Figure 1.--We thought this was a NSV soup kitchen. The signs read "Verteilungsstelle". That means "apportionment place". We are not sure precisely what was meant by that. The photograph was taken near Horní Planá (Oberplan) in what was the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (NAZI occupied Czechoslovakia). It looks to be about summer 1940. It may be land sized from Czechs was being handed out to ethnic German families. Click on the image for a fuller discussion.

The NSV at first helped poor families with financial benefits, a kind of welfare. The NSV gradually shifted to performing services aiding poor families like organizing and managing day care centers, caring for children, assistance to youth and pregnant women, and various family health and nutrition programs. The NSV was established (May 3, 1933). There may have been an early program, but until the NAZIs seized power and had the authority of the German Government at its disposal as well as swelling ranks of Party members could the NSV run significant programs. The NSV was the umbrella organization for a range of social and welfare programs. It was organized on the same basis as the NAZI Party. There was a central office in Berlin and then regional offices in each Gau. Germany in 1933 was severely affected by the Depression. With the NAZI rearmament program as well as the RAD program, the unenployment proble disappeared. As a result by 1938 the NSV began shifting from welfare programs to promoting services. A major effort was day care for worker's families. Here there was some competition with day care programs run by churches. A a major slogan at NSV day care centers was "Hände falten, Köpfchen senken - immer an Adolf Hitler denken"--Hands folded, head lowered - always of Adolf Hitler thinking“. With the advent of the War, the NSV became the principal national effort devoted to children and youth welfare efforts. The NSV managed several different programs. One of the best known was the Mutter und Kind program which cared for pregant women. (I believe this was entirely different than the Lebensborn progrm which took the children away from the mothers.) The NSV also supported mothers in various ways, especially in the case of emergencies. One source indicated tht the NSV was financed through voluntary contributions of its members which increased from 1 million in 1938 to 11 million during the War. The NSV began publishing the ??? (National Socialist people service) magazine in 1933. It also began publishing a series of books ???? (Eternal Germany) in 1936. NSV leaders desired to make the organization the exclusive German welfare agency. While they administered a wide range of programs, they never managed to become the only German social welfare organization. There were a range of workers' welfare institution (AWOs). Other important groups were the German Red Cross and Caritas. One source indicates that NAZI racial overtones gradually appeared in the NSV progams, but we do not have details at this time.

Establishment and Growth

Erich Hilgenfeldt was an early NSV employee. He organized a Party charity drive to celebrate Hitler's birthday (April 20, 1931). The Party NSV was fairly small before the NAZIs seized power. Until the NAZIs seized power and had the authority of the German Government at its disposal as well as swelling ranks of Party members could the NSV run significant programs. Joseph Goebbels, Party Guaeiter of Berlin named him the leader of the NSV. The NSV ermged as the pribncipal NAZI Party welfare agency (May 1933). The NSV was organized on the basic NAZI Party model. There were local, county (Kreis) and group offices. Hitler pleased with his work appointed Hilgenfeldt Reich Commissioner for the NAZI Winterhilfswerk (Winter Relief Support Programme) (September 21, 1933). This was the principal NAZI charity drive. The small NAZI Party charity grew steadily, fueled by the Winterhilfswerk collects taken in by HJ and BDM boys and girls. The NAZIs bosted that it was the "greatest social institution in the world." One method of growth was to take over the charity and welfare operations of non-NAZI organizations. The NSV grew to be be the second largest NaZI Party organization. Only the German Labor Front was larger.

Early Efforts

The NSV at first helped poor families with financial benefits, a kind of welfare.

Service Provider

The NSV was the umbrella organization for a range of social and welfare programs. It was organized on the same basis as the NAZI Party. There was a central office in Berlin and then regional offices in each Gau. The NSV gradually shifted to performing services aiding poor families like organizing and managing day care centers, caring for children, assistance to youth and pregnant women, and various family health and nutrition programs. Germany in 1933 was severely affected by the Depression. With the NAZI rearmament program as well as the RAD program, the unenployment proble disappeared. As a result by 1938 the NSV began shifting from welfare programs to promoting services. A major effort was day care for worker's families. Here there was some competition with day care programs run by churches. A major slogan at NSV day care centers was "Hände falten, Köpfchen senken - immer an Adolf Hitler denken"--Hands folded, head lowered - always of Adolf Hitler thinking“.

World War II

With the advent of the War, the NSV became the principal national effort devoted to children and youth welfare efforts. The NSV managed several different programs. One of the best known was the Mutter und Kind program which cared for pregant women. (I believe this was entirely different than the Lebensborn progrm which took the children away from the mothers.) The NSV also supported mothers in various ways, especially in the case of emergencies. We note the NSV organizing the evactation of children to safe areas. We notice Vienna children bring ecacuated to Munich. We also notice NSV soup kitches. These could be for national disasters, but they became widespread after the outbreak of the War. I am not sure if the NSV assisted Germans retuning to Germany after Hitler ordered the Baltic Germans and many Romanian Germans "Home to the Reich" (1939-40). As the War began to go against Germany, they were set up after air raids and to help German refugees fleeing west wuth the retreating Wehrmacht.

Financing

One source indicated tht the NSV was financed through voluntary contributions of its members which increased from 1 million in 1938 to 11 million during the War.

Publications

The NSV began publishing the ??? (National Socialist people service) magazine in 1933. It also began publishing a series of books ???? (Eternal Germany) in 1936.

German Welfare

NSV leaders desired to make the organization the exclusive German welfare agency. While they administered a wide range of programs, they never managed to become the only German social welfare organization. There were a range of workers' welfare institution (AWOs). Other important groups were the German Red Cross and Caritas. One source indicates that NAZI racial overtones gradually appeared in the NSV progams, but we do not have details at this time.

Created: 5:04 AM 9/20/2009
Last updated: 11:54 PM 3/10/2010