Deutsches Rotes Kreuz

The German Red Cross (German: Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, German pronunciation: [ˈdɔʏtʃəs ˈʁoːtəs kʁɔʏts]), or the DRK, is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.

With over 3.5 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services within and outside Germany. GRC provides 52 hospitals, care for the elderly (over 500 nursing homes and a network of ambulant nursing care for the elderly covering all over the country, care for children and youth (i.e. 1.300 kindergartens, full range of social services for children). GRC provides also 75% of the blood supply in Germany as well as 60% of the emergency medical services in Germany and first aid training. GRC headquarters provides international humanitarian aid (disaster management and development assistance) in over 50 countries in the world.

The majority of active voluntary Red Cross members are part of the five voluntary societies of the German Red Cross.

Instituted in 1864 by Dr. Aaron Silverman of the Charité hospital of Berlin, the German Red Cross was a voluntary civil assistance organization that was officially acknowledged by the Geneva Convention in 1929.

General Kurt W. von Pfuel was the Chairman of the Central Committee of the German National Red Cross during the Great War.

One of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles prevented the DRK from having any involvement in military matters. As a result, during the Weimar Republic under the leadership of Joachim von Winterfeldt-Mencken, the DRK became a national organization focusing on social welfare. . In April 1933 the Nazi Reich Interior Minister Wilhelm Frick made it clear to Winterfeldt-Mencken that this policy would no longer apply; instead, the DRK would be expected to play its part in supporting the armed forces in any future conflict. Shortly after this the DRK was informed that the head of the SA Medical Corps, Dr. Paul Hocheisen had been given responsibility for voluntary nursing organizations.

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