of them in the country for 83 million 
people; 

- recipients of state social assistance when they 
first move into an apartment. They are assisted 
in purchasing furniture, electrical appliances, bed 
linen, curtains, etc. Furniture and electrical 
appliances (stove, refrigerator, washing machine, 
vacuum cleaner, TV) are paid only for second-
hand, purchased in purchases or in warehouses 
of charitable organizations [7]. 

- persons who have been denied assistance by 
state social services for any reason, or persons in 
need of emergency support. 

Thus, in Germany, the hypothetical register of 
potential beneficiaries is made up of 
representatives of the three socio-demographic 
groups mentioned above. The register of persons 
who actually received assistance is maintained in 
organizations that are engaged in charity. As our 
personal communication with representatives of 
the Deaconical Service of the Evangelical Church 
showed during the "Partnership Forum of Civil 
Societies of Russia and Germany on the land of 
Tatarstan", held in Kazan on August 15-22, 2010. 
at the initiative of the German House of the 
Republic of Tatarstan and the Ministry of Culture 
of the Republic of Tatarstan with the support of 
the Ministry of Regional Development of the 
Russian Federation, the basis for indirect 
coordination of charity is the applicant's 
membership in this public association, although 
there are exceptions. 

The available published sources containing the 
information necessary for our research have 
made it possible to identify the largest charitable 
organizations in modern Germany. 

1. Arbeiterwohlfart (AWO, "Workers' Charity " 
– is a charitable organization founded in 
1919. Its Charter states that the AWO "is a 
politically independent and non-
denominational union of public charity" 
(quoted in [7]). The specialized AWO centers 
carry out "activities in all areas of social 
work, from preventive assistance in distress 
situations to full social rehabilitation" [8]. 

2. Caritas, Deutscher Caritasverband (DCV, 
"Caritas") - a charitable organization of the 
Catholic Church in Germany, the creation of 
which dates back to 1897, linking it with the 
name of the priest Lorenz Werthmann, 
secretary of the Archbishop of Freiburg. L. 
Werthmann organized the first diocesan 
coordination center in Germany, called 
"Caritas". One of the latest projects 
implemented by the Caritas Center in 
Germany was the project "Social Manners for 
a Better Society", aimed at helping people left 
without housing [9]. Currently, national 
Catholic charities operate in approximately 
200 countries around the world. 

3. Diakonisches Werk, Diakonisches Werk der 
Ewangelischen Kirche – DW, Deaconical 
Service) - a charitable organization of the 
Evangelical Church, formed in 1848 at the 
Wittenberg Church Cathedral. The program 
of the organization was the speech of Johann 
Hinrich Wichern "Internal mission against 
spiritual and material poverty and social 
disadvantage" [10]. About 12,000 church 
parishes and hundreds of thousands of 
volunteers support the work of deaconical 
services. The highest governing body of the 
Deaconess Service is the Deaconess 
Conference, headquartered in Stuttgart. 

4. The fourth subject of charity in modern 
Germany is charitable foundations created by 
individuals or legal entities. As a rule, the 
material basis of a charitable foundation is 



CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY 2(5): 37-41, May 2021      
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37547/history-crjh-02-05-11 
ISSN 2767-472X 
©2021 Master Journals 

   
  Accepted 25th May, 2021 &  Published 31th May, 2021  

 

 
 

 

CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY                           
ISSN – 2767-472X 

40 

   https://masterjournals.com/index.php/CRJH 

real estate or cash, but for charitable 
purposes, not the main "funds" themselves 
are used, but the dividends earned on their 
basis" [11]. 

In Germany, it is generally accepted that 
charitable organizations that are "worthy" of 
investing money in them must meet the 
following requirements [12]: 

- registration with the UN as a non-
governmental organization or the presence of 
an official representative from among 
celebrities; 

- the absence of spending "on yourself" among 
your charitable goals»; 

- transparency of functioning; - availability of 
the program; 

- detailed formulation of the goals of the 
organization's activities; 

- lack of elements of manipulation when 
working with the population ("pressure on 
pity»); 

- providing all its representatives with the 
appropriate certificates; 

- respectful attitude of the organization's 
representatives to potential donors; 

- providing potential donors with written 
information about the organization's 
activities; 

- issuance of appropriate confirmations to 
donors for submission to the tax office – 

- issuance of sealed mugs for donations to 
representatives of the organization (in the 
case of collecting cash) [12]. 

5. The fifth subject of charity in Germany should 
be considered volunteers. Volunteers are 
volunteers who perform certain work without 
the expectation of remuneration. According to 
the observations of the head of the laboratory of 
problems of vocational education of persons with 

Disabilities of the Research Institute for the 
Development of Vocational Education at the 
Department of Education of Moscow, A. Ya. "In 
Germany, these are mostly pensioners, but 
sometimes they are housewives or students who 
are financially well-off and want to bring public 
benefit, take up free time, solve communication 
problems. They come through ads or on their 
own initiative and work in good faith on a free 
but necessarily responsible basis. Volunteers 
help in hospitals and nursing homes, work with 
children, participate in environmental programs, 
and work in public organizations. These are 
respected people who feel public recognition" 
[10]. 

Thus, the most significant charitable activities in 
modern Germany are five subjects, three of 
which are large public associations-
Arbeiterwohlfart, Caritas, Diakonisches Werk. As 
the names suggest, the main task of the first of 
these organizations (Arbeiterwohlfart) is to 
provide charitable support to workers and their 
families, the other two help those in need mainly 
on the basis of their religious affiliation. In the 
activities of charitable foundations, it is 
necessary to pay attention to the mechanism of 
formation and expenditure of funds: the use of 
interest on the fixed capital for charitable 
purposes, but not the capital itself. Volunteer 
activities are notable for the active participation 
of the elderly. 

CONCLUSIONS 

In conclusion, it should be noted about the 
nature, regulatory system and main structures of 
charitable activities in modern Germany, which 
allowed us to determine the main elements of the 
model of its coordination and their functions. 
And so, in modern Germany, despite the high 
degree of state social support for the population, 
there is a private and public charity with a 
significant role of volunteerism. Charitable 



CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY 2(5): 37-41, May 2021      
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37547/history-crjh-02-05-11 
ISSN 2767-472X 
©2021 Master Journals 

   
  Accepted 25th May, 2021 &  Published 31th May, 2021  

 

 
 

 

CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY                           
ISSN – 2767-472X 

41 

   https://masterjournals.com/index.php/CRJH 

activity is considered as an auxiliary social 
mechanism. The object base in comparison with 
the total population is relatively small, and the 
subject base is extensive. Coordination of 
practical charitable activities is carried out 
mainly at the level of federal lands, communities 
and grassroots structures of charitable 
organizations. 

REFERENCES 

1. Fundamentals of Constitutional Law in 
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2. Vysotskikh, I. K. History of charity 
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/ I. K. Vysotskikh // Bulletin of the Udmurt 
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7. Madievsky S. A. Social assistance in 
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8. Ismailov B. I. Genesis of legal regulation of 
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9. "Caritas" in Germany calls for respect for 
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10. Ismailov B. I. Genesis of legal regulation of 
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11. Mindel A. Ya. Integration into the world 
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12. Orlova E. The ABC of charity. Winter 
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